Free online casino games Guide NZ

Where can I find free online casino games?

The best online casinosallow players to play for free. While some casinos will require you to sign up before playing, others won't, so you won't have to go through the registration process. This makes things even more convenient as you won't have to deal with various registration emails or communication unless you are ready. Most of these casinos are also available instantly, which means you do not have to download any software. Simply visit the website via your desktop or mobile browser and you'regood to go.

That said, some casinos do require you to register before accessing any of its games – free or not. Once you have found a casino that accepts free play, signing up is a breeze and takes few minutes. That said, signing up to play for free does not require you to add any financial details, making it an easy faster process. Some online casinos may eventually ask you to make a deposit to keep play. If this is the case, simply deposit the minimum, which is usually $10, to keep your account active. You cannever cashout on free play wins, so if you happen to ‘win' a game, you will not be paid out.

What Games Can Be Played For Free?

There are thousands of free casino games that you can play. And it is not strange that online free slots make up for more than 80% of the games. Most of the free casino games that you find at an online casino are slot machines because they are the most dynamic and sought-after casino games. From classic slot machines to slots with HD graphics, there is a very good chance that your favourite is listed in the free slot machines section. Let's take a look at the top 5 free slots in New Zealand.

Gonzo's Quest

Since its release in 2011 by super provider NetEnt, Gonzo's Quest has been a fan's favourite. If you want to play free online slots, then you can't go wrong with Gonzo's Quest. The game takes you on an adventure into the jungle with the famous Spanish conquistador - Gonzalo Pizzaro.

It is played on a 5x3 grid and has 20 paylines. While the base game is interesting, the fun gets better when you trigger the bonus rounds. Playing this free pokies is a great way to prepare yourself for the real money game.

Cleopatra Grand

Gamblers in New Zealand who play free slot games know that the pokies of the Cleopatra series are the bomb. Cleopatra Grand is the latest of the series from IGT. It is played on 5 reels and has 25 fixed paylines which are adjustable up to 50. Winning combinations are formed when 3, 4, or 5 matching symbols land on a payline.

The RTP of this free online slot is 96.10% (slightly higher than the average for pokies which is 96%). Try your hand on Cleopatra in free mode and build your strategy before playing it at a real money casino. While Cleopatra Grand is one of the new casino games from IGT, another free slot game from IGT to play is the Da Vinci Diamonds slot.

Gates of Olympus

Pragmatic Play is known for creating the finest video slots. Gates of Olympus is a unique pokies based on the well-known Greek Mythology. It is played on 6 reels, 5 rows, and offers 20 fixed paylines. Unlike most slot machines that use the cluster mechanism for payments.

Gates of Olympus uses a pay-anywhere mechanism. It is a high-volatility game. This means that the chances for big wins are high when you play Gates of Olympus. Well, you can't win real money when you play free slot games but why not give this Pragmatic Play free slot machine to find out how ready you are for your big wins?

Mystery Joker 6000

If you're a lover of fruit machines then we guarantee that Mystery Joker 600 from Play’n GO is one of the best out there for you to play for free. It may look like a simple game but the Mystery Joker brings so much fun and excitement which matches pokies with nerve-cracking themes.

It is a nice game to play while you relax without having your heart racing. It is played on 3 reels and 3 rows. The symbols used in the game are lucky 7, star symbol, bells, watermelons, grapes, lemons, and cherries. Match symbols on any of the 5 paylines to receive a payout. Try this free pokie and make sure you watch out for the Lucky 7 symbol as it is the highest paying symbol.

Triple Diamond

If you want triple-profits games then why not try to play this free pokies from IGT? Triple Diamond is one of the most easy-to-play casino games that you'll find anywhere. It is a 3-reel video slot with 1 payline. There are a lot of multipliers in Triple Diamond even more than you'll find in more complex casino games.

The triple diamond symbol is the wild and as you may already know - it replaces other symbols when it lands. Landing 1 to 3 wild symbols with or without other symbols will give between 2x and a whooping 1199x multipliers. Triple Diamond is one of the best free casino games.

Common Terminologies Used in Free Slot Games

Because pokies are the most popular games that you will encounter when you visit an online casino, you need to know the meaning of common terminologies that you will encounter. This is especially important if you're a newbie.This section will show you all the terminologies that you will encounter when you play free slots online.

Reels

This refers to the vertical columns on the grid of a slot machine.

Rows

Rows are the horizontal rows on the grid of a slot machine.

Paylines

These refer to the win line set on a slot machine.

Autoplay

This is a setting on a slot machine that allows the reels to spin several times without interruption.

Turbo

This is another setting that speeds up the spinning of reels.

Symbols

These are themed images that cover the reels of a pokies machine.

Winning Combination

This is the combination of symbols that make it possible to win a prize.

Wild Symbols

These are high-paying symbols that replace other symbols (apart from scatters) to form a winning combination when they land on the reels.

Scatter Symbols

These are special symbols that land and help you form a winning combination, trigger bonus games and also help you win free spins.

