Historians believe that Norfolk Island had only one occupation phase between 1150 and 1450. During that era, there was no record of organized gambling. It was not until the 1770s that the first European settlement set foot on the island. The Europeans brought about their influence to the island, which included gambling. The main issue at the time was that gambling was unregulated. There was no official authority set to regulate the traditional casinos coming up.
During the 1990s, the Norfolk Island Gaming Authority (NIGA) was formed. NIGA issued Australian licenses to the traditional casinos operating at the time. It was also responsible for ensuring the casinos operated by the rules.
Gambling in Norfolk Island Nowadays
Currently, the gambling industry is thriving in Norfolk Island. That is primarily thanks to numerous new online casinos that come up regularly. Most casinos accepting the Norfolk Islanders are based in Australia and New Zealand. These platforms are accessible via mobile devices such as tablets and smart devices. However, there is pressure mounting from the Australian government to enhance regulation of the industry.
A majority of the punters in Norfolk Island usually bet on sports, as is the case in almost every other place globally. Any new casino online in Norfolk Island exhaustively covers betting markets in nearly all mainstream sports events. The sports culture on the island also helps to fuel sports betting.
Slots are also very popular among the Norfolk Islanders. That is especially the case among individuals who gamble mostly for entertainment purposes. Slots are easy to play and do not take much time. Additionally, slots usually offer very attractive wager to win amount ratios.