Comparing New Zealand’s and Australia’s gambling laws
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You would imagine two neighboring countries that both speak English would be the best of friends. But the Aussies and Kiwis soon prove that theory wrong. Australia and New Zealand are the best of enemies when it comes to any form of sports.
The Trans-Tasman tension encompasses every type of sport. It even includes the normally polite sport of netball – where the Australian Diamonds and New Zealand Silver Ferns are always the fiercest opponents. And of course, the two countries are legendary rivals at rugby and cricket too.
When it comes to the sport and pastime of gambling, however, Australia and New Zealand have more in common than they might like to admit.
Australian’s gambling market
The first big fact to take on board though is that Australia is one of the biggest markets for gambling in the world. Almost seven million Australians play at casinos, sports venues, or on betting or gambling internet sites regularly.
That’s a stunning 40% of the population of the whole country. The proportion of women gambling is high in Australia too – almost half regularly places bets. Among men, it’s even higher, about 54%.
Yet Australia is famous for having low levels of gambling problems compared to other countries. The proportion of players with addiction or payment problems is very low – usually below 1%. That is many times lower than in many comparable countries.
Australian gamblers are generally considered to play very responsibly. It also has a very high percentage of professional players.
New Zealand’s take on gambling
New Zealand has a different attitude to gambling. Of course, the residents enjoy gambling but are more likely to play at casino games and place sports bets. The strict Gambling Act provides a national list of restrictions and controls. Gambling is prohibited if it is not specifically allowed by this Act.
That still allows plenty of options for Kiwi gamblers. And in particular, New Zealand players opt to play casino games online with one of the many casino providers available. By playing casino games online, players no longer need to make time to visit a land-based casino they can play anywhere and at any time as long as the site is legal and secure.
Both Australia and New Zealand offer gamblers access to international online betting sites. There are similarities in the rules for both countries but an important few differences too.
Australia’s gambling laws
Australian rules about gambling are complicated by the differences in restrictions between the different states. The general approach is that Australians are allowed to gamble in person and online at permitted casinos.
There are differences in the preferences of players in each of the countries too. In Australia, betting is very common on sports and racing. Poker and lotteries are also very popular. There is generally less enthusiasm for playing slot machines.
Australians have proved to be big fans of online betting. They are known for playing for longer periods and more regularly than other cultures.
The Aussies are encouraged by the rare fact that gambling winnings are not eligible for taxation. It can make a big difference to the number of winnings compared to other countries.
Gambling laws in New Zealand
Over in New Zealand, the gambling culture is slightly different. There’s a long tradition of gambling but also a long history of restrictions.
Everything was prohibited until the start of the 20th century. The Gambling Act of 1908 finally allowed simple betting on sporting events like horse racing.
The laws began to be relaxed in the sixties. Finally, in the 90s there were laws passed to allow New Zealanders to take part in lotteries, play slot machines and visit physical casinos.
The more recent Gambling Act, this time from 2003, created the modern gambling world in New Zealand. This permitted residents to play at online casinos – “via communication devices” it was called. The restriction was that the gambling sites must be based outside of New Zealand. The sites can feature sports betting, bingo, poker, or slot machines – but must be based in a foreign country not in New Zealand.
Any New Zealand resident can play at these sites – as long as the site allows a Kiwi resident to register and create an account.
The sites are not restricted by New Zealand law, however – because they are based outside the country. Players have to rely on international law or the more trusted regulations of gambling authorities in specific other countries. The most trusted of these include Malta, Gibraltar, or the UK.
Slot machines, or pokies as locals call them, are the most popular form of gambling. Kiwis also love online gambling sites, particularly ones with more progressive and advanced games.
They are attracted by online slot games with massive winnings. Some of these games have huge prizes of millions of dollars.
New Zealand gamers like online casinos that offer fast, slick transactions. They prefer the high technology and sophisticated interfaces of the big international betting sites.
Australian players operate within the restrictions of gambling laws passed back in 2001 so they have become a little dated. Online gambling has soared around the world since then.
Domestic operators are not allowed to establish an online casino for Australian residents to access and play. So, like their neighbors across the Tasman Sea, the Australians who want to enjoy online gambling are forced to use sites based overseas. They will need to find sites that will allow an Australian to register and set up an account.
But Australians are generally very welcome to most international casino sites of course. The Aussies have a reputation for regular, long-lasting, and high-stake gambling. So, it’s no surprise that online casino operators are only too delighted to be welcoming Australian players.
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