Gambling Laws : Differences between the UK and New Zealand/Australia

Gambling laws are tricky business for online casinos operating worldwide like Party Casino. Knowing what they are and what rules apply is important to casinos, or they can face big fines and even become blacklisted.

The UK, Australia and New Zealand have many things in common. For one, they are the only countries where you will find meat pies, but they also have liberated gambling laws. Despite forward-thinking gambling regulations, not every aspect of the rules in these countries are the same. Read on to learn more.

Advertising

In the UK, gambling advertising includes stringent rules on what can and cannot be done. The main laws to be aware of are that advertisements must not in any way be made to appeal to underage people or include them within their campaigns. Furthermore, UK advertisements must not be aired at times when underage people will be exposed to them. Rules predominantly revolve around protecting minors.

Gambling advertising in Australia in New Zealand also prioritise protecting minors. For example, in Australia adverts cannot be broadcast during G-rated screenings and certain times of the day when children are likely to be watching advertising. Interestingly, overseas sites are banned from advertising in New Zealand.

Licenses

It is the responsibility of the Gambling Commission in the UK to regulate the market and hand out licenses to gambling vendors. Without a license, offering such services is a serious offence. The same logic applies to Australia and New Zealand, however, in the former, each state uses a different overseeing body who governs localised gambling operations. This is common in multi-state countries like Australia, America and Canada.

Sponsorships

All three countries come under some scrutiny when it comes to sponsorship and gambling. These nations are known for their sport-loving culture and many of the big teams use casinos and gambling companies to sponsor their shirts. In fact, more than 50% of Premier League clubs this year have a gambling sponsor on their shirt. This has come under fire because it may be in conflict with gambling advertising rules trying to safeguard underage peoples. After all, watching the big game is something kids enjoy too.

Game Creatives

Gambling machines must also follow rules and regulations in terms of fairness – and this responsibility falls on the shoulders of the creators of these games. The differences here are not by and large but are more tied to any subtle differences in the overarching regulations that feed into game creation.

Terminology

Australians come up with some weird, wacky and wonderful words. One of them is the word “pokies”. This is what we know in the UK to be gambling machines often found in pubs or slot machines. In Australia however, you will find these in dedicated rooms attached to bars and hotels. But be careful, the word hotel in Australia is also used as a word for pub.

Some countries’ gambling laws can be miles apart. Despite the real difference between the UK and these southern hemisphere lands, it turns out their gambling laws are not so different.