If you’ve been browsing through the internet lately, you may have noticed that there are a lot of advertisements online that are encouraging you to play and try your luck at online casinos and their online casino games.
Looking at these, you’re probably wondering if every one of these online casinos is a legit online casino. Therefore, when choosing which NZ online casinos to spend your money on, finding the right games, conditions and websites can be tricky.
This is exactly why we have prepared this useful guide so that you know how to perfectly distinguish between a legal online casino and one that is not, and we’ve also included a list of online casinos that have passed our rigorous and comprehensive vetting process to verify their status as a legit and safe casino to play at.
| Rank | Casino | With deposit | Bonus without deposit | Terms and Conditions | Play |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
 Casumo
|
With deposit 1200 NZ$20 Free spins | Bonus without deposit 20 Free spins | Read review Play | |
| 2 |
 BetSofa
|
With deposit 3000 NZ$144 Free spins | Bonus without deposit 0 NZ$0 Free spins | Read review Play | |
| 3 |
 Wheelz
|
With deposit 800 NZ$100 Free spins | Bonus without deposit 20 Free spins | Read review Play | |
| 4 |
 Jackpotcity Casino
|
With deposit 1600 NZ$0 Free spins | Bonus without deposit 0 NZ$0 Free spins | Read review Play | |
| 5 |
 Club Riches
|
With deposit 2000 NZ$100 Free spins | Bonus without deposit 0 NZ$0 Free spins | Read review Play | |
| 6 |
 National Casino
|
With deposit 300 NZ$150 Free spins | Bonus without deposit 0 NZ$0 Free spins | Read review Play | |
| 7 |
 Igu Casino
|
With deposit 1125 NZ$170 Free spins | Bonus without deposit 0 NZ$0 Free spins | Read review Play | |
| 8 |
 Vegadream
|
With deposit 1650 NZ$300 Free spins | Bonus without deposit 0 NZ$0 Free spins | Read review Play | |
| 9 |
 Wild Tornado
|
With deposit 1000 NZ$100 Free spins | Bonus without deposit 0 NZ$0 Free spins | Read review Play | |
| 10 |
 Platinum Play
|
With deposit 800 NZ$0 Free spins | Bonus without deposit 0 NZ$0 Free spins | Read review Play | |
| 11 |
 Hello Casino
|
With deposit 500 NZ$50 Free spins | Bonus without deposit 0 NZ$0 Free spins | Read review Play | |
| 12 |
 Slot Planet
|
With deposit 222 NZ$22 Free spins | Bonus without deposit 0 NZ$0 Free spins | Read review Play | |
| 13 |
 Omni Slots
|
With deposit 500 NZ$70 Free spins | Bonus without deposit 0 NZ$0 Free spins | Read review Play | |
| 14 |
 West Casino
|
With deposit 600 NZ$200 Free spins | Bonus without deposit 0 NZ$0 Free spins | Read review Play | |
| 15 |
 King Casino
|
With deposit 300 NZ$100 Free spins | Bonus without deposit 0 NZ$0 Free spins | Read review Play | |
| 16 |
 Amok Casino
|
With deposit 0 NZ$100 Free spins | Bonus without deposit 0 NZ$0 Free spins | Read review Play | |
| 17 |
 Berry Casino
|
With deposit 450 NZ$110 Free spins | Bonus without deposit 0 NZ$0 Free spins | Read review Play | |
| 18 |
 iviBet
|
With deposit 500 NZ$170 Free spins | Bonus without deposit 0 NZ$0 Free spins | Read review Play | |
| 19 |
 Casiplay
|
With deposit 800 NZ$100 Free spins | Bonus without deposit 0 NZ$0 Free spins | Read review Play | |
| 20 |
 Treasure Spins
|
With deposit 500 NZ$0 Free spins | Bonus without deposit 0 NZ$0 Free spins | Read review Play |
Casumo
Bonus with deposit
1200 NZ$
20 Free spins
Bonus without deposit
0 NZ$
20 Free spins
Review
4.8
Terms and conditions apply. Play responsibly | 18+
BetSofa
Use bonus code:
Bonus with deposit
3000 NZ$
144 Free spins
Bonus without deposit
0 NZ$
0 Free spins
Review
4.7
Terms and conditions apply. Play responsibly | 18+
Club Riches
Bonus with deposit
2000 NZ$
100 Free spins
Bonus without deposit
0 NZ$
0 Free spins
Review
4.7
Terms and conditions apply. Play responsibly | 18+
Jackpotcity Casino
