Playing slots and poker at legitimate online casinos is incredibly important. For one, you could be the next Rawiri Pou—the Matamata man who won a $10M jackpot while playing the Mega Moolah jackpot game in 2016.
Secondly, gaming at a legit casino protects your data and money. You don’t need to worry about getting scammed. Additionally, you get high quality services, from games to bonuses.
There’s one problem, though. How do you separate a legit NZ online casino from a scam? If you’re short on time, discover the best New Zealand online casinos on this page. Meanwhile, below is a guide on how to spot genuine casino sites.
Look for a License Number
Online casinos are a regulated industry. In the UK, the Gambling Commission is responsible for licensing and regulating gambling firms. In the same country, there exists other regulators like Alderney and Gibraltar—both of which license casinos designed to operate outside of Britain.
In Europe, Malta, Sweden, Norway and Finland all have respected gambling regulators. However, only Malta licenses operators launched to offer iGaming services in multiple countries.
That being said, most online casinos in New Zealand get their licenses from the Malta Gaming Authority. That’s great—Malta has a top-notch reputation for regulating operators to ensure they remain professional, fair and safe.
In case you’re wondering, casino list licensing information at the bottom of their websites. Additionally, you can countercheck the provided information with data on the official MGA website.
Spot a Padlock Sign
Every legit casino must secure its website and app by law. The standard way of securing a site is through Secure Sockets Layer (SSL). Usually, secure websites have a URL address starting with HTTPS and not HTTP.
HTTPS websites encrypt your personal information while at a casino. This way, it can’t be intercepted by hackers and used for nefarious reasons.
Owing to that backdrop, you can spot a fake online casino by checking its address bar. If it starts with HTTP and lacks a padlock sign on its address bar, it’s probably a fraudulent business.
Supports Trusted NZ Payment Options
One characteristic of scam casinos is that they use untraceable payment methods. They can ask you to deposit through Bitcoin, which is fine. But they fail to provide an alternative option like PayPal or Google Pay.
By comparison, genuine operators offer a host of ways to deposit and withdraw money. You can use a credit/debit thanks to Visa and MasterCard. Or you can use one of the many popular digital wallets in New Zealand: PayPal, Skrill, Google Pay, Neteller, Paysafe and Apple Pay.
Other ways you can deposit money to legit casinos is through wire transfer, crypto and eChecks. That said, it’s not enough to judge a casino by its payment options.
Also, check its deposit and withdrawal fees. The best sites don’t charge deposits. Additionally, they have limits for everyone. You can deposit from $10 to as much as $100,000.
Works with Licensed Software Providers
Nowadays, regulators don’t just license online casinos. They also vet the companies that create slots and table games. It’s done for a crucial reason—fairness.
In the early 2000s, regulation was minimal. Developers would create slots with poor payouts or they would rig them. The result was unending frustrations from people who spent thousands of dollars without winning.
In 2022, legit casinos work with licensed software providers by law. Fortunately, all the best-rated developers—NetEnt, Microgaming, Evolution, BTG, Betsoft, Play’n GO, Playtech and iSoftBet—have licenses to operate in NZ.
The beauty of joining a casino with these developers is that you get fair games and so much more. Think about the payouts we mentioned above. NetEnt’s Mega Joker has a 99% RTP. On the flip side, Evolution’s software helps you play poker, blackjack and roulette against real humans online.
Fair Bonuses
Scammers understand the psychology of casino players. If you promise a generous first deposit bonus, people will pay attention. Of course, fraudsters wait until you deposit money to give you problems.
Most of them frustrate you if you win by not processing your withdrawal requests. This is especially true for bonus winnings. They tend to reveal hidden terms you must fulfill, most of which are harsh.
Legitimate casinos also give out bonuses to new and existing customers. But they don’t use the shady tactics applied by fraudsters. Instead, they are incredibly transparent with their promotions.
Not only do they tell you how much bonus to expect, but they also reveal all the terms involved. That includes wager requirements, withdrawal limits, validity times and game weighting.
An Intuitive Web Design
When you think about it, fraudulent casinos have time for designing user-friendly websites. They don’t have teams meant to take care of their sites and apps. As such, the platforms load slowly or don’t run at all. The graphics are dated and full of bugs.
By comparisons, genuine casinos invest in their websites’ designs. They want to create an impressive first impressions. And that means creating beautifully, fast, user-friendly platforms.
To be clear, the best casinos in 2022 all support mobile gaming. Many of them provide mobile gaming through web apps. However, others also let you install their apps on your android or iOS device.
Contacts and Reputation
Genuine casinos are in the business of providing gambling services. And that means they value the need for efficient customer service. They might provide support through email, phone contacts or live chatting. All the same, they interact with their customers effectively.
Importantly, good casinos have a positive reputation. People will recommend you to join the casinos. And online reviews show reasons the operators deserve your attention.
By comparison, illegitimate websites provide no customer service. The worst of them have no contact information on their sites. Some might provide an email address, but they don’t reply to customer requests.
Naturally, these businesses have negative online reviews. People who’ve been scammed by the sites before explain exactly why you should avoid them. Some expert sites even blacklist them—a clear warning of why they’re illegitimate.
