Table of Contents
- What constitutes good quality?
- Are they a large organisation or a one-man band?
- Do they have Evolution Gaming software?
- Slots: The Bad, the Old and the Mind Blowingly Exciting
- Are they licensed in a respected jurisdiction?
- How Quickly Do They Send You Your Money?
- Quality NZ Casinos FAQS
What constitutes good quality?
High Quality means many things. For a platform in New Zealand to be described as being a quality casino a website needs to offer several different features of varying importance.
First, a quality casino in NZ needs to be safe and fair. Above all else, this is the number one characteristic that a quality casino must possess. You can potentially forgive a less than average Welcome Bonus, or a small delay in receiving your winnings, but you should never compromise on your online safety.
So, given that this factor is of such prominence in determining what should be classified as being a quality casino in the New Zealand market, how do you spot a site that is driven to keep you safe and provide you with an enhanced experience?
The easiest way to spot a diamond in the rough is to find out where your casino of choice has been licensed, as this can tell you a lot about a casino operator’s philosophy.
Surprisingly, there are many options where licensing is concerned.
- United Kingdom Gambling Commission (UKGC)
- Malta Gaming Authority (MGA)
- Alderney Gambling Control Commission (AGCC)
- Isle of Man Gambling Supervision Commission
- Government of Curacao
- Antigua and Barbuda Directorate of Offshore Gambling
- Kahnawake Gambling Commission (KGC)
A quality casino tends to hold a license that is issued by the UKGC, the MGA, or from bodies in the U.K. linked jurisdictions. This means that an online casino that holds a license provided by the AGCC or the Isle of Man Gambling Supervision Commission can also be considered to be a quality establishment.
But what is it that these licenses deliver that might not be the case with those given out by authorities in Curacao, Antigua & Barbuda, or the Kahnawake Reservation?
Well, for starters, one important feature of a UKGC operator is that your deposits are always protected. This feature is achieved by demanding that casinos ringfence all player deposits so that in the event of a firm going into administration these sums can be returned to players immediately.
As well as being financially secure, UKGC and MGA sites also extensively promote healthy gambling habits. To do this, these sites provide a mass of information about tools and help that can be used to ensure that you recognise if your gambling habits need to change and what steps you can put in place to achieve this.
- Deposit Limits
- Session Limits
- Bet Limits
- Loss Limits
- Cooling-off periods
- Self-exclusion
These are tools that are promoted on all UKGC and MGA sites for the benefit of patrons. Casinos that are licensed by these organisations are mandated to protect the vulnerable from the harms of gambling. This commitment means that UKGC and MGA licensed casinos must be seen to be proactive in reducing incidences of problem gambling as close to zero as is possible.
Quality casinos are ones that care for their customers, so such a focus on player safety marks these socially conscious sites apart from others.
Aside from providing security and promoting player protections, quality casinos also provide a mechanism for disputes between operators and their clients to be resolved amicably.
The Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) is globally renowned as a robust Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) body.
A party that is considered to provide an alternative dispute resolution function accepts complaints from the customers of online casinos where these issues have not been resolved by the casino that these complaints refer to.
The MGA holds the power to legally compel casinos to comply with its rulings if a casino operator is found to have mistreated one of their customers in any way.
This protection is of vital importance to Kiwis who wish to play at virtual casino venues because domestic laws do not recognise this industry. Therefore, if New Zealanders enter into a dispute with their casino of choice they have no legal support from the New Zealand Government as online gambling was not regulated in the 2003 Gambling Act.
Quality online casinos offer legal protections as standard.
Aside from excellent player protections, what else should you look for in a quality casino?
Well, security for all online transactions is always nice, and once again, this is a standard feature of a quality online casino.
Security is ensured at top casino venues through the use of SSL encryption technology. This feature sees that all online transactions that involve the transfer of player data are cloaked from prying eyes that might use such data for criminal purposes. SSL-based security is vital when banking data and registration details are being transferred.
All quality casinos operate with the highest online security features embedded.
So, you can be sure that quality casinos offer the ‘bread and butter’ mix of safety and security, but what other features set these platforms apart from the also-rans?
A quality casino has a spectacular content mix. This means that all types of betting products are likely to be supported and the software that powers these games is likely to come from the world’s most innovative technology companies.
Content varies from site to site, but the best casinos are likely to host,
- Pokies
- Progressive Jackpots
- Table Games
- Live Casino
- Baccarat
- Blackjack
- Online Poker
- Craps
- Sic Bo
- Roulette
- Virtual Events
- E-sports
- Scratchcards
- Sportsbetting
When it comes to the software providers that quality casinos form collaborations with, a few stellar names stand out.
The slots lobbies of the best NZ casinos online are filled by games that have been developed by a handful of global firms.
