Gambling in Australia and New Zealand – Differences and Special Features

There are few countries in the world where people are as passionate about gambling as Australia and New Zealand. The number of active gambling operators is higher there than in any other country. And although the number of active gambling operators has dropped in the last ten years, there are still more gambling companies in Australia and New Zealand than in any other country. What’s more, there are more legal forms of gambling in Australia and New Zealand than anywhere else in the world. So you will be able to play online blackjack without breaking the law or searching for an online casino for too long. 

What’s Special About Gambling in NA and Australia?

Gambling in Australia is a thriving industry, which has a massive impact on the people who live there. There is around $4.3 billion (or $4.3 billion USD) in the amount of money spent on sports betting and casino gaming every year. Although the numbers in New Zealand have been falling due to the strict laws imposed there in 2006, industry prospects are quite prominent there as well. In this article, we will look into gambling in Canada and NZ and their key distinctive features.

History of Gambling in NZ and Australia

Gambling has always been a part of everyday life in Australia and New Zealand. When the British arrived in Australia, the native inhabitants used “concessions” to gamble in what is now known as sports betting. It is reported that the first bookmaker in Australia, Charles Evans, started trading in 1839 in Sydney. This trade, however, was a rather small enterprise, and gambling was limited to horse and cock fighting. 

After the First World War and because of the increased wealth of the middle class, gamblers started to place their bets on more sophisticated forms of sports betting. In 1919, two American bookmakers moved to Sydney, and they introduced a more serious form of gambling. The early bookmakers only accepted “proper names,” and as such, there were very few ways for people to get involved in gambling. During the late 19th and early 20th century, gambling expanded to encompass sports wagering, betting on lotteries, horse, and dog races. In fact, the Australian Lotteries Commission was established in 1909.

New Zealand legalized lotteries in 1908. The legal regulations of gambling were limited until the 1920s when the New Zealand National Lottery started to grow in popularity. Due to its limited regulations, it grew faster than many Australian lotteries. In the 1970s, lotteries became a popular form of gambling. Today, they are the main form of gambling in both countries.

Current Situation With Gambling in Australia and New Zealand

Gambling in both countries is currently regulated and supervised by the government. There are some limitations placed on where you can play, but this hardly creates any discomfort to gamblers. There are strict licensing requirements for gaming centers, and players are only permitted to play in gaming centers owned by licensed and supervised gambling companies. 

Today, most gambling is conducted in gaming centers run by large companies that often have partnerships with major sporting events. Today, two of the largest gaming companies are ANZ Lotto and Skycity. The majority of gaming centers are run by ANZ Lotto, and the Skycity group is a big rival. There are many other gaming companies in Australia and New Zealand that are not involved in gambling. But if you are looking for a trusted online casino site for NZ gamblers, then we OnlineCasinoGo has something cool to offer. On their website, you will find the most popular and trusted casinos packed with the best games and premium-class service.

Gambling Regulation in NZ and Australia

Different bodies regulate the gambling industry in the two countries. Thus, it is the Australian Lotteries Commission that does the market regulation in Australia, while the New Zealand Lotteries and Gaming Control Board are responsible for the same in New Zealand. Both of these bodies oversee the gambling industry and ensure that gambling is not illegal and that the players are protected. 

Gambling regulations in New Zealand are quite stringent. A gambling company must obtain a license to operate a gambling center. And in order to make this happen, they are required to fulfill many requirements. These include providing security for the gaming center, providing security for players, and proving that they have an excellent safety record to mention a few. They are also required to make sure that the games that they provide are fair so that casino players who follow key gambling tips could easily win the game. In the past, the requirements were even stricter. In fact, there was a time when only a gaming company that had an “unblemished reputation” was permitted to operate a gambling center. Companies that had a “distinctly bad reputation” were required to remove their gambling center from the public. The current requirements are much less severe, and the companies must only show that they have an excellent safety record.

In Australia, the gambling regulations were strengthened in the early 1990s. The regulations have not changed much since then, and as a result, the gambling industry in the country has grown to a very large size. In fact, in 2008, Australia had the highest per capita gambling industry in the world. Due to the size of the industry, the government has invested billions of dollars in order to monitor the industry. And we must admit that it paid off well.