Sports betting and casino gambling are by far one of the most popular pastimes of the 21st century, but the legality of land-based and online casino gambling can be complicated depending on which country you reside in. Each country will have its own laws regarding what is and isn’t legal, and it would be wise for bettors and players to familiarise themselves with these gambling laws before they unknowingly land themselves in hot water!
It would take us days to discuss the different gambling laws of all the different countries, so here we will only discuss the land-based casino laws and online gambling laws of New Zealand and Canada.
Historically speaking, the gambling laws of Canada were very strict and only very limited forms of gambling were allowed. However, in 1970 drastic changes to the gambling legislation relaxed things significantly, and Canadian citizens were able to start enjoying more forms of gambling. The altered Criminal Code which previously dictated casino legislation made way for individual provinces to license and regulate gambling in their own regions.
These changes ultimately led to the opening of a number of land-based casinos across the country and many provinces started operating their own lotteries.
While the legislation regarding land-based casino operations are relatively cut and dry, the casino laws get a bit murky when it comes to online casino legislation. Some provinces operate their own online casino sites and many of the government operated sports betting outlets allow punters to place wagers over the internet, but this isn’t what makes it complicated – or illegal for that matter.
What is illegal is providing an online casino or sports betting service that isn’t operated or regulated by the Canadian government, and the laws surrounding this are quite clear. However, what isn’t clear is the legislation surrounding online casinos which are based and operated overseas, but accept players from Canada. The good news is that there is currently no legislation in place which makes using overseas operators illegal!
Gambling and casinos are regulated in New Zealand by the 2003 Gambling Act which has been amended twice since it first came into effect. This Gambling Act ensures that the community benefits from the proceeds of gambling and games of chance outside of casinos are only allowed if all the proceeds go to charity. According to this legislation all forms of gambling are divided into 4 classes:
Only the types of gambling specifically mentioned in the Gambling Act are allowed and this includes lottery, bingo, casino, and instant games such as scratch cards.
Remote interactive gambling is forbidden in New Zealand which includes gambling conducted through the internet, radio and telephone, but don’t fret just yet! It is perfectly legal for players in New Zealand to enjoy online casino games through sites which are operated outside of the country as long as online casino gambling is legal in the country in which the site operates. Players are more than welcome to enjoy online casino gambling as long as they are aware of the fact that the government and authorities will not step in should anything go awry.
Be sure to check back with EjWagner-CrimeHistorian.com for the most up to date casino information.
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