What Are New Zealand’s Gambling Laws?

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Anyone that has searched for gambling sites knows that affiliate marketers love targeting the Australian interactive gaming market. That is so because Aussies are crazy about betting fun. According to some statistics, around 39% of the country’s population likes to partake in wagering activities. Hence, given the close political and cultural contact of New Zealand with Australia, many would expect that the Kiwi nation would have a similar gambling participation rate. However, that assumption is not accurate. Per a 2018 poll, only around 13% of New Zealand adults enjoyed the latest online casino games and engaged in sports betting over the internet that year.

Now, New Zealand has only a fifth of the population of Australia and is not as massive of a tourist hub as the Land Down Under. Hence, its gambling tourism industry is not equally developed, limiting locals’ exposure to this activity. That said, during the global pandemic, New Zealanders spent more money on betting entertainment than ever before. Per figures from the country’s gambling regulator, the Department of Internal Affairs, on average, New Zealanders spent $572 on wagering fun in 2020, a record high. And interest in this hobby has maintained throughout the past two years, giving us ample reason to explore New Zealand gambling laws.

Sports Betting & Horse Racing

Going by the 2003 New Zealand Gambling Act, gambling is illegal in New Zealand unless it gets permitted by this law, which strictly forbids sports betting. Historically, bookmaking has been illegal within New Zealand’s borders since 1920. Yet, horse racing wagering has an extensive past in this part of the world. It has been allowed here since 1961 at race tracks. But today, it is also available online through the Totalizator Agency Board of New Zealand (TAB NZ). That is a statutory body established via the Racing Industry Act of 2020, a law that allows betting services to residents of New Zealand. The Racing industry Act 2020 made TAB NZ the sole betting provider for sports and racing in New Zealand, hoping that it will help ensure that the country’s racing industry will yield long-term benefits from its existence.

Of course, New Zealanders can also wager at offshore sites without fear of prosecution for choosing foreign gambling operators., if that is what they wish to do.

Lotteries

Lotteries are undoubtedly the least taboo commercially available gambling activity on the planet. That applies to virtually all regions on Earth, including New Zealand, where the country’s lotteries commission got founded in 1987. Yet, lotto draws have been running in the Kiwi nations since the late 19th century to raise money for various organizations.

Nowadays, instant Kiwi scratch cards get sold at various outlets across the country and in retail stores. Moreover, lotto tickets started to get offered for purchase over the World Wide Web in New Zealand in 2008, with a lotto variant called Bing Wednesday gaining massive traction. Daily Keno games also get run and enjoy a decent level of popularity.

Casino Gaming

Slot machines bare the name pokies in the Oceania region due to their similarities to old-school poker devices that used to get featured in bars in Australia and New Zealand. Concerning the latter, these can get found inside the country’s six land-based casinos, which also supply table game action. That means blackjack, roulette, baccarat, and casino poker variants can get played by all patrons who decide to visit the following properties in New Zealand. The Dunedin Casino, the Christchurch Casino, and SkyCity’s venues in Auckland, Hamilton, and Queenstown. Unfortunately, native online gambling providers cannot offer slot games to NZ residents. That is why many enjoy popular products from this genre on foreign platforms.