Archives: Currencies

The Singapore dollar is the official currency of both Singapore and Brunei. The two countries have an agreement whereby both their currencies are accepted. The Singapore dollar is legal tender in Brunei and the Brunei dollar is legal tender in Singapore.

The Singapore dollar is broken down into cents but the lowest cent value is five cents as this currency is often afflicted by high inflation. The ISO currency code of the Singapore dollar is SGD and the currency symbol is just the regular US dollar sign in the country but outside of the country and on the global market it is written down as S$. In Singapore the currency is colloquially known as the Sing.

The History of the Singapore Dollar

Singapore was a small Malay kingdom for much of its history before it became the modern day country of Singapore. It was founded as Singapore, as a British colony, in 1819 and it remained a colony until it became part of the new federation of Malaysia in 1963, alongside Sarawak and North Borneo. This union only lasted two short years as Singapore became its own independent nation in 1965.

Before being part of Malaysia the colony used the UK-issued ‘straits’ dollar which was also used in North Borneo, Sarawak and Malaysia and this currency was replaced in 1939 with the arrival of the Malayan dollar. There was quite a confusing mess after the breakdown between Malaysia and Singapore and once they were expelled from the union there was huge economic turmoil and Singapore was left without being able to issue its own currency until 1967. 1967 saw the arrival of the Singapore dollar.

The first coins issued for this new currency were for the 1, 5, 10, 20, 50 cents and 1 dollar. The 1 cent coin was phased out by 2003 and is no longer considered legal tender because of its low value. The first banknotes in the currency were issued in 1, 5, 10, 25, 50, 100, 500, 1000 and 10,000 dollar denominations. In 1976 they replaced the S$25 with a S$20 note and a S$2 note was also added in the same year. In 1999 the country decided to drop the S$1 and S$500 notes.

Singapore Dollar Conversion Rates

Today one Singapore dollar is worth approximately £0.50 or $0.72. Conversely £1 is worth S$1.96 and 1 US dollar is worth S$1.37.

There are a few online casinos who currently accept the Singapore dollar and there are some big names in the mix who have chosen to allow this currency at their sites. The number isn’t huge but with reputable names in there it gives players the opportunity to be flexible with their currency choice. An alternative for players in countries where the Singapore dollar is legal tender is to open an e-Wallet account and this will allow for their Sings to be turned into US dollars and easily used at almost any casino online. It is also possibly to exchange Singapore dollars for UK sterling or the Euro with many e-Wallet providers too.

The Russian Ruble is the official currency of the Russian Federation and it is also the currency disputed territories including Abkhazia and South Ossetia, which are officially within the borders of Georgia. It is also unofficially the currency of Belarus and the rouble was the currency of the whole Soviet Union until it was dissolved in 1991.

The Russian ruble is divided into 100 individual kopeks and the ISO currency code for the ruble is RUB. The currency symbol for the ruble is ₽ which is taken from the Cyrillic alphabet and corresponds with the letter ‘er’. The symbol has only been in use for a short time and was put in place by public vote in 2013. The ruble has been the form of currency in Russia and other states for many years and prior to the ₽ symbol there had been no defined currency symbol for the ruble since the 18th century.

The History of the Russian Ruble

The word ruble is believed to have been taken from the Russian word ‘rubit’ which means ‘to chop’ and it has been the standard unit of currency for Russia and their territories since the 16th century. The kopek was first made official and introduced in 1710 as a one-hundredth of a ruble to make the currency more usable. Ruble coins were initially minted in silver and in 1704 coins had to have 28g of silver per ruble, as decreed by Peter I and this was brought down to 18g in the late 1700s. The larger denominations of the currency were cast in both gold and platinum.

In the early 19th century coins were issued for several denominations of kopek: ¼, ½, 2, 5 (all in copper), 1 ruble (in silver) 4 rubles (in gold). Notes were introduced later and until 1989 there were just 1, 3, 5, 10, 25, 50 and 100 ruble notes and from 1989 a 500 ruble note was added and 250 and 1000 ruble notes were added in 1917.

