Is Gambling Legal in New Zealand?
When you want to gamble and you happen to live in New Zealand, then there are many things you need to be aware of first. Unless the gambling type is approved by the Gambling Act 2003, most (and close to all) gambling is illegal in New Zealand. The gambling that is allowed is controlled by the Department of Internal Affairs, and it is part of an existing law that any permitted gambling activity should somehow benefit (or give back) to the community.
Before we proceed, let us bring you the good news! While online gambling falls under what is considered illegal in New Zealand, it doesn’t apply to offshore gambling sites. And, since most of the biggest online casinos are based elsewhere such as in Europe, you can safely and legally join and gamble on these sites.
Types of Gambling That are Illegal in New Zealand
As long as the online gambling site you choose isn’t based in New Zealand, you can safely and legally gamble, but you might want to gain a better understanding of what type of gambling activities are and aren’t prohibited within the country. The gambling types still allowed are divided into four different classes.
Class 1 gambling is the only gambling class that an individual can conduct, and in this scenario, all winnings generated during the game needs to go to the winner, and this includes any type of interest or other fees. The maximum amount you are allowed to set as a prize, while still keeping it legal, is $500. The same amount applies for the turnover.
Class 2 gambling cannot and should not be conducted by an individual, and can instead only be run by what the Gambling Act considers a society. The value of the prize must fall between $500 and $5,000, and any other amount cannot be considered class 2 gambling. The gambling turnover may not be more than $25,000 and no less than $500.
Class 3 gambling requires a gambling licence, and you cannot legally hold a class 3 gambling activity without having first been licensed. The prize value for these types of gambling activity, and for it to be classified as a class 3 act, needs to be higher than a total of $5,000.
Class 4 needs to meet the same requirements as class 3, both in terms of having a gambling licence and the total price being $5,000 or more, but it usually refers to gambling performed on some type of machine or device.
Beware of Bans on Remote Gambling
The Gambling Act 2003 also specifically prohibits any gambling done remotely, which essentially refers to online gambling at or through establishments based in New Zealand. The law put a halt to at least one New Zealand online casino, and you can get a hefty fine for breaking these regulations in any way.
As a result, it is important that you—as a New Zealand player—always verify that your chosen online casino is based somewhere else. Most of the sites you come across, if not all, will be, but it is always better to be safe than sorry so that you don’t accidentally end up on an illegal gambling site.
Keep in mind that if you were to find a New Zealand casino operating illegally, this site won’t be regulated or licensed the way that it should be, and it would present a risk to you, your personal information and your money to utilise it, while also risking legal trouble. Always stick to offshore gambling sites as a gambler in New Zealand.
Does New Zealand Law Protect Players who Gamble Overseas?
It is clearly stated in the Gambling Act 2003 that online gambling at foreign casinos is allowed, but that you cannot expect any help or assistance from the New Zealand government if you were to become a victim of fraud or any other crime as a result. Instead, you would depend on receiving help from the country in which the casino is based.
This doesn’t mean the New Zealand government and local laws will never step in and help, and it is simply a caution that they might not in the case of a crime committed against you as a result of online gambling.