These companies have developed scintillating product libraries with pokies such as Valley of the Gods, Immortal Romance, Thunderstruck II, Mega Moolah, Big Bad Wolf Megaways, Wolf Gold, Chilli Heat, Starburst, and Twin Spin hailing from these stellar studios.
However, a quality casino is not a quality casino without a Live Casino section that is packed to the brim with titles from Evolution Gaming.
Evolution Gaming delivers live roulette, baccarat, blackjack, and craps games, and in recent times live game shows.
Live game shows like,
- Crazy Time
- Monopoly Live
- Cash or Crash Live
Are a great combination of slots-based features and casino game community interaction. A casino cannot be considered high-quality without these features being in place.
Are they a large organisation or a one-man band?
It is not an easy process to develop the infrastructure that is required to successfully run a quality online casino. For exactly this reason, you should, therefore, be aware of who is running your casino of choice. Is it a one-man band or a firm that has plenty of capacity and a wealth of expertise when it comes to delivering high-class casino content?
Some casinos are “skins”. This term means that they are online sites that are run by one or two people and consist of just a homepage screen that links to a selection of gambling content. Skins may give you the illusion that you are betting at a bonafide casino, but these operations will be unable to provide any of the customer service or security functions that you would wish to see on a quality casino platform.
For this reason, we only ever recommend casinos that are created by providers with a proven history in the iGaming market that have a full customer support operation to back its content up.
Some of the biggest operators in the iGaming industry such as,
- White Hat Gaming Limited
- Genesis Global Limited
- Apollo Entertainment Limited
- Aspire Global International Limited
- Bayton Limited
- Dama N.V. Casinos
- Hollycorn N.V. Casinos
- SuprPlay Limited Casinos
Get the thumbs up from us. These firms all have a long history of designing online casino platforms and have the expertise in place to deliver safe, secure, entertaining, and lucrative gaming fayre.
Do they have Evolution Gaming software?
One factor that you should always track when you look to sign up to any casino site that is aimed at New Zealanders, is which companies have chosen to provide them with their services.
Top software producers and payments networks do not wish to do business with dodgy casino platforms. The reason for this move is fairly obvious. If a firm like PayPal or Apple is associated with a scam site, the reputational damage can be quite costly.
Evolution Gaming also agrees with this cautious approach.
Evolution Gaming is a world leader in the provision of live dealer casino content, they do not wish to shoot themselves in the foot by aligning with sites that are patently unfair.
So the appearance of Evolution Gaming titles in the Live Casino section of a site should give you two reasons to cheer.
First, you’ll have access to cutting-edge games such as Immersive Roulette, Speed Baccarat, and Crazy Time. And, second, and perhaps more importantly, you’ll have the Evolution Gaming seal of approval that your preferred casino is a highly respected operation.
But what features continue to ensure that Evolution Gaming maintains a prominent position in the provision of live dealer offers.
The first that stands out when you load up any Evolution game is the crisp graphics that all variants support. You are always met with a colourful loading screen that leads through to a plush casino or games show based backdrop.
The sights and sounds of the in-game action are always superior across Evolution’s range.
Immersive Roulette is a wonderful example. All the bounces and spins of the roulette ball are tracked magnificently in super slow-mo. This is sort of coverage is not even possible in a brick and mortar location, but this impressive technological treat is not the only trick up Evolution’s sleeve.
Live game shows have become Evolution’s most popular products and it is easy to see why. Games such as Crazy Time, Monopoly Live, and Cash or Crash Live combine green-screen technology and animation to stunning effect, delivering a feast for the eyes and betting options that cheers the heart of all enthusiasts.
Slots: The Bad, the Old and the Mind Blowingly Exciting
The slots industry has come a long way over the course of the last century.
In 1887, the only slot that you might have had the opportunity to play on was a version designed by Sittman and Pitt. Based on the game of Poker, this machine offered participants the chance to win prizes such as beer and cigarettes. But, the digital age has allowed gambling games, such as the one designed by Sittman and Pitt, to be released in increasing numbers on online platforms across the internet.
However, it is only quality online casinos that have the pull to be able to offer top slots games that are programmed by the top tech firms. Just as Evolution Gaming are picky about who they do business with, so too are many of the world’s most creative slots providers.
You will only ever find content from Big Time Gaming, Blueprint Gaming, Megaways, Microgaming, NetEnt, Novamatic, Play’n GO, Pragmatic Play, Push Gaming, Quickspin, Red Tiger, Merkur Gaming, Rival Gaming, Yggdrasil, and the Reel Kingdom on the best online casino platforms. These businesses are such big names in the iGaming industry that they have no need to deal with dubious online entities.
