Top 10 New Zealand Online Casino Sites

Customer service

When it comes to customer service, 24/7 support is always mentioned by many experts as a key quality point. We do not do this. It is true that it is pleasant when service employees are available around the clock, 365 days a year. However, we do not consider this detail to be essential. Communication channels must be open during peak business hours as well as in the evening. We consider the span from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. to be a sufficient time window. It is imperative that the service employees here have learned their trade from the bottom up. They must be able to provide information in all areas, including the technical sector. If a gaming provider wants to land on a top position in the local online casino comparison, German language skills are logically the most important point, along with professional competence. We assume friendliness as a minimum.

In the meantime, we see the live chat on the website as the No. 1 communication channel. Furthermore, the normal e-mail support should be available. With the e-mails, it is primarily the response time that counts. The desired information must be available within a few hours. The best online casinos then add telephone availability or a callback service on top. Some top providers in our online casino comparison can come up with free, German 0800 service numbers.

Customer service also includes an extensive help section on the website. In the best case, the FAQ menus contain all relevant information about the casino’s internal processes, games and technology, so that manual support is almost superfluous in practice. The questions should be answered in a clearly understandable, detailed and yet compact manner.

License & Security

No question, security is the most important point in any online casino test. The seriousness can be checked easily and precisely. Every gaming provider on the World Wide Web requires an appropriate license. The regulatory authorities in Malta and Gibraltar have proven to be safe, reputable havens. If a casino provider can come up with a corresponding license, absolute security can be assumed. Licenses from Great Britain, Sweden, Denmark, Isle of Man, Alderney and Curacao are also considered reputable.

The seriousness of the online casino is also recognizable from the operating companies in the background. Numerous platforms are run by companies that are represented on the market with several gambling offers. In some cases, the companies are even listed on the stock exchange and are thus subject to additional control by the national financial supervisory authority. Relevant, unmistakable security markers are, last but not least, the independent test seals of eCogra, iTechLabs or GLI, which are used to verify the payout ratios at the same time. Some casino companies are present as sponsors in the sports sector, usually when a betting offer is also part of the overall portfolio.

Data and player protection are also relevant in the security check. Data security is often independently confirmed, for example by TÜV, Norton, McAfee or similar companies. For player protection, the online casinos in the online casino comparison often work with independent organizations such as GamCare, BeGambleAware, Gamblers Anonymus or Gambling Therapy.

Rewards & loyalty program

Every new player can claim a welcome bonus when joining the casino. And then? It is important that regular players are not neglected. They must be able to benefit from attractive promos as well. In the best online casinos there are promotional calendars, daily with a new offer. The top providers exploit the entire range of possibilities in terms of bonuses, from free spins to reload deposit bonuses and cashbacks. Tournaments between the players or competitions then provide the special spice.

The VIP or loyalty club also belongs to the existing customer program. The users can increase their level with permanent gaming and earn additional rewards. Very often, points systems are used. The counters can later be exchanged for real money. The best casino providers in the online casino comparison also work in the VIP sector with personal managers, individually tailored bonuses, luxury gifts, vacation trips or trips to top-class sporting events.

Software
There are very few providers in the online casino comparison that program some games themselves. Basically, the game offer is provided by the software providers on the basis of licenses. In the early days of online casinos, at the end of the 90s or beginning of the millennium, many portals worked exclusively with selected game manufacturers. For example, there were real Microgaming casinos, Merkur casinos or NetEnt casinos.

Today, the picture has changed somewhat. The majority of gaming platforms present themselves as multi-casinos, meaning that they cooperate with different software companies. The plus point is that customers have a more diverse and varied portfolio on the screen. According to our experience, there are now over 100 game providers that can be classified as reputable and safe. The game programmers are not only responsible for the attractiveness of the games, but also for the fair and stable payout rates.

Game portfolio

A look at the actual game portfolio must not be missing in the online casino test, of course. The best gaming providers now offer well over 3,000 games. The majority of the offers can logically be found in the slots section. The slot machines must be present in all facets, starting from the simple retro slots in the style of one-armed bandits to the latest video slots, equipped with numerous additional features. For the recreational players, the slots with a low volatility are relevant, for the professionals rather the slots with a high variance. As a separate test section within the slots are the progressive jackpots. After all, millions are at stake here in the best case.

The classics such as roulette and blackjack, each in the most diverse game versions, belong in every good online casino. Other important table and card games include Casino Holdem, Caribbean Stud, Baccarat, Sic Bo, Texas Holdem or Three Card Poker. Video poker machines such as Jacks or Better, Deuces Wild, Tens or Better, Aces and Faces or All American are not to be missed.

In the side area of the online providers, you can also find simple arcade games such as keno or bingo, scratch cards or virtual sports games.

Live Casinos

We have dedicated a separate section to live casinos due to their popularity in the reviews. Relevant in the tests are, in addition to the actual game offer, the table design, the ambience, the stream quality and the working methods of the croupiers. In the best live casinos, you will now even find tables with German-speaking dealers.

The company Evolution Gaming can be considered the market leader of the live scene. The provider is at the start with the largest game offer and the best quality. Other very good live dealer tables are also streamed by Playtech or NetEnt. Furthermore, there are some young, up-and-coming live casino providers like Ezugi, Vivo Gaming, Lucky Streak or SA Gaming. A special feature are the tables from Authentic Gaming, which are streamed directly from stationary casinos.

Limits

Which casino strategy can be implemented smoothly in practice? Is the casino provider suitable for high rollers? In the tests, we took a closer look at the limits. Practice has shown that the margins vary widely. There are numerous, virtual gaming halls that are clearly geared towards recreational players. As a high roller, the casino selection must be made with some tact.