New Zealand government confirms online casino market to be regulated by early 2026
Brooke van Velden, minister of internal affairs, outlines plans for the market and sheds light on how regulation will protect Kiwis from offshore firms
New Zealand’s minister of internal affairs, Brooke van Velden, has confirmed the country will regulate online casino for the first time.
The licensing framework is already underway and expected to be implemented by early 2026, according to van Velden, in an effort to crack down on the slew of offshore firms operating in the market.
The Department of Internal Affairs will oversee New Zealand online casino operators, with the ambition being, according to the government’s official press release, to “minimise harm, support tax collection and provide consumer protections to New Zealanders”.
Van Velden explained: “There will be a licencing system for online casinos, where operators will need to comply with a set of criteria before they will be able to offer services to New Zealanders. It will be illegal for unlicensed operators to offer services to New Zealanders.
“Licensing is how we regulate most forms of gambling domestically. This is not intended to increase the amount of gambling New Zealanders do but to ensure operators meet requirements for consumer protection and harm minimisation, as well as paying tax.”
All licenses will last three years and a limited number of them will be allocated via auction, with all licensees required to meet all regulatory requirements.
The minimum age of online gambling will be 18, with licensed operators unable to offer sports betting or lottery games.
The government also noted that licensed firms will be able to advertise but under “strict limits”. Currently, all gambling operators are banned from advertising. Under the new framework, all forms of sponsorship by online casinos will remain illegal.
Van Velden added that the New Zealand public will have the opportunity to provide feedback regarding the regulation of online casinos via a select committee process.
The regulatory update has already received backing from notable quarters, with Jason Walbridge, CEO of casino operator SkyCity, claiming on LinkedIn: “[Its] great to see Minister van Velden announce further details on the regulation of online casino gambling in New Zealand.
“SkyCity has long supported regulating online play to minimise harm and protect Kiwis. Limiting advertising and the number of operators in New Zealand is a good way of doing this.
“Currently there is a lot of money going offshore that should be staying in New Zealand as tax and community benefits. We hope this will be a key part of any future framework.”
Last year saw Labour’s reign in power come to an end in New Zealand, with the National Party now in control. In the build-up to the election, offshore gambling revenue was a hotly contested topic.
The National Party claimed that NZ$179m could be raised per year by closing tax loopholes for offshore operators, a figure that was swiftly contested by the then-incumbent government.
At the time, Kieran McAnulty, Labour’s minister for racing, blasted the National Party’s proposed policy, insisting it heavily overinflated revenue income.
He said: “It’s nowhere near as much as they say it’s going to be. Our figures say it would be around NZ$40m to NZ$50m. Their figure of $180 million a year from tax just doesn’t add up. There’s work underway at the moment to regulate the overseas gambling industry.”
Away from online casinos, Entain secured a 25-year strategic partnership with TAB NZ last year, with significant emphasis placed on revitalising the horseracing industry in the country and NZ$1bn pledged in guaranteed funding.
Over the course of the entire 25-year deal, it is hoped that as much as NZ$5bn could be raised in funding for horseracing and sport in New Zealand, while it is expected that more job opportunities for local communities would also be created.