NZ sets December 1 deadline for offshore online casinos
New Zealand has set a December 1 deadline for offshore online casinos to stop serving local players unless they are progressing through the country’s new licensing process.
The deadline puts a firm date on New Zealand’s transition towards a regulated online casino market, with the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) preparing to begin its licence auction on September 29.
Under the new system, offshore operators that have not applied for a New Zealand online casino licence will be required to stop offering online casino gambling to New Zealanders from December 1, 2026.
Operators that successfully progress through the auction and submit a licence application will be able to continue serving New Zealand customers under a temporary exemption while their applications are assessed.
However, those operators will not be permitted to advertise during the transitional period.
The September 29 auction is an important step in determining which companies will get the opportunity to enter New Zealand’s regulated gambling market.
The DIA has completed its expression of interest process and notified successful applicants that they can participate in the auction.
It has declined to disclose either the number or identities of participating companies, saying keeping the information confidential will protect the fairness and integrity of the process.
Winning the auction will not itself guarantee an online casino licence.
Instead, successful bidders will obtain the right to submit a formal licence application, with that process due to begin in October. The DIA expects the first licences to be issued in early 2027.
New Zealand will make a maximum of 15 online casino licences available, with each licence covering an individual platform or brand.
The framework will also limit market concentration, with an operator unable to have significant influence over more than three licences.
Initial licences can run for up to three years, followed by the possibility of a single renewal of up to five years.
The new regulatory regime represents a major change for New Zealand, where players have historically been able to gamble with overseas online casinos despite those operators not being licensed domestically.
Bringing those players into the regulated market will be one of the biggest tests of the new system.
Licensed operators will need to compete against offshore casinos that have already built substantial New Zealand customer bases, while the government will need to enforce the new restrictions against companies that continue targeting the country without a licence.
The Online Casino Gambling Act received Royal Assent on April 27 and came into force on May 1, clearing the way for the licensing process and new enforcement regime.
With the auction beginning September 29 and the offshore deadline following on December 1, New Zealand is now entering the decisive stage of its shift towards a domestically regulated online casino market.
