Online Casino NZ
Our casino experts search and review the top online casinos in New Zealand. InsideCasino is your one-stop shop for all things gambling. From honest casino reviews to detailed guides for playing your favourite games, we give you all the tools and info you need to experience the best in online gambling.
We Review the Best NZ Online Casinos
It can be hard to be sure you are playing at a reliable NZ casino site nowadays. With operators launching new casino sites left, right, and center, players can (and will) have a pretty tough time finding the games that actually fit their online gambling needs. This is especially true when we also consider the fact that these new casino sites are becoming more similar to each other as they follow and adopt new trends to carve a new niche away from the all-encompassing influence of the industry’s largest brands.
That’s why we at InsideCasino have gone to great lengths to check out and test hundreds of NZ online casinos, so that you don’t have to. Painstakingly sorted through by our team of casino experts, our list of recommended NZ casino sites are guaranteed to give you an excellent gambling experience, that falls under the country’s tricky legal standing.
Low Deposit Casino Sites
Contrary to what is typically depicted in movies, most gamblers are not out to go all-in with massive sums of money. Like us, the average gambler in New Zealand are more inclined to find our fun with more reasonable lower deposits. This helps those with lower budgets or if you want to test a casino out before you cmmit to spending more. We've made special lists for NZ casinos that allow Kiwis to get started with $1 and $5 deposits.
What You Should Look For in New Zealand Online Casinos
There are a whole host of factors that go into the overall quality of a New Zealand online casino, many of which affect your overall gaming experience one way or another. The factors that should matter to you when looking for a new NZ online casino, however, should include:
Licensing
Above all else, the best NZ online casinos should be on the right side of the law. Since New Zealand does not actually allow online casinos to operate within the country, the operator of the casino must have a valid license from a jurisdiction that has a regulated gambling market, such as Malta or the UK.
Security
Kiwi gamblers should expect no less than the best possible security from the best NZ online casinos, especially when it comes to something as delicate as real money gambling. While this cannot be directly tested and verified by any regular player, you can look for indicators like third-party audits (such as from eCOGRA) and certifications for security tech like SSL encryption.
Accessibility
Of course, having the best NZ online casino games can very quickly be made irrelevant if the casino itself makes it difficult for you to play them. This aspect is usually something you simply notice rather than measure, but having a site that is accessible and easy to navigate is important all the same.
Compatibility
Though it seems like just about every online casino site in New Zealand is made with HTML5—which, to be fair, is true—it does not immeidately give them a free pass, especially if you are the type of player who likes gambling on the go. Strong compatibility with modern mobile devices is another aspect of an excellent all-around online casino experience.
Payout Rate
Payout rate is an expansion of the standard RTP or Return to Player rate that you see on online pokies and other casino games. Unlike RTP, though, payout rate is a general metric that accounts for all of the games offered by the online casino. While the number itself is more of a statistical metric that doesn’t directly indicate your odds of winning, a preferable payout rate for most Kiwi gamblers would fall in the 95% to 98% range.
Bonuses
As the main attracting force of any online casino in New Zealand, any Kiwi player should be looking for casino bonuses that are not only valuable but fair.
Policies and Terms
One final and very important consideration for casino players in New Zealand is the policies and terms of the online casino’s operations and systems. It is unfortunately very common for online casinos to come up with sneaky and underhanded terms and conditions, especially when it comes to their bonuses and withdrawals.
Given that a casino’s terms and conditions are often several pages long (and not to mention filled to the brim with legalese), it can be difficult for typical Kiwi gamblers to know which casino’s terms are actually fair for gameplay.
How We Choose the Best NZ Casino Sites
That is where we come in. Here at InsideCasino, we draw upon over a dozen years of shared experience in the iGaming industry to bring you the info you need to make a more informed decision as to where to spend your money.
Our casino review process takes into account all of the factors that we have listed above, which we verify through a series of independent validation checks to make sure that the casino actually stays true to its word.
While we hold all of the casinos we review to a high standard, we are especially strict when it comes to the NZ casino sites that we openly recommend. Because casino sites evolve over time (and sometimes not for the better), we continually update our reviews to ensure that our recommendations stay valid. As soon as we notice one of these NZ online casino sites fall short of our standards, we make sure to reflect these changes.
