News
5 Important Facts About New Zealand’s Gambling Market
Whenever there is a focus on the gambling market within the Asia-Pacific region, Australia, which is one of the largest gambling markets in the world, tends to hog all of the attention.
As in many other aspects, Australia’s quieter cousin New Zealand is often wrongfully overlooked by industry pundits, online casino operators, and affiliates. However, they can no longer afford to do so.
New Zealand’s gambling market might not be as large as Australia’s, but it is rapidly becoming a major consumer market that is on track to become a significant global industry player. To help illustrate this point further, here are five essential facts that you need to know about New Zealand’s gambling market.

Source: Unsplash
1. A Huge Portion of New Zealanders Gamble
One fact that is often crucially overlooked is the sheer number of New Zealanders that regularly play real-money casino games. According to some of the most recent studies, a whopping 80% of New Zealanders, equal to about 3.8 million people, gamble on a regular basis. The bulk of these gamblers stick to lotteries, but this is changing fast.
2. Overall Gambling Spend Per Head is Rising
Not only is the number of gambling fans in New Zealand high, but the amount they actually spend is high, and rising. Last year, New Zealanders spent around $2.4 billion, or about $648 per head. This figure is a full $49 million higher than the year before, which, in turn, was significantly higher than the year before that. It is clear that the gambling market is going through an unprecedented growth phase.
3. Online Competition is Heating Up
While there are only a small handful of land-based casinos in New Zealand, the level of online competition is growing rapidly. Among the estimated 1300 online casinos that offer services in New Zealand, the biggest market player is the online platform SkyCity, which offers online pokies, blackjack, poker, roulette, and even live casino games to players across the country. Expect online operators to increase their marketing efforts in NZ in the years ahead.

Source: Unsplash
4. Gambling Revenues Often Go to Charitable Causes
Few people realize that, as part of New Zealand’s unique gambling laws, many of the revenues from casino gaming go straight to charitable causes. Under the law, all public gaming in New Zealand is expected to return profits to the community. Such profits are used to house homeless people in cities such as Auckland, fund new infrastructure such as transport and convention centres, and pay for various other non-commercial causes. Another country that has a similar system in place is Finland, a nation that New Zealand is often compared to.
5. Slots Are By Far the Most Popular Casino Games
Finally, it is important for industry watchers to know that the most popular type of casino game in New Zealand by far is the pokies. Similar to the situation in Australia, pokies are found in bars, pubs, and hotel lobbies across the country, which has contributed to their popularity. Pokies also have a role in the culture of New Zealand, in much the same way that they do in Oz. The pre-eminence of pokies is unlikely to be challenged in the near future.
These are the facts that any industry pundit should know about gambling in New Zealand.
Affiliate Success
ReferOn Wins Prestigious “Best Affiliate Software 2025” at SiGMA Central Europe B2B Awards
A milestone achievement as ReferOn continues to impress
ReferOn, the next-generation affiliate management platform, has taken the title of “Best Affiliate Software 2025” at the SiGMA Central Europe B2B Awards, held in Rome.
The award recognises ReferOn’s rapid growth in becoming a leader in iGaming. It distinguishes the platform for its cutting-edge architecture, exceptional product innovations, and measurable impact on affiliate operations.
Redefining Affiliate Management
In a short amount of time since its inception, ReferOn has become one of the most recognised names in affiliate technology, leading the way by creating user-centric features that help the real needs of affiliate managers.
The platform recorded rapid adoption, supporting an influx of tens of thousands of affiliates and millions of clicks while continuously evolving and growing with new features and refinements. The platform’s approach to innovation and user-facing experiences is its new living interface, Refie. Refie brings awareness and human-like interaction to the platform, helping make affiliate operations more personable and accessible.
Building Beyond the Standard
Alex Bukin, General Manager at ReferOn, commented on the win, “This award is more than recognition. It empowers and validates our team, encouraging us never to stop building. At ReferOn, we always aim to shape how affiliate marketing should work. At its core, it should be simple, transparent, and powerful. Every new integration and feature comes from a team that deeply understands the product and what real affiliate managers need. This helps us refine our platform to be the best it can be. And we’re only getting started!”
Continued Momentum
ReferOn’s win at SiGMA Central Europe marks another significant achievement. In 2025, the platform conducted multiple migrations and released groundbreaking features to transform affiliate operations. Its sights are set on 2026 — a year that will be focused on product refinements, sustainable growth through key industry partnerships, and delivering more key solutions for real affiliate managers.
