Real Money Casinos in New Zealand

Is it Legal to Play at Real Money Casinos in New Zealand?

New Zealand has some pretty strict gambling laws, but they are aimed at gambling sites, not their users. Gambling in New Zealand or Aotearoa (the land of the long white cloud) as it is also called, is strictly controlled by the NZ DIA (Department of Internal Affairs). This is so they can ensure that gambling sites return some of their profits to the community.

As for online gambling, the rules state that no resident of NZ is able to own, operate, or advertise an online gambling platform. The good news for Kiwi gamblers is that they are able to play at any of the real money casinos located offshore. In other words, there is plenty of choice, and because the Wagering Advisers team carefully vets all the sites we list, you can play at any of them safely and securely.

How Wagering Advisers Check Real Money Casino Safety and Security

If you’re an online gambler, you should check out a real money online casino before you register a player account with them. Regrettably, there are some bogus sites floating around out there in cyberspace, and they look bona fide, so it’s easy to get duped.

That’s why we at Wagering Advisers created this guide. Every site we list  has been pre-checked by our team, to keep you safe. All casinos we review go through our rigorous checking procedure, so you know that any casino you choose from our recommendations is totally safe and secure.

The Licensing of a Real Money Online Casino

Any best real money online casino will be properly licensed, so we look to ensure they are. The top licensing agencies and authorities have strict operational guidelines that all of their licensees must follow, or they lose their licenses. The top agencies are:

• The Curacao eGaming Authority
• The Kahnawake Gambling Commission
• The Malta Gaming Authority
• The UK Gambling Commission

We also verify that a real money online casino has its RNG (Random Number Generator) inspected and certified by an independent agency like eCOGRA and that the site has state-of-the-art SSL encryption.

The Bonuses Offered by NZ Real Money Casinos

All casinos offer bonuses, either to attract new players or to retain the ones they have. Some are better than others, and some of the terms and conditions are less rigorous too. So, we give these the “once over”, too. We compare:

• Best real money casino bonus values.
• The amount of free spins that come with the deal.
• The minimum and maximum deposit sizes.
• The minimum and maximum sums you can withdraw from bonus winnings.
• The terms and conditions – the wagering requirement in particular.

We also ensure that the offshore real money casinos in New Zealand offer a wide range of known, trusted banking methods and that they have responsive, helpful customer support systems in place.

10 of the Best Real Money Online Casinos in New Zealand

There are dozens, even hundreds, of offshore online casinos at which Kiwis can legally win real money. Below we list 10 of the best in alphabetical order.

Captain Cooks Real Money Casino

Bonus offer: 100 Free spins to win jackpot for $5 deposit

Launched in the year 2000, the Captain Cook platform is powered by Microgaming, and the games it offers are limited to those from Microgaming and Evolution Gaming. However, as these are two of the leading software providers in the world, that is no bad thing. They offer over 550 games, including poker, pokies, classic casino table games, and live dealer games. Their welcome bonus is a matched deal with a first deposit minimum of NZ$5 +100 free spins.

Cosmo Casino

Bonus offer: 150 Free spins for $10 on 1st deposit

A sister site of Captain Cooks, Cosmo Casino also works from a Microgaming powered platform, offering over 550 games. Licensed by the Kahnawake Gaming Commission, Captain Cook’s welcome bonus is a minimum NZ$10 deposit deal and comes with 150 free spins.

iLucki Real Money Casino

Bonus offer: $300 + 150 Free Spins on 2 first deposits

iLucki casino offers a huge range of games – over 6,000, in fact, which come from over 90 quality software providers, including the likes of EGT, NetEnt, NYX, Play’n GO, Quickfire, and Yggdrasil. Licensed by the Curaçao eGaming Authority, the iLucki welcome bonus offers up to NZ$300 in deposits plus 150 free spins.

Luxury Casino

Bonus offer: $1000 deposit match bonus

Luxury Casino is another site working from a Microgaming powered platform. Licensed by the Kahnawake Gaming Commission and with their RNG licensed by the independent eCOGRA agency, this real money casino offers a stonking NZ$1,000 welcome bonus, which you can reach with five deposits, each matched either 100% or 25% or 50% by the House.

