New Zealand
Eleven entities have won the right to apply for New Zealand's 15 online casino licences, and providers without an application must stop on 1 December 2026.
DATA · No regulator figures yet
Key facts
- LICENCE FEENZD 15,000,000 per applicationAuction winners apply by paying the price set at auction, which ended at NZ$15m per licence.Information for online casino providers: licensing and compliance Checked
- LICENCE FEENZD 19,000 per applicationEach expression of interest had to come with a prescribed fee of NZ$19,000.Online Casino Gambling Invitation to Submit an Expression of Interest Notice 2026 Checked
- TAX RATE12% of GGROnline gambling operators pay a 12% online gambling duty, charged on amounts received from New Zealand residents less the prizes paid to them.Online gambling duty (Inland Revenue) Checked
- REGULATORDepartment of Internal AffairsThe Department of Internal Affairs regulates online casino gambling in New Zealand.Information for online casino customers Checked
- LICENCE TYPESCasinoThe licences on offer are online casino gambling licences, each for one brand and its platforms, and no one can be granted more than three.Information for online casino providers: licensing and compliance Checked
- LICENCE TERM3 yearsEach licence lasts up to three years and can be renewed for five more years.Information for online casino providers: licensing and compliance Checked
- ONLINE CASINOOnline casino gambling is not yet licensed in New Zealand: until the licensing regime is in place, only providers already operating there may continue, and no new ones may enter.Information for online casino providers: licensing and compliance Checked
- STATUSLegislation pendingNew Zealand's online casino regime is opening: its Act is in force, but DIA does not expect the licensed regime to be fully operational until 2027.Information for online casino providers: licensing and compliance Checked
- APPLICATIONS OPEN17 Jul 2026Expressions of interest, the first licensing stage, opened on GETS on 17 July 2026.Online Gambling Implementation update: EOI process open, 17 July 2026 Checked
- APPLICATIONS CLOSE14 Aug 2026Expressions of interest closed on 14 August 2026.Information for online casino providers: licensing and compliance Checked
- GOVERNING LAWOnline casino gambling is governed by the Online Casino Gambling Act 2026, in force since 1 May 2026.Online Gambling Implementation update: Act in force, 1 May 2026 Checked
- SPORTS BETTING LEGALSince 28 June 2025, online racing and sports betting has been prohibited in New Zealand unless TAB NZ runs it.Information for online casino customers Checked
Fees and rates are shown in the currency the source publishes, never converted.
Timeline
- Online casino providers without a licence application must leave New ZealandUpcoming · Information for online casino providers: licensing and compliance Checked
done upcoming
Licensing in brief
Status
The Online Casino Gambling Act 2026 came into force on 1 May 2026. New Zealand's online casino regime is opening, and DIA does not expect the licensed regime to be fully operational until 2027. Until licensing is in place, only providers already operating in New Zealand may continue, and no new ones may enter. Online racing and sports betting has been prohibited since 28 June 2025 unless TAB NZ runs it.
Who regulates
The Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) regulates online casino gambling in New Zealand.
Licences and how to apply
Licences are issued through a three-stage process run on the Government Electronic Tenders Service (GETS). Up to 15 online casino licences are available. Each covers one brand and its platforms, lasts up to three years and can be renewed for five more years, and no one can be granted more than three.
- Expression of interest. This stage opened on 17 July 2026 and closed on 14 August 2026. Each submission came with a prescribed fee of NZ$19,000, and submitters had to show access to minimum capital of NZ$7.5m.
- Auction. The auction ran from 29 September to 12 October 2026. It drew 32 bidders over 10 rounds and ended at NZ$15m per licence, and 11 entities won the right to apply for the 15 licences. Winning does not guarantee a licence.
- Application. Winners apply by paying the auction price and filing a business plan with strategies on advertising and marketing, consumer protection, harm prevention and minimisation, and compliance. DIA expects to issue licences from early 2027.
Taxes
Online gambling operators pay a 12% online gambling duty, charged on amounts received from New Zealand residents less the prizes paid to them. The duty has applied since 1 July 2024, and from 1 May 2026 Inland Revenue calls it the online gambling duty rather than the offshore gambling duty.
Key dates
- 1 May 2026: the Act came into force.
- 3 July 2026: the Online Casino Gambling Regulations 2026 came into force.
- 17 July to 14 August 2026: expressions of interest.
- 29 September to 12 October 2026: licence auction.
- 23 October 2026: DIA expected to finalise its Testing and Monitoring Requirements.
- 1 December 2026: providers that have not applied for a licence must stop offering online casino gambling in New Zealand. Applicants may keep operating, without advertising, until DIA decides.
Advertising and safer-gambling rules
A renewed ban on advertising unlicensed online casino gambling took effect on 1 May 2026. The Act creates powers to issue takedown notices and increased pecuniary penalties of up to NZ$5m for unlawful advertising. The Online Casino Gambling Regulations 2026 cover harm minimisation, consumer protection, advertising and operator obligations, and most of their obligations apply only to licence holders.
What changed
- 13 October 2026: DIA announced that 11 entities had won the right to apply for the 15 licences.
- 3 July 2026: the Online Casino Gambling Regulations 2026 came into force.
- 1 May 2026: the Online Casino Gambling Act 2026 came into force.