Best Online Pokies NZ for Playing Casino Games in New Zealand

The Herald Scottland
 
Best Online Pokies NZ for Playing Casino Games in New Zealand
Super Slots

Pokies are hugely popular in New Zealand. They’re great fun to play, they come packed with bonus features and promotions, and there are new ones released all the time. 

We’ve rounded up the best online pokies in New Zealand for you to take a look at. The pokies sites in our list are all legal and legit to play in New Zealand, and alongside pokies they also come with a wealth of other casino games.

Let’s take a look! 

First Look

  1. Best overall NZ online pokies site -
  2. Best NZ online pokies for mobile games -
  3. Best real money casino for progressive jackpots -
  4. Best for real money pokies game variety -
  5. Top pokies site for megaways slots -
  6. Best online pokie site for exclusive pokies -
  7. Best new online pokies site -
  8. Best online casino for no wagering online pokies -

How We Chose the Best Online Pokies

Games available - The first thing we looked at is how many online pokies a casino site has, the variety of their pokies, as well as which other casino games they have available. 

Welcome bonuses - The best pokies sites offer the best welcome bonuses, both in terms of their size and their wagering requirements. 

User-experience for NZ players - We made sure to add online casinos that are aimed with NZ players in mind when it comes to the user experience. This includes the user interface, the themes, games and more. 

Payment methods - Lastly, the online pokies sites in our list offer a variety of payment methods that are popular with NZ players, ranging from cards to eWallets. 

Best Pokies In New Zealand 

1. - Best Overall NZ Online Pokies Site

  • 450+ games 
  • Progressive jackpots
  • New pokies added all the time

As its name suggests, Spin Casino is a slots-focused online casino. And while it’s available throughout Europe, it’s also available in New Zealand. 

It’s also one of the most established online slots site. It’s been around since 2001, it’s home to both 5-reel and 3-reel pokies, progressive jackpot slots galore, as well as brand new-for-2021 pokies that are crammed with bonus features.

We also like how it asks its community of players to vote for the best games, before listing them in a separate category. 

Moreover, if you’re looking to play for big online jackpot wins, Spin Casino lists the top online jackpot wins – some of which have gone way above $2,000,000.

One of the best things about Spin Casino is that it doesn’t just do online pokies. Sure, it specialises in these games, but you can also play a wealth of other games here, including all the classic games, such as roulette, baccarat and poker, as well as live dealer games. 

The fun doesn’t stop there – Spin Casino has a sportsbook, too, which comes with a separate welcome bonus to the online casino. You can bet on a variety of sports, including football, tennis and rugby, league and union. Live betting is available; and you can access both the online casino and the sportsbook on your mobile device. 

But while customer support is available around the clock, it might disappoint some players to learn that live chat isn’t available. Other than that, Spin Casino doesn’t really do a lot wrong – there are lots of payment methods available, including Maestro and Neteller, and the user interface for both the casino and the sportsbook is functional and easy to get used to. 

2. - Best NZ Online Pokies for Mobile Games

  • Established for over 20 years
  • 500+ games
  • Progressive jackpots 

Jackpot City is an online pokies casino that comes with a huge reputation. It’s been established for over 20 years, it’s often been at the forefront of the latest advances in software gaming and mobile technology, and it’s fully licensed and totally legit to access in New Zealand.

At the time of writing, this online casino is home to more than 500 games, many of which are pokies. Here, you can play a range of classic 5-reel pokies, as well as a number of progressive jackpot pokies, including Mega Moolah, which starts off with a progressive jackpot of more than $1,000,000.

Jackpot City actually has a separate casino for its mobile games. You can play a large number of mobile pokies, mobile blackjack, mobile roulette and mobile bingo. 

There’s also a casino app that can be downloaded directly from the website. 

There are free games available, although some players who want to try them before they sign up will be left disappointed because you must be a member in order to access them. 

On the other hand, the fact that there are so many free games available – including lots of pokies – in the first place is a huge bonus. 

3. - Best Casino for Progressive Jackpots

  • 300+ pokies
  • 1000+ casino online games 
  • High bet limits 

Mansion Casino is one of Europe’s biggest online casinos that is accessible to NZ players. There’s a separate website dedicated to just New Zealand players, which means the user experience, game selection and payment methods all have NZ natives in mind.

In terms of its selection of online pokies, Mansion does very well. At the time of writing, there are over 300 slots to choose from, including a large number of jackpot pokies. Moreover, the welcome bonus - which itself is super generous - can be used on slot games. 

There’s an app available for both Android and iOS users, and you can play hundreds of mobile slots here. 

Mansion Casino’s user interface is clean and professional, and it’s clear that high rollers are welcome here. Max bet limits are high and Mansion will not punish winners. 