Richard Casino

Bonus offer: Welcome 5000 NZD + 300 FS on 3 deposits

Richard Casino is a new real money casino site that became available in 2023. With a full range of casino games covering all genres and a massive welcome bonus offering up to NZ$5,000 plus 300 free spins, this casino is sure to please especially given the wide range of payment options they accept, which include cryptocurrencies as well as the usual credit, debit, and eWallet options.

Rizk Real Money Casino

Bonus offer: 100% Deposit Bonus up to NZ$1,200 + 50 Free spins on Gates of Rizk

Rizk Casino is well known for bringing its unique Wheel of Rizk to the online gambling arena. Licensed by the MGA and with its wide range of games, including many Megaways games offering over 117,000 ways to win, it is gaining increasing popularity with players. Their welcome bonus offers up to NZ$1,200 plus 50 free spins. The site’s Captain Rizk’s Pick feature makes it super easy for players to find new games to play.

Shambala Real Money Casino

Bonus offer: 100% match up to NZ$2000 + 180 Free Spins

With an impressive 6,000 plus games from top software providers, including Microgaming, NYX NetEnt, Play’n GO, and Yggdrasil, and an intuitive lobby that makes it simple to find whatever it is you’re looking, for since its launch in 2021, Shambala Casino is going from strength to strength.

With dozens of payment methods from which to choose, including 6 cryptocurrency options and a 4-deposit welcome bonus of up to NZ$3,000 plus 180 free spins, it is undoubtedly one of the best real money casinos in New Zealand.

Skycity Casino

Bonus offer: 100% match up to $100 Bonus + 70 Free Spins

With its sleek, modern design, and its range of progressive and must-fall jackpots, virtual sports, and its excellent live game platform where the dealers will greet you by name when you pull up a virtual chair, Skycity real money casino is another top pick. It may not have the best welcome bonus – it’s NZ$100 plus 70 free spins, but you also get 150 club points and 100 SkyCoins. They also offer a separate live casino welcome bonus up to NZ$150.

Skycrown Casino

Bonus offer: up to NZ$3,000 + 350 Free Spins

As well as over 6,000 games of all genres, Skycrown real money online casino provides fast payouts, table games, pokies, instants, drops and wins, and live dealer games – there’s something for everyone. With its 300 NZD + 100 free spins welcome bonus plus a 1% rake-back on wager, no wagering requirements live casino welcome bonus, Skycrown is sure to please.

Slotozen Real Money Casino

Bonus offer: Welcome bonus 2500 NZD + 250 FS

If you like your welcome bonuses big, Slotozen Casino obliges with its 2,500 NZD plus 250 free spins welcome bonus. It also offers a great game choice with more than 3,500 titles. If you haven’t tried crash games yet, have a go at their Aviator game. With its clean, elegant, modern design, Slotozen provides a great atmosphere for online gaming.

The Choice of Bonuses at Online Casino for Real Money

There are many types of bonuses. Some are designed to attract new players, and some are designed to encourage existing players’ loyalty. These bonuses include:

• Welcome, or sign-up bonuses – only offered to new players the first time you register an account with the site.
• Matched Deposit bonuses – a type of welcome bonus whereby the casino will match the amount you deposit up to a certain percentage (usually up to 100%) for free. So, for example, if you deposit NZ$10 on a 100% matched bonus offer, the casino will add another NZ$10, and you get to play with NZ$20 in total.
• Low deposit bonuses – Although they are quite rare, a real money casino might offer a no-deposit welcome bonus. When a NZ casino does launch one, you’ll hear about it first on the Wagering Advisers website, so bookmark us today. We also list low deposit bonuses when they are around – as low as $1, $2, or $5 deposit.
• Free spins bonuses – typically a type of welcome bonus that, in addition to offering you bonus money to play with, also offer you a number of free spins.
• Reload Bonuses – usually offered to players who have already claimed a welcome bonus, so it is for existing players. This type of bonus is like a duplicate sign-up bonus.
• Cashback Bonuses – for existing players. A cashback bonus returns a percentage of your losses back at the end of a designated period.
• Weekly bonuses – offered to existing players and can come in various forms – matches, free spins, special prizes etc.
• Tournaments – many players like to pit their skill against their fellow gamblers in search of fame and fortune, so we also evaluate what tournaments real money casinos in New Zealand offer.