The hyperinflation after the First World War saw the ruble rendered entirely worthless and so it was replaced in 1922 by the Soviet ruble. This changed once more with the break-up of the Soviet Union in 1991 although they retained the use of the ruble and issued new banknotes which depicting the Bank of Russia in 1993. Bank of Russia coins were also issued in 1992 so the currency had a commonality to it. The ruble was devalued again in the 90s and by 1998 it was re-denominated with a single of the ‘new’ rubles being equal to 1,000 ‘old’ rubles. Currency devaluation seems to have been a bit of a theme in the rubles history as in 1998 it occurred again and the ruble saw its value depreciate by around 70% against the US dollar.

In 1998 more coins and notes were issued and a ten ruble coin was also introduced in 2009.

Russian Ruble Conversion Rates

Today 1₽ is worth approximately £0.01 or $0.014 and £1 is worth 99.84₽ whilst $1 is worth 69.9₽.

The Russian government banned gambling in 2009 and have limited gambling to four agreed regions: Rostov Border, Kaliningrad and Krasnodar, Altai and Primorie. There are no online casinos in Russia but there are some which will accept rubles as a valid currency, although they will need to be converted before used.

The Australian Dollar is the currency of the Commonwealth of Australia which incorporates many island states including the Pacific Island states of Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu as well as Christmas Island, Norfolk Island and the Cocos Islands.

Within Australia they simply use the dollar sign ($) to denote their currency but because of the common nature of currencies known as the dollar, it is often depicted as A$ outside of Australia or the ISO code AUD is used. Like the majority of currencies with the same name, the Australian dollar is subdivided into 100 centre. The Australian dollar is in the top 10 most traded currencies in the world and it accounted for 7.6% of the world’s daily share in 2011. It remains a popular currency for many economic factors, including the overall stability Australia benefits from. Many casinos have recognised the popularity of the Australian dollar and have added it to their range of currencies for players to choose from.

The History of the Australian Dollar

The Australian dollar was introduced when the Australian pound was to be decimalised in 1966. Pounds, shilling and pence had previously been used in Australia and whilst many different names were suggested for the new Australian currency (the ‘royal’ initially accepted as the official name), the dollar was suggested instead.

The Australian pound had been in circulation since 1910 but had different significantly in value for the Great British Pound after devaluation took place in 1931. It was fully replaced by the new Australian dollar on 14th February 1966 and it worked out initially that two new Australian dollars would be equivalent to an old Australian pound. The rate of the dollar was initially set against GBP, at a rate of $2.50 = £1 but by 1967 Australia had left the sterling area and the dollar’s pegging was maintained against the US dollar instead.

Since 2012 Australia has been working on a production of a new series of polymer banknotes, upgraded to include new feature to guard against fraud. The issuing of new notes will begin in September 2016 with a new $5 note. All Australian banknotes are made of polymer but the new series seeks to make them more secure and once the $5 is in circulation, the Australian Bank will continue with the production and distribution of further denominations.

Australian Dollar Exchange Rates

Today one Australian dollar is worth roughly £0.51 or $0.73, dependent on the exact exchange rates. On the other hand, £1 is equal to around 1.35AUD and $1 is equal to around 1.93AUD.

The popularity of the Australian dollar on the foreign exchange market is not lost on online casino operators and this is one factor that ensures you will find it as a currency choice on many leading casino sites. You can explore the sites currency offering Australian dollars are a currency option below.

The Swiss Franc is the official currency of both Switzerland and Lichtenstein and it is also used in some areas of Italy and Germany. The ISO currency code for it is CHF and whilst it has an official currency code you will often just simply see Fr. or SFr. when people refer to this particular currency.

As a country which is rich in different languages and cultures the currency breaks down differently depending who you are, although the values are of course the same. One single Swiss Franc is broken down into 100 Rappen (German-speaking), centime (French-speaking), centesimo (Italian-speaking) or rap (Romansch). With four different official languages a lot of thought had to go into the design of the coin text on Swiss franc coins is in Latin to avoid any conflict.

