What Should You Know About New Zealand’s Gambling Scene?
New Zealand is a popular place for people who like to experience adrenaline-fuelled adventure sports and thrilling outdoor activities. This is not a surprise when you see the stunning natural landscapes and coastlines there are to explore around the country. Outdoor adventure is not the only thing New Zealand has to entertain locals and visitors with though. From the ever-popular Guts online casino to land-based casinos and sports betting, the gambling scene here is also a major draw.
This can often be a surprise to many people as the country is not often thought of as having a vibrant gambling industry, unlike the UK. However, there is lots to explore when it comes to gambling on the island⎯but what specific areas are worth finding out about?
Online Casino Gambling
From mountain running in Arrowtown to surfing at 90 Mile Beach, New Zealand offers lots to keep you entertained. This extends to the country’s online casino gambling niche, which is the ideal choice of entertainment when you need to relax after a day out adventuring!
Stats around online casino play in New Zealand show that it is one of the healthiest parts of the island’s whole gambling sector. This has resulted in an expected 8.36% market growth for online casino play in the country by 2027.
Many Kiwis opt to play at top offshore gaming sites that cater specifically to them and have lots of top features they love. This includes anything from a large choice of games to awesome bonuses, excellent customer support, and unrivalled online security measures. It is also possible to play casino games online via the official Government lottery site, if you prefer.
Land-based Casino Gambling
Whilst a lot of attention right now is on the country’s iGaming industry, New Zealand also has a vibrant land-based casino sector. This sees brick-and-mortar casinos present in most major cities around the country.
Popular examples include SkyCity Auckland, Dunedin Casino, Christchurch Casino, and SkyCity Hamilton. Christchurch Casino was the first site to legally open in 1994. It is key to note that you must be at least 20 years old to gamble at land-based casinos in NZ and some physical casinos will have dress codes in place. Do not assume you can just turn up in your shorts!
But why has land-based play become popular in the country? To begin with, you have to factor in the amazing atmosphere that the top casino sites offer. This ensures you will always have a great time and meet some interesting people to chat too whilst out. Land-based casinos in the country are also known for having a good choice of games and excellent facilities (such as bars, hotel rooms, and restaurants).
Lottery Gambling
Lotto games are popular in many countries all across the world, and New Zealand is no exception. This has been true since the Golden Kiwi lottery in 1961, and remains so with more modern games, like the Lotto. Lotto games on the island are controlled by the New Zealand Lotteries Commission and it has been possible to legally play online Lotto games on their website since 2008.
If you prefer to play offline, tickets can be purchased through authorised physical outlets around the country. Popular current lotto games include daily Keno and Big Wednesday. It is important to note that you must be at least 18 years old to play lottery games in the country. These kinds of gambling games remain popular because they are easy to understand, relatively inexpensive to play, and lots of fun to get involved with.
Sports Betting
From New Zealand’s chances at the Rugby World Cup to the latest football, cricket, and athletics news, sport is huge around the island. Due to this, it is easy to see how sports gambling is also something many Kiwis like to try. The country’s sports gambling market size is, therefore, impressive and looks likely to grow even further in the years ahead.
As with online casino play, there is one state-sanctioned online sportsbook to gamble with based in the country, which is TAB NZ. However, lots of people opt to register with safe offshore sportsbooks in order to place bets on top sports.
But what about land-based betting in New Zealand? This is dominated by the state-sanctioned TAB group, and it is possible to bet at physical TAB bookies all across the country. As a result, sports betting in New Zealand has real flexibility in terms of how you can place wagers.
New Zealand’s Gambling Scene on the Up
Although you might first associate the country with adventurous sports or getting outdoors, there is a lot more to modern New Zealand. A good example of this is the multi-faceted gambling industry it boasts. As the above shows, this is an industry that is not only in great health but one with many aspects to it.