For New Zealanders, Maori holds a deep significance, whether cultural or National Identity. Te Reo Maori embodies their traditional, historical, and official views.
In New Zealand, billboards are in two languages, English and Maori, promoting their official language.
As one of New Zealand’s official languages, te reo Māori is increasingly included on signs. This is especially common in public spaces and for government information.
Despite having a strong presence in New Zealand, the availability of Maori Customer Support is questionable.
Maori Language Support at Online Casinos
There are two main and popular casino brands available in New Zealand: Baytree Casinos and Casino Rewards.
We’ve reviewed many online casinos with the same brand ownership. Because they are owned by the same company, all the features, look and feel, and graphics are almost similar among those casinos.
The only major difference between these same-ownership casinos seems to be the colour contrast.
Hence, I’ve checked the top casinos from Baytree, and casino rewards like
- Jackpot City Casino
- Spin Casino
- Royal Vegas Casino
- Zodiac Casino
- Captain Cooks Casino
- Golden Tiger Casino and many more are there.
Apart from these, to add more to my research process regarding Maori Language Customer Support, I have checked other brands of casinos, like
- Emu Casino
- PlayOJO Casino
- Vegas Kings Casino
However, I couldn’t find any casino with Maori language support in my thorough research about this topic.
English, the dominant language globally, can be understood by everyone; hence, every casino tries to communicate with players in English.
The languages available at casinos include
- Arabic
- Azerbaijani
- Bengali
- Chinese
- Czech
- English
- French
- German
- Greek
- Italian
- Japanese
- Korean
- Norwegian
- Polish
- Portuguese
- Russian
- Spanish
- Thai
- Turkish
But, if I check the percentage, 100% of Kiwi players choose English over any other language because of its global acceptance.
When I went with a different language, like French, I found that only the website was translated into French, but the FAQs and Live Chat options were in English. No translation was there.
So, in short, not Maori, but other languages are also unavailable at customer support except English.
Why Maori Language is Unavailable?
The absence of the Māori language in online casinos can be attributed to several factors.
First, it’s important to note that online casinos accessible in New Zealand are primarily offshore operators.
Since Māori is predominantly spoken within New Zealand, it is not commonly supported by these international platforms.
If these casinos are located outside New Zealand, incorporating Māori, a language not widely spoken beyond New Zealand, may not be practical.
Additionally, online casinos aim to cater to a global audience, and as such, they often prioritize languages that are more universally understood.
This strategy helps them increase their appeal and reach a broader demographic, as languages with wider international recognition are more likely to effectively attract and serve a diverse player base.
Pros and Cons of Māori Language Support
Pros
- Accessibility and Inclusion: Māori speakers would have a more accessible and inclusive gambling experience. They could easily navigate the website, understand game rules, and access customer support in their native language.
- Cultural Recognition: Offering te reo Māori support would show respect for Māori culture and contribute to its revitalization efforts.
- Potentially Responsible Gambling: Clearer communication in te reo Māori could lead to a better understanding of game mechanics, bonus terms, and responsible gambling practices.
Cons
- Limited Demand: The number of te reo Māori speakers who gamble online might be relatively small, making the investment less commercially attractive for some casinos.
- Translation Challenges: Accurately translating complex gambling terms and conditions into te reo Māori could be challenging and require ongoing maintenance.
- Potential for Harm: Increased accessibility for Māori speakers might not translate to responsible gambling behaviour. There could still be risks associated with online gambling.
Global Language Trends in Online Casinos
Online casinos are a blooming sector nowadays, with a projected market size of over $152.2 billion.
Casinos are increasingly focusing on multilingual platforms to cater to this global audience.
- English Dominates—Unsurprisingly, English remains and will always be a dominant language in online casinos. Due to its widespread use across countries and regions, approximately 80% of online casino platforms offer English Language Support.
- FIGS Languages – French, Italian, German, and European Spanish are growing in online casinos due to high user spending in their large European gambling markets.
- Spanish – Many people speak Spanish, especially in Spain and Latin America. About 30 out of every 100 online casinos use Spanish.
- German – German is used in Germany and nearby countries. Around 25 out of every 100 online casinos offer German.
- French – French is spoken in France, Canada, and some parts of Africa. About 20 out of every 100 online casinos use French.
Apart from these, the new emerging languages include Portuguese, Japanese, and Korean. Casinos that offer more languages can get more players.
Players like to use their own language to feel more comfortable playing. However, adding different languages to a casino costs money.
On average, casinos spend about 10-15% of their budget on translating their games and websites.
It’s important to ensure that translations are done well. Poor translations can make players unhappy. About 12% of players say they don’t like poor translations.
Editor’s Verdict
Despite being the official language, Maori is unavailable at online casinos in New Zealand.
As casinos want to gain global popularity, they try to add languages that can be globally understood.
They won’t find adding any national language targeting only a specific country cost-effective.
It takes them money to add any language, and genius leaders will only focus on adding languages that cater to a vast crowd.
However, when New Zealand creates its own online casino platform, there is a high chance of adding the Maori language to its customer support.
FAQs
Do all online casinos offer support in multiple languages?
No, not all online casinos offer multilingual support. However, the trend is rapidly moving towards offering at least English and additional languages depending on the target market.
How can I find an online casino with support in my language?
Look for casinos that advertise multilingual support on their website. You can check the language options available during the registration process.
Why don’t online casinos offer Māori language support?
Online casinos are usually offshore and focus on languages that are widely spoken internationally, which often do not include Māori.
What languages are most commonly supported by online casinos?
English, French and Spanish are the most commonly supported languages by online casinos in New Zealand.
Are there any online casinos that support indigenous languages?
It is rare for online casinos to support indigenous languages, as they tend to focus on languages with a larger global audience.