The History of the Swiss Franc

Prior to the Swiss Confederacy, Switzerland was known as the Helvetic Republic and prior even to that it was many different former states and in 1798 it was estimated that up to 75 different bodies in Switzerland’s regions were manufacturing coins. There were a wide range of currencies in circulations including the genevoise, the gulden and the thaler. With the formation of the Helvetic Republic they made the decision to use a version of the thaler as official currency and this worked out as one thaler being equal to ten batzen which was then broken further into 100 centimes. The Helvetic Republic was a short-lived entity and this meant the thaler didn’t last long either.

Almost unbelievably it was estimated that at least 8000 different coins and notes, of different currencies, were in use in Switzerland by 1850 and it was clear things had got out of hand. In 1848 a new law dictated that only the federal government would be allowed to issue money from then on and within two years the government had introduced their franc, issued on a parity value basis with their neighbours’ currency, the French franc.

For many years the Swiss franc was recognised as a solid, safe currency for investments as the country had a consistent zero inflation rate and also a legislative requirement that a minimum of 40% were backed by gold reserves. This link to gold was first established in the 1920s but it was phased out in the year 2000 after a referendum.

When francs were first introduced the coin values minted were 1, 2, 5, 10 and 20 centimes and ½, 1 and 5 francs. Now there are no longer one or two centime coins and the banknotes issued by the Swiss National Bank in 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 and 1000 franc denominations.

Swiss Franc Conversion Rates

One Swiss Franc is worth £0.70 or $1.01 and conversely £1 is worth 1.41 CHF and $1 is worth 0.98 CHF.

In Switzerland there are around 20 land-based casinos which is quite minimal compared with other countries. There are high taxes on gambling halls in the country which may explain why there aren’t more casinos in the country and online gambling is entirely prohibited. This doesn’t mean Swiss nationals can’t gamble online in other jurisdictions and you will find Swiss players at many online casinos.

The Swiss franc is readily accepted as a currency for different online casinos and it can be used to fund gambling accounts with ease at many different sites. Whilst players can fund their accounts in Swiss francs the gaming will usually take place in GBP, Euros and dollars.

The Swedish krona has been the official currency in Sweden since 1873. The word krona itself translates as crown in Swedish and so you sometimes hear the currency referred to as the Swedish crown, although this is less common than it used to be.

A single Swedish krona breaks down into 100 öre but since 2010 there have been no öre coins in circulation as they are of such a small denomination. The ISO code to look out for when considering Swedish krona exchange rates is SEK and when written down the currency sign ‘kr’ is usually used. The Swedish krona is in the top 20 most traded currencies in the world. Many online casinos recognise this and provide players with the opportunity to play in krona.

The History of the Swedish Krona

Previous to the krona, Sweden used a currency called the riksdaler but it was the creation of the Scandinavian Monetary Union which saw them switch to the krona. It came into effect in 1873 and lasted until 1914. The union joined together the Swedish krona with the krone in Denmark and Norway and the three currencies were set on the gold standard, with the krone/krona measured against gold and coming in as a 1/2480 of a kilogram of pure gold.

The currencies of Denmark, Norway and Sweden are now completely separate but they all chose to keep the same currency names.

It was in 2008 that the Swedish National Bank, the Riksbank, announced it would be phasing out the 50 öre coin, which was the only one still in circulation. The öre remains a subdivision unit for when electronic payments are made but without coins any cash payment which includes öre is rounded to the nearest krona.

The Riksbank also has plans to replace other coins in circulation with a new series of kronor coins arriving in October 2016. One of the main reasons for these new coins being minted is the end of the use of nickel in currency production and they are reintroducing a new 2 kronor coin.

The Riksbank also recently issued a new series of banknotes which were issued in October 2015. The new series of notes included a new 200 kronor banknote and further new 100 and 500 kronor notes are set to be released in October 2016, alongside the new coins. Swedish banknotes depict famous people from their history, much like British banknotes and their notes include individuals such as Greta Garbo (100kr note), Astrid Lindgren (20kr note) and Birgit Nilsson (500kr note).

Swedish Krona Conversion Rates

Today, one singular Swedish krona is worth approximately £0.08 or $0.12. Conversely, £1 is worth approximately 11.80SEK and $1 is worth 8.30SEK.

