The growth in online pokies accelerated with the launch of iOS and Android in 2008, and casinos offering mobile phone pokies have continued to grow ever since. That led to an explosion in the number of software providers working in the space, and the overall level of quality and variety on offer soared.īy the mid-2000s, progressive jackpots went past the $4 million mark, inspiring millions more New Zealand players to get involved in the action. Increased competition forced operators to launch increasingly attractive online pokie-focused promotions and broaden their ranges. Major high-street bookmakers like William Hill and Ladbrokes piled in, land-based casinos launched video pokies online, and digital sportsbooks branched out into real money casino games like online roulette.
Players were faced with rudimentary graphics, lag times, interruptions and a poor selection.
The first online casino in NZ launched back in the mid-1990s, with a limited selection of basic video pokies and virtual table games.
