Online casinos are a popular pastime for people all around the world, and with several different international operators offering exciting gambling experiences it is always a good idea to find an online casino that accepts customers from your home country.
What is not always clear, however, is how the legalities of gambling, whether in land-based casinos, placing bets at the racetrack, or even playing slots online, factor in. Online casinos are available almost everywhere, but there are countries and territories where you cannot access certain sports or types of games unless you use an online service from an international provider.
To highlight what this means to you (if you are a resident), below are some of the differences in gambling laws in Mexico compared to New Zealand.
Is Gambling Legal in Mexico?
In Mexico, gambling is legal since 1947 – however, it is strictly regulated.
There are about 230 land-based casinos in Mexico, and these are usually in resorts, which means they cater to wealthy tourists rather than the locals. gambling is legal and has been since 1947
When it comes to online casinos, they became legal in 2004, but in extremely limited ways.
Only a Mexican company can apply for a gambling license of any form; this covers both land-based and online casinos. However, international companies can partner with a Mexican company to get a gambling license, and in some cases, they can even arrange to loan a license from a Mexican company. Ladbrokes is a good example of this; they have created a partnership to be able to have a license to provide bookmaking and gambling services in Mexico.
This has meant that there are limited options for online gambling if you want to play with a business that is licensed in Mexico, but it isn’t all doom and gloom. Residents of Mexico are allowed to play online casino games on international sites; just make sure that you check to see if your chosen site allows you to create an account from Mexico, as not all providers will.
Almost exclusively to Mexican gambling is the ability to place bets on blood sports like cockfighting. These options are not regularly available as sports bets online, but you can make them in person. Recently, blood sports like bullfighting have been in the headlines, and Mexican territories are beginning to phase out these traditional, if cruel, sports.
The federal government of Mexico has imposed taxes on gambling:
- Licensed casinos (land-based and online) must pay 30% tax and 30% of their revenue, on top of other taxes.
- Individuals must pay 10% of their winnings as tax, which is withheld on the payout and paid by the gambling operator on the individual’s behalf.
You need to be 18 or over to gamble in any form in Mexico.
Is Gambling Legal in New Zealand?
Although effectively gambling in New Zealand has been legal since 1835, it is really the Gambling Act of 2003 that created much of the law and regulations about gambling, both land-based and online.
The Gambling Act 2003 made the following types of betting and gambling legal (but strictly regulated):
- Lotteries
- Housie (Bingo)
- Casino games (Blackjack, poker, roulette)
- Pokies (slots)
- Instant games
- Scratch cards
- Keno
- Sports betting
The regulations about different types of gambling are quite convoluted, with different requirements and boundaries, but essentially anyone can offer social gambling opportunities, even as an individual without a licence, if the total prize money on offer is less that $500. This is known as Class I gambling.
Class 2 Gambling is any gambling, lottery, or similar that is used for charity or fundraising. These games can have prizes ranging from $500 – $5000, and they also do not require a gambling license – but they must be operated by a society or a non-profit organisation.
Class 3 Gambling includes any games where the prize value exceeds $5000, and this needs a gambling licence, which can only be applied for by a company.
Class 4 covers gaming machines, and again needs to be operated by a licensed company.
What is interesting about New Zealand is that online casinos are illegal – except for lotteries or sports betting. No New Zealand company can obtain a license to provide online casino games like poker or blackjack.
However, much like in Mexico, you can play through an international company that allows New Zealand customers to sign up, and what is even better is that you will not be taxed on your winnings. In fact, the only gambling taxation for the individual would be if you were a full-time professional poker player and it would then be taxed in the same way as earned income.
In the whole of New Zealand there are only 6 casinos, and while pokies are popular outside of casinos, they need to be operated by non-profit charities and the revenue used to fund social projects.
The legal age to bet in a casino in New Zealand is 20+, and for other forms of gambling it is 18+
