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An e-wallet run by Paysafe since 2001, supporting New Zealand dollars, accepted at most casinos serving New Zealand. Deposits are instant and withdrawals reach the wallet quickly once a casino releases them.

One thing matters more than any of that, and it costs people money before they notice.

The bonus problem

Skrill or Neteller

The same company, and mostly the same product

Both wallets belong to Paysafe. A cashier listing them as separate options is listing two products from one company, with one compliance process and one support operation behind them.

What is identical

Instant deposits. Fast withdrawals once the casino releases them. New Zealand dollar support. The same 3.99% currency conversion. And, at most casinos, the same exclusion from welcome bonuses.

What differs

Skrill has 1-Tap, a stored-approval feature for faster repeat deposits. Worth noticing in both directions — it is convenient, and removing a confirmation step from depositing is worth deciding about deliberately rather than by default.

The withdrawal charge is structured differently. Skrill applies a flat fee of around NZ$10 to a bank withdrawal; Neteller applies a percentage with a minimum. Which is cheaper depends on the amount, and the difference is small next to the conversion fee.

Inactivity works the same way but Skrill’s is easy to avoid — the fee applies after twelve months of no activity, and a single log-in resets it.

The honest answer

Use whichever one the casino accepts. If it takes both, the choice barely matters. Independent reviewers who have tested both across New Zealand-facing sites reach the same conclusion.

The same parent also owns paysafecard, a prepaid voucher rather than a wallet — deposits only, so you will need a separate verified method to be paid. Loading a Skrill balance with one of those vouchers is also the most expensive funding route available, at up to 5%.

What it costs

Reference sources

Provider fee schedules, regulator registers, legislation and support services used in this article. No link below goes to a gambling operator.

Our fees and charges
— Skrill’s own published schedule, the authoritative source
Skrill fees 2026: transfer, withdrawal and currency conversion
— including the inactivity fee and how to avoid it
Skrill fees on a New Zealand dollar account
— NZD-specific deposit and withdrawal charges
Financial Services Register
— Financial Conduct Authority, where the e-money authorisation can be verified
Using payment service providers: how safeguarding differs from deposit protection
— Financial Conduct Authority
Fair Trading Act
— Consumer Protection, New Zealand Government
Online Casino Gambling Regulations 2026
— New Zealand Legislation, including payment method restrictions
Information for online casino customers
— Department of Internal Affairs
Gambling Helpline Aotearoa New Zealand
— free, confidential support service

Skrill or Neteller

The distinction the page erased

Credit and debit are not the same thing here

The previous version opened by saying that whether you use a credit, debit or prepaid card, the experience is fast, secure and convenient. For gambling specifically, that is the one distinction that matters most — and it was removed in the first sentence.

Debit card

Your own money, drawn from your account. No borrowing, no interest, and the balance is a real limit. Will remain permitted at licensed New Zealand operators.

Credit card

Borrowed money, at interest, against a limit that is not related to what you can afford to lose. Will be prohibited at licensed New Zealand operators.

The rule

Under the 2026 regulations, operators holding a New Zealand licence may not accept credit card or buy-now-pay-later funding. Licensed operators are expected from early 2027.

The reasoning is straightforward: a credit limit is set against your income, not against what you can afford to lose, and borrowing to gamble is among the clearest markers of harm. Several other jurisdictions reached the same conclusion first.

And credit costs more than it looks like it does

Gambling transactions are commonly coded so that card issuers treat them as a cash advance rather than a purchase. That means a separate fee, interest charged from the day of the transaction, no interest-free period, and often a higher rate than ordinary spending.

A deposit paid off at the end of the month has still accrued interest for the whole month. The same applies to loading an e-wallet by credit card, which is sometimes suggested as a way around a decline.

If your bank declines a gambling transaction, that is worth a call to the bank rather than a workaround. Several New Zealand banks also offer a free gambling block on your card — it covers every operator at once and many apply a cooling-off period before it can be lifted.

Using it

The previous version’s four-step walkthrough was accurate: register, verify, fund the wallet, select it at the cashier. Four things to add.

Set the wallet currency to New Zealand dollars at registration. This is the decision that determines whether you pay 3.99% twice on every round trip, and it is easier to get right at the start than to change later.
Fund by bank transfer where you can. It is free. A debit card costs around 1%. A prepaid voucher costs up to 5%. A credit card risks cash-advance treatment.
Verify immediately. Unverified accounts carry lower limits, and verification arriving at the withdrawal stage is the most common cause of delay.
Typical New Zealand minimums are around $10 to deposit and $20 to withdraw, though this varies by casino — check the cashier.

What the FCA licence means

Skrill is authorised by the UK Financial Conduct Authority as an electronic money institution. That is a real licence and it is not a banking licence.