The tie-ups between top software providers and high-quality online casinos are also helping to drive innovation. The best online casinos in NZ can now offer games in 3D, and the promise of virtual reality slots in the years to come.
Are they licensed in a respected jurisdiction?
Licensing is the most significant feature that you should look for on any quality casino site.
For Kiwis, this aspect of a site is potentially more significant than for those in many other jurisdictions. This is because the New Zealand Government has never sought to regulate the online gambling industry, and therefore, it does not provide legal protections to New Zealanders who choose to place bets at virtual casino venues. Therefore, it is important that Kiwis should choose to gamble on websites that offer substantial player protections.
Online casinos are licensed by a number of global bodies. However, the player protections provided by these organisations varies substantially.
At the top-end of the industry, the United Kingdom Gambling Commission (UKGC) and the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) are great at supporting the claims of customers if they have a complaint against a casino firm. However, this cannot be said about other licensing bodies. In comparison, casinos that are licensed by the Government in Curacao or by authorities in Antigua & Barbuda, are less effective at ensuring that casino operatives protect the rights of consumers.
At casinos.win we have only given top scores to casinos that will treat you fairly, with many of these sites bearing all the hallmarks of a quality NZ casino.
How Quickly Do They Send You Your Money?
Another way of sorting the online casino wheat from the chaff is to determine how quickly they are at paying your winnings.
It is always a personal gripe of mine when I land a nice win but I am not able to celebrate this good fortune for five days!
In an age of technological wizardry, there is no reason why it should take any more than 48 hours to receive your cash. A casino cannot be considered to be of high quality if this threshold is breached.
One of the biggest tricks in the trade is the processing period that some casinos employ. If you scour the dark corners of the iGaming market you can find some casinos that advise that all pay-outs will be subjected to a seventy-two-hour checking process, with extensions possible over the weekend. This is unacceptable in any form of business and is something that we cannot condone at casinos.win.
For exactly this reason, every review that we support on our website has extensive details regarding expected pay-out speeds. Top marks always go to top-quality platforms that ensure pay-outs are complete within twenty-four hours of a request being made.
We expect to be treated in this way and this is the way that we expect you should be treated as well.
Quality NZ Casinos FAQS
How can you tell if an online casino is of high quality?
There are so many different aspects that go into making a high-quality casino, a high-quality casino, that this answer is extremely complex. One of the first signs that you are dealing with a high-quality purveyor of gambling content relates to where a site is licensed. In an ideal world, you should only ever engage with an online casino that is approved by either the United Kingdom Gambling Commission (UKGC) or the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA), or ideally both. Both of these organisations ask that their members abide by strict rules relating to player protection and online safety. So, you can be assured of a quality experience when you take a spin on these platforms. Other licensing bodies based in the Isle of Man, Gibraltar, and Alderney are closely aligned with the UKGC, so these operators should also be considered. Otherwise, you should consider the games range that a site supports, the banking options that an online casino offers, and the history that lies behind individual casino operators. These pointers should quickly help you to determine a quality casino venue from a skin that is run by a one-man band!
Which high-quality casinos in New Zealand are good for high rollers?
A high-quality casino that is good for the high-rollers of the New Zealand online scene need to be secure and provide bespoke customer service options and most lucrative bonuses. Casino Tropez is one provider that delivers on all these measures. Casino Tropez is home to a $3000 Welcome Bonus, casino tables where stake limits are designed for players with larger wallets, and a VIP scheme that offers the chance to sail away on multi-day cruises! Other sites that high-rollers should be actively considering include Duelz Casino, Casino Lab, Casino Gods, Casino Rocket and Casoola Casino. These platforms are perfectly set up to deliver the experience that is demanded by high-rollers across New Zealand, with high bonuses and constant rewards being the order of the day at all of these quality casinos.
What kind of online slot games are the highest quality in New Zealand?
The highest quality online slot games in New Zealand are unsurprisingly produced by the highest quality software providers. Microgaming, Pragmatic Play, Evolution Gaming, NetEnt, Quickspin, Merkur, and Yggdrasil deliver some of the iGaming industry’s most mind-blowingly exciting slots games. If you enjoy playing quality content that includes, Immortal Romance, Thunderstruck II, Mega Moolah, Wolf Gold, Wild Wild Riches, Chilli Heat, Lightning Roulette, Crazy Time, Monopoly Live, Starburst, Twin Spin, Gonzo’s Quest, Sakura Fortune, Multi Wild, or Valley of the Gods, you are playing games that have been designed in the studios of these stellar tech firms. But, it is not just the software that determines the quality of a game, the content and the format in which this is delivered also adds value to any slots product. Jackpots, 3D slots, and Virtual Reality slots must be considered to be game types that are producing the greatest levels of hype in the industry at this time.