With New Zealand’s rollout of the 5G network set to be completed in the coming two years, rural customers are soon to benefit from faster downloads of data-intensive entertainment. One of the biggest beneficiaries of the upgrade is the nation’s large population of online casino users. To uncover how the 5G rollout will impact NZ, we’ve invited CasinoAlpha’s gambling expert Adina Minculescu to share her insights.
NZ iGaming Undergoing Improvements
Along with her team at CasinoAlpha, Adina Minculescu has developed expertise surrounding the NZ iGaming market specifically. This team studies the online gambling market closely, allowing them to identify the top casino sites. This is done by analysing areas like usability and the range of betting options listed. They also look at the game variety and how customer support is delivered to players to help their analysis-driven approach.
As the Head of Content, Adina states in her LinkedIn profile that she uses her experience in areas like linguistic typology and hermeneutics to shape the company’s online content and guide the team in new directions as the technology and market conditions continue to change.
She has highlighted that the 5G rollout comes amidst a flurry of changes to the local sector, including an investment in local platforms. “The New Zealand government has taken steps towards further developing both accessibility to casino sites and its own home-grown iGaming industry,” said Minculescu.
The changes also seek to create a more attractive market for players by imposing market controls on the local gambling monopolies. This would encourage larger international gambling companies to operate in New Zealand. These platforms tend to offer a wealth of high-tech products that could function stably with reliable 5G mobile connections.
The Current State of 5G Access in NZ
New Zealand’s rollout of 5G was initiated in 2019 to enhance connectivity across the nation and support digital innovations. It is being led by telecommunication providers such as Spark, Vodafone, and 2degrees in collaboration with the New Zealand government. Coverage now expands to all key urban areas such as Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch.
While the 4G network covers 99% of the nation, 5G coverage hovers at around 90%. Access is especially limited in rural areas, which is significant considering that 7.5% of the population lives in these regions. Fortunately, recent deals with international services such as Nokia and Ericsson are set to fast-track the rollout in 2025 as its 3G services are discontinued.
How 5G Access Will Impact the iGaming Market
One of the most promising elements of widespread 5G access is that it will reduce latency for downloading streamed gambling games. This will permit global technology companies to enter the market. Minculescu believes that new software developers and operators will, “together with the ever-developing technologies […] facilitate the appearance of top casino sites for New Zealand users.”
Minculescu is adamant that the rollout is necessary to meet the demands of the NZ gambling sector. “The New Zealand iGaming market only keeps growing,” she said. “Estimates show that around 70 to 80% of New Zealand’s adult population engages in some sort of gambling-related activities.” In 2020, gambling revenues were “equivalent to every Kiwi adult spending $572”.
Minculescu refers to well-established gambling markets in the UK and Europe that have reported exploding adoption of mobile gambling platforms. The faster speeds will ensure that a transition to remote gaming will be stable, benefiting both players and the gambling industry.
With gambling reforms set to establish a more modern and competitive market, the ongoing 5G rollout will support the technological needs of more advanced products. By 2026, a majority of NZ players will be able to access remote gambling products no matter where they are located, marking a new era for the local gambling industry.