Last updated: May 2026 — Liam Hargreaves, Lastjar
At Lastjar, every casino review published on lastjar.co.nz is the result of a thorough, hands-on evaluation process carried out by Liam Hargreaves, the site's founder and lead reviewer. Liam personally registers an account, deposits real money, plays games, tests customer support, and requests withdrawals at every casino before a single word is written. No casino is reviewed based on marketing materials alone, and no operator has any influence over the scores or conclusions published here.
This page explains exactly how we evaluate online casinos for New Zealand players in 2026, what criteria we assess, how much weight each factor carries, and how our final scores are calculated. We believe transparency about our methodology is essential to earning and keeping your trust.
Before committing to a full review, Liam checks whether a casino holds a valid licence from a recognised regulatory authority. Any site operating without a legitimate licence, or one that appears on known blacklists, is rejected immediately and will never appear as a recommendation on Lastjar.
Liam creates a genuine player account using accurate personal details. This step tests how smooth the sign-up process is, how quickly identity verification is completed, and whether the casino requests unnecessary or intrusive documentation.
A real-money deposit is made using payment methods available to New Zealand players. Where a welcome bonus is offered, Liam claims and plays through it to evaluate the terms and conditions in practice, not just on paper.
A selection of slots, table games, and live dealer titles are played across multiple sessions. This allows Liam to assess game variety, software quality, loading speed, and the overall gameplay experience.
Support channels including live chat and email are contacted with a range of questions, from simple enquiries to more technical issues. Response times and the quality of answers are recorded.
A withdrawal is requested to assess how quickly funds are processed, whether additional verification steps are imposed, and whether the stated payout timeframes are honoured.
All findings are compiled into a structured score across our six rating criteria. A written review is then produced, reflecting honest conclusions based on the testing experience.
Each casino is scored from 1 to 10 across six categories. A weighted average is then calculated to produce the overall Lastjar score. The table below shows each category and the weight it carries in the final result.
| Category | Weighting | What We Assess |
|---|---|---|
| Licensing and Safety | 25% | Regulatory licence validity, SSL encryption, responsible gambling tools, fair gaming certifications |
| Bonuses and Promotions | 20% | Welcome offer value, wagering requirements, bonus terms clarity, ongoing promotions for NZ players |
| Game Selection | 20% | Total game count, software providers, slot variety, live dealer options, RTP transparency |
| Payment Methods | 15% | NZD support, available deposit and withdrawal options, processing times, fee structures |
| Customer Support | 10% | Availability hours, live chat responsiveness, email quality, helpfulness of agents |
| Mobile Experience | 10% | Mobile browser performance, dedicated app availability, game compatibility, navigation ease |
All scores are presented on a scale of 1 to 10. Here is what each score range means in practical terms:
Only casinos scoring 7.0 or above are listed as recommended options on Lastjar. Casinos that score lower are still reviewed so that NZ players have access to full, honest information when making their own decisions.
Independence is the foundation of everything published on Lastjar. Here is how we protect editorial integrity:
If you have questions about our review process or want to report an issue with a casino listed on Lastjar, you are welcome to contact Liam Hargreaves directly through the contact page at lastjar.co.nz.