Bonus with deposit
1600 NZ$
0 Free spins
Bonus without deposit
0 NZ$
0 Free spins
Review
4.7
Terms and conditions apply. Play responsibly | 18+
Wheelz
Bonus with deposit
800 NZ$
100 Free spins
Bonus without deposit
0 NZ$
20 Free spins
Review
4.7
Terms and conditions apply. Play responsibly | 18+
Vegadream
Bonus with deposit
1650 NZ$
300 Free spins
Bonus without deposit
0 NZ$
0 Free spins
Review
4.6
Terms and conditions apply. Play responsibly | 18+
Igu Casino
Bonus with deposit
1125 NZ$
170 Free spins
Bonus without deposit
0 NZ$
0 Free spins
Review
4.6
Terms and conditions apply. Play responsibly | 18+
National Casino
Bonus with deposit
300 NZ$
150 Free spins
Bonus without deposit
0 NZ$
0 Free spins
Review
4.6
Terms and conditions apply. Play responsibly | 18+
Wild Tornado
Use bonus code:
Bonus with deposit
1000 NZ$
100 Free spins
Bonus without deposit
0 NZ$
0 Free spins
Review
4.55
Terms and conditions apply. Play responsibly | 18+
Platinum Play
Bonus with deposit
800 NZ$
0 Free spins
Bonus without deposit
0 NZ$
0 Free spins
Review
4.5
Terms and conditions apply. Play responsibly | 18+
West Casino
Bonus with deposit
600 NZ$
200 Free spins
Bonus without deposit
0 NZ$
0 Free spins
Review
4.5
Terms and conditions apply. Play responsibly | 18+
Omni Slots
Bonus with deposit
500 NZ$
70 Free spins
Bonus without deposit
0 NZ$
0 Free spins
Review
4.5
Terms and conditions apply. Play responsibly | 18+
Hello Casino
Bonus with deposit
500 NZ$
50 Free spins
Bonus without deposit
0 NZ$
0 Free spins
Review
4.5
Terms and conditions apply. Play responsibly | 18+
iviBet
Bonus with deposit
500 NZ$
170 Free spins
Bonus without deposit
0 NZ$
0 Free spins
Review
4.5
Terms and conditions apply. Play responsibly | 18+
Berry Casino
Use bonus code:
Bonus with deposit
450 NZ$
110 Free spins
Bonus without deposit
0 NZ$
0 Free spins
Review
4.5
Terms and conditions apply. Play responsibly | 18+
King Casino
Bonus with deposit
300 NZ$
100 Free spins
Bonus without deposit
0 NZ$
0 Free spins
Review
4.5
Terms and conditions apply. Play responsibly | 18+
Slot Planet
Bonus with deposit
222 NZ$
22 Free spins
Bonus without deposit
0 NZ$
0 Free spins
Review
4.5
Terms and conditions apply. Play responsibly | 18+
Amok Casino
Bonus with deposit
0 NZ$
100 Free spins
Bonus without deposit
0 NZ$
0 Free spins
Review
4.5
Terms and conditions apply. Play responsibly | 18+
Skol Casino
Bonus with deposit
1300 NZ$
250 Free spins
Bonus without deposit
0 NZ$
0 Free spins
Review
4.4
Terms and conditions apply. Play responsibly | 18+
Casiplay
Bonus with deposit
800 NZ$
100 Free spins
Bonus without deposit
0 NZ$
0 Free spins
Review
4.4
Terms and conditions apply. Play responsibly | 18+
Generally speaking, online casinos have the same games as traditional casinos, brick and mortar, and physical land-based casinos you’ll find here in New Zealand, but the key difference lies in the fact that these online casinos can be accessed from home (or virtually anywhere you have access to a phone or a computer), and you can even play in your pyjamas if you want.
To truly enjoy all that online casinos in New Zealand have to offer, there are points that one needs to consider.
Firstly, the most pressing question is usually, is this safe? Is the money you’re spending at this online casino going to be securely held and will your winnings be distributed to you accordingly in a fair and secure manner?
Secondly, is this a legit casino? Does the casino you’re playing at offer legitimate assurance that it’s not a scam website with shady practices to take advantage of its players with an algorithm that enormously favours the house?
Well, the vast majority do comply with all the regulations and rules that characterise a legitimate, safe online casino to gamble at, especially those that are advertised on TV or other official channels.