Customer balances are safeguarded — held in accounts separate from the company’s own operating money. That is a genuine protection and it works differently from deposit insurance: funds would be returned through an administration process rather than paid out under a compensation scheme, with no guaranteed figure or timeframe.

The FCA is also a UK regulator. A New Zealand customer is supervised by somebody else’s authority and has no access to UK consumer redress.

The practical conclusion: use the wallet to move money, not to hold it.

Where it fits

Good for: speed after a casino releases a withdrawal, keeping card and bank details away from the casino, and repeat deposits once set up.
Poor for: claiming welcome bonuses, holding a balance, and funding by voucher or credit card.

Our casino deposit methods page compares the routes available from New Zealand, and our fast payout casinos page explains why the wallet is rarely the bottleneck — the operator’s pending period and weekly cap usually are.

The legal position

The previous version cited the Gambling Act 2003. Online casino gambling is now governed by the Online Casino Gambling Act 2026, in force since 1 May 2026.

Licences are being allocated by competitive auction running July to October 2026, with a reported fifteen available. From 1 December 2026, operators that have not applied must stop serving New Zealanders. Licensed operators are expected from early 2027, and will be barred from accepting credit card and buy-now-pay-later deposits.

If you hold a balance at an operator that may not obtain a licence, withdraw it well before December. Our New Zealand gambling laws guide sets out the timeline.

Support

Free, confidential help is available in New Zealand: the Gambling Helpline on 0800 654 655 or free text 8006, 24 hours a day, and PGF Services on 0800 664 262.

Our self-exclusion guide covers bank gambling blocks and device blocking software.

This page is general information about casino payments in New Zealand, not financial, legal or gambling advice. Fees, limits and availability change; confirm them with the operator and your provider before you deposit. Some links on this site earn CasinoChecking.nz a commission, which never affects what we publish. If gambling is causing harm, the Gambling Helpline is free and confidential on 0800 654 655.

Advantage corrected

A chargeback will not undo a losing session

What the previous version said

It listed “Purchase and Chargeback Protection” among the advantages of paying by card, describing consumer protections that allow chargebacks “if disputes arise with merchants”.

On a gambling page, that sentence invites a reader to think of a card deposit as reversible. It is not.

What a chargeback is actually for

Goods that never arrived. A service not provided. A transaction you did not authorise. A merchant that has closed.

Losing money you deliberately staked is none of those. The service was delivered: you deposited, you played, the outcome went against you. There is no defect to dispute.

What attempting one usually costs

Operators treat gambling chargebacks as a serious matter. The usual consequences are immediate account closure, forfeiture of any remaining balance, and a flag that follows you across the operator’s other brands — which, given how many casinos share owners, can mean losing access to a great many sites at once.

Your card issuer is also unlikely to find in your favour, because the merchant can readily evidence that you received what you paid for.

When a card dispute is genuinely the right tool

A deposit taken that you did not make. A charge for an amount you did not authorise. A withdrawal that was approved and never arrived. An operator that has stopped trading holding your balance. In those situations, contact your bank — that is what the mechanism exists for.

If the impulse to reverse a deposit has occurred to you, the useful response is not a chargeback. It is a bank gambling block, which is free, applies to every operator at once, and prevents the next deposit rather than arguing about the last one. Free, confidential support is on 0800 654 655 or text 8006, any hour.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I claim a welcome bonus with Skrill?

Usually not. Independent reviewers testing New Zealand-facing casinos report that most exclude Skrill from welcome offers. Deposit with a debit card to claim the bonus, then switch to Skrill afterwards.

Will the cashier warn me?

Not reliably. The exclusion is stated in the promotion’s terms rather than at the point of deposit, which is how new players lose a bonus without realising.

What does Skrill cost?

Up to 3.99% currency conversion, around 1% to fund by debit card, up to 5% by prepaid voucher, around NZ$10 to withdraw to a bank, and $5 a month after twelve months of inactivity.

How do I avoid the conversion fee?

Set the wallet to New Zealand dollars and use casinos holding your balance in NZD. That removes it at both ends.

How do I avoid the inactivity fee?

Should I fund it with a credit card?

No. Card issuers frequently treat e-wallet loading as a cash advance — a separate fee plus interest from day one with no interest-free period.

Skrill or Neteller?

Same company, near-identical products, both usually excluded from bonuses. Use whichever the casino accepts.

Is Skrill a bank?

No. It is an FCA-regulated e-money institution. Balances are safeguarded in segregated accounts, which is a real protection but works differently from deposit insurance.

Where can I get help if gambling is causing problems?

The Gambling Helpline is free and available 24 hours a day on 0800 654 655, or by free text to 8006. PGF Services offers free counselling on 0800 664 262.