New Zealand Moves Closer to Regulated Online Casino Market
New Zealand is one step away from passing its Online Casino Gambling Bill into law after the proposal cleared its third and final reading. The bill now only needs Royal assent before the country’s new iGaming framework is formally approved.
The new system will allow up to 15 online casino licences to be auctioned to operators. This should give the government more control over a market that has mostly been served by offshore gambling platforms. Operators that keep targeting New Zealand players without a licence could be fined up to NZ$5 million.
The market will not open immediately. Licences are expected to be issued from December 2026, while approved online casino platforms are planned to launch in the first quarter of 2027. Before that, the government still needs to finalize supporting rules around advertising, player protection, harm minimization, and operator fees.
Operators applying for a licence will have to meet strict standards on safer gambling, consumer protection, and player exclusion. The Department of Internal Affairs will oversee the sector and use tools such as warnings, takedown notices, enforceable undertakings, and financial penalties.
Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden said the bill will close a gambling tax loophole by making licensed online casino operators pay tax like other businesses in New Zealand. After public concerns over community funding, the proposed offshore gambling duty was raised from 12% to 16%, with the extra 4% set aside for local projects.
