New Google Play Policies Will Make It Easier For Kiwis to Gamble Online
2020-11-01
New Zealand has quite a few popular, land-based casinos – such as the Dunedin Casino, the Christchurch Casino, and Sky City's various locations. Apart from those, many Kiwis like to visit casinos on the internet. However, for those who prefer to visit casinos on their smartphones, the options have been somewhat limited. In March 2021, that changed for the better when the Google Play Store adjusted its New Zealand policies.
Increased Opportunities for the Consumer
Previously, Android users in New Zealand could not download gambling apps that allowed them to use real money. With the new policy changes, that is now possible. In this post, we will provide you with all the essential knowledge (read more at casinoguide.nz here) you need about the new rules and what they will mean to online gamblers in New Zealand.
Before introducing the new rules on 1 March, users had to download specific Android packages from licensed casinos to get the most out of their experience gambling on their mobiles. Many have considered this to be an inconvenient and unsafe method for gambling on smartphones.
The new rules will benefit both the consumers and the operators. While several online casinos will become more accessible to Android users, the operators will have more considerable opportunities to market themselves and ensure that their product is safe.
Since gambling is often considered by many to be a risk, operators will need to meet some requirements and pass an application process before they can launch an app in the Google Play Store. The conditions for operators include things such as Adult-Only content labels along with complying with the gambling laws in New Zealand.
Apart from New Zealand, the policy changes also apply to 15 other countries, including Germany, Japan, Mexico, Norway, and Canada. Before introducing the new rules, gambling apps in Google Play Store with real money were only allowed in the UK, Ireland, France and Brazil.
The Changes Are Part of a Larger Trend
Online casinos that are well-suited to our smartphones have been on the rise for quite some time now, and thus the new rules felt like a natural next step for the online gambling industry. We have long been able to visit online casinos on our phones, but nowadays, there are constantly showing up new casinos that are primarily (or entirely) developed for smartphones.
Previously, visiting online casinos in laptop browsers used to be the most common way to gamble online, but doing it on the go with our phones has slowly become the more popular method. With 15 new countries accepting casino apps with real money on Google Play Store, it is not unreasonable to think that mobile casinos will become even more popular.
Sometimes, going to one of New Zealand's land-based casinos isn't possible. If you are stuck inside or travelling in parts of the country where there are no land-based casinos nearby, using your smartphone could be the only option. With the new Google Play Store rules, that will now be much easier for all Kiwis out there.
