Online Casino NZ Laws Explained

In New Zealand, only those online casinos given the legislative green light by the country’s Gambling Commission are permitted to offer their games to players in the country. Important to keep in mind, however, is that this only applies to online casino NZ operators located within the country’s borders. This means offshore operators are technically not doing illegal business in the country, but are at the same time also not regulated locally.

When considering this grey area, players should keep in mind that when supporting offshore online casino providers, they’re not covered by the same level of protection as would be the case with locally regulated brands.

Local Gambling Authorities

Following the implementation of the 2003 Gambling Act, government divided the local market into smaller sections governed by local authorities for better control.

What’s more, within the context of the local market are 3 different types of gambling authorities – with each assigned specific functions to ensure safety, responsible gambling, and sustainability.

They are:

• NZ’s Department of Internal Affairs: the department provides information and education to the public, while also handling all matters to do with local gambling legislation.
• The Gambling Commission: all new land-based and online casino NZ operator licence applications are made to and overseen by the commission. The commission furthermore also oversees applications for licence extensions as well as acting as an escalatory power to the Department of Internal Affairs.
• The Ministry of Health: New Zealand’s Ministry of Health oversees all things related to safe and responsible gambling in the country.

About The 2003 Gambling Act

The most important piece of legislation pertaining to online casino NZ as well as land-based casino gambling in the country by far is the 2003 Gambling Act.

The act works toward:

• The growth and control of gambling.
• The facilitation of responsible and safe gambling practices for all.
• The overseeing of the fairness and integrity of casino games.
• Ensuring that the profits raised by gambling institutions ultimately benefit local communities.
• The facilitation of community involvement about decisions taken about online and retail gambling.

In New Zealand, there’s a strong focus on the safety and legality of operators. In addition to this, players are advised by local lawmakers to take into account the following aspects of gaming when choosing an online casino provider:

• The overall quality of the design.
• The quality of the software used for games.
• The actual selection of games available.
• The availability and range of a decent selection of payment and withdrawal methods.
• The level of responsiveness in terms of customer support and the resolution of queries.