Jackpot

This is the biggest prize that you can win in a game.

Progressive Jackpot

This is a special type of Jackpot that keeps growing when people place bets on a particular game. It is usually very huge and resets after someone wins it.

Bonus Game

This is a mini-game that appears alongside the main game and allows you to win extra prizes or jackpots.

Multiplier

This is a special symbol in the game that multiplies your wins.

Gamble Feature

This is a feature that allows you to double your winnings in a round. In some slots, it is called the Risk Game.

Other Casino Games that You Can Play for Free

While the most popular free online casino games are pokies (slot machines), who says there aren't other casino games can play for free? Thanks to the hard work of software providers and a lot of NZ online casinos, you can play almost any casino game for free. So after you play free slots and want something more dynamic, tasking or different, you can play table, card and other games. Let's take a look at the other online casino games that can be played for free.

Free Roulette

Roulette is one of the most popular table casino games. The primary elements of the game are the wheel, the table, and the ball. The wheel comprises either 37 (European Roulette) or 38 (American Roulette) numbered pockets where the ball can land. A standard roulette wheel has 2 coloured areas - red and black.

The table is the area where bets are placed and the small white ball is what is released onto the spinning wheel to determine if you win or lose. The objective of the game is to predict the outcome of the spinning wheel. It is a very easy game and when you play for free, you can build on your strategy for the real money casino game. European Roulette, American Roulette and French Roulette are some of the most popular variants of the game.

Free Blackjack

Another classical table game that can be played for free online is Blackjack. It is a card game that is played with one or more decks of cards - depending on the variant. The objective of Blackjack is to have a hand with card values that are close to or equal to 21. As long hand you beat the dealer, you will win that round. However, if you have a total hand with card values more than 21, you will lose that round.

You are dealt two initial cards and you have to make the best decision that suits you. You can hit (take another card), stand (keep your current cards), double down (double your bet and take another card), or split (turn your two cards into two separate hands). So, what is the best thing to do in each situation? Play Blackjack for free to help you make better decisions.

Free Baccarat

Similar to the Blackjack, Baccarat is another interesting table game that can be played for free in online casinos. It is played with decks of cards like blackjack. So the elements of the game are the same. However, unlike Blackjack where the objective is to have a hand value that is 21 or less, here the aim is to get a hand value that is closest to or equal to 9.

How does this work? All numbered cards (1 - 9) are worth their value while all 10s face cards (King, Queen and Jacks) are counted as 0. In some variants, face cards are removed from the game. Two cards are dealt at the start of the game and the hand value is determined by adding up the card values.

If it is more than 9, 10 will be subtracted. E.g a hand with 2 cards 7 and 6 will be valued at 3 instead of 13. It may sound complex on the surface but playing Baccarat for free will help you understand the ins and outs of the game.

Free Poker

Playing free poker at an online casino is like playing traditional poker but on a virtual interface. Poker is a very interesting casino game that involves the dynamic interplay of cards and strategies which creates an exciting experience for players. The objective of the game is to have a stronger hand.

When you load the free poker game, you will see a table and cards and play against the computer. Online casinos provide access to free poker games such as Texas Hold'em, Seven Card Stud, and Omaha. There are different rankings used in the game and memorising each could be very difficult for beginners and even some intermediates. This is why playing poker for free is a good way to go. It will turn you into an expert in no time.

Free Video Poker

When you want to play easy-to-play casino games, you'll play pokies and when you want a card game with all the twists and turns, you'll play poker. If you're more daring and want a proper blend of the two - then you just can't go wrong with video slots. Video poker serves as a good alternative for players who enjoy playing slots but want an extra twist to it.

Common types of video poker games include Jacks or Better, Bonus Poker, Double Bonus Poker, Deuces Wild, and Joker Poker. Like normal poker games, you'll need to understand the hand rankings to know the best way to play. This is a good reason to play free video poker.

Free Bingo

Bingo or Housie is a card game where the aim is to mark off numbers on a card to complete a specific pattern or achieve a full card before other players. It is quite a popular game, especially at land-based casinos. However, not every online casino has bingo as part of the casino games in its catalogue, let alone allow you to play for free.

This is why you need to register at casinos on this page as many of them allow you to play Bingo for free. Bingo is an easy game to learn but the rules can be confusing if you don't pay proper attention. Playing Housie for free at online casinos in New Zealand is always a good way to prepare you for the big wins that await you in the real money game.

Free Craps

With dice games not being among the most popular casino games, Craps still find its way into a lot of gaming libraries. Craps is a fast-paced dice game that is both entertaining and challenging at the same time. It is played with two standard six-sided dice. There are many terminologies used in Craps and if you're not careful the rules will make you think it is a boring game.

While not many gaming providers make Craps as it is not as high in demand as other games, the few that do like Pragmatic Play make this game available. So instead of being one of those gamblers that shy away from this beautiful game, why not try it for free? That way you'll get to know if it's a game you're willing to play for real money.

