The last ten years have seen a phenomenon in New Zealand that some might consider striking, but which mirrors what has happened almost everywhere else in the world. Statistics indicate that spending on gambling has skyrocketed.
In 2011 the market moved a volume of NZ$1.9 billion. Now that spending is over 2.4 billion, an increase of 26%.
This upturn in gambling in New Zealand has several explanations. Among them, the more relaxed attitude towards gambling that is part of the country’s culture and also the attitude of the New Zealand legislators who have created quite permissive rules on the matter, and not restrictive like other countries in the world.
The New Zealand gambling law, established in 2003, specifies which types of gambling are legal and which are prohibited and, in addition, divides gambling-related activity into four categories.
In the first category or class are the games administered by individuals and whose prize must not exceed 500 dollars.
In the second class the winnings range from NZ$500 to NZ$5000. In this second category only authorized companies can operate.
In classes 3 and 4 are businesses with gaming machines, such as slot machines (called pokies in New Zealand and Australia). Activities related to classes 3 and 4 can only be carried out by entities with valid licenses.
In terms of online gambling regulations, New Zealand allows this activity when players use gambling sites that have their domain and servers hosted overseas. In this sense, the gambling options are practically infinite, without absurd limitations.
If we make a comparison with other gambling legislations we could say that the New Zealand rules are a little more restrictive than the rules implemented in the United Kingdom and other European countries. However, New Zealand’s gambling legislation is less prohibitive than that of many states in the United States.
In recent times, New Zealand has been experiencing changes in the popularity of some gambling and gaming.
It is a noticeable fact that interest in greyhound racing is slowly fading. At the same time, spending on sports betting has increased and continues to grow at a rapid rate.
Horse racing betting remains very popular in both New Zealand and neighboring Australia, and continues to be a healthy and booming industry.
Figures tell us that each year New Zealanders spend around NZ$600 million on sports betting. Technological advances, such as smartphones and improved internet connectivity, have meant that most betting is now done online. The world has changed, and change has changed the ways we gamble and bet.
About Casino Gaming in New Zealand
New Zealand’s best casinos are experiencing a time of growth but also new challenges, driven by technological changes.
The casino gaming sector now exceeds NZ$4.5 billion with a very strong operator being SkyCity Entertainment Group, owner of 50% of the casinos in the country.
As far as gaming machines are concerned, slot machines (pokies) are still very popular in this southern country. This type of machine is not only found in casinos, but also in many bars and nightclubs in New Zealand.
Other games such as roulette, poker, baccarat and blackjack tend to be more frequent inside casinos or in online casinos.
Precisely the rise of online gambling is one of the changes that have taken place in recent years.
Although traditional casinos are still very popular in New Zealand, online gambling has gained great popularity because many players prefer to play from the comfort of their homes. In addition, online games tend to offer a greater number of gaming options and rewards.
In the last two years, more people have spent more time at home and have therefore sought out more entertainment options on the Internet.
As in the rest of the world, consumption of streaming series and movies has skyrocketed and so has online gaming. If for the economy in general it has been a time of turbulence, for casino games it has been a time of extreme economic boom.
The future looks really promising for gambling in New Zealand. We believe that this type of gaming will continue to grow in the near future and will generate more and more business every day.
