If you are new to online casinos then you are bound to have questions. Even experienced players are ever trying to gather more information on casinos, games, software, and so much more.
Southernexposures has assembled a list of the most frequently asked questions and their answers to help you make the most informative decision about which online casino is right for you.
Players have an enormous number of choices when it comes to online casinos and so all players should be able to find a site that suits. Some casinos have specialities, such as online pokies or live games, while others offer lots of variations of popular games, such as blackjack.
Other casinos focus on being traditional in their look, others opt for a much more contemporary design and style. The great variety in casinos, and the fact that no two are the same, is for many one of the great attractions of gaming online. See here the list of our top casinos.
It is not legal to open or operate an online casino in New Zealand, but it is entirely legal for players in New Zealand to play at an online casino that is based in a country where it is legal to operate (Malta or Gibraltar, for example).
Your chances at winning at an online casino are usually far greater than in a land-based establishment. This is primarily because online gaming makes it easy for players to move to another casino, and so a casino online needs to provide good payout percentages in order to retain players. A good example of this is online pokies, where you can expect to find +95% payout percentage on most games, with some as high as 99%. The jackpots on progressive pokies are also bigger and grow more quickly online.
Your choice of an online casino may be influenced by many factors: the software provider and the range of games on offer; the options for play (e.g., download, Flash, live, and mobile); the variety of deposit and withdrawal methods; the opportunity to deposit and withdraw in NZD; the quality of the Welcome Bonus and other ongoing bonuses; the safety, reliability and reputation of the site; and its payout percentages. You should also look for a site that is attractive, well organised and easy to navigate.
Most online casinos will offer a wide range of deposit options in NZD. You will usually be able to deposit funds using: credit cards; debit cards; pre-paid cards; e-wallets, such as POLi (an Australian online payment service), Neteller, Skrill, Citadel, Click and Buy, Click2Pay and ECOCard; pre-paid vouchers, such as UKash; or via direct bank transfer.
Increasingly, online casinos are favouring e-wallets, and many now offer bonuses for players depositing funds using this method. Read here for more about depositing money in casinos.
Using the majority of the above methods, funds will be credited to your account immediately, with the exception of direct bank transfer, which can sometimes take up to 3 days. Therefore, once you have your account established and made an initial deposit, you should be able to begin playing straight away.
The quality of gameplay is usually the same whether you play via download or instant (or Flash) play. However, you will almost always find a greater variety of games available to play when you choose the casino download option.
Mobile casinos are growing in popularity extremely quickly, and more and more casinos are now making their games available in a format that enables them to be played on a mobile phone or tablet. This can be done in two ways: a mobile version of the website so that you play in your browser, or a dedicated app designed specifically for mobile use. Read here all you need to know about mobile casinos.
Downloading casino software is usually quick and straightforward, and because casino software is produced by leading international developers, downloads are intended to be compatible with all mainstream operating systems, and are usually accompanied by a wizard that guides you through the process. On our casino reviews page, we also offer contact details for each of our recommended casinos so that you can get in touch should you need technical support.
The majority of online casinos provide the option for players to play in free, or demo, mode. This is usually Flash based and so does not require a software download. You will generally find a button or tab marked Instant or Flash Play, and after clicking this you will asked how you want to play. To play for free, click the demo play or trial play option. See here for more about free casino games.
The software in an online casino is run by the software developer, who are leading international companies such as Microgaming, Playtech, NetEnt and Sheriff Gaming, and so an online casino has no way of controlling or manipulating this software. In addition, online casinos are inspected on a monthly basis by independent testing agencies (such as eCogra, IGL and TST) and they provide certification, which players can access, that testifies as to how fairly games are operated and the payout rates.
Online casinos provide copies of their certification from testing agencies that show the overall payout rate of the casino’s games broken down into categories (e.g., online pokies, table games, etc.) and so it’s easy to compare the payout rates of different types of games between casinos.
There are several steps that you can take to reassure yourself of an online casino’s safety: check that a casino is licensed by the regulating authority of the country from which it operates; uses software produced by leading international developers; undergoes a regular process of certification by an outside third party; and has a responsible gaming policy in place. In addition, you should ensure that casino provides a number of means of contacting it and that it details its secure banking arrangements.
The types of casino bonuses on offer varies, but all online casinos offer new players some form of Welcome Bonus where you receive either a sum of money or free play when you sign up. In addition, online casinos offer ongoing bonuses to reward regular players. These include: earning a bonus when you recommend a friend; anniversary bonuses when you’ve played for a year; monthly loyalty bonuses, where frequent play is rewarded; and free play bonuses when you get free spins on a particular game on a given day.
This is the most common form of bonus, and frequently comes in the form of a match bonus i.e., the casino matches a percentage of your initial deposit (generally 100%) and perhaps your next two or three deposits as well. There are also no deposi
t bonuses on offer for new players, where you can play for free and keep your winnings (up to a specified amount), free spin bonuses which operate in a similar way, and bonuses when you make a deposit using a casino’s preferred payment method (usually an e-wallet).
Most casino bonuses come with what is known as a wagering requirement or playthrough requirement. This is the amount of your own money you have to wager before you can withdraw any of the free money you received as a bonus. This varies, but it is usually around 30x, meaning that on $100 match bonus, you will need to wager $3,000 before you can withdraw any of the bonus sum. Different games contribute different amounts to playthrough requirements, so check the terms and conditions.
Online casinos all have a dedicated page (usually entitled Banking) that explains their individual procedures in detail, but generally speaking there is a link from your account page to a virtual cashier, and you can choose the withdrawal option from there. You will likely be asked to provide some documentation (e.g. a driver’s licence or passport, etc.) when making a withdrawal from your account.
Most online casinos process withdrawals within 24-48 hours. During this time it is possible to reverse a withdrawal request and to continue playing. After this, funds may take between 3-5 business days to reach your account (although this can be quicker using certain e-wallets), or longer if your withdrawal method means that you are receiving your funds in the form of a cheque.