The popularity of the Swedish krona as a trading currency means it has been accepted by many casinos as a valuable choice to offer. You will find it is included in the range of currencies available at many top casino sites. You can explore the sites below which offer Swedish krona as an option.

The Chinese Yuan is more than a single currency, it is the official base unit for a large number of former and current Chinese currencies and it is often referred to and described as the basic unit of the ‘renminbi’ which is the currency of the People’s Republic of China. Yuan and renminbi loosely equates to the terms pound and sterling work in the UK currency. The yuan is also considered an unofficial currency for other territories including Burma and Mongolia.

The yuan, sometimes known as kuai depending on the area and the dialect spoken and each yuan/kuai is divided into ten jiao and each single jiao is further broken down into ten fen. The ISO currency code for yuan is CNY and the official symbol for the yuan is the Chinese character ¥ although this symbol is also used for the Korean and Japanese currency so it is more important to keep a look out for the CNY code. The confusion around these symbols can make it a bit tricky, especially as there is another similar symbol used to indicate renminbi so it is better to stick to those ISO codes.

The History of the Chinese Yuan

The yuan does not date back as far as the huge history of China as a whole. In fact, it can only be traced back as far as the late 19th century and previous to this point it was mainly copper coins used throughout China and it had been this way since around 210BC. Paper notes were first introduced into the country in the 9th century and the earlier coins are often found in museums and collections and were circular in shape with a square hole in the middle which meant they could easily be threaded together.

It was in 1889 that the Chinese yuan was officially introduced and it was set as a parity value level with the Mexican peso. The new yuan was introduced across China and people could exchange their old coinage for yuan. The modern yuan is only divided into jiao and fen but in the first years of the currency it was also broken down into wen. The earliest Chinese coins in this currency were the 1 yuan, 1,2, 5 jiao, 5 fen and 1, 2, 5, 10 and 20 wen. They also issued their first banknotes in yuan values.

The yuan found itself out of circulation in 1914 when the Republic of China was founded and the silver dollar became the national currency for many years until they realise the silver used to make the coins was worth more than the actual monetary denomination of the coins and the currency collapsed. In 1935 the legal tender in China was the ‘fabi’ but after more hyperinflation China turned back to the yuan in 1949.

Chinese Yuan Conversion Rates

Today one Chinese yuan is worth approximately £0.10 or $0.15 and conversely £1 is worth around CNY 9.28 and $1 is worth around CNY 6.50.

China’s growth as a leading market economy has seen more and more casinos willing to accept yuan and some will even accept deposits and withdrawals from native yuan accounts as well as the use of eWallets, credit and debit cards.

The US Dollar has been the official currency of the United States of America for centuries. It is also the official currency of El Salvador, Ecuador, Panama and East Timor and the unofficial currency of several countries and territories including Lebanon, Guatemala, Afghanistan and Haiti. The word dollar has been taken from the name of a valley in Bohemia where the silver was mined for coins in the 1500s. The word’s etymology came from ‘Joachimstalers’ which translates as ‘from the valley of Joachimstal’ and this in turn was shortened to ‘talers’ and then, when this came into the English language it quickly became dollars.

Each single US dollar breaks down into ten dimes and a dime is then broken into ten cents. American coins are issued in the form of the nickel (equivalent of a UK penny) which is worth $0.05, the dime and the quarter worth $0.25. The sizing of American coins can make them confusing as the nickel is a larger size than the dime but it is worth less. Half dollar and full dollar coins also exist but they are not commonly used and there are bank notes for every dollar denomination from 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100. The largest notes in circulation are the $100 bill but there have been larger notes issued for special purposes and produced for regular use but as of 1946 notes larger than this size were being used in organised crime and so removed from circulation. Much like in the UK the US dollar notes have recognisable famous people on them, including former presidents and senior politicians. The universal symbol for the US dollar is $ and the ISO code is USD.