Affiliate Success
Casino Guru secures SiGMA Central Europe B2C Awards’ Best Affiliate 2025 distinction
Casino Guru has won the “Best Affiliate 2025” category at the SiGMA Central Europe B2C Awards, distinguishing the company’s efforts in delivering the best online casino database and guiding players to the safest casinos of their choice.
Via Tuscolana hosted the ceremony on Tuesday, November 4, in Rome, Italy, distinguishing a number of companies, among which was Casino Guru, which secured the landmark accolade for itself.
Commenting on the win, Casino Guru’s Head of Casino Research, Matej Novota, said: “Winning the Best Affiliate 2025 award at the SiGMA Central Europe B2C Awards is a meaningful milestone for us as we approach the end of the year. At Casino Guru, we are honored to be recognized in this category. Our mission has always been to build the world’s most comprehensive online casino database and to offer impartial insights that empower players to make informed decisions. This award strengthens our resolve to continue serving as a trusted bridge between players and operators, while upholding the highest standards of integrity, transparency, and fairness in everything we do.”
Casino Guru has been awarded for its unflagging commitment to providing players with the most reliable up-to-date information about casinos and bonuses.
At its core, Casino Guru is committed to making the gambling industry safer and promoting best practices in Responsible Gaming. The company plays an active role in shaping these standards, drawing on its extensive experience, expertise, and firmly held values of fairness, integrity, and transparency.
Platforms such as the Global Self-Exclusion Initiative and Casino Guru Academy have been created to foster a better understanding of Responsible Gambling and how players and industry professionals can leverage it to their benefit.
Notably, the Casino Guru Awards have become a trend-setter in actively encouraging change on the part of industry stakeholders, and distinguishing deserving individuals and companies across numerous categories, such as Rising Star in Responsible Gambling, Most Impactful Social Responsibility Initiative, Fairest Bonus Policy, Industry Culture Shaper, and more.
Casino Guru has worked tirelessly, developing the world’s most complicated ranking system, the Safety Index, which carefully examines each casino’s offer, focusing on criteria favored by players, and issues an objective score that is also regularly updated.
Besides the Safety Index, Casino Guru has launched and maintains a world-beating independent adjudication service, the Complaint Resolution Center, which has returned more than $50m to players, including closing cases that involved more than $1m disputed by a single player.
Casino Guru is proud to receive the latest accolade from the SiGMA Central Europe B2C Awards, celebrating the company’s commitment to making gambling safer and better for everyone out there.
Conferences
Palms Bet Takes Center Stage as General Sponsor of the EEGS Affiliate Conference
The Eastern European Gaming Summit (EEGS) is proud to announce Palms Bet as the General Sponsor of this year’s Affiliate Conference, taking place alongside EEGS 2025 – where innovation, regulation, and strategic collaboration converge.
As one of Bulgaria’s leading gaming and entertainment brands, Palms Bet has played a pivotal role in shaping the local and regional iGaming landscape. Its continued investment in digital innovation and affiliate partnerships reflects a deep commitment to responsible growth and industry excellence.
The Affiliate Conference at EEGS will gather affiliate leaders, operators, digital marketers, and regulators to explore the evolving landscape of player acquisition, data-driven marketing, and compliance in regulated markets.
Through its support, Palms Bet reinforces the mission of EEGS — to create a dynamic space for learning, networking, and advancing the future of the gaming and affiliate ecosystem across Europe.
🎯 Save the date:
🗓️ 26 November 2025
📍 Inter Expo Center, Sofia
Join us for an inspiring edition of EEGS and the Affiliate Conference, powered by Palms Bet!
Let’s shape the future of iGaming together – where innovation meets collaboration, and affiliates lead the way!
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News1 week agoN1 Partners at SiGMA Central Europe 2025 Results: A Key Pit Stop on the Road to the Helicopter
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Affiliate Success6 days agoCasino Guru secures SiGMA Central Europe B2C Awards’ Best Affiliate 2025 distinction
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Conferences7 days agoPalms Bet Takes Center Stage as General Sponsor of the EEGS Affiliate Conference
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Affiliate Success2 days agoReferOn Wins Prestigious “Best Affiliate Software 2025” at SiGMA Central Europe B2B Awards

