Kiwi Gambling Laws

New Zealand has a long history of gambling, and throughout that time, many severe laws have been put in place. Someone living in New Zealand by the name of George Julius had a profound effect on the development of sports betting in New Zealand. The “automatic totalisator” that Julius invented is a tote board used in the infield of race tracks to show the current positions of the horses.

Gambling is a rapidly growing industry in New Zealand

Gambling is a rapidly growing industry in New Zealand. With more and more people turning to gamble as a way to make money, the government has had to step in and regulate the industry. The new laws are designed to protect gamblers from themselves and ensure that they can gamble responsibly.

The gambling industry is deeply controversial in New Zealand. Gambling is a huge industry in New Zealand and it is expected that it will only increase in size as more people gain access to the Internet.

The government wants to ensure that it protects its citizens from the dangers of online gambling, while not stifling growth in the New Zealand online gambling industry.

Rules Governing Current Gambling

Under the Gambling Act of 2003, any kind of gambling not specifically permitted by the New Zealand government is illegal within the country. The government issues separate licences for each of the four categories of gambling. Each category has a different maximum payout and turnover percentage, and players must be at least 20 to access a casino but only 18 to play sports betting scratch cards, or lotteries.

Class 1: The total price pool or turnover for Class 1 gambling cannot exceed $500. Those who come out on top in any given process must comply with whatever rules were set forth for that particular process. A private citizen may only engage in Class 1 gambling.

Class 2 wagering requires a total prize pool of $2,500 or less. Total sales must be over $500 but less than $25,000. Class 2 gaming does not require a licence, although it can only be operated by the kind of organisations specified in the Gambling Act.

Class 3 gambling requires awards of more than $5,000, and Class 4 gambling involves the use of gaming machines. The casino does not need a licence to operate under Class 3 or Class 4.

Online Gambling In New Zealand

As long as the internet casino is located outside of New Zealand, residents there need not worry about legal ramifications. Slot machines, lottery games, sports/race betting, and traditional casino games are the sole options for those who want to gamble with New Zealand operators.

Despite the country’s strong rules on the gambling industry, the government’s main focus is on closing down unlicensed New Zealand companies. The government has made it plain that if a New Zealander is of legal age and the online casino is located elsewhere, then there would be no legal repercussions. Craps, poker, blackjack, keno, roulette, slots, and video poker are all available.

As long as the casino’s operator is based outside of New Zealand, you are also free to deposit and withdraw any real money you win. New Zealand dollars (NZD) are widely accepted at a wide variety of online casinos.

In many online casinos, Kiwi dollars can be deposited, withdrawn, and used for play. If the gambling establishment accepts New Zealand dollars, the player won’t have to worry about the additional costs associated with exchanging currency.

Is it Risky to Bet Online in New Zealand?

Given that there are currently no online New Zealand casinos, gamblers from the country will need to rely on the good faith of other governments and comply with their rules regarding online gambling. But this only proves that many foreign nations are accepting the New Zealand dollar as a means of enticing visitors from New Zealand.

It’s important to verify that the casino you’re considering playing at is licenced and regulated appropriately in the country where its operations are headquartered.

If you want to play at a reputable online casino, seek the eCOGRA seal of approval at the site’s footer. This demonstrates that the casino uses sophisticated encryption and fair gaming methods. Any reasonable New Zealander would feel secure depositing money with them after reading this.

Can a New Zealander File a Complaint over Mistreatment?

Even though the New Zealand authorities can’t do anything about an international or foreign gambling site. For any complaints about the casino’s fairness, players can contact eCOGRA, an organisation that mediates disputes between players and the casinos they have validated.

Conclusion:

While the penalties for breaking New Zealand’s strict gambling regulations are severe, the laws themselves are not the problem. Assuming they are of legal age, anyone from New Zealand can play at an online casino. It is the player’s responsibility to verify that they are using a legitimate online casino. and New Zealand dollars are accepted there.

The Gambling Act 2003 does not allow remote interactive gambling as stated in Section 9(2)(b). The law defines remote interactive gambling as “gambling by a person at a distance by interaction through a communication device.”

The section also defines communication devices to be computers, telephones, cellphones, radios and/or similar devices. An example would be when you sell lottery tickets online and this also includes casino websites operating within New Zealand.

However, the law also provides some exceptions. Like sales promotions in the form of the lottery but sales promotions that are not in the lottery will fall under the remote interactive gambling prohibition.

The remote interactive gambling law is only for New Zealand and does not include gambling being conducted in other countries. So, a Kiwi player who plays over the internet on a website that is based in other countries will not be violating the law.

It is important to note that players will be subjected to the laws of the country where the website is operating.

There is also the danger of getting your personal information exposed by fraudulent websites or phishing sites. There are many of these sites and most of them will look and feel very legal to those who will not take the time to investigate.

It is always best practice to research the websites first before engaging them or before sharing your personal information. Research their licenses and certificates and check the governing bodies of those certificates to validate them.

Ministry of Health’s Involvement in Legal Gambling

It is also important to note that most Kiwis who enjoy online gambling are betting on websites that are operating in other countries. The Ministry of Health has been working hard for many years helping individuals that have developed mental/emotional problems due to gambling.

Gambling-related health issues have a large provision under the New Zealand Medical Laws. New Zealand has always been one of the world’s advocates in providing free medical healthcare.

They have also been working hard on providing guidance to casino establishments and betting establishments to guarantee that gamers are protected and educated from the harmful effects of gambling but they can do little when some gamblers are doing their betting on websites that are outside of New Zealand.

The Gambling Act of 2003 has a hefty fine for those caught participating in unauthorized gambling. Fines can reach $10,000 for individuals and organizations can be fined up to $50,000 so it is best to just follow the laws governing gambling to avoid problems.

Gambling goes back to the Palaeolithic Age, the time where man was still not able to record history. And so, we could confidently say that gambling has been a part of human culture and development for thousands of years.

In other parts of the world, gambling is legal and an important part of society. Places like Las Vegas, Atlantic City or Macau are places where gambling plays a very important role. And they provide more than just entertainment.

Big casino companies build resorts that create jobs and opportunities to their communities.

For example, there was a time not long ago when Las Vegas was nothing more than a big piece of land with nothing but sand. Macau was nothing more than a sleepy port two centuries ago.

When gambling houses became popular and business became lucrative the area around simply grew with it.

Growth in Tourism

So, in 1961 when gambling laws here in New Zealand became more lenient sports betting also grew and that also encouraged the development of better sports arenas. Horseracing was the first sports betting that was allowed here and gambling helped in its growth.

When the other sports gain popularity and betting became allowed it made the games more exciting.

Sports like Aussie football, cricket and tennis started to develop and their growth followers and popularity has increased tax revenues and helped the communities where these teams are based.

Increased Tax Revenue

To date, there are 33-horseracings events in New Zealand with about six land-based casinos, several football teams and tennis arenas.

There are also several big casino companies that are looking to build and develop more resorts however the government is making sure that growth of the industry is managed well.

But we cannot take away the fact that sports betting and casino gambling has helped New Zealand in terms of tax revenue, development and in creating job opportunities.

The good thing about New Zealand despite its strict approach to gambling is that they value privacy. In countries like the US for example, privacy belongs to the second tier when it comes to its value, while in New Zealand, the privacy of its citizens or the individual is being carefully looked upon.

In recent years there has been an increase in support to make privacy a right of an individual which is important for people who are into gambling.

Gambling is a personal sport and for as long as the individual is not causing any damage or affecting the lives of his friends and relatives in a negative way then his/her personal information should be protected.