Casino Bonuses in NZ
Bonuses are the cherry on top of the NZ casino package. And like cake toppings, different gamblers have different preferences as to the kind of casino bonuses they want to claim. Our recommendations for sites with particularly good bonuses have been categorised below for your convenience. Once you've decided to start gambling at a NZ casino site, you can choose the welcome bonus offer that works best for you:
Free Spins Bonuses
When it comes to free spins casino bonuses in NZ, many online players are drawn to them like moths to a flame. These bonuses are especially useful if you want to “test drive” a new online game or casino.
No Deposit Bonuses
No deposit bonuses effectively provides you with free money to play with. You may not be able to withdraw any winnings from this bonus, as a result of the casino’s favourite trick of imposing wagering requirements on your gains.
Deposit Match Bonuses
The casino deposit match bonuses are one of the favourites for real money players. Luckily for NZ players, online casinos are extremely generous with the offer over here and it is not unusual for sites to deposit match up to NZ$5,000 for new players.
Cashback Bonuses
When NZ gambling sites try to entice new players, some offer cashback bonuses as welcome offer. Luckily for Kiwi players, there are also some sites that offer ongoing cashback bonuses for existing players on promotions like a ‘cashback Wednesday. It is common for players to receive 10% – 20% back on some games, when you deposit at least $100.
Casino Games in NZ
Now, most of the online sites opening in New Zealand in recent years have at least some selection of every casino game under the sun, thanks in part to casino aggregation solutions making it all work together. However, there are still casino sites that have been built to specialise in a specific field; the links below will take you to our picks for these kinds of sites.
Online Baccarat
Also known as Punto Banco, baccarat is a sophisticated casino game that also lends itself to online play. Basically, the aim is to obtain a hand with a value that’s as close to nine as is possible.
Obviously, there’s a lot more to it than that, irrespective of the version that you decide to play. Top variations include Turbo Baccarat, Mini Baccarat and Single Player Baccarat.
Online Craps
Craps, despite its reputation as a complicated game, is a popular online casino game in which participants gamble on the outcome of a single roll of the dice.
Both casino craps and street craps are quite popular in across the globe. The popularity of the online craps in NZ has taken off over the recent years.
Online Blackjack
Blackjack is a popular comparing card game that’s offered by most casino websites. Playing against the house, your goal is to get as close to 21 as is possible without going bust.
Also known as 21s, there are numerous variations to choose from such as Atlantic City Blackjack, European Blackjack and Premium Deck Blackjack.
Online Poker
Poker is one of the most widely-players card games in the world.
Although Hold’em is by far the most popular, there are also other variants that attract a large number of players.
These include Omaha, Seven-Card Stud, Badugi and Razz.
Online Roulette
Roulette is an iconic bricks-and-mortar game immortalised by movies like James Bond.
As with other classic table games roulette successfully made the leap from land-based establishments to computer browsers some time ago.
Today, both standard and live roulette games are widely available to play online in NZ.
Online Scratchies
In terms of popularity, online scratchies play a distinct second fiddle to online pokies when it comes to NZ gambling.
These days, online scratchies can be found at an extensive array of online betting sites and offer a welcome alternative for players looking to take a break from spinning reels.
Should You Trust InsideCasino?
And so we come to the million-dollar question: should you trust what we have to say?
The fact of the matter is simple: You don't need to.
As a gambler, you have every right to choose what NZ gambling site you want to play at, as well as the casino reviewers you want to trust. In fact, if you want to get the most accurate impression of the casino setup, it would be to actually test the site for yourself.
Of course, we have seen many aspects of casino sites online that are very difficult (and not to mention expensive) to just do on your own. This is precisely one of the reasons why sites like InsideCasino exist - to validate casinos' claims so you don't have to.
NZ Casino FAQs
Why should I trust this site?
Though you don't have to, you can trust InsideCasino to give you up-to-date and honest reviews of New Zealand online casinos to help you find exactly the kind of online casino that fits your gaming needs.
Are NZ players allowed to play at online casinos?
From a legal standpoint, NZ players are allowed to play at online casinos as long as they are located outside of New Zealand.
What are the most legit online casinos in NZ?
The online casinos in NZ that are considered the most legit are the ones that we have found to consistently uphold their standards in terms of player security and fair play.
Where can I find more information about NZ casinos?
If you want to find more information about NZ casinos, you can check out our database of NZ online casino reviews. We at InsideCasino continually expand this database with new sites and update them when casinos change certain aspects of their operations so you always stay up to date.
How are online casinos in New Zealand regulated?
Online casinos in New Zealand are regulated very heavily, with national laws specifically banning the opening of online casinos inside the country. To compensate for this, Kiwi players can access casino sites that are based outside of the country.