The modern gambling market has long exceeded the usual regions and cities like Las Vegas or Monaco. The industry is already at a high level of regulation, control and opportunities for online casinos, bookmakers and other representatives of this business.

Despite this, the New Zealand and the Philippines markets are in a strong growth phase but differ in some respects.

New Zealand Gambling Industry Regulator

Few associate the small island nation of New Zealand with gambling. The country’s name mostly evokes beautiful scenery, warm weather, rich local culture, and the endangered kiwi bird in the area. But this was not always the case, and over time, New Zealanders from ordinary Kiwis turned into real predators for online casinos.

New Zealand Gambling Industry

Gambling, however, is indeed the preferred pastime of many New Zealanders. The four most popular forms of gambling that dominate the country are slot machines or “pokies”, lottery, racing and table games. Kiwis select New Zealand brands that offer popular game titles, and many bonuses designed for new and existing customers.

It is evident that modern gambling occurs mainly behind monitors or on a smartphone display, however classic casinos and bookmakers (offline) are still popular.

The New Zealand Gambling Commission

The country’s primary regulator of the gambling business is the New Zealand Gambling Commission. Since this is the only body that controls the activities of all types of gambling businesses, it provides all available services and tasks. 

Among the most popular requests is obtaining a business licence in New Zealand. Otherwise, the commission monitors and tests platforms that want to enter the country’s market or are already doing so.

The Gambling Act 2003

The Gambling Act 2003 is one of the key laws that allowed New Zealand to reach the gambling market and high-level business in 2023. In addition to the fact that the Gambling Act legitimises gambling, it has several goals. Among the main ones are:

• Control of gambling platforms and business,
• Avoiding/Minimising the Harm that Gambling Can Cause,
• Ensuring fair play and reliable gameplay by providers,
• Use the money from the gambling business to benefit the country and the community.

Based on this act, which was announced 20 years ago (and, of course, updated during all this time), New Zealand is an attractive place for various companies wanting to start an online business in this country. Plus, the country gets a pretty good profit from this.

Philippines Gambling Industry Regulator

The Philippines is a real hub in Asia, where the gambling industry is rapidly developing. Although the scale is smaller than New Zealand’s, Filipino gamblers and offshore companies are actively developing this sector.

It can be said that the Philippine Islands are the centre of the gaming industry. That is why many licensed sites in this region have a good income and a large target audience.

Philippines Gambling Sector

Similar to the New Zealand sector, the Philippines provides online and offline gambling. Although the land-based casino is popular among locals and tourists, online casinos and betting platforms are actively trying to obtain a licence from this country, because of favourable conditions, low taxes and the image of an online casino with a Philippine licence.

The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp

The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp (PAGCOR) is the only agency in the country that issues licences to members. There are several licence options which have different costs. The first is the Full Virtual Gaming Licence. It allows bookmakers, online casinos, poker rooms and other online services to conduct business.

The other category is the Interactive License for Sportsbooks. What is the difference? It’s about the price. The Full Virtual Gaming Licence costs $40,000, and the interactive licence is $26,000. Moreover, PAGCOR takes licensing seriously and prohibits suspicious companies from doing business.

Philippines Gambling Laws

Until April 2023, gambling laws were standard and similar to New Zealand’s. But in early April 2023, a Philippine congressman filed a bill to ban online gambling in the country. According to the political news, the reason for this was many violations of the safety rights of gamblers and the appearance of addiction in underage children.

Conclusion

New Zealand and the Philippines are top representatives of developing and promoting legal and fair gambling. In fact, New Zealand’s gambling industry is similar to Nigerians, the Philippines and many more gambling markets worldwide. New Zealand is old school, with over 20 years of experience in gambling and top profit margins. 

In turn, until recently, the gambling secret in the Philippines was the same. Although it changes in the vectors of the country’s development and concerns for the nation’s health and the younger generation has made their own adjustments.