Let’s make it clear from the start. If it’s instant withdrawals you’re after in your online gambling experience, a casino that accepts Mastercard may not be the best option for you. This is because the bank itself imposes a transaction period that’s longer than other withdrawal methods, such as Skrill casino payments.

Although instant online casino MasterCard deposits are the norm, for cash outs you can expect the bank to take anywhere between two and four business days to clear your transaction.

That said, an online casino MasterCard withdrawal also depends on the cashier policy of the site itself. Some casinos, like Casitsu, promise to process a payment within seconds, no matter which method you choose, so you’ll know that your cash is not being held up because of the actual casino. Such casinos score higher with our experts than others that take two days to start clearing the transaction.

We appreciate that casual players may not wish to put down a big deposit when trying out a MasterCard casino for the first time. This is why our experts appreciate sites that offer the flexibility to start playing with very low casino deposits.

Most casinos will require at least an NZ$10 deposit, with the majority asking for NZ$20. JackpotCity, however, receives our top score in this regard, allowing Kiwis to start playing with a minimum casino deposit of $1.

Not every MasterCard withdrawal casino will have the same transaction limits. Maximum cashouts do vary wildly between online casinos in New Zealand, and most of our recommended best MasterCard casinos can have a withdrawal limit of anything between NZ$4,000 and NZ$8,000. 

Casinos like Spin NZ offer a limit of NZ$10,000 per week, which is considered to be extremely generous. And Ruby Fortune exceeds this significantly, allowing Kiwis to cash out up to NZ$20,000 a week, so we’d highly recommend these two MasterCard casinos if you're a high-roller.

Fees are an extremely important criteria for us when rating MasterCard casinos. If a fee is too high, we will certainly reduce our scores, and this is also true if the casino makes it difficult for players to find out whether a fee is being charged and how much it is.

A MasterCard deposit is very unlikely to have any fees, but our experts always read terms and conditions in detail as you’re more likely to be charged a fee upon cashout. The sites that get our highest votes don't charge you for withdrawals, like the previously mentioned Casitsu, and most of the best NZ online casinos.

Ruby Fortune, on the other hand, charges players NZ$5 for every NZ$500 in MasterCard withdrawals and this does affect our overall scoring. Be sure to also check if your bank charges fees for this service, as many of them do.

A top MasterCard online casino will offer a good cashier experience across the board, not simply with respect to specific terms attached to this payment method. We expect to see at least between four to eight payment options, and to be able to find all related information easily.

Ideally, our experts look for sites like JackpotCity, which display all the information related to their payment policy clearly, using simple tables that allow you to see all the facts in a few seconds flat. No one wants to trawl through a page of fine print to find out how much they’re allowed to withdraw in one go.

Bonuses and promotions are probably the strongest driving force when a Kiwi player is choosing a new casino to play at. This is why we pay close attention to what’s on offer and how, to determine whether a casino bonus is really all that it claims to be.

Let’s start with the basics. Yes, MasterCard casino bonuses are a thing, as this payment method is generally eligible for picking up sign-up bonuses and loyalty reloads. This is not the case for some other deposit methods, such as Neteller and Skrill, which tend to be excluded from bonus money.

Even though you’re very unlikely to find any special MasterCard bonuses, you’ll be able to claim the general offers and free spins, usually in the form of casino deposit bonuses, presented to all new players. When rating the offer, we look for fair wagering requirements, preferably not exceeding 35x, and enough time to fulfil playthrough.

Nothing kills the buzz like worrying about whether you made a mistake putting a deposit and sharing your personal details with a MasterCard casino that’s starting to look sketchy. This is why safety and security are two other top criteria that are assessed by our experts. 

We never recommend a casino unless it is licensed by a reputable gaming authority, such as the Malta Gaming Authority or the UK Gambling Commission. This is an absolute minimum for our experts, as the licensing requirements hold all sites to a very stringent standard in order to protect players. Violating these terms would result in a huge fine and even suspension of license.

In addition, the best MasterCard casinos will also undergo independent auditing by third-party companies that attest to the security of their platforms and the fairness of games. If you scroll to the very bottom of Spin Casino’s landing page, for example, you’ll spot the eCOGRA logo, which means that the casino is certified by specialists for fairness and player protection.