Issue 2026New ZealandIndependent reviews18+

Our Authors & Editorial Team

Real people with real experience of the New Zealand gambling market — here's who writes and rates the reviews you read on Atomic.

Every review on this site is written and rated by a named member of our team — not an anonymous "editorial staff" byline. Below is who we are, what we each specialise in, and how to reach the right person. Reviews across the site link back to these profiles so you always know whose judgement you're reading.

Anahera Reid

Anahera Reid

Casino & Pokies Editor

Anahera has covered the New Zealand online-gambling market since 2016, testing deposits and withdrawals at more than 120 offshore casinos. She specialises in pokies RTP data and bonus wagering terms.

Anahera leads our casino desk and has personally opened and funded accounts at more than 120 offshore casinos since she started covering the market in 2016. Her particular obsession is the gap between a bonus's headline number and what it's actually worth once you've read the wagering, game weightings and withdrawal caps — the maths that decides whether an offer is generous or a trap. She's the one who times our test withdrawals and keeps the payout-speed data honest.

Areas of expertise

  • Pokies & slot RTP data
  • Bonus wagering terms
  • Casino withdrawal testing
  • NZD banking options
Hemi Callaghan

Hemi Callaghan

Sports Betting Analyst

Hemi is a former racing-form analyst who has bet NZ and Australian markets for over a decade. He focuses on odds value, the TAB monopoly and offshore bookmaker coverage.

Hemi came to us from the racing-form world, where he spent years pricing markets before he started writing about them. He has bet New Zealand and Australian racing and sport for over a decade, and he approaches every bookmaker the same way: what's the real odds value once you strip out the marketing? He tracks how offshore books compare with the TAB, market by market, and he's our resident sceptic on any offer that looks too good.

Areas of expertise

  • Odds value & line shopping
  • NZ & Australian racing
  • The TAB and offshore bookmakers
  • Live betting & cash-out
Kaia Thompson

Kaia Thompson

Crypto & Payments Writer

Kaia writes about crypto casinos, no-KYC play and NZ payment rails. She has held crypto since 2017 and verifies withdrawal times and provably-fair tooling hands-on.

Kaia covers the fastest-moving corner of the market. She's held crypto since 2017 and writes about Bitcoin and stablecoin casinos, no-KYC play and the NZ payment rails — from Neosurf and prepaid vouchers to local exchanges — that connect Kiwi players to offshore sites. She verifies withdrawal times and provably-fair tooling hands-on, because in crypto the difference between 'minutes' and 'they've frozen my account' is the only thing that matters.

Areas of expertise

  • Crypto casinos & Bitcoin play
  • No-KYC and anonymous accounts
  • NZ payment rails & exchanges
  • Provably-fair verification

Want to know how these reviews are put together? Read our review methodology, or get in touch through our contact page.

Please gamble responsibly. You must be 18+ to gamble in New Zealand. Betting and casino play should be entertainment, not a way to make money. If gambling is causing harm, free confidential help is available 24/7 from the Gambling Helpline NZ on 0800 654 655 (gamblinghelpline.co.nz) and the Problem Gambling Foundation NZ (pgf.nz). Set deposit limits and use self-exclusion tools. Odds always favour the house.