The History of the US Dollar

America’s relatively short history means the US dollar doesn’t have a past which goes back over the centuries. In fact, the US dollar was first minted in 1792 and was designed to mimic the Spanish dollar. In the US the new US dollar, Mexican peso and Spanish dollar all remained legal tender until 1857. Ever since 1857 the only currency you’ll find in official use in America is the dollar.

US Dollar Conversion Rates

The value of the US Dollar when compared with British currency does fluctuate quite regularly and it is usually worth between around £0.60 and £0.70.

American casino laws make it very tricky for many of our most recognisable casinos to allow US players to enjoy their sites but the US dollar remains the most widely-accepted currency at online casino sites around the world. In a large number of casinos, the dollar is the preferred currency and the one that is most regularly known. Before the crackdown on casinos in America they were the driving force behind the industry and so most casinos were already setup to serve that particular market. It simply made common sense to keep dollars as the main currency on their sites. Almost all casinos will accept transactions in dollars.

The Euro is the official currency of the European Union, specifically the Eurozone, and it is used by 19 of the 28 member states: Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Spain. The currency is also used in institutions of the EU and it is also used in Zimbabwe, Kosovo, Montenegro, Andorra, Monaco and San Marino. It is the second most traded currency and is also the second largest currency reserve in the world.

The ISO currency code for the Euro is EUR and the symbol for the currency is € which has been designed to represent the ‘E’ for Europe, EU and Euro of course. One euro splits down into 100 cents the name Euro was first adopted in 1995. Euro coins and notes were in circulation from January 2002.

The History of the Euro

The European Union has been committed to the goal of a unified currency for Europe since the 1960s, before the EU was even known as the EU. The United Kingdom in particular opposed the idea but in 1993 the Maastricht Treaty came into force and it defined the European monetary and economic union on the basis that all EU states would be part of the union by 1999. In time it was agreed that both Denmark and the United Kingdom could retain their own currencies.

The Euro began life as a virtual currency, launched at midnight on January 1st 1999 and it meant that electronic transfers could be made in euros but the notes and coins didn’t yet exist. The currencies of all nations participating in the euro were frozen and linked to the fixed rate of the new currency. In time the old currencies were phased out, with almost all gone within three years and the new currency was produced with euro coins and notes gradually provided to replace them. By February 2002 the former currencies of participating EU states were no longer legal tender.

Euro coins were first minted in denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10 and 20 cents and 1 and 2 euros. The coins were minted at a range of different sites across Europe and the banknotes issued initially were 5, 10, 30, 50, 100, 200 and 500. The notes were designed by an Austrian designer called Robert Kallina who chosen European bridges as his theme as a symbol of the links between the nations in the EU. As more member states join the EU, the wider the spread of the Euro becomes.

Euro Conversion Rates

Today, one Euro is worth approximately £0.77 or $1.10. Conversely, £1 is worth approximately €1.28 and $1 is worth approximately €0.90.

The Euro is the third-most accepted currency at online casinos around the world, coming in after US dollars and GBP. Most leading casinos allow deposits and withdrawals to be made in euros and many also allow the Euro to be used whilst playing games, rather than needing to swap to another currency once signed up and ready to go.

Bitcoin is an innovative digital currency which describes itself as the world’s first decentralised currency. It has become more popular as a casino currency because of the many benefits it offers in terms of security and ease of use.

Bitcoin is often written with the symbols BTC and XBT and it also has its own symbol, the . Bitcoin is most accurately described as a digital crypto-currency and it operates based on a peer-to-peer marketplace, rather than being managed by a central bank like regular currencies. Bitcoins can only be spent and used through transfers between users and their bitcoin addresses. A bitcoin address is 27-34 characters long and made up of numbers and letters. Anybody can register and sign up for a bitcoin address and casinos offering this payment method will simply require your bitcoin address for you to be able to make deposits and withdrawals. Most casinos will recommend you have a registered (and usually free) bitcoin wallet for withdrawals as it speeds up the process.

