New Zealand Introduces Online Casino Gambling Bill with New Regulatory Regime 

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The New Zealand Government has officially started the process of transforming the country’s currently unregulated online casino industry by introducing the Online Casino Gambling Bill. The Bill, presented to parliament by Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden, allows for up to 15 licenses to be issued in a structured framework focused on harm reduction, consumer protection, and tax collection.

The Bill suggests three stages for licensing: invitation for expressions of interest; competitive bidding likely to begin in February 2026; and formal applications under the Department of Internal Affairs. Each license is to be valid for three years, renewable once for up to five years. 

As the Bill advances, the first licensed platforms are expected in April 2026. Licensed online casinos must verify user ages and comply with stringent advertising and AML regulations. Unlicensed operators that continue to operate and have not applied for a license by July 1, 2026, face fines of up to NZ$5 million.

Applicants must submit comprehensive business plans tailored to the New Zealand market, alongside strategies to prevent gambling harm. The move will allow the Department of Internal Affairs to monitor licensing and hold enforcement powers, making New Zealand one of the last developed economies to regulate online casinos.

Several major operators, including local operators like SkyCity and international giants like Bet365, have expressed interest. However, local gambling companies worry that offshore operators may dominate licensing, taking revenue out of New Zealand’s economy, especially considering how gambling profits are widely used to fund community projects in New Zealand.

SkyCity wrote,

The safest way to ensure online casino profits are subject to New Zealand income tax is to only allow incorporated New Zealand companies to hold licenses and not permit a license to be held by a foreign company or a New Zealand branch of a foreign company.

Public consultation of the Bill is pending.