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New Zealand’s Online Casino Gambling Act: Licences, Dates and Rules

New Zealand's Online Casino Gambling Act 2026: 15 licences, a NZ$15 million auction price, key dates to 2027 and what offshore casinos must do by 1 December.

By the Gambling Hero editorial team · October 25, 2026 News

New Zealand’s Online Casino Gambling Act 2026 creates up to 15 online casino licences issued by the Department of Internal Affairs. The Act took effect on 1 May 2026, operators that have not applied must stop on 1 December 2026, and licences follow in 2027.

In short

Parliament passed the Online Casino Gambling Bill on 23 April 2026 and it received Royal assent on 28 April as Public Act 2026 No 14. The Act caps the market at 15 licences, limits any one group to 3, and sets licence terms of 3 years plus one 5-year renewal. Players must be at least 18. A September 2026 auction set the price at NZ$15 million per licence, and 11 entities won the right to apply, according to trade press reports of Department of Internal Affairs figures. Offshore sites that have not applied must leave on 1 December 2026.

What is New Zealand’s Online Casino Gambling Act?

The Online Casino Gambling Act 2026 is the New Zealand law that licenses online casino gambling offered to people in New Zealand. Before the Act, offshore casinos served New Zealanders without a local licence, and the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) had no licensing tool.

Section 9 of the Act allows online casino gambling that enables participation from New Zealand only under a licence, and section 10 applies the same rule to advertising. A licensed game must not compete with or resemble a protected New Zealand lottery. Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden led the Bill, which passed its first reading 83 votes to 39. Our overview of New Zealand gambling rules covers venues, age limits and lotteries.

How many online casino licences will New Zealand issue?

New Zealand will issue no more than 15 online casino licences at any time under section 19 of the Act. No person may hold significant influence, generally 20% or more of voting power or securities, over more than 3 licences.

Licence feature Rule in the Act
Maximum licences 15 at any time (s 19)
Group limit Significant influence over no more than 3 (s 19)
First term 3 years from grant (s 24)
Renewal Once only, for 5 years (s 27)
Minimum player age 18 (s 38)
Maximum civil penalty NZ$5 million for a company, NZ$300,000 for an individual (s 62)

A licence can therefore last at most 8 years: 3 years plus one 5-year renewal. Renewal applications are due at least 6 months before expiry.

How does the licensing process work?

The licensing process runs in four stages: expression of interest, auction, full application and DIA decision. The DIA calls the auction an ascending clock auction, in which the price rises in steps until demand matches the number of licences available.

The 4-step licensing path, with dates as of October 2026:

  1. Expression of interest: opened 17 July and closed 14 August 2026. Simpson Grierson reports a fee of NZ$19,000 plus GST per entity and proof of at least NZ$7.5 million in capital.
  2. Auction: held in September 2026. Trade press citing DIA figures reports 32 bidders, 10 rounds and a final price of NZ$15 million per licence.
  3. Application: auction winners file a full application with a business plan and compliance strategy, due by 1 December 2026.
  4. Decision: licences are anticipated from early 2027, and the DIA expects the regime to be fully operational in 2027.

Eleven entities won the right to apply, as reported on 13 October 2026: Baytree Interactive (Betway), Christchurch Online NZ, One Casino, Playvia Gaming NZ (Entain), Rock Swift Group, Rush Entertainment, Skill On Net, two SkyCity NZ Online companies, Stake New Zealand and TAB New Zealand. The DIA says winning the auction does not guarantee a licence.

Editor’s insight

The auction price shows how the market is valued. At NZ$15 million per licence, 15 licences would bring in NZ$225 million before any duty is paid, and the price buys a first term of only 3 years, or NZ$5 million per year of licensed operation. Operators also face online gambling duty, which the Act raises from 12% to 16%. Those fixed costs favour large groups, and the reported winners include established names such as Entain, Betway, SkyCity and TAB New Zealand.

What rules will licensed online casinos follow?

Licensed online casinos in New Zealand must follow the Act, the Online Casino Gambling Regulations 2026 made on 4 June 2026, and DIA licence conditions. Core duties include checking that players are at least 18 and showing a registration icon in advertising.

Russell McVeagh summarised the Cabinet policy framework of December 2025 behind the regulations:

  • Customers can set gambling limits.
  • Autoplay is banned, and game design must prevent continuous impulse play.
  • Credit cards and buy-now-pay-later facilities cannot be used to gamble.
  • Affiliate marketing and paid endorsements are prohibited.
  • Bonuses may be offered only through direct marketing or the operator’s own platform.

The Act also requires the Minister to recommend advertising regulations by 1 December 2026 and a self-exclusion register by 1 December 2027. From 1 January 2027 a share of online gambling duty is paid into a Gambling Act account for community funding.

What happens to offshore casinos after 1 December?

Offshore casinos that have not applied for a licence by 1 December 2026 must stop offering online casino gambling to people in New Zealand. Breaches can bring civil penalties of up to NZ$5 million for a company, and unlicensed advertising is banned.

Operator status on 1 December 2026 What the Act allows
Has not applied Must stop serving New Zealand
Applied before 1 December 2026 May continue until the day after the DIA decides, or 1 June 2027 at the latest
Application declined Must stop and leave the market

The 1 June 2027 backstop comes from Schedule 1, clause 1 of the Act; one law firm summary gives 1 July 2027, so we follow the statute. From 1 December 2026 it is also an offence, with a fine of up to NZ$10,000, to gamble online on behalf of someone under 18. Our licence checker and guide on how to check a casino licence help players see who is regulated.

Important

Until licences are granted, no online casino holds a New Zealand online casino licence, and offshore sites do not offer New Zealand dispute or protection rules. Players aged 18 or older should check the DIA’s published licence list once it exists. If gambling is causing harm, see Gambling Help in New Zealand and our responsible gambling page.

Our take

The editorial team considers New Zealand’s model one of the more disciplined licensing designs of recent years. A hard cap of 15, a 3-licence group limit, a ban on affiliate marketing and a self-exclusion register written into law give the DIA more control than an open-licence model would. The trade-off is cost: a NZ$15 million entry price for a 3-year first term will keep smaller operators out and may leave some players with offshore sites. In our view, the real test comes after 1 June 2027, when the transitional window closes and the DIA must show it can enforce take-downs against sites without a licence.

Key takeaways

  • Act in force 1 May 2026 (Public Act 2026 No 14, assent 28 April 2026).
  • Up to 15 licences, maximum 3 per group, 3-year term plus one 5-year renewal.
  • Auction price NZ$15 million per licence; 11 entities won the right to apply.
  • Unlicensed operators that have not applied must exit by 1 December 2026; applicants by 1 June 2027 at the latest.
  • Online gambling duty rises from 12% to 16%; minimum age 18.

FAQ

Is online casino gambling legal in New Zealand?

Playing is not a crime for adults, but from 1 December 2026 only licensed operators and pending applicants may offer it to people in New Zealand.

When will the first New Zealand online casino licences be issued?

Licences are anticipated from early 2027, after the DIA assesses applications due by 1 December 2026.

What is the minimum age for online casinos in New Zealand?

18. Section 38 requires operators to take all reasonable steps to ensure participants are at least 18.

How much did a New Zealand online casino licence cost at auction?

NZ$15 million per licence, according to trade press reports of DIA auction figures from October 2026.

Sources

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