You will find casinos out there which are bitcoin-only as they have joined in with this innovation in the currency market but you will also find it as an option as casinos who accept other currencies too. This second type of casino is likely to accept your bitcoins but they will convert them into a more traditional currency for the purposes of play. Bitcoin has become hugely popular because it’s easy and safe to use and it isn’t tied to any government or central bank which removes processing fees for both the casino and the player. Bitcoin-exclusive casinos also make it possible for casino players to play anonymously, via just their bitcoin address, an email address and password. This is something many players find particularly beneficial as their home address and name can remain private.

History of Bitcoin

Bitcoin was invented by Satoshi Nakamoto. He first published his invention in 2008 and released the related open-source software in 2009. The nature of the software means anybody is able to mine bitcoins and there are specialist firms dedicated to the process too. It is officially described as a decentralised virtual currency and it is the largest of this kind of currency on the market.

Bitcoins are broken down into smaller units including: millibitcoin, microbitcoin and satoshi, the smallest possible measurement of the currency, which is named for its creator and also equivalent to 0.00000001 bitcoin.

More and more payment processing websites and bitcoin-focused services have developed since the currency has been available. BitPay for example, were founded in 2011 and provide a global bitcoin payment service which allows site owners around the world to offer bitcoin as a currency. Other similar companies include Coinbase and Xapo. A whole industry of companies has developed off the back of the bitcoin and it has given people a new way of paying and managing their currency.

Bitcoin Conversion Rates

Compared to other currencies the price of Bitcoin fluctuates much more regularly. The conversion rates change often on this basis and at the time of writing one Bitcoin was worth the equivalent of £[convert number=1 from=”BTC” to=”GBP”].

You can explore the current range of bitcoin casinos below and find sites which are accepting this innovative and growing currency.

The Malaysian ringgit is the official currency of Malaysia and it has been the only official currency of the country since 1967. This currency has no plural form so whether it’s 1 or 100 ringgit you always stick to the same word. The currency was formed back in 1967 when Malaysia did away with the Malaya and British Borneo Dollar in exchange for their own named currency.

The ringgit can be divided into 100 individual sen (roughly the same as cents) when looking for the ringgit on exchange rate sites you should look out for the ISO code MYR. When this currency is written down it will be followed by the letters RM (ringgit Malaysia) although outside of the country itself most people use the code MYR. The $ sign is no longer used in Malaysia unless talking about foreign currencies.

The History of the Ringgit

The term ringgit has been use in Malaysia for many years even though it has only been their official form of currency since the mid-1960s. It has been a general term for money in Malaysia since the 16th century and it translates from the Malay language roughly as ‘jagged’ which is thought to be a reference to the serrated, almost jagged, edges of the Spanish silver dollars that were in circulation back in the 1500s. Other currencies have been used in the country over the centuries including the Brunei dollar and the Singapore dollar and both of these also became colloquially known as ringgit, whilst foreign currencies remained ‘dollar’.

The words ringgit and sen became properly adopted for the new currency across Malaysia in around 1975 but you will still here the use of cents and dollars in areas where English is the main language spoken. When the switch to the new currency was made in the 1960s, all coins and notes were exchanged and replaced, aside from the $10,000 note and the older coinage and notes were phased out over time.

When the first Malaysian ringgit were issued they began with denominations of 1, 5, 10, 20 and 50 sen and 1 ringgit, with the sen coins made from copper clad steel and the ringgit coin made from cupronickel until 1983 when it was replaced with a copper-zinc tin version. By 2012 the 1 sen c oin was dropped and new 5 and 10 sen coins were issued in stainless steel with a 20 sen in nickel brass and a 50 sen coin in nickel brass clad copper.

When the first notes were issues in 1967 they came in the 1, 5, 10, 50 and 1000 ringgit denominations with new 20 and 500 ringgit notes released in 1982. For a short time, the 1-ringgit note was dropped, from 1993 to 2000, when it was once again introduced.

Malaysian Ringgit Conversion Rates

Today your Malaysian ringgit is worth approximately £0.17 or $0.24 and conversely £1 is worth approximately RM5.85 whilst $1 is worth RM4.10.

The ringgit isn’t a popular casino currency but there are some sites which offer it amongst their range and you can explore those sites below. Malaysian players who want to enjoy casinos which don’t offer RM should convert their currency before playing.

