Last updated: May 2026 — Liam Hargreaves, Havocfarm
Every casino review published on Havocfarm.co.nz is the result of a thorough, structured evaluation process carried out by Liam Hargreaves. Before a single word is written, Liam personally registers an account, makes real deposits using his own money, plays a range of games, contacts customer support, and attempts a withdrawal — all on his own time and without any involvement from the casino operators being reviewed.
This page explains exactly how that process works, what we look at, how much weight each factor carries, and how you can interpret the scores you see across the site. Transparency is central to everything we do at Havocfarm, and we want every New Zealand player to understand precisely where our ratings come from.
Liam Hargreaves is the sole author and owner of Havocfarm. He has spent years researching and playing at online casinos available to New Zealand players, building practical knowledge of how these platforms operate in the real world. Liam is not affiliated with any casino operator, software provider, or affiliate network that could compromise his judgment. All testing is independent, self-funded, and conducted without prior notice to the casinos involved.
Before creating an account, Liam verifies the casino's licensing status, checks its ownership history, reviews any regulatory actions on record, and reads through the full terms and conditions. Casinos that cannot pass this initial screening are not reviewed further and will never appear in a recommendation on this site.
Liam registers using a standard New Zealand player profile, going through the same sign-up and KYC (Know Your Customer) verification process that any real player would experience. The speed, clarity, and ease of this process are all noted.
All available welcome bonuses and promotions are claimed and tested against their stated terms. Liam evaluates wagering requirements, game restrictions, maximum bet rules, and expiry windows to give an honest picture of real bonus value.
Liam plays across multiple game categories — including pokies, table games, and live dealer titles — using both real money and demo modes where available. Software quality, loading speed, fairness indicators, and game variety are all assessed.
A real deposit is made, followed by a withdrawal request. Liam records processing times, available methods relevant to NZ players (including POLi, Visa, Mastercard, and cryptocurrency options), minimum and maximum limits, and any fees charged.
Liam contacts support through every available channel — live chat, email, and phone where offered — with a mix of simple and complex questions. Response times, accuracy of answers, and overall professionalism are recorded.
The casino is tested on both a smartphone browser and a dedicated app (where one exists) to evaluate layout, navigation, game availability, and performance on mobile data and Wi-Fi connections.
Each casino is scored across six core criteria. These scores are combined using the weightings below to produce a single overall rating out of 10.
| Criteria | Weighting | What We Assess |
|---|---|---|
| Licensing & Safety | 25% | Valid licence, responsible gambling tools, encryption standards, fair terms |
| Bonuses & Promotions | 20% | Bonus value, wagering requirements, fairness of conditions, ongoing offers |
| Game Selection | 20% | Total game count, software providers, variety, RTP transparency |
| Payment Methods | 15% | NZ-friendly options, withdrawal speed, limits, fees |
| Customer Support | 10% | Availability, response times, quality of assistance |
| Mobile Experience | 10% | App or browser performance, game availability on mobile, usability |
All casinos are scored on a scale of 1 to 10. Here is what each range means:
Maintaining editorial independence is something Liam takes seriously. Havocfarm may earn commissions through affiliate links when players sign up at recommended casinos — this is a standard practice that allows the site to operate. However, no operator can pay for a better review, request changes to published content, or influence the rating a casino receives. Affiliate relationships are disclosed clearly, and they have no bearing on editorial scores.
Casinos that approach Havocfarm offering incentives in exchange for favourable coverage are declined. Every score reflects only what was found during the independent testing process described on this page. If a casino's quality changes after a review is published, that review is updated accordingly — regardless of any commercial relationship.
The New Zealand online casino landscape continues to evolve, and so does our methodology. Liam revisits and updates existing reviews whenever a casino makes significant changes to its bonus structure, payment options, licence status, or terms. You can trust that every rating on Havocfarm.co.nz reflects current, real-world conditions — not outdated information or operator-supplied marketing copy.
If you have a question about how a specific casino was rated, or you want to report an issue you have personally experienced, you are welcome to reach out directly through the contact page.