New Zealanders have their preferences when it comes to online casino games. Here’s a list of how some of the games rank with Kiwis and what are the top online casinos to go to for the best bang for your dollar:
Best Pokies or Slots Casinos NZ
With an RTP of 94%, it’s no surprise that Kiwis have kept in touch with the pokies (also known as online slots overseas) from the days of clunky three-reel machines that projected colourful, fruity images. Modern slots nowadays can offer up to 50 pay lines, jackpots, bonus rounds and games, as well as snazzy symbols.
The slot machine that is the mother of all pokies in Aotearoa New Zealand is the Mega Moolah. It’s not surprising considering the progressive jackpot African safari-themed game claims to have the biggest payout in the world. A Kiwi punter reportedly won $NZ6.7 million on it in 2020 to become the third multi-million-dollar winner from New Zealand that year. It’s ideal for low-budget gamers and high rollers with a minimum bet of NZ25 cents to a ceiling of $NZ6.25 a spin. Some online casinos, such as Jackpot City, accessible to New Zealand players offer $NZ1 deposit bonus for Mega Moolah spins.
- Best pokies online casinos: Barz, Royal Panda, National, Spinni, Plaza Royal.
Best Roulette Casino Sites NZ
Kiwis can play up to a dozen types of random number generated (RNG) online roulette games in New Zealand. They include the European, French, American, Advanced, Master, European Gold, Double Zero, Wheel of Riches, Premier, Multi Wheel, Spingo, and Diamond Edition versions. The online purists will say play the live dealer version for an authentic experience. The live-deal version is projected from a land-based casino or a studio.
- Best roulette online casinos: Jackpot City, Spin Palace, Play Amo, Planet7Oz.
Best NZ Blackjack Casinos
The variants of online blackjack games include live dealer, multi-hand/single-hand, Vegas Strip, Atlantic City, Switch, Surrender, Insurance, to name a few. Unlike pokies, blackjack (also referred to as 21) requires player skills and strategies to turn the odds in their favour. Blackjack players are competing against the dealer, not against each other.
- Best blackjack online casinos: LeoVegas, Kasimba, playzee.
Best Baccarat Casinos
The origins of baccarat in Italy and France are sketchy and the land-based table version can be trying for those who don’t handle pressure too well from a live dealer and fellow fidgety players.
However, online baccarat removes all the complexities for players in processing the results to determine who is closest to achieving the desired value of 9 from a hand.
Punto Banco, also known as American Baccarat, is the most popular among the three variants, including Chemin de Fer and Baccarat Banque. Many online casinos offer free plays for one of the easiest online card games.
- Best baccarat online casinos: Jackpot City, Spin, Europa.
Best Bingo Casino Sites NZ
Just ask any New Zealander. Fun is the name of the game when it comes to bingo. Online casino bingo adheres to that philosophy, too. Variety becomes the spice of online life in this game.
No doubt, the 90-ball version wins hands down because of its similarities with what countless Kiwis used to play at church, school, and community halls around the country late last century.
They come down to 30-ball ones and what is called Slingo — a cross-pollination of traditional bingo with slot machines. Mobile options add great value. Chuck in the free-spin and wheel-spin bonuses and you realise why it’s so popular in New Zealand.
- Best bingo casinos: 888 Ladies (part of 888 Casino), Bet365, Mr Green.
Best Poker Casino Sites in NZ
Land-based casinos within the country hosting major tournaments on New Zealand soil are playing a significant role in stimulating the growth of poker in the online casino landscape.
The $NZ170,000 windfall in poker from the “Godfather of Kiwi hip hop”, Danny Leaoasavaii, at the SkyCity Casino in Auckland in 2010 had made mainstream media headlines, catapulting him to the status of “Godfather of Kiwi poker”. Known in the hip-hop circles here as “Brotha D”, the artist had eclipsed 218 international players for the PokerStars.net Asia Pacific Poker Tour title.
More than a decade on, online casinos with win rates of above 97% are reaping the benefits of that exposure in New Zealand. Jackpot City Casino leads that charge with 2427 enthusiasts claiming its offer in December 2021 alone, ahead of Spin Casino on 198.
- Best poker online casinos: Jackpot City, Spin, Europa, Magic Red, Tropez.
Best NZ Live Casinos
When New Zealanders enter this domain, they expect to see dealers in the flesh and blood parked behind a table rather than some animated figure on their online casino sites.
Yes, it’s a HD streaming experience and that’s as close as one will get to a land-based casino atmosphere. There’s no mistaking the smell of money, though. You’ll even be able to chat with other players and the live dealer. Keep an eye out for casino bonuses and the variety of games.
- Best live online casinos: Jackpot City, Spin, and Europa.
Best Mobile Casinos in New Zealand
More and more New Zealanders are taking their mobile phones for a walk rather than their dogs, in keeping with a global trend. It’ll be marketing suicide for any newcomers to the online casino industry to enter the arena without mobile programmes.
Most online casinos are now created on HTML 5 platforms which, in some cases, negate the need for apps. Just because games are available online doesn’t mean Kiwi players can access them via their mobile devices.
However, it’s just a matter of time before that equation changes with the advent of advanced technology as some casinos spearhead that drive.
- Best mobile casinos: Casumo, Casimba, playzee.
Best New Casinos in NZ
It’s human nature for Kiwis to find your trusted online casinos after some serious research before they dig the trenches for a committed digital flutter. But new online casino sites can mushroom just about every month.
Those who are adventurous will find newcomers tend to offer attractive bonuses, provide the latest mobile options, and roll out the most refined gaming software among the newest games.
With a pay rate of above 97% and some forking out withdrawals in just 1-2 days, it’s a no-brainer. No doubt, you’ll need to sidestep the dodgy ones guilty of unfair RTPs, game software pirates, rigged games, and hidden wagering clauses, to name some of the unacceptable tactics.
- Best online casinos: Spinyoo, Race, Playluck, betzest, Parimatch.