Australian and New Zealand residents are close neighbors who share much in common, including a strong passion for gambling. Both nations enjoy local gambling, including pokies, casinos, horse racing, lottery, scratchcards, and sports betting. In 2022, the digital world is taking over, and when it comes to AU vs NZ online casinos, New Zealand leads the way compared to the limited choices found in Australia.
Australian Gambling Regulations
Australia has had a long and complex history with gambling, and many local residents are avid gamblers at offline establishments. The online gambling industry is relatively new and subject to a lot of regulation. In Australia, online gambling activities like playing roulette games, are regulated by the Interactive Gambling Act 2001 (IGA).
The IGA made changes to local laws in 2017, making it illegal for companies to offer Australians online gambling services. However, under this new legislation, there were no terms targeting local players from signing up to play games at online casinos. This means Australians can still access offshore gambling sites, which are not subject to Australian law.
Due to the tight laws imposed by the Australian government, many big international casinos stopped accepting Aussie customers. Some payment providers and game studios also followed, and restricted their services in the region. This has made the choice of online casinos for Aussies rather limited, especially compared to New Zealand.
New Zealand Casino Players Enjoy More Freedom
While the two countries are geographically close, they are completely different when it comes to online casino choices. The New Zealand government has a relaxed approach to online gambling, and allows their residents to play games on licensed sites which are very popular in the region. This means locals can win money at the best New Zealand online casino sites, with more games and payment methods compared to their neighbors in Australia.
Better Game Variety & Software Providers
One of the leading attractions to an online casino site is their game variety. The best online casinos feature a nearly endless choice of real money games, including bingo, blackjack, jackpots, keno, lotto, slots, roulette, scratch cards, video poker, sports betting and more. While Australian players have access to some of these games, the number of available titles is much less than in New Zealand.
With the tighter AU regulations, many of the leading software providers for casinos have stopped servicing the country, limiting the casino game choice for Australians. However, these same studios have opened their doors to New Zealand players. Examples include Evolution Gaming, NetEnt, NoLimit City, Microgaming, and Pragmatic Play. At many NZ casinos, the number of software providers is almost double, representing a much more entertaining line up than players in Australia.
Access to Larger Progressive Jackpots
One area top New Zealand casinos showcase their true glory is their progressive jackpots. Thanks to more prominent game studios like NetEnt and Microgaming, New Zealand online casino players can enjoy playing slots with huge jackpot prizes reaching into the millions. There are some studios, like Belatra and Yggdrasil, who cater to Australia and provide jackpots, but the jackpot choice is limited for Aussies.
New Zealand players are lucky to have access to these titles, and have previously made the leader boards for big online casino wins, with two lucky players winning $1,000,000 and $10,000,000 on the famous Mega Moolah slot game by Microgaming. This studio is a world leader in jackpot systems, with famous slots like Atlantean Treasures, Absolootely Mad, Fortunium Gold, Sisters of Oz, Sherlock & Moriaty, and Ancient Fortunes WoWPot offering gamers the chance to become a millionaire.
More Payment Methods
Another important factor for online casino players to consider is the available payment methods. In New Zealand, residents have access to a wider variety of payment options, including Bank Wire, Visa, Mastercard, and Maestro Credit Cards, Skrill, Neteller, and EcoPayz E Wallets, VenusPoint, PaySafeCard, Interac, Cryptocurrency and more. This large choice makes it easy for NZ players to deposit and withdraw their winnings from casinos.
In Australia, the options are more limited. Locals can use credit/debit cards for deposits, but it depends on the bank, as some financial institutions may block the transaction. There are some e-wallets available, including eZeeWallet, Neosurf, and Mifinity. Cryptocurrency is another popular option, including Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Dogecoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, Ripple, and Tether USDT.
In New Zealand, it can be easier for players to withdraw their winnings, as card withdrawals can be processed. These types of cash outs won’t work for players in Australia, and the only other option tends to be a bank withdrawal with a much larger minimum required.
Wider Choice of Casinos
In the online world, the number of competing sites is constantly on the rise. This is especially true in the casino industry, with many businesses competing for new players. Many top brands tend to focus on regions that don’t have strict gambling regulations, which makes New Zealand a popular choice.
The online casinos that cater to Australia also offer services in New Zealand. These sites tend to be licensed in offshore regions like Costa Rica, Curacao, and Panama, and accept players from most countries around the world. These platforms tend to be newer than other brands, with less established reputations, making it a harder market for players to navigate safely. For this reason, it’s much easier for players to get scammed by dodgy businesses, and players can’t make a complaint locally.
In New Zealand, because the government doesn’t restrict international operators, the landscape is much safer, and players can enjoy games on websites licensed in Gibraltar, Malta, and the United Kingdom, who have ways for players to make complaints against websites acting in bad faith.
Summary
Overall, the online casino choice is much better for people living in New Zealand. The current Australian laws restrict the availability of established and trusted casinos and software providers who provide players with an exciting and safe online gambling experience. Customers in NZ enjoy access to more sites, casino games, software providers, and payment methods, ensuring a more entertaining time for locals.