As a minor criticism, it’s worth noting that Mansion often cross-sells its sportsbook to encourage you to bet on sports, too. But if you’re just here for the pokies and other games, the game variety here is excellent, and there are 50+ live dealer games to play, too. 

4. - Best for Real Money Pokies Game Variety

  • 2000+ pokies
  • Award-winning online casino 
  • High RTP pokies 

Leo Vegas is an award-winning online casino site that is home to a huge amount of online pokies - well over 2,000, in fact. This is easily one of the biggest collections of online pokies you will find at any online casino in New Zealand. 

There’s a search function that makes it easier to find your favourite games, and Leo Vegas has a separate section for all of its newest online pokies. 

Current pokies that Leo Vegas has include Immortal Romance, Book of Dead and Money Train 2.

There are also megaways games at Leo Vegas, as well as a handful of Leo Vegas Originals, and a number of jackpot games.

Other than slots, Leo Vegas offers a solid selection of other games. These include table games such as roulette and baccarat, as well as bingo and blackjack. There’s a live casino, too, as well as a sportsbook. 

The site design isn’t the most aesthetically pleasing we’ve ever seen, and some users might find Leo Vegas a tad basic. It certainly isn’t slick or easy on the eyes, but it is at least functional. This means that if you’re the type of player who prefers to play at a low key gambling site, Leo Vegas could be for you. 

Moreover, Leo Vegas offers pretty much everything else a modern-day online casino player could want, not just in terms of its game selection, but also in terms of its bonuses and promos, payment methods and ease of use. 

5. - Top Pokies Site for Megaways Slots 

  • 1300+ online games
  • 25+ megaways online pokies games 
  • Live dealer games 

In contrast to some other sites, Casino Lab looks very fetching on the eyes. It sports a unique theme (a science laboratory presided over by some mad professor), and yet despite its eye-catching theme, Casino Lab is also pleasingly easy to navigate. It’s both functional and attractive.

For instance, to find the pokies, you just need to head over to the “Games” panel at the left of the homepage and you’re instantly taken to a selection of games. 

In terms of its casino games, Casino Lab has a gigantic selection of over 1300 – and counting. New games are being added all the time, and you can choose from brand new games or older classics, such as Starburst.

Indeed, when you enter the online pokies section, you’re greeted by a few different categories, including jackpots, classic pokies, megaways, must-fall jackpots and video pokies. This is a really good variety of pokies games, and it means that there’s pretty much something here for everyone.

You can also enter the “hot games” section to find the current most popular ones. Alternatively, you can search for pokies according to the game provider. 

But while Casino Lab undoubtedly fares well where online pokies are concerned, it also excels when it comes to its live casino. There are almost 50 different live dealer games available at the moment, and these include American Roulette, Texas Hold’em, Blackjack Silver and Baccarat. 

We like the fact that players can grab a welcome bonus for the regular casino or, if they’d prefer, grab a live casino welcome bonus instead. And because the live games are brought to you by Live Dealer Studios, the authenticity is top quality. 

For such a modern-day New Zealand online casino, it’s somewhat disappointing that Casino Lab still hasn’t added any cryptocurrencies to its payment methods. Other than that, though, there is a good selection of banking options available, while max deposit limit is so high that high rollers can sign up and play the pokies. 

6. - Best Online Pokie Site for Exclusive Pokies 

  • Exclusive The Sun branded slots available 
  • Established casino
  • Very good depth of games 

Sun Vegas is a British-made online casino that's available in NZ, and which delivers the goods when it comes to online pokies. 

Not to be confused with sister site Sun Bingo, with which it shares its design and branding, Sun Vegas offers an unrivalled arsenal of pokies that include jackpot pokies, megaways pokies and brand-new-for-2021 pokies.

These are all provided by top-class, reputable software developers, and they include the likes of Ted Megaways, Age of the Gods and Rainbow Riches.

Slingo - a fun mix of slots and bingo rolled into one - is available, too, as are The Sun’s very own branded slot games, including The Sun Branded Megaways. These are exclusive games that you won’t find anywhere else. 

Other online casino games you can play at Sun Vegas include blackjack and roulette variants, which you can play live or automated. Virtual sports are available as well, as is poker, baccarat and sic bo. Compared to lots of rival sites, the depth of games on offer here is very good. 

In terms of its web design, Sun Vegas has gone for a fuss-free look that features its familiar red and white colours. There’s nothing special about it, but it’s easy to navigate and site speed is excellent. 

Is there anything wrong with Sun Vegas? Some players who are looking for high RTP slots will be left frustrated by the fact that the site doesn’t publish such information. But if you’re here for the jackpots, or the games in general, there’s much to enjoy. 

