🇳🇿New Zealand gambling regulation

Legal framework at a glance

The Gambling Act 2003 regulates most gambling in New Zealand, including casinos, class 4 gaming machines (pokies) in pubs and clubs, and lotteries. Its purposes include controlling the growth of gambling, minimising harm and ensuring community benefit. Remote interactive gambling by domestic operators has been prohibited except for the Lotteries Commission (Lotto NZ) and TAB NZ, while offshore operators have long served New Zealanders without local licences.

The Online Casino Gambling Bill, introduced in 2025, passed its third reading on 23 April 2026. It creates a licensing regime for online casino gambling with up to 15 licences and makes it illegal for operators without a licence or pending application to offer or advertise online casino gambling to New Zealanders.

The regulator

The Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) regulates gambling, licenses operators and enforces the Gambling Act. It runs the online casino licence auction and process. The Ministry of Health funds and coordinates harm-prevention and treatment services through the problem gambling levy.

Licensing

Step	Timing (as published)
Expressions of interest	July 2026
Licence auction	September 2026
Applications by successful bidders	From October 2026
Deadline for applications	1 December 2026
Latest end of transitional operation for pending applicants	1 July 2027

Applicants must show a business plan and compliance strategies for harm minimisation and anti-money laundering. Final regulations were expected in mid-2026. See gambling licensing models.

Online products — what is and isn’t legal

• Online casino and poker: being licensed under the 2026 Act; offshore operators may continue only while they hold a pending application.
• Sports and racing betting: TAB NZ holds the monopoly, operated in partnership with an international betting company under a long-term agreement.
• Lotteries: Lotto NZ holds the monopoly, including online sales.

Taxation

An offshore gambling duty on the gross gambling profits of offshore operators serving New Zealanders was introduced in 2024. Licensed online casinos will pay duties and the problem gambling levy under the new regime. Players’ winnings are not taxed. See gambling taxation compared.

Advertising and marketing rules

Under the 2026 Act, online casino advertising is limited to methods allowed by regulation. Affiliate marketing and paid endorsements are banned, and bonuses or incentives may be offered only through direct marketing or on the operator’s own platform. Unlicensed operators may not advertise. Other gambling advertising is governed by the Advertising Standards Authority’s gambling code. See gambling advertising rules.

Player-protection requirements

The online casino regime includes customer spending limits, a ban on autoplay, and a prohibition on credit cards and buy-now-pay-later for gambling, along with identity and age verification and anti-money laundering duties. Land-based venues must have harm-minimisation policies, trained staff and exclusion procedures. See self-exclusion in New Zealand.

Enforcement against unlicensed operators

From 1 December 2026, the DIA can act against offshore and onshore operators offering or advertising online casino gambling without a licence or pending application. The tools available include penalties and measures targeting advertising. See spotting unlicensed and black-market operators.

What this means for players

Until the licensing regime is fully running, New Zealanders using online casinos are dealing with offshore operators that are not supervised by the DIA. From 1 December 2026, only operators holding a licence or with a pending application may offer or advertise online casino gambling, and after the transition only licensed operators will be lawful. Players should look for licence details issued under the new Act once licences are granted, and avoid sites that advertise through affiliates or influencers, which the 2026 law prohibits.

Pokies in pubs and clubs (class 4 gambling) remain the largest source of gambling harm in New Zealand, and venue exclusion orders are the main self-exclusion tool for them. The Gambling Helpline can arrange multi-venue exclusion and ongoing counselling. See how to check if a gambling site is licensed, national self-exclusion registers compared and gambling blocking software.

Who does what

Body	Role
Department of Internal Affairs	Regulator; online casino licensing and enforcement
Ministry of Health	Funds and coordinates harm prevention and treatment
TAB NZ	Statutory sports and racing betting operator
Lotto NZ	Statutory lottery operator
Inland Revenue	Collects the offshore gambling duty

Anti-money laundering

Casinos and, under the new regime, licensed online casino operators are reporting entities under New Zealand’s anti-money laundering legislation. They must identify customers, monitor transactions and report suspicious activity, which is why licensed sites will require identity verification before play and may check the source of funds for larger deposits. See anti-money laundering in gambling.

Recent developments and what to watch

• Licence awards: the outcome of the September 2026 auction and the identity of licensees.
• Regulations: detailed rules on spending limits, self-exclusion and advertising.
• Transition: how strictly the 1 December 2026 cut-off is enforced against offshore sites.

For support services, see the New Zealand help directory. This page is general information, not legal advice.