Popular Software Providers of Free Games

As you can see, it is possible to play different types of free games at online casinos in New Zealand. From free pokies to roulette, baccarat, blackjack, poker, video, bingo and even craps, there's a world of free casino games that you can play. But have you wondered who is responsible for these free casino games that bring you so much joy? Well, some software providers who make free casino games available include, NetEnt, Playtech, IGT, Pragmatic Play, Microgaming, Play'n GO, Yggdrasil, Novomatic, and Microgaming to name a few.

Casino Games That Cannot be Played for Free

It is clear that most games can be played for free at an online casino. Nevertheless, this piece will be doing you a great disservice if we do not tell you about games that cannot be played for free. The reason these games cannot be played for free mostly comes as a result of their nature. You'll understand why these games are exceptions in this section.

Live Dealer Games

Live dealer games are online casino games that seek to imitate what is possible at land-based casinos. They are usually streamed from land-based casinos or studios with human dealers. These dealers are well-trained professionals to conduct different games. The most common Live dealer casino games that you will find are roulette, baccarat, blackjack, and gameshows of different variants.

Running live casino games is expensive. It costs money to get a location for the casino or studio, pay live dealers and we've not even talked about the crew. The resources that go into hosting live dealer games are enormous. For this reason, online casinos and gaming providers do not allow people to play live dealer games for free.

Slots with Progressive Jackpots

The second type of games that cannot be played for free are progressive jackpot slots. The name, progressive jackpot already explains itself - it is a type of game where the jackpot keeps increasing. This is usually done by taking a portion of each bet placed until someone eventually wins the jackpot.

This usually runs into millions of New Zealand dollars. Now since you don't bet with or can't win real money when playing free pokies, gaming providers decide to remove progressive slots from their free games. So even if there may be few exceptions, whatever you play wouldn't be added to the jackpot.

Playing Free Casino Games on Mobile Devices

Let's face it, your mobile devices are a huge part of your daily activities. There is hardly anything that cannot be done with your iOS, Android or Windows devices. From making notes to planning your work schedule and engaging in all forms of entertainment.

Casinos and gaming providers are aware of this so they ensure that you can play free games on the go. They use HTML5 technology to allow games to run smoothly on all devices. So whether it's a PC, smartphone or tablet, the game will run just well. When using a mobile device, you need to ensure that your device is modern enough to support the HTML5 technology.With this you do not need to download games to play on your mobile device.

Alternatively if you don't want instant play with the mobile websites, you can download official casino/gaming provider apps from reliable sources (i.e. your official Apps store). Don't download any apps from shady websites. You also need to secure your internet connection and you'll be able to play any free online casino that you wish to play. We also advise that you shouldn't use public WiFi when playing free games with your phone.

Benefits of Playing Free Online Casino Games in New Zealand

Just because you're registered to play at a casino doesn't mean that you always have to use your money to play games. Playing the free version of games at online casinos in New Zealand has many benefits. In this section, we'll talk about the most important benefits of playing free games.

Safe Environment to Learn About Your Favourite Games

If you are new to casino gaming, you might have limited knowledge of how most casino games run. Free games serve as a way for you to get accustomed to how the different types of casino games are played. If you're a more experienced gamer, you can also play free slots to build your gaming strategy for when you will use your own money.

Good Way to Test New Games

When you have anticipated the release of a game from the provider and it finally drops, it will be unwise to just deposit money to start playing the game immediately. It is better to first play the game in free mode to help you know the ins and outs of the game. When you are more confident about the game you now go ahead to play the real version.

No Financial Risk

This is perhaps the most important benefit that you have when you play free games in New Zealand. You don't have to lose any of your money, don't you think that's a cool thing? This means that you get to experience the feeling of playing the best casino games without having to risk anything at all.

Differences Between Free Games and Real Money Games

The debate of which is better between free and real money casino games is a never-ending one. It all depends on how you see it. There is no good or bad way to play games at casinos. It just depends on what you aim to achieve. Some things that are seen as benefits of free games are seen as disadvantages of real money games, and vice versa.

Free games allow you to learn games without making deposits, you won't have to risk any money and you can simply use them as a form of no-risk entertainment but you won't be able to withdraw whatever you win. To play real casino games, you have to first create a casino account, and deposit before you play. You'll also be able to withdraw whatever you win from playing them.

Playing Free Casino Games in New Zealand

New Zealand has very interesting laws regarding online gambling in the country. While traditional gambling at casinos is legal, remote interactive gaming is not. What makes this confusing is that online gambling at casinos based outside of New Zealand is neither prohibited nor illegal.

That said, the same rules apply to free and real money gambling. Kiwi players can play free or real money casino games at online venues based outside of New Zealand. By playing for free you arenot risking anything, but should you choose to switch to real money play, remember to make sure you are playing at a reputable online casino. Playing for free can be fun and educational and is a great way for players to get some practice before playing for real money.

frequently asked questions about free casino games