"If a shift to online gambling on offshore operators results in a move away from other forms of gambling like TAB NZ or Lotto NZ, there could be a negative impact on current community funding streams." The TAB told Peters there would be "severe implications for TAB NZ if this fast-growing online casinos market cannibalises our existing operations by being legitimised in NZ in an open market context". It said 5-7 licenses should be granted to New Zealand-based entities and was scathing about offshore operators not having to make community grants. Internal Affairs minister Brooke van Velden, deputy leader of the Act Party, told RNZ she expected large, offshore gambling companies to win the majority of the 15 licenses auctioned off by the government. National campaigned on gaining significant revenue from online casino operators, claiming that imposing a gaming duty of 12% would bring in an average of $179m a year. The TAB told Peters there would be “severe implications for TAB NZ if this fast-growing online casinos market cannibalises our existing operations by being legitimised in NZ in an open market context”.

• They have the authority to allow different forms of online gambling or iGaming, including online casinos, online poker, online sports betting, and fantasy sports.
• This piece of legislation lays down the law, stating that you’ve got to be at least 20 years old to be eligible for gambling.
• Because no regulation can protect gamers if they do not play online gambling games properly, gamers must always participate for enjoyment and play responsibly.
• These regulations amend the Gambling (Infringement Notices) Regulations 2004, to modernise the available methods of payment of infringement fees.

Gambling (Non-gambling Activities) Regulations 2013

However, it is over the last decade that it has truly skyrocketed in popularity worldwide, offering convenience and access to a variety of casino games from the comfort of one’s home. Online casinos cannot legally operate from within New Zealand, but New Zealanders can play at offshore online casinos since there are no laws prohibiting them from doing so. However, it would be wrong to predict this, as the New Zealand government neither has any law prohibiting players from playing at offshore online casinos nor any laws permitting it.

Ahead of the election, the two parties clashed over the subject of offshore gambling revenue. National said it could raise NZ$179m per year from offshore operators. National also criticised how goods and services tax (GST) was not being collected from the entire black market.

Read my recommendation of the top online casinos in NZ where you can play legally and withdraw with no issues. The new offshore gambling duty allows NZ players to continue playing legally. However, some casinos may adjust fees, reduce bonuses, or exit the market. Operators might pass tax costs onto players through lower payouts, higher fees, or stricter deposit/withdrawal conditions. The 12% offshore gambling duty applies to foreign casinos but doesn’t change their legality. They remain unregulated by NZ authorities, so players should choose licensed, reputable sites.

New Zealand has collected GST at a rate of 15% on services and intangibles supplied remotely by an offshore supplier since October 2016. There will be an opportunity for the public to provide feedback on the nt.gov.au regulatory plans during the select committee process.

For the rules and legislation which may affect you when gambling, keep reading below to find out. Unlike Lotto, the TAB, casinos or the pokies, the successful bidders for the online casino licenses will not be required to pay any money to community groups. The winners of the online casino licence auction will have to pay GST, a 12% gambling duty and the problem gambling levy but not community grants. The new law will ban operators who don’t have a licence from offering online casino gambling to New Zealanders, with fines of up to $5 https://plangames-nz.com/ million. The country is currently developing laws to legalise gambling and betting.

Gambling (Fees) Regulations 2015

In effect, the New Zealand government has taken the position that online casinos based overseas are not subject to the Gambling Act. The main headline here is that the law’s application depends on the nature of the casino. The Act creates a clear distinction between land-based casinos, which are regulated and legally operated, and online casinos, which exist in a more complex legal environment. Yes, NZ players can gamble on offshore sites, but these casinos aren’t regulated by NZ laws, so protections are limited. While offshore online casinos offer pokies, they are not licensed within New Zealand, making their legal status unclear. Such an online casino operator can lose their gaming licenses forever, as well as face other litigation in the future.

State-owned institutions and organizations own the biggest proportion of the gambling industry. These casinos are not based in New Zealand but accept NZ players and often support NZD deposits, local payment methods, and customer service for Kiwi users. These regulations apply to all Class 4 gambling venues and stipulate that venue managers must bank gaming machine profits weekly.

ent Pokies

Practically all of New Zealand’s gambling regulations are aimed at policing and penalizing the businesses that run the establishments, not the people who gamble in New Zealand. As a result, the laws are tight yet not restrictive to the end-users. In New Zealand, gambling is seen more as a hobby than a means to increase income.

The Illegal Gambling Business Act was enforced in 1955, almost 70 years ago. The legal online casino and gambling services market has evolved since. The implication is that you are free to sign up and play on an overseas online casino without worrying about breaking the law. From a legal standpoint, we might just be in the industry’s golden age as there are no guarantees the law will not be amended in future to make it more difficult to gamble online. However, the situation is markedly different for the overseas-based online casino. It fails to explicitly address these international platforms thereby leaving room for interpretation.

In truth, New Zealand fully welcomes offshore gambling, although the country has strict anti-advertising rules for venues that provide overseas services. Meanwhile, the New Zealand Lottery Commission, which has been allowed to conduct online lottery sales since 2008, is the only New Zealand-licensed provider of online casinos and gambling sites. TAB is also allowed to provide online horse betting via its website. While this covers the fact no operators can open online casinos within New Zealand, this act doesn’t stop Kiwi citizens from having access to international  sites like Yukon Gold Casino or mobile gaming operators.

The Gambling Commission is also in charge of dealing with any and all complaints made by non-casino gambling operators regarding the licensing decisions that are created by the Secretary of Internal Affairs. "It creates a perverse incentive where we want to see gambling in our communities increase, because more money then flows back into the community, and that was not something I felt comfortable with under this law." But van Velden said the Crown would not get a lot of revenue from the new regime – perhaps only about $13m extra a year in the first few years – and her main motivation was increasing the safety of online gambling. New Zealand is one of the last developed countries to regulate online gambling.

Or maybe it comes from a recognition of the great difficulty involved in policing online activities taking place on servers beyond New Zealand’s borders. Online Casinos in New Zealand allow users to access safe gambling in New Zealand by using safe payment options, encryptions, responsible gambling, licensing, and more. Communities in the country are considered to be the primary stakeholder group.

This piece of legislation lays down the law, stating that you’ve got to be at least 20 years old to be eligible for gambling. "This will send money offshore and out of the hands of the hands of community groups, and that’s not how you grow an economy." But she said that could change over time as the licenses weren’t forever. When you do eventually settle on and first join a platform, start with small bets and increase them as you become more comfortable with the game. Perhaps it’s just one of those legislations that failed to evolve with the dynamics of the Internet Age.