Gambling in Australia and New Zealand attracts many tourists only because of the availability of land-based casinos, bookmakers and a huge number of slot machines in hotels, bars, cruise ships and other lively places. Locals can also gamble legally within their own countries – almost all major cities have suitable establishments. But online gambling in Australia and New Zealand has certain peculiarities, prohibitions and restrictions, which significantly distinguish it from land-based entertainment in casinos.
Important features of online gambling in Australia and New Zealand
Quite often gamblers state that New Zealand and Australian online casinos are the so-called black market, so the services provided by operators do not have licenses, permits and may be fraudulent. This is erroneous – online gambling entertainment is available to players in these countries quite legally, but due to some restrictions and peculiarities it does provoke some strange rumors.
So, an important point – in the territory of Australia and New Zealand, local online casino operators cannot operate, this type of activity is prohibited. But foreign owners of virtual gambling platforms are allowed and receive licenses. That is, Australians and New Zealanders can legally use the services of foreign online casinos that have all the permits to operate under local law. Accordingly, players have all the options available with regard to the country of residence – for example, the availability of local payment systems in fast withdrawal casinos, the language panel and the official permission to accept residents of these countries.
Online gambling in Australia
The state contribution of the Australian continent is a federation of 8 states. All gambling activity is controlled by the single state regulator, the general legislation concerning gambling is supplemented by the directives of each state, due to what the laws may slightly differ within one country by regions.
At the moment in Australia land based casinos, slot machines, bingo and betting shops are fully allowed. Online gambling cannot be represented by Australian operators, but licenses are issued to foreign representatives of virtual gambling platforms.
Some features that are important to know about:
- Virtual bookmakers are allowed;
- bingo is allowed on television and in the online space;
- Australian developers of software for online casinos are legal, if they provide the software to foreign operators with a license Australia.
There are interesting restrictions – it is forbidden to advertise casinos on TV, but there can be separate permits according to the decision of the authorities of any state. On the territory of the casino and in the area of slots is prohibited placement of ATMs – thus the government offers citizens to control their budget and play responsibly.
Taxation for legal online establishments is represented by a rather complicated scheme, with all payments to the state treasury being made by the operators. Gamblers can use both licensed and unlicensed online casinos – winnings are not equal to income and are not taxed. The most popular gambling entertainment in Australia is online casino gambling – players prefer video slots, classic card games, live dealer format.
Online gambling in New Zealand
In this case, the action of the legislation and the regulator of gambling activities on the territory of the state is almost identical to Australia. In New Zealand, allowed the work of land-based casinos and slot machines in the same format, held sports competitions with the possibility of betting with real money and operate various lotto. By the way, the number of land-based slots in the country exceeds 20000.
In Australia, one regulator of the institutions and additional legislative bodies in each state, while in New Zealand the regulatory authorities are several organizations:
- Ministry of Health;
- Gaming Commission;
- New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing, Racing Board;
- New Zealand Lotteries Commission.
The Ministry of Health is responsible for regulating gambling addiction – specialists develop ways to minimize the harmful effects of gambling, including providing funding for such developments. The Gambling Commission is the main regulatory legislative body – it issues licenses, develops conditions for approvals for this type of activity and oversees funding for responsible and safe gambling programs. New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing, Racing Board – regulators of popular horse racing in New Zealand, New Zealand Lotteries Commission are responsible for bingo games.
Other features
A complete ban on local operators in the online casino format is fully offset by the admission of foreign competitors to the New Zealand gambling market. That is, a license can be issued to a foreign online casino that will legally provide services to New Zealand gamblers.
An interesting point – gambling business in any format significantly fills the budget of the country. All taxes are paid by the operators, most of the population supports gambling activities precisely because of the profitability, which goes to the benefit of the country.
Interesting points about land-based casinos:
- all machines are equipped with a special button, pressing which shows the game time and the amount of money spent;
- all slots are equipped with Electronic Monitoring System, the data is grouped for statistical purposes;
- If the slot machine is located outside the casino, the RTP should range from 78-92%.
The most popular forms of online gambling in New Zealand are video slots and sports betting in virtual betting shops: rugby, horse racing, soccer and cricket are in demand.
How online casinos work in Australia and New Zealand
Online gambling is available to players from these countries in the usual format:
- need to register and be verified;
- use bonuses;
- Use all of the presented game functionality;
- play for real money and withdraw winnings through available payment systems.
An important point – if an online casino does not have a license in Australia or New Zealand, but accepts gamblers from these countries, it is illegal under existing laws. However, players may use any virtual gambling sites, including illegal ones – there is no prohibition and no liability.
Withdrawal of funds is usually carried out in a standard way and depends on the capabilities of the operator. In addition to Visa, Mastercard, electronic and cryptocurrency wallets, online casinos real money NZ offer two payment systems, which are relevant only to Australians and New Zealanders: BPay and POLi. These methods allow you to save significantly on currency conversion in the absence of the Australian dollar, simplify the withdrawal of winnings and are available for transfers of small amounts.
How to choose the best online casino in New Zealand and Australia
To begin with, it is necessary to understand the peculiarities of online gambling in the territory of the listed countries. The player should understand that only foreign operators are legal, and his winnings are not taxed regardless of the amount. Otherwise, the standard criteria are taken into account for selection:
- availability of a license;
- certified software;
- positive feedbacks;
- the reputation of the operator;
- a large number of bonuses, including welcome bonuses;
- convenient withdrawal of won funds and replenishment of the deposit;
- Demo versions of slot machines.
It is also important to pay attention to the availability of suitable payment systems, the timing of transactions, the ability to choose the currency of your country and the variability of the language interface.
Despite the restrictions, online gambling in Australia and New Zealand is more popular than the allowed land-based gambling establishments. Users have access to the best functionality of virtual casinos, which is represented by foreign operators and leading providers. When choosing an online gambling establishment, it is important to consider the recommendations displayed in this article.
