POLi casinos are now exclusive for New Zealand players since the payment method shut down its Australian operations in 2023. POLi is a payment service that allows customers to pay online directly from their bank account without entering any card or bank details. It is an intermediary network that connects the casino’s checkout directly to the user’s internet banking. Due to its nature, POLi is a deposit-only method, so in this article, you will understand how POLi deposits work, its disadvantages, and how it can help with your decision-making for the next POLi casino in New Zealand.
Even though it started in Australia, POLi officially shut down its operations in the country on 30 September 2023. Australia Post, which owned the service, decided to terminate the service due to a combination of competition and security changes. Several major Australian banks stopped accepting POLi transactions. They cited concerns over a process called “screen scraping”, which sees users provide online banking login details to a third party, so there are no longer any Australian online casinos that accept POLi.
Here are a few important pointers that can help Kiwis understand whether POLi is suitable to use at online casino sites and meet their needs.
POLi suits you if:
POLi is less suitable if:
POLi is a direct bank transfer facilitator; it connects the player’s internet banking session to the casino’s payment system without requiring a POLi account, stored credentials, or a pre-loaded balance. POLi was launched in Australia in 2006, but in 2023, with security concerns and competition entering the market, Australia Post decided to terminate its services, and Merco acquired local NZ ownership rights.
As for New Zealand, POLi has been available since 2007, but until late 2025, banks discouraged residents from using it due to worries about its screen-scraping process. This changed when Open Banking regulations came into force on the 1st of December 2025. Banks then signed partnership deals to allow POLi to connect via bank-approved APIs.

Now, POLi is used for paying online without sharing bank account details. In addition, POLi strictly acts as an intermediary: it never touches or stores users’ money, unlike alternative payment methods like PayPal or Apple Pay. There is no registration needed, as POLi is just a software bridge that links users’ bank accounts with merchants’ checkout. POLi facilitates outbound bank transfers only; the infrastructure routes money from the player’s bank to the casino, but can’t start an inbound transfer back to the player, which is why it is used only as a deposit method.
I recommend confirming your NZ bank is one of the eight POLi-supported banks before initiating any deposit. As POLi can’t receive withdrawals, register a separate withdrawal method before depositing. Also, unlike credit card or debit card payments, POLi transactions can’t be reversed by the bank, the casino, or POLi once confirmed. Players are not protected under chargeback rules for POLi casino deposits. If a deposit is made to a casino in error, the standard dispute route is through the casino’s regulator or ADR provider, not the bank. Verify the casino’s licence and ADR route before depositing, and do not open other browser tabs or navigate away during the POLi redirect session, as session interruption is the most common cause of POLi deposit failures.
Without needing to share banking details, making online casino transactions at POLi Pay casinos is a four-step process that goes as follows.
In total, POLi works with eight NZ banks. Transactions from other banks won’t be supported. Here are the banks that allow users to use POLI at online casinos:
Now, some of the information and concerns about banks and their partnerships with POLi can be outdated, while others are recent. Here is what you need to know about some banks and their POLi payments:
Finding POLi casinos requires us to implement a more encompassing process than just checking the availability of the POLi payment options. Here are the criteria we use in our Affiverse casino review.
We start by assessing whether POLi deposits are accepted by making an account top-up with a supported NZ bank account. Here, we note how smooth and fast the process is, and if the transaction doesn’t redirect or fails, we discard the operator.
We test whether the POLi deposit is processed instantly on different devices: desktop and mobile. We note whether there are any failed payments on mobile devices, and we suggest an environment in our reviews.
Casinos that accept POLi payments should have an extensive list of alternative options that users can choose. We specifically search for operators that accept e-wallets, bank transfers, and cryptocurrencies, while also noting any KYC requirements.
Every international casino we list here is licensed, and our experts verify the licence by cross-referencing the published data with the regulator’s database. Any casino that doesn’t offer POLi casino bonuses or excludes the payment method from its offerings is discarded immediately.
While POLi can offer instant deposits, it is not a payment method you can use to withdraw winnings from casinos. Here are a few considerations to know when it comes to withdrawals at top POLi casinos:
Choosing POLi as the preferred deposit method means that players will usually get to make seamless and instant deposits, but a few roadblocks can sometimes appear.
Since POLi is not available for withdrawals, offshore online casinos will offer different types of payout options to Kiwis. Here are a few common and popular ones.
| Method | Deposit | Withdrawal | Bonus Eligibility | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| POLi | Yes | No | Usually eligible | Direct deposits without sharing bank details |
| Bank Transfers | Yes | Yes | Usually eligible | Withdrawals when POLi is not available |
| Skrill | Yes | Yes | Excluded from some casinos | Fast e-wallet deposits and transactions |
| Neteller | Yes | Yes | Not all casinos accept it for bonuses | Fast e-wallet transactions |
| Cryptocurrency | Yes | Yes | Usually eligible | Fast and pseudonymous deposits and withdrawals |
| Visa/Mastercard | Yes | Yes | Usually eligible | Security and general casino availability |
Choosing the right online casino with POLi NZ requires you to check more than just the availability of POLi as a deposit option. Make your choice based on the available withdrawal payment solutions as well.
POLi deposits are not limited to similar limits as e-vouchers like Paysafecard, Flexepin or Neosurf, whose voucher value is the spending cap. Bank transfers in general have a larger transaction threshold, so it is vital for players to take advantage of the responsible gambling tools at operators. If professional support is needed, then Kiwis can turn to organisations like the Problem Gambling Foundation and Gambling Helpline.
Since Australia shut down its POLi operations, this payment method is solely available in New Zealand. It enjoys wide acceptance among offshore sites, but players still need to verify that their specific bank is among the eight supported institutions, check whether POLi deposits qualify for bonuses, and confirm there are no casino fees attached to transactions. Most importantly, since POLi is a deposit-only method, a separate withdrawal option, such as a bank transfer, e-wallet, or cryptocurrency, should be registered before making a first deposit to avoid delays when cashing out winnings.
POLi is no longer active in Australia. Players from the country can opt for alternative options like PayID or cryptocurrency.
No, POLi doesn’t support casino withdrawals. A direct bank transfer is the natural replacement, but e-wallets and cryptocurrencies are generally available as well at offshore casinos.
There are eight banks that partner with POLi in New Zealand: ANZ, ASB, BNZ, Kiwibank, TSB Bank, Westpac, Bank Direct, and The Co-operative Bank.
Yes, since POLi signed partnership agreements with major banks starting in 2025, it has started implementing its secure APIs for safe transactions. POLi also doesn’t store or share your bank credentials with your chosen casino.
If your session was interrupted during the redirecting period, you can retry in a few minutes. Pay attention to whether you have chosen a bank that actually partners with POLi at the Cashier. There might also be cases of disruptions in the POLi network, which should be taken care of within 10-15 minutes.
Generally, POLi deposits are eligible for welcome bonuses and free spins, but confirm this by reading the bonus terms. Other important terms to pay attention to include eligible casino games and wagering requirements.