Affiliate disclosure
Quick answer
Merlin NZ is reader-supported. If you open an account with an operator through a link on this site, we may receive a commission from that operator. Commissions are not paid in exchange for a rating, a ranking position or a positive verdict, and they have no effect on our scoring.
The straightforward version
Advertising pays for this site. When a reader opens an account with a casino through one of our outbound links, that operator may pay us a fee. This is the standard affiliate model and it is disclosed on every page.
What a commission does not buy
- A rating. Scores come from the six categories on our methodology page.
- A ranking position. The order in our tables comes from the ratings.
- A favourable verdict. Several brands in our coverage carry explicit criticism.
- Silence about problems. We publish licence gaps, conflicting bonus figures and slow payout
reports even for brands we rank highly.
How links are labelled
Outbound links to operators use rel="nofollow" and, where a tracked commercial link is in use, rel="sponsored" and rel="noopener". That is the correct labelling for a commercial link, and it is also what the search engines and advertising codes expect.
Independence
We do not accept paid placements in our comparison tables, we do not sell "top" positions, and we do not run sponsored reviews. If a commercial arrangement would change what a page says, we do not enter into it.
A note on the New Zealand rules
Advertising overseas gambling in New Zealand is prohibited under section 16 of the Gambling Act 2003, and the Online Casino Gambling Act 2026 adds enforcement powers and restrictions that include restrictions on affiliate marketing. This is a live legal question for every affiliate publisher targeting New Zealand, and it is a question for legal advice rather than for a sentence on a page. We publish our position openly: we describe operators and publish verifiable facts, we disclose commercial relationships, and we do not urge anyone to gamble.
Readers should apply the same scrutiny to this site that they apply to any other. If a commercial relationship is not obvious on a page, ask us — and if a rating looks like it was bought, hold us to the methodology.
How readers can support us without clicking a casino link
We would rather you used this site safely than clicked. If our free guides are useful, the best things you can do are tell someone about them, and tell us when we get something wrong.
Play safely in New Zealand
Gambling should be entertainment, not a way to make money. Before you deposit anywhere:
- Set a money limit and a time limit for the session, and stop at it.
- Use the account deposit limits, session reminders and time-out tools every licensed operator must provide.
- Never borrow money to gamble and never try to win back a loss.
- Take a break if gambling stops feeling like a choice.
Free, confidential support is available 24/7 from the Gambling Helpline on 0800 654 655 (text 8006), or through Safer Gambling Aotearoa. You can also self-exclude from New Zealand pokies venues through the Multi-Venue Exclusion scheme.