The government will roll out a three-stage approval process as it seeks to bring an estimated US$442m offshore gambling market under domestic control.
New Zealand.- The government has announced that it will being the licensing process for online casinos in July 2026. The timeline was confirmed by the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) as lawmakers advance the Online Casino Gambling Bill through its final parliamentary stages.
Once enacted, the bill will introduce a structured, three-step licensing regime capped at 15 operators, with the stated aim of strengthening oversight and limiting the flow of more than NZ$750m (US$442m) annually to offshore platforms. Operators will be invited to submit expressions of interest in a one-to-two-month window. This will be followed by a competitive licence auction, expected to last up to two months, in which qualified applicants bid for one of the limited slots.
Successful bidders will then proceed to a full application stage, undergoing detailed regulatory checks focused on financial stability, consumer protection and operational integrity.
Licences will be granted for an initial term of up to three years, with renewals dependent on ongoing compliance. The DIA has also set a cut-off date of 1 December 1, by when any operator offering online casino services without having applied for a licence must cease operations or face fines of up to NZ$5m (US$2.9m) and a forced market exit.
Major industry players have already signalled interest. SkyCity Entertainment Group hopes to be a leader on the marker, while Entain has outlined ambitions to secure multiple licences covering casino, sports and racing products, building on its long-term partnership with TAB New Zealand.
Lawmakers initially faced opposition from sports bodies concerned about potential losses to community funding. In response, the government added a requirement that licensed operators contribute 4 per cent of gross gaming revenue to community programmes, a measure projected to generate between NZ$10m (US$5.9m) and NZ$20m (US$11.8m) in the first year.
The government will roll out a three-stage approval process as it seeks to bring an estimated US$442m offshore gambling market under domestic control. New Zealand.- The government has announced that it will being the licensing process for online casinos in July 2026. The timeline was confirmed by the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) as lawmakers…
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