Gambling in New Zealand a.k.a. 'Kiwi Gambling'
New Zealanders spend more than two billion dollars every year on gambling. It is a huge part of the local culture. About forty percent of adults have been reported to gamble at least once a week. The average Kiwi spends $41 every week on different gambling activities. While there are just 7 casinos in the country, there are dozens of race tracks and bingo halls, and sports betting is available at hundreds of high-street betting shops.
Commercialized gambling in the country is quite new and did not emerge until the early 1990s. In that decade the industry grew quickly, with the first major casino appearing in 1994. The expansion of the casino and gambling industry in New Zealand went unchecked for many years. Then in 2003, with the passing of the Gambling Act, limits were set on the number of casinos and other gambling venues that could be created. Gambling remains very popular, but is now more regulated than before.
Online Gambling in New Zealand
the Gambling Act of 2003 bans online gambing with the exception of some strictly regulated lotteries and sports betting games.
Online gambling is therefore available to some extent to players in New Zealand. In April of 2008, the national lottery went online and players across the country can now access their favorite lottery games from their home computers. TAB (Totalizator Agency Board) also offers their products on the internet – these include a variety of sports betting games. Together, TAB and the New Zealand Lotteries Commission are the only entities allowed to offer online gambling in New Zealand.
Interestingly, the government of New Zealand has not prohibited the use of foreign gambling websites for it's citizens and allows players to use them freely. This is great news for New Zealanders, because there are hundreds of internet gambling sites in English, and many of these accept players from New Zealand. While there are not many local options available, players can find any game they want by just using foreign online gambling websites.