Considering this, one has to still remain vigilant and be careful with which new Zealand online casinos they decide to spend their money. You really can never be too careful.
Fortunately for yourself as a prospective punter, whether you’re looking to play online pokies or live casino games, there are many ways that you can verify the NZ casino sites you’re looking at using are legitimate sites.
Online gambling should be an easy and fun process, so to ensure that as a kiwi playing at an NZ online casino you have a great time while also being 100% confident in your security as a punter, here are a few ways that you can check if an online casino is legit.
This is the key point when it comes to knowing if the casino that one can find from a simple google search is a legit online casino or not.
The online casino license is perhaps the best indicator.
Therefore, does the casino have an online casino license from a registered and internationally recognised gambling authority? Is the certificate easily accessible and displayed on the website for all to see?
In the world of online casino regulation and licensing, there exist a few bodies that have established themselves as an international standard and have developed a globally recognised name as the point of call for what it entails to be a reputable online casino.
Here are 3 of the most famous and internationally recognised licensing and regulatory bodies for online casinos around the world, including the best online casino sites you will find as a potential player in New Zealand.
These places examine the RNG software, game playability, banking options and conditions, and payout rates of a casino site.
Since it tends to be quite simple for any website to claim to be certified, it is advised to confirm with the regulating body itself if the casino in question is registered with them by taking a look at their online database of verified online casinos or getting in touch with the organisation directly.
The Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) was founded in 2001 with the goal of regulating the many gaming-related industries that fall under its purview, protecting young and vulnerable players, providing fairness and transparency for individuals utilizing gaming services, and combating crime, corruption, and money laundering.
One of the first regulatory bodies to propose legislation to control the operations of online gaming businesses and ensure player safety was the Malta Gaming Authority. The Lotteries and Other Games Act of 2001 and Chapters 438 and 400 of the Laws of Malta are the first set of laws, rules, and directives that govern this sector.
Since 2001, Malta’s internet gaming market has expanded significantly, contributing more than 12% of the nation’s GDP, which is one of the reasons why its gaming authority has developed such a strong presence in the world of online casinos, including NZ online casinos.
The UK Gambling Commission is the main regulatory body of all gambling online and through various other platforms carried out in the region.
The Commission’s stated objectives are to safeguard the weak and prevent criminality from entering the gambling industry.
It grants operators licenses and provides government advice on matters pertaining to gambling and also consistently monitors licensed gambling sites like online casinos to ensure they adhere to safe and ethical gambling practices.
Additionally, it works with the police to investigate alleged illicit gambling.
The British Gaming Board was succeeded by the Commission in 2007.
Curacao Gaming is one of the largest and most common when it comes to online gambling licenses.
The license lets you run your iGaming business virtually all over the world.
The Curacao gaming license is one of the world’s most popular with some 450 online gambling operators licensed and operating from within the jurisdiction.
Curacao is considered by far one of the most accessible jurisdictions for licensing. This is partly due to the fact that the processing times are extremely short and efficient and Curacao gaming offers a license that covers essentially all forms of gaming in an online casino.
This is great news for New Zealand punters, as it gives online casinos in New Zealand the ability to be licensed and regulated for all the games that are on offer at their casino sites.
Therefore, this gaming license is exceedingly popular with the new online casino developers, startups and entrepreneurs who are trying to make an impact on the market and get licensed easily.
As an online gambling punter, we want to ensure that you’ll have a fantastic gambling experience online at only the best online casinos in New Zealand.
How do we ensure this?
We run every single casino listed here through a rigorous verification process to guarantee legitimacy and a world-class user experience.
To be entirely transparent, here is a list of some of the key indicators that we look for in an online casino to make sure that you’ll never have to worry about if you’re spending your money at a verified online casino.
It goes without saying that we all feel much more comfortable and informed about what to expect from something if we have access to a large number of reviews from a wide variety of people on a certain thing, whether that be a business or a work of art.
When analysing a potential online casino to list on CasinoCrawlers, we conduct a deep search of the online reviews and opinions available online, preferably from unbiased third-party websites or independent reviewers, to ensure they are operating outside the sphere of influence of the casino and are providing accurate, informative reviews.
The best online casino will have a large body of positive reviews about many different aspects of their website, with a history of many satisfied users.
Because gambling laws vary greatly between nations, the majority of casino review websites in New Zealand, Australia, the United States and other English-speaking nations tend to concentrate on their own particular locations.
While we provide a comprehensive review page here at CasinoCrawlers, if you’d like to conduct more thorough research into the reviews of a particular online casino, we recommend going onto independent casino sites that are designed to review online casinos in specific regions.
