When it comes to movies about New Zealand, no film does a better job of advertising the country than the Lord of the Rings. The entire trilogy isn’t just entertaining. it also visually packed with gorgeous shots of NZ.
While Peter Jackson’ Middle-earth movies movies can give youreasons to visit New Zealand, casino films can sometimes do the opposite. Below is an overview of how films portray New Zealand’s betting culture.
Everyone Plays Pokies
Pokies are a pretty big deal in Australia and New Zealand. As a result, almost every casino film shot in NZ shows people playing these games in the casinos, bars, restaurants and night clubs.
In reality, pokies are not as popular in Kiwiland as Hollywoodthinks. Picture this. There are just six brick and mortar casinos in the entire country. Christchurch Casino—launched in 1994—is the oldest of them all.
Casinos in NZ are spread in different cities: Hamilton, Auckland, Queenstown and Dunedin. As mentioned, though, there aren’t many places to play pokies. Luckily, you can also gamble online in NZ.
Online casinos provide convenience now that you don’t need to leave your house. Also, there are plenty of iGaming platforms, meaning you can browse and find the right casino for you in minutes.
It’s all Glam and Profits
Far too many people win money in casino movies. We’re not talking about $100 or $200 payouts. Hollywood exaggerates the amount of money people win on a regular basis at NZ casinos.
Take Casino Royale as an example. The 2006 film follows James Bond in his attempt to stop a Hollywood financier by tricking him to play a high-stakes poker game. The casino has no table limits, which helped agent 007 bet $40 per hand and win a staggering $120 million.
The movie also exaggerates the occurrence of strong poker hands. There was a straight flush, royal flush and a four of a kind in the last round. This almost never happens in the real world.
It’s a Major Source of Income
It’s true—most people in NZ play casino games to win money according to the Gaming Machine Association of New Zealand. However, this doesn’t mean every casino player in the country treats betting as their primary source of income.
Quite the contrary, the average casino player in NZ is employed with a decent amount of disposable income. These people play pokies and card games for fun. Some of them gamble because accessing bonuses is easy.
Bonuses boost your bankroll, meaning you don’t need to spend a lot while relishing your favorite slots. But wait. There’s a catch. You must find the best casino bonuses if you want to have a delightful experience.
It’s Full of Addicts
One of the most common depictions of gamblers in NZ is that they’re a bunch of gambling addicts. Now, we’re not denying that Kiwiland has betting addicts. We have an issue with how often the problem is brought up in movies.
The government has put in place lots of measures to reduce problem gambling. Despite that, movies continue to portray everyone who gets into a casino as a problem player.
Australians had a similar issue in the 2000s after the BBC did a report showing 80% of the country had gambled at one time. Hollywood ran with this news, painting a false narrative about the gambling culture in the country.
Truth be told, the Ministry of Social Development places the rate of problem gambling in NZ at 1%. Although every country wishes to have a 0% addiction rate, a 1% rate is much lower than the percentage expressed by Hollywood movies.
The Rules are Always Straightforward
Watching a casino movie can make you feel like playing blackjack or poker is so simple. They seldom explain the rules. Instead, they take shots of people winning or losing large sums of money.
In reality, playing and winning a game like blackjack requires some learning and experience. It’s not rocket science. But it takes a couple of minutes to understand what standing, hitting and surrendering means.
When dealing with roulette, placing a bet can be as simple as picking the number where the wheel stops. However, using strategies to increase your chances of winning asks for some practice.
In other words, don’t think everything is straightforward and winning is guaranteed when you visit a NZ casino. It may take some time before you grasp everything you need to learn to win at pokies and card games.
Casinos Have Shady Managers
No matter where a movie is based on, filmmakers love to perpetuate the popular narratives that casinos are managed by thugs. To be fair, the Mafia once controlled half of Las Vegas.
However, there’s no reason the narrative should continue to thrive. In NZ, you need to meet incredibly strict rules to acquire a casino rule. Not only should you afford licensing fees, but you also need to be qualified to run a gambling company in every aspect.
Additionally, you must follow rules aimed at preventing cheating, problem gambling and money laundering. Basically, you must be a really good entrepreneur to run a casino in the country. It’s no surprise there are so few land-based casinos in the country.
The Gambling Atmosphere
Movies like the Gambler and Casino Royale makes gambling look like a traditional sport. Every camera is pointed at the main characters while there are groups of people watching in the background.
Truth be told, there are times when high-stakes gambling attracts fans. The World Series of Poker is a good example. In most cases, though, no one will pay much attention to you while gambling. Everyone is usually busy having a good time—the way it should be.