What Credit Cards Allow Online Gambling in New Zealand?
New Zealand credit cards are great for everyday use; groceries, paying bills, even shopping online. But did you know you can also use credit cards for online gambling? Most major New Zealand-accepting casinos accept a variety of payment methods, with credit cards being one of the first listed in their banking sections. Not everyone supplies credit cards that can be used for online casinos, however in this article I showcase the credit cards that are available in New Zealand for gambling at online casinos.
Visa
Visa is one of the most distributed and well-known credit card suppliers across the globe, with special consideration for those residing within New Zealand. These types of branded credit cards can be found at local banks for personal accounts, and are also accepted across almost every online casino on the market. Being the main supplier of credit cards makes Visa the first, and best, choice for online gambling. This is also because at most banks, Visa is their card of choice when providing personal cards to Kiwis, which is why they are readily found across the country in local banks. When using Visa at an online casino, it is important to ensure that overspending does not become an issue; self-exclusion from this can be useful in maintaining a healthy bankroll.
Mastercard
Mastercard; the second most distributed credit card in the world. It is also one of the most well-known, and widely accepted, companies within New Zealand; for online subscriptions, bills, purchases, and more. Thankfully, for avid Kiwi gamblers, Mastercard is also accepted at most major $NZD-accepting casinos. Setting personal limitations can be helpful for those using Mastercard since there is no specific feature that can restrict payments to online casinos.
American Express (AMEX)
American Express, or AMEX, is commonly accepted across New Zealand, and can be found at a few vendors across the country. AMEX is one of the most widely accepted payment methods within New Zealand-accepting online casinos. This credit card company is generally used as a depositing method to place bets and play casino games. At this stage, there is no gambling blocker enabled for this type of credit card, so gamblers can play freely without their transaction declining.
Westpac
Westpac New Zealand offers a variety of personal credit cards to all Kiwi citizens. As luck has it, they also offer a ‘gambling block’ feature; one that needs to be activated to block those transactions. This means that, for avid online casino goers, Westpac’s credit cards are usable for online gambling. However, with this comes a higher interest rate on any transactions that are from an online casino or bettor. This came in as a new feature from Westpac in 2021, with TAB and Lotto NZ part of this deal. Personal credit card holders can revoke this through their Online Banking portal if they are 18 years old or above.
ANZ
Like Westpac, ANZ also supplies a gambling block option, however it is not mandatorily added to personal credit cards unless requested or a holder is under 18 years of age. With ANZ’s feature, they can decline a gambling transaction if cardholders have used more than 85% of their credit card limit, or if the overall transaction will take over 85% of the total value of the card. This is to assist in minimising overspending through gaming or gambling institutions. This can be activated, or deactivated, on eligible credit cards through the ANZ App.
Kiwibank
Kiwibank, like Westpac and ANZ, also comes with an option to block transactions from known gambling sites. This block option was added in 2021 for all credit card owners within New Zealand, and has a merchant checker. This checker scans online casino merchant codes from commonly used platforms to prevent overspending and unauthorised charges, especially of large amounts. Since online gambling is huge across the country, this option is available to be activated or deactivated through the Member’s Portal when the credit card is issued.
Conclusion
Although there are not many viable credit card options available within New Zealand for gambling use, the brands provided will ensure Kiwis can enjoy their online casino journey without transactions being declined. Having Visa and Mastercard readily available, including at most major financial institutions, makes those the first options for New Zealand gamblers.
Having local options, however, through Kiwibank, ANZ, and Westpac, allows a more intimate approach for acquiring credit cards through trusted suppliers and helpful staff within those branches. The gambling block option is a good idea for those who are worried about overspending their limits; this can be turned on and off, so giving yourself a ‘time out’ or self-exclusion from gambling for a while can assist with budgeting and staying on track with spending limits.
All in all, New Zealand has a few credit card supplier options for Kiwis who are lovers of online gambling and want a safe, local option for their spending.