Kiwis Love Pokies – Know the Facts
The amount of Kiwis using pokies and the revenue generated from them has grown to astounding levels over the space of the year. In fact, in the past quarter alone the number of people spending money at the pokies has grown significantly to new levels never seen. It shows Kiwis love pokies.
The Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) released a report on the number of money Kiwis spent on gambling and the numbers are striking. A reported $2.38 billion is spent on gambling on four main gambling sectors, with sports betting and pokies games setting the pace. The reported figures were calculated over a 12-month period from 2017-18. The overall gambling stat indicates that the amount of money spent on gambling was $49 million more than the previous financial year. So Kiwis love pokies games.
In the Waikato region of New Zealand alone the use of Hamilton pokies has grown by 93.67% from $379,876 to a whopping six million dollars. It seems that this change that has seen many moves to playing pokies is not just found in the Waikato region as the overall spend on pokies across the country also rose.
That is right, the total spend on pokies across New Zealand grew by just over seven percent in the second quarter of the year when compared to the first quarter. Some may say that this isn’t a great percentage increase, but when you actually look at the financial figures this is actually a massive amount.
The statistics indicate that Kiwi gamblers want pokies games more than ever. Here is the total list of gambling sectors and their contribution to the $2.38 billion spent between 2017/18
- TAB racing and sports betting = $350m (up by3.6%)
- NZ lotteries = $561m on (up 1.1%)
- Pokies machines = $895m (up by 2.9%)
- Casino gaming $578m (up by 1.1%)
Kiwis love pokies online
The fast-growing trend now as far as pokies play is concerned is that Kiwis love pokie online too. Though sports betting, particularly, is a favorite Kiwi pastime, especially when it comes to Rugby. Football and cricket are also rather popular, which means that sportsbooks are a big attraction for the market down under, pokies never fail to attract the Kiwi punters. So casino games are just as big a hit. There are plenty of online casino games that are favored in New Zealand, including table games like roulette and blackjack, online pokies machines, video poker, bingo, keno, poker, and many others.
Pokies at online casinos are not only highly entertaining, but they come in a myriad of themes, stories, tales and many are even based on your favorite movies and TV shows.
Best of all, you can access pokies from top-notch developers like Play’nGo, NetEnt, and Microgaming from the comfort of your desktop computer or on your mobile device. You can even play every kind of pokie you can imagine, including classic 3-reel and 5-reel varieties. Pokies offer an array of bonus rounds, too, which include big jackpots, multipliers, free spins and so much more that help you win big rewards when you play for real money.
Another thing Kiwi players can look forward to is incredible themes that draw from New Zealand culture. You will find a myriad of themes and games that celebrate Maori culture, complete with authentic designs and sheer exceptional gameplay.
Make sure you choose online casino bonuses in the local currency. It’s also important to understand the bonus and casino’s terms and conditions as many casinos do impose playthrough and wagering requirements on bonuses.
Best online pokies for Kiwis
While there are many pokies available for gamers to choose from, there are some titles that captivate Kiwi players more than others. To name a few, here are some of the most popular online pokies in New Zealand.
1. Where’s the Gold
It is an interesting pokie from Aristocrat that takes you on a treasure hunt and offers free spins, multipliers, a jackpot prize, and Wild & Scatter symbols to intensify gameplay.
2. Mega Moolah
This is a safari-themed pokie that runs on the Microgaming software platform. It is one of the pokies that has produced the most number of millionaires.
3. Queen of the Nile
A genius production from Aristocrat, the game takes players back to the Era of Ancient Egypt. It features loads of bonus features that make playing worthwhile.
4. Shanghai Beauty
A pokie from Microgaming appeals to many players thanks to its jackpot prize and other exciting features that keep players glued to the screen.
5. Break da Bank Again
The pokie from Microgaming will take you on an adventure like no other.
6. Avalon
Another top pokie from Microgaming, the pokie with an Arthurian legend theme has great features that will keep you spinning for hours.
7. Immortal Romance
Another example of a Microgaming pokie that comes with a thrilling vampire theme. With 243 winning ways, you will be amazed at the story of unforbidden love that the game portrays.
8. Ariana
Powered by Microgaming, Ariana is an underwater-themed pokie that provides numerous additional features that can help you win big.
Banking Methods are NZ friendly to play pokies
Another reason Kiwis love pokies is that at online casinos banking methods are NZ-friendly to play pokies. NZ online casino is one that provides banking options that supports the New Zealand dollar. This makes the process of making deposits and withdrawals smooth and convenient. Additionally, you will not have to worry about losing a huge chunk of your money with conversion fees. All the casinos friendly to Kiwis offer you the option of using NZ dollars.
Banking options are a very sensitive issue when it comes to selecting casinos. This is because it is one of the areas when cons thrive. Kiwi pokie lovers can, however, sit back and relax when they choose to play at one of the casinos that are NZ friendly. These are the ones that have trusted and well-known online payment options and brands. Examples of these include Wire Transfer, Credit & debit cards, Paypal, Paysafecard, Poli, Skrill, and many more.
Convenient ways make things easier to play pokies
Kiwis love pokies also because there are many convenient ways to play pokies online. Simply pick your gaming device be it mobile, PC or tablet. Type the online casino URL on your web/mobile browser and hit enter to play pokies at once.
All you need is a good WIFI or internet connection to play real money pokies. Though many free pokies work offline too. Once you join the casino make a choice to play online pokies for free or real money. Real money pokies demand a deposit at the casino which is a mere $5 to play pokies online instantly.
Another convenient way to play pokies online is to grab the bonus offers at the various online sites. This can be no deposit bonus or welcome bonus, you will simply love to have the free bonus to play pokies online.
Land based casinos are thriving better than ever before
The Christchurch Casino, the first land-based casino, was introduced in 1994. After that five more casinos have opened their doors to the Kiwi players; functioning under relatively strict law, these casinos have still managed to keep up with the competition coming from abroad. Besides keeping up to date with the trends and providing great deals to the locals; the real casinos started to attract gamblers from Asian countries where laws and regulations towards gambling are stricter. Thus, these gamblers from Asia are a major target; not only because of their willingness to visit but also because of their willingness to spend a lot at the casino.
That being said, online casinos surely do have an edge that is likely to grow unless the offline side of it does not come with innovative marketing strategies. Online casinos have hundreds if not thousands of online pokies machines available wherever one is located in. But, besides the availability, how have online casinos is challenging the brick and mortar casinos in New Zealand?
Online Casinos Challenging the Offline Competitors
Many of the online casino markets in Europe have been saturated. It is becoming difficult to stay competitive amongst so many competitors. This has forced them to search for new markets for a quick buck. It is good news for those who enjoy gambling in emerging markets. Besides India, New Zealand is considered to be one of the promising markets for the industry.
There are three basic ways how online casinos are attracting Kiwis to play. The main one is the offers. Online casinos operating from abroad have way fewer restrictions. They can promote and give discounts in a form of free spins and deposit bonuses. As they are often towards pokie machines, the offers intrigue players to register with the casino.
Website, like onlinepokiesnz, can be great for getting a good overview of what is being offered in different casinos. Besides the offers, many online casinos have it all in one place. This includes sports betting including horse racing, pokies, and table games. Some also provide lottery services. The last part relates to the more technical side of things. Many online operators offer great payment services and allow Kiwis to play with NZD as currency.
Synopsis
There are many who oppose the pokies, but overall statistics do the talking as it’s clear that more and more Kiwis are enjoying a flutter on these great and enjoyable games. With so many different titles to choose from and many different styles of gameplay; it is no wonder the people of New Zealand are getting their kicks from pokies.
