The fact is that unlike neighbouring Australia, New Zealand residents can legally gamble online at overseas vendors. This has given them a huge advantage in that they are free to pick from the best and most reputable operators, many of which are worldwide brands. When the Australians banned operators from offering services there, the scammers soon moved in. Bogus and criminal casinos and their affiliates soon moved in as did some dodgy Bitcoin ones. The result has been non-payment of winnings, fake slots and games along with deliberately targeting problem gamblers.
For NZ residents a simple check of a casino’s license and regulatory authority is the crucial information you require. If not a renowned brand anyway, see if it’s a UKGC, Gibraltar or MGA regulated outfit. The license number at the bottom of the front page will likely be linked to the actual licensing information at the relevant authority. Always take a look and avoid the 3 C’s: Curacao, Costa Rica or Cyprus sites with little or no information at the bottom. None of these are proper or legitimate gambling regulators, rather flags of convenience – there is no player protection!
Of course, the natural and logical thing to do also is search on Google for reports of scamming or consistently negative feedback by NZ players. A reliable indicator of a scam site for example is ridiculous deposit-match bonus offers for 1000’s. No legitimate operator paying taxes, software fees and customer service costs would be able to afford offers over a few hundred!
Casino T&C’s are often pages long and nobody fully reads them, which can later come back to bite a player. Always check the bonus terms if you take one so you don’t accidentally void it by over-staking or playing a prohibited game. Secondly and equally important, check the withdrawal terms. If you see daft limits such as $5000 a month ignore the place. Many high-variance slots can pay well in excess of that for a mere 50c bet and a player should have confidence they will be paid with a minimum of fuss and enjoy the full win, not see it left in the account with casino hoping it will be played back.
In summary, the experience of other players speaks louder than anything I can say so do your basic research around the site. With the massive choice available to you of numerous good casinos and bookmaker sites, gambling online should be a safe and enjoyable experience for residents of New Zealand.