Betway

Betway New Zealand Review (2023)

Not often do Aotearoa New Zealand gamblers surf the internet in search of an online casino to find one that tees up its status on its sportsbook. No points for guessing why they love Betway New Zealand to bits, though. That Betway plants “sports” before “casino” as the first item on the horizontal navigation bar of its website is an endorsement of the former as the virtual iGaming hero.

Owner Betway Ltd established its operation in 2006, bundling the online casino and sportsbook into one. The eagle-eyed Kiwi players will have noticed “eSports”, too.

Betway is a trustworthy operator, having obtained its licences from the Malta Gaming Authority and the UK Gambling Commission to grow a global brand. Independent third party eCOGRA monitors its games through the random number generator (RNG) for fairness.

The online operator also subscribes to the International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA). The IBIA uses its platform as an anti-corrupt tool to not only report suspicious activities in the online casino industry, but also irregularities to soccer bodies FIFA and UEFA, as well as the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

A bonus for Kiwi gamblers is that Betway flies the PayPal flag among its key payment providers. We’ve done some digging to expose key things New Zealanders should look out for.

Range of Games

Online Casino Betway offers more than 400 games on what it declares as one of the best interfaces in the gambling industry. Its game thumbnails are easy to identify with labels such as “exclusive”, “jackpot”, and “new” making it easier for New Zealand players to pick their favourites.

However, can Kiwis play any games for free to have a feel for them? Betway doesn’t make that clear. On the flip side, New Zealanders can wager on pokies for as low as 1 cent and on table games from a minimum of 50 cents to $NZ1.

Betway’s library catalogue of games stack more than 400 titles. While it pales in comparison with those of some rival online casinos, Betway offers a quality selection, including bingo, craps, and Keno, although lotteries are absent.

Pokies

That Betway has more than 300 pokies (slots) alone shows its got its finger on the pulse of what Kiwi gamblers love most. They include games with film themes and classic 3-reel as well as 5-reel variations, amped up with jackpots.

Here are some of the favourite pokies:

• 9 Masks of Fire
• Agent Jane Blonde Max Volume
• Break Da Bank
• Immortal Romance
• Lara Croft Temples and Tomb
• Thunderstruck

Card/table games

Betway stands out here with roulette spearheading the charge.

Here are some sought-after variants:

• Dual Play Roulette
• Immersive Roulette
• Instant Roulette
• Lightning Roulette
• Speed Roulette

Blackjack features on the card/table games, too. Atlantic Blackjack, European Blackjack, and Vegas Strip Blackjack are among the swag of variants.

Betway keeps its table humming with baccarat and poker games. An “exclusive” label on Lucky Showdown Hold’em Poker suggests the online operator doesn’t neglect its card/table faithful.

Live-dealer games

Betway’s intentions are clear. It wants Kiwi gamblers to experience live-casino games as if they’re visiting one of the six brick-and-mortar casinos on New Zealand soil. Betway makes a good fist of it.

Enter its iGaming lounge to find more than 100 live-casino games. Its high-definition streaming software and live dealers bring more than just a touch of realism to satisfy New Zealand gamblers.

Apart from twists on classics like Super Sic Bo, Betway rolls out charismatic game-show hosts on Crazy Time as well as its own studio with the likes of Deal or No Deal™.

The dealers and croupiers’ European accents doesn’t mean their command of the English language or professionalism is inferior.

Payout Percentage

Betway’s overall payout percentage hovers above the 95% threshold, which is up there with reputable rivals. This is an aspect of online casinos that New Zealanders must comprehend.

Also known as return to player (RTP), some Kiwis seem to struggle with grasping the concept that online casinos are enterprises, so they also need a fair chance to remain viable. That’s referred to as “house edge”.

Having said that, software game providers who offer online casinos a house edge must also ensure gamblers have a fair chance of winning, too. Why play if you can’t at least win back your money, right?

Consequently, every game on Betway’s virtual and live-casino playground has an RTP percentage that indicates what chance gamblers have of winning back their money. It’s not easy to locate on the Betway website, but we managed to track down the Betway RTP bible so you know how the figures stack up. Some of its 10 Play Power series hover around the 99.90-plus mark.

For mathematically-challenged players, the RTPs can feel like sitting algebra exams. Put simply, RTP is the result of comparing the money paid out from wins against the sum of cash wagered.

At Betway, for example, an average RTP of 95% comes with the understanding that for every $NZ100 a Kiwi gambler wagers, the online casino will fork out $NZ95 in winnings. However, it’s vital to note this is in theory a six-figure number of gamblers over an extended time, rather than some perceived sense of religious returns on spontaneous individual or collective bets.

Instead of showing a theoretical payout percentage, Betway prefers to go by eCOGRA’s verification of every game on its platform after it’s put through a random number generator (RNG) test for fairness. Betway displays eCOGRA’s safe-and-fair emblems, with a tick — not once but twice at the bottom of its website landing page.

New Zealanders who feel they have a grievance can click to the alternative dispute resolution for eCOGRA to provide mediation as well as act as an expert witness should the matter go to litigation.