The New Zealand dollar is principally the currency of the nation of New Zealand. It is also the currency for the wider Realm of New Zealand which incorporates additional islands and territories on the Cook Islands, Tokelau and Niue.

Like most dollar currencies it is known simply by its symbol ($) within New Zealand but to set it apart from other dollar currencies around the world it is written NZ$ outside of the country or the ISO code NZD is used. In currency trading it is informally known as the Kiwi and the New Zealand dollar is currently in the top ten most traded currencies in the world. Despite being a dollar-based currency the New Zealand dollar features Queen Elizabeth II on its notes and coins. As a very popular currency and one which is recognised as significant on the foreign exchange, it is also accepted at many online casinos. Many larger casino operators provide the option of playing in New Zealand dollars.

The History of the New Zealand Dollar

Before the New Zealand dollar was introduced, New Zealanders had the New Zealand pound in place, which differed in value from both the Great British Pound and the Australian Pound. When the country switched to decimalised currency they decided to change the name of the currency. Options such as kiwi were suggested so they were distinguished from the American dollar but in 1967, on 10th July they chose to go with the New Zealand dollar. This day was recognised in New Zealand’s history as Decimal Currency Day and it saw one single old New Zealand pound becoming the equivalent of two New Zealand dollars.

There have been several updates to currency and coinage since decimalisation. With the introduction of aluminium-bronze $1 and $2 coins in 1991 and the removal of the 5c coin from circulation, with the old coins no longer usable from October 2006.

The original set of banknotes produced in 1967 included $1, $2, $5, $10, $20 and $100 and featured a combination of images of the Queen and also notable New Zealanders and New Zealand scenery. In 1983 $50 was also added. In 1991 with the phasing in of $1 and $2 coins, the notes were taken out of circulation.

There have been new notes produced and put into circulation by the New Zealand Bank in the last year as there was a clear need for security and technological updates to ensure the currency remained safe from fraud and as up to date as banknotes from other nations around the world.

New Zealand Dollar Exchange Rates

A single New Zealand dollar exchanged today would be worth approximately £0.70 or $0.49. Alternatively, £1 is the equivalent of approximately 2NZD and $1 is the equivalent of $1.41.

As a highly popular and well-recognised currency, it is clear why many online casinos include the New Zealand dollar in their offering. You can explore the casinos currency giving players the opportunity to make deposits and withdrawals in New Zealand dollars below.

The Japanese Yen is the official currency of Japan and it is highly regarded worldwide and is the third most traded currency in the foreign exchange markets, following the US dollar and the Euro. Rather strangely the yen is also one of the currencies used in Zimbabwe after the Zimbabwean dollar was suspended.  The currency was officially adopted in 1871 by the Meiji government at the time and before this point Japan had been using a combination of different currencies which included Mexican pesos and Spanish dollars.

The name yen is taken for the Japanese word for ‘a round object’ which makes sense when you consider the shape of a coin. Initially one yen was divided into 100 sen and 1000 rin but soon due to inflation both these smaller denominations became practically worthless and they were no longer considered official tender as of 1953. The ISO currency code for the yen is JPY and outside of Japan itself the symbol used for the currency is ¥ and this kanji symbol is pronounced simply with the phonetic sound for ‘y’.

The History of the Japanese Yen

Japan was very closely connected with Spain and nations in the Spanish empire and so the Spanish dollar became the usual currency in this region and throughout Southeast Asia. The Spanish silver dollar remained the leading currency for many years although other such as silver dollars minted in Hong Kong were also accepted as legal tender but towards the end of the 19th century things changed. In 1871 the Japanese government minted and adopted their own silver dollar based currency and this was the beginning of the yen.

The first coins that were minted were the 1 rin, ½, 1 and 2 sen which were all minted in copper and also the 5, 10, 20, 50 sen and 1 yen minted in silver and finally the 2, 5, 10 and 20 yen which were minted in gold. Two years after the coins were introduced the yen was released in banknote form and denominations of yen notes have changed considerably over the years with everything from 10 to 10,000 yen notes available. The current yen notes in circulation are the 1,000, 2,000, 5,000 and 10,000.

