What are the New Zealand and Australian Gambling Legislations?

In regards to the Law, we are supposed to know what we don’t have the right to do. In other words, if you proceed to do something wrong, you can be prosecuted, fined and/or jailed, and you won’t be able to pretend that you did not know that what you were doing was unlawful. So, if you were wondering what the legislation about gambling in Australia and New Zealand says, keep reading. But don’t worry, we can already tell you that you can play and have fun without any legal risks.

Australian and New Zealander can play as Much as They want

The gambling laws in Australia and New Zealand are quite clear on the subject of their citizens playing on online casinos: They will not be doing any illegal act by doing so. That is why you can safely go to onlinecasinonewzealand.nz and play a game of poker, blackjack or enjoy some slot machines freely, without ever being afraid of committing any wrong. What is illegal in these two countries, is established online gambling.

That means that online casinos that are aimed at the citizens of these countries are actually located outside their territory. In fact, if they weren’t, they would be acting criminally and would have to respond in front of a court of law for their action. Strange? Not so much. Governments have simply decided that they did not want to get involved in the business of gambling, but at the same time, they also had no desire to stop their tax payers to spend a few dollars on online casinos, if it was their wish to do so.

Gambling in New Zealand: More than 100 Years of History

Let’s be clear, gambling in New Zealand is not completely prohibited. In fact, we could say, today, that it is quite the opposite. It is only online casinos that are not able to be formed and managed on New Zealand soil. Before the Gambling Act of 1908, pretty much all gambling activities were prohibited. Once that Law was passed in Parliament, then betting on popular sport events became legal.

It was quite a success, as well, especially in regards to horse races. But it didn’t open up gambling entirely yet, to the public. Most of gambling was still restricted until 1961 and the real opening finally came in the late 1990s. That is when lotteries, slot machines and casinos were opened fully. When you look at other countries, you can definitely say that it came quite late.

What about the Situation in Australia?

New Zealand and Australia tend to follow each other in terms of law advancement. It is quite true about the gambling industry, as well. The year to remember, in Australia, is 2001, when the latest current gambling law was passed. It states clearly (it is the same in New Zealand), that domestic online casino operators cannot let Australian citizens play inside their site.

Therefore, Australians that want to play, need to look for online casinos based in other countries. But as we have seen at the beginning of this article, there are already online casinos that were created just for them.