By taking a look at research and studies on the gambling industry, we can see that people in different regions of the world prefer certain games. Naturally, in this day and age, when practically every individual in the world has an access to an online casino, pretty much all casino games have reached a certain level of popularity. Still, we can see that some of them are more popular than others.
A good example of just how popular a certain game can be in some parts of the world is the one we can find in New Zealand and Australia. Slot machines are way more popular than any other casino game. The same can be said about their online variant, online slots. They are so popular that the locals even game them a nickname, pokies, or online pokies. If you want to find some of them, visit Online Pokies NZ.
Since the number of different variants of online slots and the number of websites where you can find them is enormous, it is safe to presume that they make up a significant percentage of the industry in these two countries. Today, we want to talk about New Zealand’s gambling industry, with a focus on online pokies.
The Local Gambling Industry
As we’ve said, the New Zealand gambling industry has its interesting perks. However, we can see that it wasn’t always like that. In fact, until a couple of years ago, online gambling was limited in this country. A good indicator the Act made back in 2003 needed to be updated was $381 million poured into foreign gambling websites. That was the moment when the government saw they need changes.
It was needed the government to pass a bill that will open the local market, and create some conditions that will motivate locals to create their websites, and attract foreigners who will register their sites in New Zealand. But the main idea behind the bill was to attract the local players to the local websites, to prevent the money from going outside the country.
One of the ways this is done is by allowing newly licensed operators to set up shop in the country. There are a lot of candidates that will do this, but it is more than clear that the local legislation will still be rigid in some ways. Therefore, those who want to enter the market will need to comply with all the regulations that they might present to them. Thankfully, regulation will be much less rigid in the future.
The Popularity of Pokies
Not only that online slots have a special status in the gambling industry in New Zealand, but we can also see that they have a special place in the hearts of the players in the country. You will see that this level of popularity is unparalleled. People there simply enjoy this game so much that its popularity is bigger than many other pastimes present out there. For that reason, local websites focus on this game.
How is this manifested? Well, we can see that it is manifested through the number of games they offer at their sites. Not only that, it is more than clear that this is one of the most relevant aspects when it comes to giving legitimacy to the website. Think about it, it offers a wide array of variants, which surely attracts a high number of players. Their numbers are much higher than in land-based ones.
One of the most important things we want to address is that local gamblers, especially since the introduction of COVID-19 lockdowns, have turned to online casinos. Between 2020 and 2022, brick-and-mortar ones were in quite a tough spot since they weren’t able to work in full capacities. For the longest part of this period, they were closed. Thankfully, we can see that they were able to survive this hard period.
How to Recognize Legitimate Websites?
Now, we want to discuss the ways you can determine how legitimate the gambling website is. Thankfully, we can see that the number of those who are not reliable in New Zealand is not high, but that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t be careful when choosing the right one. That’s why we want to provide you with a couple of signs that will provide you with the right idea about how to seek the signs that will help you find the right one.
Payment Options
One of the most important signs that you are at a legitimate website is that it offers a high number of payment options to its players. Legitimate websites want to satisfy as many needs of their visitors as possible, and providing them with appropriate payment options is one of them. Naturally, one of the most popular ones out there these days is cryptocurrencies as a payment method.
Without any doubt, the payment method should be functional completely. Visitors do not tolerate any sort of limitations of these sorts. On the other hand, websites need to be careful not to ask for too much personal data from their customers. People are generally hesitant to provide these to gamblers. So, look for those who offer a lot of payment options, but at the same time, they don’t ask for too much information.
Check Online Reviews
The next thing we want to talk about is the necessity of taking a look at online reviews. They are crucial since you will be able to learn all the most important things you will need to know about that particular site. Some don’t consider them to be important sources, but if you scratch the surface, you will see that the information these can provide is crucial for determining the quality of the website.
Summary
As you can see, online pokies are quite popular in New Zealand. Here, you can learn all you need to know about them, and how to find a reliable website where you can play these. We are certain you will find this insight quite helpful.