Kiwis can take advantage of casino bonuses and promotions to improve their chances of winning. However, they must factor in the wagering (playthrough) requirements.

The playthrough for Betway’s welcome bonus is a stiff 50x. Considering some rival online casinos in New Zealand offer as low as 35x, Kiwi gamblers must weigh up their options with the handsome four-tier $NZ1,500 welcome bonus that comes with up to a 100% match up.

Here’s a snapshot of payout percentages of games at Betway (subject to changes since our review):

• Blackjack: 96%-98%
• Card/table games: 96%-98%
• Pokies: 96%-98%
• Roulette: 96%-98%
• Video poker: 95%-97%

Software manufacturers

Without mincing words, Betway is a Microgaming online casino on account of pokies. However, Evolution Gaming provides the wizardry on its live casino tables.

Although Betway’s website doesn’t disclose much on its software providers, the live-casino section thumbnails frequently feature logos of Playtech and Pragmatic Play.

The word is NetEnt also is in the equation with the likes of Foxium, IGT, NextGen Gaming, and Quickfire, in Canada and the UK. Whether the studios’ mastery will trickle down to Kiwis remains to be seen. Betway needs transparency on its website. A games search engine in line with software providers will immensely benefit New Zealanders.

In an age when online casinos, especially newcomers, are using more than 200 software studios to provide Kiwis the ultimate gambling experience, one has to ask why Betway is so conservative in its approach?

New Zealanders need not necessarily perceive a compact cluster of gaming software manufacturers as a negative. Microgaming’s selection of games is limited, but a nuclear-sized approach ensures quality isn’t compromised.

Subscribing to Microgaming means the award-winning software provider can guarantee its loyal customers fresh creations every month. It’s a win-win situation for Kiwi gamblers who embrace cutting-edge technology.

Loyalty Programmes

Betway Online Casino NZ doesn’t have a loyalty programme. If there is one, we certainly didn’t have much joy unearthing it on its website.

However, the online operator does offer a “Slots Rewards Club” on its landing page but hitting the “read” button transfers Kiwis to a promotion window that asks them to subscribe to Betway’s ongoing casino updates. Live rewards club offers, and bonuses, come under the operator’s promotions, too.

At this juncture, Kiwis must be mindful that Betway’s bonuses have wagering requirements. Any no-deposit ones come with a whopping 100x playthrough. Free and bonus spins have a more sedate 30x times wagering requirement. Put another way, New Zealand gamblers who don’t meet the specified playthrough standards won’t be able to collect their winnings.

On the flip side, Kiwis can maximise their contributions towards meeting the wagering requirement through their love of playing pokies, which counts as 100%. The once-a-day Prize Wheel and Super Wheel ($NZ40 deposit and wager) promotion is attractive, albeit on a 24-hour time constraint.

Sports betting

Click on “sports” of the horizontal navigation bar of the Betway website and it hits you like a sobering reality slap on why the online casino segment of the platform comes across like a distant cousin to New Zealanders.

Betway leaves no doubt either that its sportsbook platform is built on soccer. The logos of West Ham United, Paris St Germain, Deportivo, Leicester City, and Brigthon & Hove Albion claim pride of place alongside Swedish eSports giant, Ninjas in Pyjamas (Counter-Strike).

While rugby union and rugby league are the main codes in New Zealand, it isn’t unusual for those fans to have an interest in soccer. The term “football” is finding some traction now because of the influx of Europeans living or working in New Zealand. Call it football or soccer, the beautiful game’s following eclipses the two rugby codes.

Here are reasons why the green-and-black Betway sportsbook will find traction with Kiwi gamblers:

• Before-game betting is available in more than 25 sections (tennis qualifiers)
• Cash-out opportunities means Kiwis can bail out during some live matches
• Free Bet Club’s open to weekly $NZ20 claims on meeting reasonable wagering requirements
• In-play wagering is permissible in marquee codes
• Kiwi residents are entitled to $NZ60 free-bet welcome bonus
• On-the-run native app is available. Just click download app (APK) for iOS and android devices, but know that the browser works just fine 

The drawback is that some matches don’t have live streaming for New Zealand gamblers who don’t subscribe to Sky TV or Spark Sports. That can make in-play betting somewhat tricky but it’s nothing a couple of browser windows can’t resolve. Betway has some in-house graphics that’ll help Kiwis in touch with how a match is progressing.

The free bets come with a seven-day expiry tag, so it pays to be alert.

Depth in sports betting markets

In one word — outstanding. The Betway site flows from a second-tier horizontal navigation bar that provides pole position to in-play, promotions, football, tennis, basketball. The bet-slip and cash-out points enable Kiwi gamblers to “take your money and run with a touch of a button”. A green tag highlights “live” matches in progress.

Quick links promote major leagues including the daily horse racing cards, the EPL, IPL, La Liga, as well as the American MLB, NBA, NHL, and the UFC. The “All Sports” section lists 28 codes, including eSports, Gaelic sports, greyhounds, handball, politics, TV Specials, and virtual sports, to name a few outlandish ones. Politics always raises eyebrows because it’ll be interesting to see how many Kiwis consider it as “a funny old sport” from an operator that claims to be the first in the gambling industry to offer odds on the UK Brexit vote.

