Yes, many mobile casinos are compatible with mobile browsers. You don’t always have to download the app to play it.
Yes, you can. All bonuses that are available on the desktop version of the site are available on mobile casinos. In some instances, the mobile version will have specific mobile-only bonuses in place too. These can include specific perks, rewards, cashback, match deposits and more.
This is a casino that puts the mobile platform at the forefront of its design. It means that the casino prioritizes the way its platform is set up to ensure players have a good time on the mobile interface.
No, absolutely not. You can use the same account across both platforms, whether you use the mobile or the desktop version. Making a second account for the same casino could get you banned.
Yes, they can be. If they are built correctly without too many graphics, they should load well. However, this will depend on your internet connection and whether you’re using Wi-Fi or your data. Both will work though.
These days, everyone is used to being able to access a range of activities from shopping and banking to entertainment and socialising whilst on the go. And playing at an online casino using a mobile device while out and about is no different. As a result, most online casinos now offer their players a mobile-accessible platform.
While some have opted to provide a downloadable app, others offer sites that are accessible through a mobile browser. In fact, mobile gaming is so popular that some online casinos are mobile-only sites, while others can be accessed from either mobile devices or desktops. With so much choice for gaming on the go, it can be hard for NZ players to choose where to play.
But that’s where we come in. To help Kiwis find the best mobile casino apps and sites our experts check out a whole raft of features at each mobile casino. That way, we make sure that each site that we recommend is offering only the very best service.
As we’ve mentioned, we check out a number of features at every mobile casino we review, so that you don’t have to. When playing online, security is key. After all, you will be sharing personal information that you don’t want to fall into the wrong hands. So one of the first things that we check is whether each casino offers a secure environment for you to play at. We do this by checking that each casino is licensed, has secure encryption protocols in place to protect your data, uses KYC protocols for verification and offers a range of trusted payment methods that Kiwis can use.
For players, we know that the gaming selection will be a key issue. So we also check how many games are available for mobile play, that they cover a good range of game types and are regularly audited for fairness and safety. Following on from this, we check out the user interface including its navigability and compatibility with the widest range of mobile devices. Bonus offers are next on our list, as these can really help to get your gaming off to a great start. Last, but not least, we check out the customer support options and the overall reputation and trustworthiness of each site.
Once we’ve done our research, we’re ready to review and rate each site so that we can recommend the best mobile casinos NZ has to offer. So let’s dive into the nitty-gritty of exactly what we look at.
One of the first things that we look for (and you should too) when reviewing a live casino for NZ players, is whether it is licensed or not. This information can usually be found in the footer of the casino’s home page. Having a licence shows that the casino has agreed to abide by a set of rules and regulations covering aspects like security and gaming fairness. It also means the site can be held accountable, as the top licensing jurisdictions will have complaints procedures in place.
Ideally, mobile live casinos that are safe and legal for NZ players will hold a licence from jurisdictions such as the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) or the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA). These are probably the two most stringent licensing authorities. But we’ll also look at sites that have licences from other jurisdictions, we just won’t rate them quite as highly for this aspect.
However, hard-to-find licensing information is a red flag. No licence? We won’t be recommending that site.
As mentioned, having a licence means following specific regulations surrounding player and casino security. These include making sure player data is kept safe and away from the prying eyes of unwanted third parties. To achieve this, we expect the top NZ mobile casinos to use secure SSL encryption protocols to protect data travelling to and from the site (the URL should have a padlock symbol).
We also look at the casino terms and conditions when signing up to make sure that the site uses KYC (Know Your Customer) and verification procedures. While players may find these processes tedious, they are put in place to protect both you and the casino. KYC protocols are there to ensure that you are who you say you are and verification procedures ensure that when you request a payout, it goes directly to your account and not someone else’s.
Now for players, the game selection is probably the single most important factor that will influence your choice of where to play. So we like to do a thorough job of assessing the games available. We don’t just look at the number of games on offer though. Additionally, we carefully check the range of game types. To get a good rating, we like to see mobile casinos offer a good range of pokies including classic 3-reel games alongside more modern 5-reel and more video pokies. We also want to see pokies based on a wide range of themes and offering an array of in-game bonus features. Finally, we look to see if there are special pokies available such as those using the Megaways mechanic as well as fixed and progressive jackpot games.
But to get our top rating, we want to see a lot more on offer than just pokies. Ideally, we like to see a good selection of virtual table games including variants of blackjack, baccarat and, of course, roulette as well as a range of video poker options. Top mobile casinos will also include a live dealer section with table games offered alongside popular game-show-style games. Top marks go to NZ mobile casinos that also offer more unusual games such as instant win or scratchcard style games, bingo, plinko, crash games and even old-school arcade style games. There’s something for every type of gamer from budget players to high rollers.
Finally, but just as important, we check the game providers behind the casino’s catalogue. Again top marks will go to sites that offer games from an eclectic mix of providers that includes top names providing tried and tested games right down to smaller up-and-coming studios providing greater variety. And, of course, all these games must be accessible on mobile devices.