Any of the online casino sites that call themself the best online casino does well to focus on something that every single customer that’s ever walked this earth would value.
Great customer service and support.
As well-developed, designed and harmonious as an online casino can be, there will always be problems of some form that will eventually arise.
This rings especially true if the online casino in question has an enormous player base, which of course increases the likelihood of something going awry or an issue arising.
At a reputable casino, customer service is attentive and helpful, and in most cases, live support is provided around the clock. When a player has a problem, the agents help them until it is addressed, assist in making up for lost games, and provide reasonable notice before cancelling or suspending an account.
When we look for the best online casino candidate to list on our website, we always ensure that the prerequisites mentioned above are met, such as 24/7 customer service, high-quality educated agents, well-organised processes and multiple channels of communication.
As a warning, some shadier online casinos will terminate accounts arbitrarily and employ bots in place of actual customer support agents.
They will also lack and underperform in regard to possessing multiple channels of communication (such as no live chat, phone number or email address) and take large periods of time to reply or reply with automated copy-and-paste messages with little to no personalisation.
It’s a given that after winning real money at an online casino and securing the funds in your online casino account, you’ll want to withdraw it eventually so you can spend it however you fancy.
Therefore, the best online casino for high-speed payouts will make it their mission to ensure that you as a player of their online casino games will receive your money quick smart after spending your hard-earned cash and playing on their website.
As a New Zealand punter, when you’re playing casino games online,
Major payment options are used by trustworthy casino websites, including e-wallets, bank transfers, and credit and debit cards. These casinos enable players to deposit funds securely and withdraw wins in a timely manner—anywhere from instantaneous transfers to one week.
An indication that a casino may not be so reliable is if there are excessive payout times or waiting periods (which can last three months or longer) before money can be withdrawn.
New players typically have to go through a two-step registration process at online casino sites where real money is involved.
The initial step entails signing up with the casino directly. Players are frequently prompted to enter personal information such as their full legal name, email address, username, residential address, and contact number to successfully complete this stage of the registration.
The second stage entails adding funds to the account for gaming.
To address this, some casinos may use their encrypted platform to require additional documentation, which usually comes in the form of government-issued forms of ID (driver’s licenses, passports, proof of age cards) from new players to confirm their identities.
One strong indicator of a safe and secure online casino is when they just require this information once.
The reason for this is once they have a hold of this sensitive personal information, they will preserve it in their system, often in the form of an escrow or secured database where it is difficult for their employees to exploit this information.
This factor is essential and one of the main things to keep in mind when analysing the registration process.
Now let’s take a look at the other, less desirable side of the pond.
When it comes to the less reliable online casinos, you’ll notice that quite often they will frequently make repeated requests for information and proof of identity.
They occasionally force new players to transfer these delicate documents on repeated occasions through unsecured and unencrypted servers or methods, making it quite risky and heightening the likelihood of crimes such as identity theft or exploitation.
One last thing to remember is the NZ online casinos that are most secure will always have the option for 2FA (2 Factor Authentication) and will never ask you for the password or pin code of your online casino account.
If an online casino ever asks you for sensitive information or the password to your account, run the other way as fast as you can.
It’s no secret that when it comes to gambling in any context, there’s a chance that you’ll lose money.
However, a key signifier that you’re playing at one of the NZ online casinos that are legitimate and take care of their players is the establishment of a fair balance between the house and player on all the casino games they have to offer.
The entire randomness required for the outcome of chance-based online casino games is provided by random number generators (RNGs), which are a key component of online casino games.
RNGs are used by all legitimate, legal gambling companies and casino sites to guarantee consistently fair play.
A legitimate online casino will have an RNG in use that will have been verified by one of the top, internationally recognised gaming authorities to ensure that they aren’t using an RNG with a payout rate that enormously favours the house.
Casino websites utilise RNGs to guarantee that games without dealers have some degree of randomness. They can also be used to automatically shuffle playing cards or perform other simple tasks like tossing a coin.
The RNG mechanism employed by casinos is continuously active, which means it continuously generates numbers. These are then quickly turned into other game components. RNG tools, for instance, compute the hands dealt in card games, the numbers rolled in dice games, the numbers that the ball lands in, and the symbols that land on the reels of online slots.
Fraudulent casino websites sometimes do not use RNG technology at all and heavily rig all the casino games so that users can hardly ever win real money.