The other thing the team at Wagering Advisers include in their checking procedure is the quality of a casino loyalty or VIP program – whether players start earning comp points for the word go and what sort of prizes and exclusive gifts are on offer.

Maximising Bonuses When You Gamble for Real Money Online & What Not to Do

1. Before you claim any sort of bonus, you should read the offer’s terms and conditions. Don’t jump straight in without doing so, or you could be disappointed.
2. If you’ve never played the games applicable for the bonus, see if you can find a free version to play first. Most real money casinos offer free versions of games in demo mode, and they are the same versions as when playing for real money. It will give you an idea of what to expect so you don’t waste money on a game you don’t particularly enjoy.
3. Always accept any features the game offers. They can lead to an improved chance to win real money. Maximising your bet value might improve your chances of bigger wins, but it will also mean using up your bonus quicker.
4. If you come across a bonus that offers matching of 100% or more, take it. The more free bonus money you get to play with, the better your chances of landing winning lines.

Explore Bonus Terms & Conditions that typically Apply

Nearly all bonuses involving real money casino games have wagering requirements which determine how much money you should deposit before you can withdraw any winnings from the bonus. They typically range anywhere from times x20 to x70 of your original deposit.

No-wagering bonuses do appear occasionally, and when they do, you’ll find them listed here on the Wagering Advisers’ website.

Other restrictions you’ll find in real money online casino bonus T&Cs include:

• A limit on the game or games you can use the bonus against.
• Certain game features might be omitted.
• Minimum deposit amounts.
• Bet sizes could be restricted.
• Minimum and maximum withdrawal caps
• A limit on which payment methods you can use for depositing.
• A restriction on how much time you are given to play through the bonus.

A bonus is a great way of introducing yourself to playing online casino games for real money because it reduces the cost of gambling. So, whenever you come across one, you should consider taking it, providing the terms and conditions are favourable.

Favourite Payment Methods Used by Real Money Online Casino

All of the NZ offshore real money online casinos that we list on our website provide plenty of choice when it comes to banking methods. These payment system brands are instantly recognisable and well-known for their trustworthiness. They include the likes of:

Pay By Bank Transfer When You Gamble for Real Money Online

Players  who prefer to pay directly from their bank rather than going through a third party can do so at all online casinos using bank transfer. Deposits are more or less instant, but withdrawals can take up to 5 working days. No fees are involved.

Pay Using Credit and Debit Cards

You can pay and withdraw money using a wide range of credit and debit cards on the New Zealand online casino network, including Electron Visa, Maestro, MasterCard, and American Express.

Pay Using eWallets When You Gamble for Real Money

All of the casinos we recommend offer a wide range of eWallet brands, including ecoPayz, Neteller, PayPal, Skrill, and more.

Pay Using Prepaid Cards

You’ll usually find a choice of at least one or two prepaid card options and most of the casinos we recommend. The most common include Neosurf and Paysafecard.

Pay Using Mobile Banking

While most of the payment options can be used via your mobile’s inbuilt browser, the casinos we list also allow you to use dedicated mobile payment systems, including Boku, Payforit, and Zimpler.

Pay Using Cryptocurrency

Paying and withdrawing money using crypto is becoming more common on online casino platforms. The crypto you usually find include Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Dash, Dogecoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, and Tether.

Final Thoughts

There is a wide choice of offshore real money online casinos available in New Zealand. If you’re looking for a new casino to try, or you want to find out more about a casino or compare it with others, you’ll find everything you need to know on the Wagering Advisers website.