New Zealanders can gamble legally online, provided it is an Internet casino located overseas, but players still need to be safe when playing our favourite real money pokies titles on the web.
Our team have found the best online casinos for NZ players to make safe deposits at so they only have to worry about whats on the reels. We have also put together some information about gambling online in New Zealand and the ever changing landscape of laws.
Best New Zealander pokies sites
Knowing how to find safe, secure, and reputable Internet casinos can be quite difficult if you’re new to the online gaming scene. Our team have found some of the best available, and have provided an extensive list here for Kiwi players to experiment with to find the one best suited to you.
- G’Day
- Slots Million
- Royal Vegas
- Rizk
- Guts
- 7 Sultans
- Casino Mate
We recommend these online casinos due to their reputation of keeping player’s personal information safe all the while offering a fun and entertaining experience.
Is it legal for New Zealanders to gamble at Internet casinos?
Kiwis can gamble online 100% legally provided they are playing at online gaming sites that don’t operate in New Zealand. Legislation in New Zealand, specifically the Gambling Act 2003, does not allow web casinos to be established and operated in New Zealand if they target Kiwi players. So if you do play at an online casino situated in NZ you won’t be in trouble with the law, the online operator will be and it could be a lengthy process to get your deposit back.
How to stay safe at international online casinos
Since NZ players have to play at web casinos located overseas, it is important to play at safe sites. The aforementioned online casinos all offer the most advanced data encryption technology to keep your personal information safe. If you were to play at any other online casino not mentioned above then we recommend doing your research to ensure the online casino isn’t blacklisted as a rogue or dodgy site.
Customer service: It’s a telltale sign of a poor online casino when they don’t have a customer service department, or they lack in this area. It is one of the first things you should check before gambling – does the customer service respond quickly, if at all?
Regulatory casino bodies: The best way to stay safe is to ensure the online casino is governed by a reputable regulatory body, such as eCOGRA (this is an independent auditing organisation which monitors online casinos monthly to uphold player’s security and safety), as well as a gaming license from an advanced jurisdiction such as Malta, Isle of Man, The UK, Kahnawake, and Gibraltar. All of our online casinos are regulated by at least one of aforementioned governing bodies, but if you are playing at a different online casino and you are unsure of the license or third party testing agency, always do your research.
Best pokies software developers
NZ players will be able to access the top leading software developers in the industry when playing at our recommended Internet casinos. They offer innovative games with incredible graphics and clear audio to create an entertaining pokies experience when playing online. The following software developers also offer great payout percentages and unique features for their games.
Microgaming: Microgaming constantly updates their pokies catalogue so you will regularly be able to find new releases that you can play. All Microgaming pokies have a payout percentage of anywhere between 95% to around 97%. Additionally, Microgaming has some of the best progressives available for NZ players to try their luck at which we will go into below. Microgaming is also one of the first companies to add in the “gamble” feature which allows players to potentially double or quadruple their bank roll immediately after a win.
Net Entertainment: NetEnt is another Internet software giant which regularly update their pokies catalogue, with a reputation from advancement. Regardless, they have become the leading independent software developers in 3D slots, whereas Microgaming brought in the heavy hitters from Rabcat to deal with his advancement. There are quite a few which we enjoy by NetEnt and will feature our favourites below. NetEnt slots have a payout percentage rate between 95% to 98%.
Play’n Go: Play’n Go isn’t as prevalent as Microgaming and NetEnt but they are getting there, especially since they are a software developer specifically focused on creating games for the mobile platform. Every slot machine Play’n Go releases sees a smartphone and tablet compatible version released with it. They are quite innovative with their games and have included unique features that you can’t find on any other slots casinos. Their pokies have a varying payout percentage from as low as 91% to as high as 97%.
Best web pokies for NZ players
There are an array of pokies available on the web, just as there are at land-based casinos, but some are better than others. We have found some of our favourite pokies for NZ players to test out, with each available at least one online casino mentioned above.
Mega Moolah: Mega Moolah is a progressive pokie in the form of a video slot with a jackpot that accumulates when every player connected to that specific progressive (some can be casino-specific some can be software-specific) makes a bet. So every time a player places a wager on the pokies a percentage is added to the jackpot.
Mega Moolah regularly climbs up into the millions, largely because of the huge Microgaming network. It was created by Microgaming and offers players the chance to win the Mega jackpot, or the three other smaller jackpots known as the Major, Minor, and Mini. It can be played on any platform including a laptop, desktop, smartphone and tablet, and the jackpot is triggered at random, provided all paylines are activated and you are playing the maximum bet size of $6.25.
Gonzo’s Quest: This video pokie by Net Entertainment is one of the many 3D slots we enjoy playing and was actually the first premium slot released by the software developer. It features free spins and an interesting avalanche feature where the reels fall into place instead of spinning. While there is also a free spins bonus round, we think the best thing about this poker machine is the graphics, but there are also some potential big wins to be won.
Tower Quest: Play’n Go have always kept the pokies realm fresh and interesting and this slot is no exception. While it has an interesting fantasy-wizard type theme, the feature rounds are the most intriguing aspect. It features two test tube type bottles, one red and one blue, either side of the reels and every time you land a flask they fill up. Once you have collected five blue flasks you will trigger the Battle of the Wilds round where reels one, three, and five can turn into Wilds for an entire free spin. Once you’ve collected five red flasks you will have triggered the Empowered Wilds feature round which sees every Wilds win with a 3x multiplier attached for up to five free spins.
Pokies for smartphones and tablets
New Zealanders can access a large array of pokies on their smartphones and tablets while playing for real money. All of our recommended online casinos have a mobile-friendly version, either accessed via a mobile browser (some also have web apps) or via a native app which runs independently of any browser and is downloaded from the app store.
The same data encryption technology is implemented when playing on your portable device at these mobile casinos.
Deposits and withdrawals
While most online casinos will allow Kiwis to pick ‘New Zealand’ as their country of choice, many won’t allow you to play in NZD. Therefore, when selecting currency it may be best to pick AUD over Euros since the exchange rate is a bit closer. Additionally, be aware of this when making a deposit and checking your statement, or if you are using a different method such as a web wallet so you can be sure you have enough funds to make a deposit after the exchange rate.
Besides that, making a deposit is easy and there are a number of NZ-friendly payment methods.
- Credit cards
- Debit cards
- e-Wallets
- Bank transfers
- Pre-paid services
Withdrawals are generally the same, with many online casinos accepting the above payment methods to withdraw your winnings to. Processing time will vary depending on the method and can take up to 72 hours.
As mentioned above, always play at a safe online casino, such as the aforementioned, to ensure both deposits and withdrawals are secure.