7. - Best New Online Pokies Site

  • 100+ pokies
  • Launched in 2020
  • Poker available 

Red Dog Casino is one of the newest online pokies available to NZ players. It was launched in 2020, and because it’s so new it does two things super well: New pokies and a generous welcome bonus (so as to tempt new players). 

Naturally, it does other things well, too. As a new site, Red Dog Casino is able to take advantage of the latest developments in mobile technology so as to offer a smooth mobile friendly experience, and its no-nonsense website is free from clutter, and easy to navigate.

There are just over a hundred online pokies available at the time of writing, and these include jackpot slots. You can also play poker and many other classic games, including blackjack and roulette.

Live games are conspicuous by their absence, but we feel that Red Dog Casino more than makes up for this with its otherwise solid selection of pokies and general games. Moreover, the sign-up process couldn’t be easier. 

8. - Best for No Wagering Online Pokies

  • No wagering welcome bonus
  • Hundreds of pokies
  • Bingo available 

PlayOjo is widely known for its bingo games – but it also does online pokies very well, too.

All told, there are more than 3,000 games to play here, with hundreds of these made up of high quality pokies. You can play 5-reel pokies, video pokies, high RTP pokies and brand new pokies.

What ensures PlayOjo stands out from the crowd, however, is its no wagering welcome bonus. You can grab the bonus, play with it - and any winnings will be yours irregardless of how much of your own money you deposit.

Speaking of deposits, PlayOjo actually imposes deposit fees on Skrill and Neteller, which is a bit of a mark against it. If you can get over that, PlayOjo is easily one of the top-rated pokies casinos in terms of game selection and user experience. 

BEST POKIES IN NEW ZEALAND: FAQ

Is Online Gambling Legal in NZ? 

There’s a bit of a cloud over what’s legal and what isn’t in NZ when it comes to online gaming. This is because it’s technically illegal for New Zealanders to gamble if they play at NZ-based online pokies casinos.

But because it’s illegal for NZ-based companies to launch online casinos here, there aren’t any available.

Instead, New Zealand players can legally sign up to offshore casino sites, such as Spin Casino, that offer their services. 

Are Online Pokies Safe? 

The easiest way to test how safe and secure an online pokies site is, is to take a look at its licensing situation. Provided it’s fully-licensed, you can be sure that it’s safe to use, and won’t run away with your money. 

Are Online Pokies Fixed? 

Technically, online pokies could be fixed - but they’re not fixed if you sign up to fully-licensed online casino sites. This is because the best online casinos use RNG (Random Number Generator), which randomly determines the outcome of the games. 

Moreover, licensed online slots sites are held to account by the gambling commission so that fairness and transparency is guaranteed. 

Can I Win at New Zealand Online Pokies? 

Of course! 

Anyone can win by playing online pokies, but whether you will win at New Zealand online pokies in the long-term so as to always make a profit is a different story. 

To increase your chances of winning more than you lose, it’s important to develop a pokies strategy that works for you, as well as to play progressive jackpot slots or high RTP slots, as these will give you the best chance of winning. 

That all said, winning at pokies is mostly pure luck – good or bad. As such, the best thing to do is to just treat it as fun! 

Can I Play Online Pokies In NZ On My Mobile Device?

Yep, as long as the online pokies casinos you’ve signed up to are mobile compatible, you can totally play pokies on your mobile device wherever you are. There are also separate mobile casinos at specific online casinos.

What Types of Online Pokies in NZ Are There?

Popular online pokies include progressive jackpots, 3-reel and 5-reel slots (the classic pokies machines), 3D pokies, video pokies and megaways pokies.

Best Online Pokies In NZ: Final Thoughts

There are lots of online pokies in NZ to choose from in 2021, which is why it’s a smart idea to take a closer look at any online casino that’s caught your eye. Each site in our list is fully-licensed and safe and secure to play at, but they’re also different enough so as to appeal to different types of players. 

Playing pokies is a lot of fun, but it's really important that you always gamble responsibly.

DISCLAIMER: Gamble responsibly. Don’t sign up to any online casino unless you’re of legal age. This is a risky venture that’s strictly 18+ only. Additionally, not all slots mentioned may be available in your region. Do your due diligence and conduct a quick check on gambling laws and the site’s licensing details. 

The information provided in this guide has been vetted properly by our team. Casino data in terms of games, bonuses, and wagering guidelines may change as casinos continuously update their sites. 

Gambling is a very risky venture. It can also be addictive. If you suspect you may be suffering from gambling addiction, please visit these sites:www.pgf.nz/, www.gamblinghelpline.co.nz/,www.safergambling.org.nz/or you may also call the National Problem Gambling Hotline at 0800 654 655 or text to 8006.