At CasinoCrawlers, we will only ever recommend New Zealand online casinos that have been certified as having great payout rates and RNGs certified by internationally recognised gaming authorities.
The best online casinos will be able to ensure a player gambling online from New Zealand will have access to a wide range of casino games, such as real money games and free spins at online pokies, to name a few.
One way to know if one of the online casinos in New Zealand you may find isn’t a legit website is if the amount of real money casino games or free casino games are extremely limited, or very poorly designed with little to no consideration of user experience.
At CasinoCrawlers, we analyse every game that the online casino has on offer and ensure that the games are legitimate and aren’t subject to rigging by the casino site.
Here are the usual games that you will find at most NZ online casino sites, and how to spot the ones that are legitimate and the ones that you should steer clear of.
Without a doubt, the most popular online casino game you will find in New Zealand is the pokies.
The pokies are highly appealing as they offer a highly randomised chance to win real money without having to use any strategy or skill to do so like you would in live dealer games such as poker or blackjack.
All you really have to do is press the button and try your luck.
Online pokies on offer at the casino sites listed at CasinoCrawlers are verified to have an RNG that is fair to the player and isn’t rigged in favour of the house.
Live dealer games are essentially games that are not left to the mercy of an RNG and are decided by a combination of luck, skill and factors depending on the nature of the player.
Casino sites will commonly have games such as texas hold em poker and blackjack.
For live dealer games to be legitimate, the software needs to support fair deck shuffling and balanced play between all players involved.
Some scam online casinos will exploit live dealer games with poorly developed software or malware that can be a detriment to all players involved.
In New Zealand, playing at online casinos and other forms of gambling are acceptable as long as the operator is not based within New Zealand, as it is against the law to operate an online casino based within the shores of New Zealand. This gives room for flexibility because it suggests that internet casinos that carry out part of their operations in other nations can serve players in New Zealand.
To break it down, a legitimate online casino must possess a license awarded by a recognised gambling authority like the UK Gambling Commission, have passed checks and met prerequisites set by independent institutions to ensure the quality and fairness of its games while meeting world-class safety standards. Furthermore, the best online casino doesn’t make unrealistic or fake offers and deposit bonuses and will distribute their payments fast and efficiently.
If it's both safe and of high quality, a Random Number Generator (RNG) is used in a great online casino game to maintain fairness. Because the RNG generates random results, neither the casino nor the player can predict the outcome. The experience is similar to playing a real casino game for gamblers. It is better to stick with secure online casinos that have licenses from unbiased testing laboratories because this can be changed in risky casinos.
There are many choices for casino licenses that welcome New Zealand players. The first is a license issued by the United Kingdom Gambling Commission, which accepts players from New Zealand and other countries. The Malta Gaming License, Curacao License, and Isle of Man Gaming License are further choices. If a casino has one of these licenses, it accepts New Zealanders and you can play there without any problems.
One big indicator that a casino does not have reliable deposit methods is when there is a lack of internationally recognised and trusted payment methods available on their website. This is a big red flag. Any form of payment that is not safe, quick, and effective you should be cautious of and stay well clear from. A deposit method that does not have a good reputation for dependability is the same. For example, PayPal is quite selective with who they do business, and will generally only go with trusted and legitimate websites. When playing at online casinos, it's wise to stay with trusted deposit methods. These include widely recognised and trusted payment methods like Visa, MasterCard, Skrill, Neteller, and PayPal.
Without a doubt, having a privacy policy listed alongside terms and conditions in an easy-to-find area of the website or application is a great sign that the website is a legit, verified online casino. Safe casino sites are very transparent about their privacy policies and other such issues. They keep an eye out for other players and state their positions clearly. Only a risky online casino lacks a transparent privacy policy since they don't give any thought to the protection of its players.
There are numerous risks associated with gambling at a hazardous casino. Your personal data could potentially be exploited for fraudulent purposes, to start. This could result in disastrous consequences as a result of fraudsters and scammers utilising your personal data for malicious purposes. You might be taken advantage of as a player by an algorithm or dangerous software designed with the sole purpose of stealing money from unsuspecting online gamblers, which may result in you losing huge sums of money. Additionally, fraudsters who clear the money from your bank account may obtain your personal information and your bank account information, which leaves you completely at the mercy of their misdoings.
Lily began her career in the iGaming industry more than 10 years ago as a content writer for various online casino sites, such as Unibet and William Hill. With her passion for gaming and an interest in the legal landscape in va... Read more about the author