New Zealand has formally opened its online casino licensing process, marking a significant shift away from a market long dominated by offshore operators.
The Department of Internal Affairs is now accepting expressions of interest until 14 August, with operators required to file through the Government Electronic Tender Service.
Each applicant must pay a non-refundable NZ$19,000 fee just to enter the process, underlining the government’s intent to attract serious, well-resourced operators only.
Accepted candidates will progress to an auction scheduled for September, with successful bidders able to lodge full licence applications from October and a planned market launch at the start of December.
The process follows the Online Casino Gambling Act 2026, which took effect on 1 May and created New Zealand’s first domestic licensing framework for online casino operators.
The new regulatory system introduces age verification, harm reduction controls, complaint procedures, and record-keeping obligations that were entirely absent under the previous offshore framework.
Several major operators have already signalled interest, with Entain, SkyCity, bet365, evoke, Super Group, SpinBet and Spin City all publicly expressing their intentions to participate in the regulated market.
Entain has gone further than most, stating it wants the maximum three licences available to any single company, while SkyCity has described domestic licensing as a strategic priority for its business.
The scale of the existing market makes New Zealand an attractive opportunity, with Department-commissioned research estimating NZ$1.36bn in overseas online gambling card deposits last year through September.
Casino-only brands represented 14% of that total, while hybrid operators heavily weighted towards casino games accounted for a significant 77% of activity.
Earlier Inland Revenue data recorded NZ$342.5m in reported revenue from compliant offshore operators during the year to June 2023, though officials noted that figure excluded operators which had not registered to pay the country’s Goods and Services Tax.
The government will issue no more than 15 brand-specific licences in total, with no single company permitted to control more than three of those licences.
Applicants must demonstrate access to at least NZ$7.5m in capital, and each licence will initially run for three years with one possible five-year renewal permitted.
Approved platforms must launch within 90 days of receiving their licence and remain available for at least 270 days during each 12-month operating period.
The permitted games will cover slots, blackjack, roulette, peer-to-peer poker and computer-simulated sports events, while TAB NZ retains its existing monopoly over conventional sports and racing betting.
The 15-brand cap may not dramatically reshape the competitive landscape, given that government data shows the 15 largest registered offshore entities already generated 99.8% of reported gross gambling revenue.
Operators choosing not to apply must exit the market by 1 December, while pending applicants may continue operating without advertising while the Department considers their cases.
Unlicensed companies remaining in the market after that date will face enforcement measures including geoblocking and financial penalties reaching NZ$5m.
Licensed operators will be required to pay GST, gambling duty and regulatory levies, with the offshore gambling duty rising from 12% to 16% on 1 January 2027.
The government has previously reported expectations of NZ$10m to NZ$20m flowing to community groups through the Lottery Grants Board during the first year of the new regime.
