Gambling is said to have been documented in NZ as early as 1830. Kiwis , then would bet on horse racing, since it was the most popular sport back then. Despite the fact that the country is pretty isolated, a lot of gambling seems to have originated from this English speaking country. Click onlinecasino-newzealand to read more about legal iGaming in New Zealand.
iGaming Legalised in 2003
Notably, despite the fact that Gambling was prohibited in New Zealand for quite a long time, it was legalised at around 2003. Kiwis now spend about $NZ 2 billion on wagerings per year. Pokies account for the largest amount of online iGaming at about 35% with online casinos taking up about 26%. The other fraction is taken up by sport betting and lottos. Click { boysloveboys }to read more.
- iGaming is legal in NZ
- Establishing an online gaming casino is illegal.
Additionally, all public iGaming entities are required to donate some part of their profits towards bettering the lives of citizens. This, however, applies for land-based casinos only. You also may need to note that there aren't any online casinos that are registered in NZ. This is because the Gambling act of 2003 didn't give an allocation for establishment of online casinos here.
History of Gambling Laws in NZ
Let's delve deeper into the history of Gambling in New Zealand and understand where we are coming from. Bookmarking was first legalized in around 1920s. While Kiwis had previously engaged in betting horse racing, it was documented and put to book in 1961. Regulation of other forms of Gaming was also stringently monitored up to around 1981 when it was allowed by parliament.
Lottery games also fall under the same category and were legalized by parliament at around the same time. Slot machines, more so the physical ones were legalized in around 1994. All, along, internet iGaming was a relatively strange concept here, though it was slowly unfolding in many other countries. For this reason, the very first land-based casino set foot in NZ in 1994.
Modern Day iGaming Rules in NZ
After the Gambling Act of 2003 was enacted to ensure that all Gambling activities on the internet were well regulated. These laws were specifically for online iGamers. For this reason, playing online casino games for Kiwis is accepted. However, this law came with a lacuna in the sense that it didn’t cover that some Kiwis would decide to run their own online casinos.
It is indeed for the same reason that you can't run an online casino based in New Zealand. While playing at online casinos isn't illegal, the regulatory authorities have also banned online casino advertising here. As a result, there New Zealand acts as a very potential market for any rising casino on the internet. Most casinos indeed have put in place some special offers specifically for Kiwis.
- Gambling in NZ is regulated by the country's Gambling Commission
Why Online Gaming is Regulated in NZ
While iGaming is an important part of the internet and a highly valued activity across the board, there is a need to have it regulated. The government of New Zealand understands the gambling is addictive and can, therefore, become a severe problem to society. For this reason, it is highly regulated. The government has through relevant agencies regulated laws to protect its communities.
The designed rules are also meant to control the growth of the industry by creating an environment that minimizes potential damage to the citizens while ensuring fairness to all that are associated with online iGaming. The gambling / iGaming laws are therefore also meant to oversee and also define what would potentially be harmful to the players and overall community in future.
- The laws are also meant to involve the whole community in the process of casino legislation.
Need to Update iGaming Rules
Just recently in December 2019, the New Zealand Government expressed concerns that there is an urgent need to revise its laws in regard to online casinos. The government feels that as long as citizens can play their games in offshore casinos, they are exposed to content that isn't regulated. Indeed, the Department of Internal Affairs feels that it's now more than ever that its citizens need proper regulation.
Considering that the existing laws were enacted in 2003, a lot on the internet has changed and most of the laws are now turning grey. The government estimates that over $3 million is spent in offshore casinos in a year. By having the sector regulated locally, the government feels that it could cushion its citizens better and more efficiently as compared to when they are playing in offshore casinos.