Are NetEnt Online Slots Legal In New Zealand?

Towards the South-West of the Pacific Ocean, we have New Zealand - an island country with a small population of 5.084 million. Within this population, approximately 4 million or 80% of New Zealanders partake in legal gambling activities.

Gambling was legalized in New Zealand in 1835. Today, the government of New Zealand has not only liberated the population from its rather strict gambling laws but has also tried to incorporate favourable regulations for both the gambler and the country. While online gambling is legal in New Zealand, the laws and regulations surrounding it are a bit wishy-washy.

We’ll be discussing both online and land-based laws in New Zealand slots regarding online gambling, amendments made in these laws throughout the years, and how the population of New Zealand is reacting to these laws.

Why Play Online Slots and is it Safe to Play Them?

Gambling in New Zealand

The very first gambling activity to have operated under state regulations was horse race betting in 1835. This was quickly outlawed and gambling would remain a taboo in the country for several more years.

Introducing state-regulated gambling was met with quite a few more challenges than the state had anticipated. To a more stern citizen, this meant introducing a channel for gambling to be conducted. Notwithstanding the fact that the average gambler in New Zealand would be protected by the government, the state decided to maintain a more stern approach towards gambling laws for subsequent years.

It wasn’t until much later, in the 1970s, that gambling was officially made legal again. Between 1835 and 1972, however, other channels of gambling had become operational. For example:

Are Online Slots Legal to Play in New Zealand?

There are currently 6 casinos operating in New Zealand. These are:

• Dunedin Casino
• Christchurch Casino
• SkyCity Auckland
• Skycity Queensland
• Skycity Wharf Casino
• Skycity Hamilton

In 2013, the government of New Zealand announced plans to introduce a total of 230 pokie machines and 40 gambling tables in Skycity Auckland. Gambling is growing in popularity worldwide, and New Zealand isn’t too far behind.

It has been estimated that New Zealand poured in an incredible $381 million in off-shore gambling sites in the past 2 years. The government introduced the Gambling Act of 2003 to control the rapid spread of gambling (including online gambling) in the country, however, these laws now seem outdated.

Luckily, the Department of Internal Affairs released a statement in 2020 stating that they had planned on reviewing and reevaluating some of these laws to make them more up to date with current gambling situations.

Online gambling, however, has remained a grey area to a certain extent. For example; state laws dictate that ‘remote interactive gambling’ is prohibited. However, only gambling operations conducted within New Zealand itself are subject to provisions in the Gambling Act of 2003.

What Are Online Slots and Why Should You Play Them?

What one might refer to as a slot machine, another might refer to as a pokie. Slot machines in New Zealand were first introduced in 1987. Initially, these machines were operated by charity groups and mostly installed at hotels or bars.

The state maintained a stronghold on these machines, but only in terms of operation and not in the actual amount that was returned to players. For better understanding; the state-mandated that Player Information Displays were to be introduced in all slot machines. These pop-ups included information on how long a player had been on the machine, how much they had lost, and such. Player Information Displays were intended to prompt gamblers to take breaks in-between.

According to an official report released in 2008, pokies brought in a turnover of $10.96 billion. Only $938 million of this amount was kept as the house edge and well over $9 billion was returned to players as prizes.

NetEnt Online Slots - Gaming Operations in New Zealand

Gamblers living in New Zealand are under no restriction to partake in gambling activities conducted outside of the country itself. You can legally deposit any amount whatsoever into an offshore gambling site. This creates a grey area of sorts - while gamblers have unrestricted access to online gambling in international casinos, they aren’t protected by the state in case of fraud.

This is why experts recommend only partaking in online gambling on sites you can trust. A prime example of such a site is NetEnt.

Established in 1996, Net Entertainment is a Swedish-based software provider that focuses primarily on developing online gambling games. The online software developer has developed over 500 desktop slot games since its inception. Not only is NetEnt known for developing interactive slot games, but the developer has also taken a keen interest in maintaining safe gambling regulations.

If an online casino operates with NetEnt casino software, you’re sure to experience a gambling experience unlike any other. Some of the benefits of NetEnt slots include:

• Promoting safe and responsible gambling
• Providing reasonable statistics
• Better returns to players
• Interactive gameplays
• Slot games pertaining to every niche
• Jackpot prizes well worth thousands

NetEnt Slot Games That Fit Your Style

People from New Zealand who are willing to gamble can do so freely with NetEnt. The software provider is a risk-free developer and avid promoter of responsible gambling. If you’re looking for an online casino site where you can play NetEnt slots in New Zealand, head on over to No Deposit Slots.

No Deposit Slots is a mobile-optimized, online casino with well over 600 slot games. The site contains numerous promotional offers and incentives for players to have a gaming experience unlike any other.

For example; all new players get up to 10 free spins on selected games against their registration onto the site and after adding a valid payment option (no money is charged for these free spins). Punters can also get up to 500 free spins on selected games just for signing up! Other promotional incentives include weekly, monthly, and birthday free spins!

What Types of NetEnt Slots Are Out There?

Gonzo’s Quest

Gonzo’s Quest is an online slot game developed by NetEnt with an above-average RTP of 96%, medium volatility, and a top win of 2,500 credits. The game is based in the city of El Dorado and is playable on 5 reels with 20 fixed paylines, and features multiple in-game bonuses. The latter includes; wilds, scatters, multipliers, and avalanche features.

Finn and the Swirly Spin

NetEnt is known to develop some of the most interactive gameplay in the global gambling industry. Finn and the Swirly Spin is a testament to that fact. The online slot game has an RTP value of 96.92%, low volatility, and a top prize of 500 credits. The game is playable on 5 reels.

Blood Suckers II

Blood Suckers II is an upgrade of the original but with better graphics, a 96.64% RTP value, medium volatility, and 25 paylines. The game is based on Dracula and all things horror. Blood Suckers II has 10 bet levels, multiple in-game bonuses, and several other features which makes it an interesting slot game to play.

Narcos

Narcos, based on the popular Netflix series, is a game developed by NetEnt. The game has 243 paylines and a top win of 300 credits. Betting ranges are from a minimum of $0.40 to a maximum of $100.

Starburst

Voyage into the galaxy with hidden treasures and exciting adventures. Starburst is a popular game developed by NetEnt with an RTP of 96.1%, medium volatility, and a top prize of 250 credits.

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