The beautiful game receives star treatment with more than 200 female and male global leagues. Regrettably, New Zealand doesn’t feature in its list of nations although the Hyundai A-League covers the Wellington Phoenix matches in Australia’s comprehensive coverage, including its state competitions. The English Premier League (EPL) is the hood ornament on Betway’s sports betting vehicle.

Soccer football offers the 1x2 market for every conceivable fixture. New Zealand gamblers have the option of wagering on corners, goals, halftime, match, and other such features.

The Bet Builder offers Kiwis the chance to create their own multiple bets from results of games. All of that is subject to Betway adjusting the “home”, “draw”, and “away” odds. A reverse black-and-white button, “decimal”, also offers the options of betting in fractions and American.

For New Zealanders, cricket, soccer, and tennis are the most popular codes when it comes to in-play betting. That means Kiwis can flip and flee as they see the fortunes of teams change during a live match. The cash out button, no doubt, permits gamblers to bail out with money in hand.

The EPL is the front runner while the ATP tennis circuit is the runner up, with the Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket in third place. Betway Sports offers an A-Z guide on its markets as well as betting odds. NBA, for example, even has predictions on which basketball teams will win their conferences. The Black Caps, New Zealand world test champions, playing in the five-dayers, limited-overs (50), and Twenty20 internationals often send the cricketing faithful into a betting frenzy.

However, Betway Sports has put a ceiling on how much Kiwis can win. It’s $NZ500,000 on a day but that shouldn’t be a deterrent to New Zealanders. It places a cap of $NZ100,000 on any cricketing and rugby union wagers.

eSports, Virtual Sports

With Wellington Phoenix players keen on how their team is progressing in the VirtualSports’ Fantasy A-League, the interest from the New Zealand football faithful is growing each season.

Betway caters to that type of betting market via its eSports and Virtual Sports categories. The eSports Betway blog gives ample insight on Betway’s sponsorship investment to grow the arena.

Its extensive range comes on the heels of a promotional offer of a 100% deposit bonus of up to $NZ60 for Kiwi gamblers. Betway eSports opens its virtual doors to wagering on the Apex/Premier series as well as the ESL Pro League. The website lists the different tournaments Kiwis can enter.

Betway’s Virtual Sports has cutting-edge graphics and a level of footy that is devoid of the theatrics of real matches. However, the sportsbook doesn’t have a hot link at the bottom of its website page to shed any light on what Virtual Sports entails in its diverse range that includes cycling, equine races, and motor racing.

We can tell you that virtual games were created as an alternative to betting on “real” sports while eSports had provided a wagering platform since video games had emerged as a competitive arena. Many millennial Kiwis are into eSports in a big way.

Customer support

Whether you hit Help or Live Chat on the hot links at the bottom of the website page, Betway takes you to the same impressive page of support icons. We advise New Zealand gamblers to tackle those icons like a rugby bag first before going any further.

The icons, similar to FAQs, attempt to provide step-by-step written answers, graphics, or how-to videos. They tackle queries pertaining to accounts, betting rules, deposits/withdrawals, documents/verifications, promotions, and technical issues among the 15 listed icons.

If Kiwis scouring the site for more avenues to build a rapport with Betway come away disappointed, then that’s understandable. It almost feels like the online casino and sportsbook operator doesn’t want much dialogue.

However, we did more digging on your behalf to find that Betway’s Terms & Conditions link reveals email contacts. The operator accepts its Help and Live Chat links may not be enough. Here are the email contacts for customer complaints:

• support@betway.com
• manager@betway.com

Complaints/claims of any nature must be raised within six months of any arising issues. Betway will send New Zealand players a copy of its complaints process to read before they email their gripes.

For prompt action on complaints/claims, Kiwi gamblers are advised to supply:

• Username/account number
• Registered first name/surname
• Complaint/claim details
• Specific dates/times of linked to complaint/claim

Betway promises to resolve issues within 10 days of receiving the submission. However, it reserves the right to extend that deadline by another 10 days — “for valid reasons” — but will inform the complainants/claimants, accordingly.

After all that, if New Zealand gamblers/punters still feel aggrieved, they can pursue their cases through Betway’s alternative dispute resolution via eCOGRA’s independent mediation.

Payment Methods

New Zealanders will heave a sigh of relief on finding out Betway has an assortment of reputable payment providers, including PayPal, to carry out transactions in kiwi dollars. However, the online casino operator doesn’t list any of the payment providers’ logos at the bottom of its landing pages.

Betway matches other marquee rivals with instant deposits, bar bank transfers, but withdrawals are faster with e-Wallets, taking within 24 hours compared with 1-7 days for other payment methods.

Here some of the payment providers Betway claims are popular with Kiwis:

• ecoPayz
• MasterCard
• PayPal
• Neteller
• Skrill
• Visa

A minimum of $NZ10 is required for withdrawals to cover Betway’s payment processing fees, according to the Terms & Conditions. Kiwi gamblers must note all withdrawals will be directed to the payment method used to make your deposit, so make sure the provider you use offers both services. Contrary to popular belief, Kiwis can incur payment charges.