Of course, having a large games library is a big positive. But those games also need to be provably fair. So we also check to see that the games are regularly audited by reputable bodies such as eCOGRA. The best mobile casinos will have this information clearly displayed — usually, you’ll find the logo of the auditing body in the footer of the casino’s main page. However, we are also happy if the games are provided by top providers who themselves undergo auditing to ensure their games are unbiased and fair.
Nowadays, there is an ever-increasing number of online casinos out there vying to attract players’ attention and keep it. One way to do this is by providing welcome bonus offers to attract new players. These can be a really good way to kickstart your gaming journey — if used wisely! Loyal players can find themselves rewarded for sticking around through recurring bonus offers, loyalty programs and VIP clubs. Additionally, online casinos may also offer exclusive deals for mobile players including free spins, cashback deals and more.
For our reviews, we don’t just take a look at the different types of bonus offers available, we also check out the terms and conditions attached. Let’s take a closer look.
As the name suggests, these bonuses are offered to NZ players when they first sign up to an online casino. Our top rating would go to a mobile site that offers a no deposit bonus. However, this is an increasingly rare find, and involves the casino providing a new player with a small amount of cash (typically 5NZD) to use when trying out the site and its games.
Much more common is the match deposit welcome bonus. Here players will typically receive a 100% match of their deposit amount up to a set value such as 100NZD. Sometimes these offers span multiple deposits, and offer varying percentage matches and value limits. Some may also include a set number of free spins.
You may think that we would give the highest rating to the most lucrative bonus, but this is not the whole picture.
Every bonus deal will have terms and conditions attached, and we also take a look to make sure those conditions are fair. These include:
The best mobile casinos will not only have a lucrative welcome bonus to attract attention in the first place, they will also offer a range of ongoing bonuses and promotions to keep loyal players happy. These may come as daily, weekly, or monthly offers. They may take the form of free spins, reload bonuses, cashback deals and so on. Many online casinos will also have a loyalty program that brings increasingly lucrative rewards to players as they move up through the levels. Our top-rated mobile casinos will offer a range of loyalty bonuses that cater to all players from those on a budget to the high rollers. Importantly, these offers should have fair terms and conditions to get top marks from us.
Ensuring NZ players have a safe and trustworthy method of funding their gaming account and claiming any winnings is a vital part of our review process. For starters, any mobile casino we recommend should accept NZD, offer instant processing of deposits and a pending period for withdrawals of one day or less. The actual withdrawal time once the pending period is over will depend on the specific payment method chosen, with crypto payments being almost instantaneous, while bank transfers might take 7-10 days.
That being said, we like to see a good choice of payment methods, but there are many options that are not so easily available to NZ players. Top mobile casino sites will allow credit and debit card payments alongside bank transfers and Pay by Phone options, but these often have longer withdrawal processing times of up to 7 days. E-wallets and digital wallets such as PayPal, Skrill, Neteller, Apple Pay and Google Pay offer faster processing times of three days or less, but many of these options are less readily available to Kiwis. Similarly, an increasing number of mobile casinos now accept cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, Litecoin, Ethereum, Dogecoin and more. These offer the fastest withdrawal processing times, sometimes as little as ten minutes, but are currently less likely to be viable options for New Zealanders. However, hybrid digital Paysafecard is something Kiwis can easily use and offers speedy transactions, so casinos offering this payment option get a thumbs up from us.
An often overlooked feature of mobile casino sites is how easy they are to get around. Our expert gamers not only check out how navigable each site is on a smaller screen, but also how easy it is to switch from mobile to desktop (where applicable).
But that’s not all. We also check out the tech behind the scenes. We want to know if each mobile casino works just as well on Android, Windows and iPhone. Can those with older model mobiles access it just as easily as someone with the latest model. Top marks go to those sites offering the greatest accessibility and ease of navigation.
While we expect our top-ranked mobile casinos to always work well, there are bound to be times when something doesn’t go quite to plan, or you may just need a little help. Many of the mobile casinos that accept NZ players are not based in New Zealand itself. So having reliable contact options for customer service is a must.
As standard, we expect a comprehensive FAQ section with detailed answers to the most commonly encountered issues. In addition, at the very least, we expect to see a live chat option that’s manned 24/7. While we don’t object to the initial response being a chatbot, we do want to see any query that can’t be resolved passed on quickly to a human operator for a speedy and helpful response. Alongside the live chat, we expect an email address for submitting more complicated queries and sending supporting documentation. Email responses will take longer, but we’d still like to see answers in a day or less.
Extra points go to mobile sites that include a phone number for instant help, especially if this is an NZ number. However, more often than not, any phone number provided is likely to be overseas, and potentially expensive to call. So, instead, we like to see contact options provided via social media, a Discord channel and even, more recently, via telegram, where there may even be a player community ready to help answer any queries.
While our experts will do a thorough job of looking at all the various aspects of each mobile casino that we rate, we don’t stop there. We also search out player reviews and industry reviews to see what others think are the good (and bad) points.
Now you know what we look for when rating and recommending a new mobile casino. But why play on-the-go in the first place?
Well, being able to play on a mobile device means you can access your favourite games anytime and anywhere — provided you have good Wi-Fi or a strong mobile signal of course. Additionally, choosing to play at a mobile site can often mean you gain access to some exclusive bonus deals. And for sites that offer both desktop and mobile gaming, you’ll be able to switch seamlessly between devices.
