Gaming in New Zealand
Before you start playing at a land-based venue or at an online casino, it is important to have a look at the legislation involved in this activity. Gaming related legislation varies around the world and you need to be aware of the legislation in your jurisdiction. Casino Midas New Zealand is an online casino that caters specifically for New Zealand players. Players need to be aware that it is totally legal for them to play at our casino since it matches all the criteria requested by the law.
Public Gaming in NZ
Public gaming in NZ is legal and is controlled by the Department of Internal Affairs. It is regulated by the Gambling Act 2003. This Act restricts the number of gaming machines allowed and limits the number of casinos that are able to operate in the country. There is also a specific Commission that approves casino operator licenses and renews casino venue licenses.
There are four categories of gaming activity that are legal in New Zealand:
- Casinos – there are six major casinos in the country. You must be a minimum of 20 years of age to enter a NZ casino.
- TAB – This is a location where you can place wagers on horse races and sports. You must be a minimum of 18 years of age to place a wager at the TAB.
- Lotteries – this includes the daily keno and lotteries.
- Instant Kiwi – this is a scratch card game. You must be at least 18 years of age to be able to buy to an instant Kiwi ticket.
Online Gaming in New Zealand
New Zealand players are allowed by the law to take part in online gaming activities and are able to access and enjoy online casinos that operate outside New Zealand in jurisdictions where online casinos can operate legally. According to the letter of the law, offshore casinos are not able to offer services to New Zealand residents, but New Zealanders have been playing at offshore casinos since the Gambling Act was made law and there have been no prosecutions.
The prohibition relates to “remote interactive gaming” which is defined as “gambling by a person at a distance by interaction through a communication device.” This includes online and mobile gaming.
Top online casinos around the world accept New Zealand players and many of these casinos cater specifically to this specific clientele. There are many legal, secure and reputable online casinos that offer banking in New Zealand dollars, offer banking methods that are convenient and available for New Zealand residents and offer customer service support that is available via methods and at times that suit players fromthic country. As a New Zealand online casino player there are many safe and secure online casino options available to you.
Gaming Statistics in NZ
There are six land-based casinos that operated in New Zealand and these include Dunedin Casino, Christchurch Casino and four SKYCITY Casinos found in Auckland, Hamilton, Queenstown and the Warf Casino.
There is a very low percentage of problem gambling in New Zealand despite the popularity of gaming machines ("pokies") in the country. Recent research found that less than 2% of adult gamblers are susceptible to become problem gamblers, while 47% of the population are classified as non-gamblers and 49% as recreational gamblers.
The number of pokies in New Zealand has been falling with fewer venues offering gaming machines. At the end of 2012, there were 17,670 gaming machines in New Zealand. In addition, spending on pokies dropped 3.1 per cent or $27 million to $893.7 million according to gaming statistics in NZ.