There was considerable devaluation in the price of silver in 1873 and this in turn saw the value of the yen fall as it was so closely tied to silver. By 1897 one yen was worth half of a US dollar and during the Second World War things got even more desperate as the yen all but collapsed. In 1949 a single US dollar was worth a huge 360 yen. The value of the yen was slowly but surely stabilised and by 1995 recovery had been achieved to such a level that the economy of Japan was almost on par with the US.

Japanese Yen Conversion Rates

Today one Japanese yen is worth around £0.006 or $0.008. Conversely £1 is worth ¥162.55 and $1 is worth ¥113.

Japan does not allow gambling within its borders and it has been illegal there since 1907. There is a belief that casinos may soon be allowed in Japan but this hasn’t changed to date and as regular casinos being banned their online counterparts are too. This doesn’t stop players from enjoying online casinos in other jurisdictions and there are many casino sites which allow gambling accounts which are funded by Japanese yen although you will find most gameplay is conducted in dollars, Euro or pound sterling.

The Hong Kong Dollar is Hong Kong’s official currency and it is also an unofficial currency in Macau. The currency was introduced in 1863 whilst Hong Kong was still a colony of the British Empire. Despite many changes since this time the dollar has remained the currency of Hong Kong, even though the former colony is now a special administrative area of China.

The Hong Kong dollar is broken down into ten sin (or cents) and the ISO currency code for the dollar is HKD. The official symbol used for the currency is $ but outside of Hong Kong there is the need to differentiate and so the symbol HK$ is used to make sure it stands out and is separated from the world’s other dollar currencies.

The History of the Hong Kong Dollar

Hong Kong became a leading port for trade in the British Empire in 1841 and at the time the area had no local currency and so foreign currencies, most commonly Indian rupees, Spanish dollars and Mexican pesos were used, alongside some old Chinese coins. The British made a considerable effort to make the Great British Pound the currency in this colony but they were unsuccessful.

When it was definitely clear that the British pound was never going to be accepted in the colony the British then suggested the Hong Kong dollar and this became the region’s official currency. The dollar was initially minted at the Royal Mint in London but by 1866 minting was moved to Hong Kong, which angered the Chinese and meant that the mint was quickly closed and the equipment was sold on to Japan, where it was used to mint their own currency.

The Hong Kong dollar has remained firmly in place throughout the years, even after the return of Hong Kong by Britain to China in 1997 and the currency is affectionately known as the Honkie by the large numbers of British ex-pats still living in the area.

The first HKD coins were introduced in 1863 and they were the one mil and the one and ten cent coins. They were quickly followed by five and twenty cent coins as well as a half coin and a one-dollar coin. Once inflation took hold the government decided to withdraw all coins worth less than ten cents and added in new dollar value coins instead, with two, five and ten denominations added.

Unusually for a currency the notes issued come from the banks in Hong Kong rather than the government and the first notes were introduced by the Chartered Bank of India, Australia and China. Dependent on the availability of metals over time there have been notes in as low denomination as one cent issued, especially after the Second World War where metal for coinage was scarce.

Hong Kong Conversion Rates

Today one Hong Kong dollar is worth approximately £0.09 or $0.12 and from the other perspective £1 is worth HK$11.08 and $1 is worth HK$7.75.

Governmental restrictions mean there are no land-based casinos in Hong Kong but they do allow gambling on cruise ships in the area. Hong Kong has looked to legalise gambling but as yet the government has not voted in favour of this change. Online casinos cannot operate in Hong Kong but people from Hong Kong can play at casinos based in jurisdictions outside of the company. The Hong Kong dollar is not commonly accepted at many online casinos but people using HKD can fund their accounts in this currency and then see it converted into Euros, US dollars or GBP.

The Great British Pound is the official currency of the United Kingdom, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, as well as various British territories. It is the fourth most traded currency in the world, following US dollars, Euro and Japanese yen. Its ISO currency code is GBP and the currency symbol is £. The official name of the currency is Pounds Sterling although Sterling is used much less frequently than pounds alone.
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