New Zealand is a beautiful location with a fascinating history, but you probably don’t immediately consider gambling when you think about the country. In the modern age, though, the casino industry is growing at quite a rate.
What is causing the growth of online blackjack in New Zealand? Why are the figures so impressive when we look at the advance of casino companies in the area?
In this guide, we’ll explain all you need to know about blackjack in NZ, and some interesting facts about what is causing its expansion.
A study by ibisworld.com found that the industry had experienced significant growth over the last five years and shows no signs of slowing down. A lot of this is down to blackjack, but why is the community growing?
New Zealand has a long history of table games
People who are not from the area may not actually realize that New Zealand has a long history with gambling and table games. The country has had casinos since the 1990s and there are six in New Zealand that you can visit in person:
- Christchurch Casino
- Grand Casino Dunedin (which may also be referred to as Dunedin Casino)
- SkyCity Auckland
- SkyCity Hamilton
- SkyCity Queenstown
- SkyCity Wharf Casino
This history with casinos and table games always helps with online casinos launching in the area. More New Zealanders are likely to know the rules of the games and be used to playing table games on a night out, which can lead to them wanting to be involved with online gambling.
Of course, if you have had the chance to go to casinos in person, you may also want to experience the online offerings, whether they are run by the same companies or not.
New Zealand’s gambling laws allow for blackjack and other games
Did you know that between 2014 and today, the gambling revenue in the country has more than trebled? This wouldn’t be possible if it weren’t for the gambling laws being pretty flexible.
There are protections and support in place, as well as considerable emphasis on responsible gambling, but the actual laws are relatively liberal, if a little complex at times.
New Zealand’s providers and customers have to adhere to the Gambling Act of 2003, which controls gambling in the country. It says that those who are 18 or older can take part in some forms of gambling, including blackjack. If you want to play blackjack at a land-based casino in the country, however, the law outlines the fact that you need to be 20, so a little older.
New Zealand’s market allows access to many different foreign operators too, which include some of the gaming companies from Curaçao and Malta (hotspots for the industry), as well as the UK.
Like many other countries, there is no need to pay tax on winnings from blackjack and other gambling proceeds in NZ. So, if you’re fortunate and get a decent win, you won’t have a big slice of it taken away in taxes. Of course, the gambling companies do pay taxes.
Growing choice
As you can see from the fact that there is a wide-open market, there is also a lot of choice in New Zealand when it comes to the online market.
Even if you know that you want to play one specific game such as blackjack, you still have many choices. Games companies make different interfaces and table games, and most casinos will offer differing live casino options.
For example, there are some casinos offering live dealer games, which means that you can connect to a real person – the live dealer. There are also some companies offering slight variations on certain table games. So, if you prefer the way one of the iGaming developers does things, you can stick with them for your gambling, or you can experiment with other options.
Bonuses and promotions (plus loyalty rewards)
All this competition also means that there are plenty of offers, bonuses and promotions. Different casinos that you can use in New Zealand are keen to get you to try out their apps and online sites, which means that they may offer you rewards. There are often signup bonuses such as free bets. On top of this, you might get the chance to try out other games besides blackjack, as the casino may provide you with free spins on some of their casino games.
Of course, you need to read all of the terms before you take advantage of any bonuses, and some casinos have limitations on the rewards. There are even casinos that let you try their games for free without staking any money, so you can see if you like the interface and enjoy their particular blackjack version before you put money in your account.
Loyalty bonuses are also offered by some of the companies that offer blackjack games, so you may be rewarded with free bets or other promotions if you are a regular user.
The Aussie influence
The Australian influence may well play a part. The two countries are notoriously linked culturally and enjoy some friendly rivalry as well as some crossover of ideas.
Australia also has plenty of gambling companies and a big community around casino games, from poker and slots to blackjack. This means that the growth in this particular part of the world has been perpetuated by these two countries, which are like siblings in many ways.
The fact that blackjack involves skill
This is one of the aspects that may have helped the blackjack industry to grow and develop more of a community feeling. A bit like the game of poker, where a lot of people are looking to hone their skills and understand the rules of the game, blackjack has some opportunities for people to get better at it.
This sort of thing can really help people with their engagement and being passionate about the games they are playing. People do tend to enjoy slot games and those that are more based on chance, of course, but blackjack’s growth could partially be down to people trying to be better at playing the game.
Network coverage
With growing network coverage, there are many more locations from which people can play blackjack. Though internet connections are widespread, New Zealand hasn’t always had the best cellular connectivity. In recent years, even some of the rural areas have gained much better coverage. This means that there are more players who are logging in from locations outside of their home and playing blackjack while they are on the go, such as on public transport.
Responsible gambling
It is important to know that there is support out there if you are struggling, and as gambling companies grow, there needs to be an awareness of responsible gambling.
You need to be aware when you gamble and make sure that you are behaving sensibly and responsibly. You must ensure that you only gamble what you can afford to lose, with knowledge of the fact that there are no guarantees. Never chase losses and make sure that you check out the company that you choose to play with. These games should always be fun and gambling responsibly is the way to keep the experience enjoyable.
Choosing a casino for blackjack
What sort of things do you need to consider when choosing a casino to play blackjack?
- Is there a signup bonus that you can take advantage of? A lot of casinos are very competitive and want to get new players to try their site.
- Is it easy to navigate and user-friendly? The app and the mobile version of the site should be nice and simple to use, with an interface that looks good on your phone.
- Deposit methods. How do you deposit into the account and can you use your preferred method, such as Apple Pay? We all have our own personal preference for the ways that we move our money around these days.
Lots of people choose blackjack due to the fact that it involves some skill and is a relatively simple game to get to grips with. If blackjack is your game, there are a number of different providers in New Zealand, and more choice than there has ever been before for those who want to be part of the blackjack community.
