New Zealand’s first-ever online casino licensing process is expected to officially open within weeks, with the Department of Internal Affairs all-set to allow Expressions of Interest from operators in the second half of July 2026.
The move follows the Online Casino Gambling Regulations 2026 coming into force on the 3rd of July, which added the operational detail to the Online Casino Gambling Act 2026, which has been in force since the 1st of May 2026.
As DashTickets reported when the rulebook went live, the regulations set out the operating rules for harm prevention, consumer protection, advertising, reporting, audits, fees and levies: in other words, the exact “framework” that operators had been waiting for before the licensing process could officially begin.
A Three-Stage Process
Up to 15 brand-specific licences will be awarded through a competitive three-stage process that’s going to be run through the Government Electronic Tender Service. Expressions of Interest open first, and here, applicants will pay a non-refundable fee of NZ $19,000 They will also undergo “probity checks” that look at things like ownership structure, financial capacity, management, and compliance history.
A separate Expression of Interest must be submitted for each brand wanting a licence, and any applicant whose CEO, CFO or COO holds a dishonesty-based conviction from the past seven years is automatically disqualified – something we’ve seen from other major regulators recently, too.
The second stage will be auction-based, and it’s scheduled to take place in September. Interestingly, the auction doesn’t actually award a license; it simply awards the winning bidders the right to apply for one.
Winning bidders then move to the full application stage from October, where they will need to submit a comprehensive business plan along with detailed strategies for advertising, consumer protection, harm minimisation and compliance.
Each licence will cover one singular brand and will be valid for up to three years. It can also be renewed once, for up to five additional years: it’s not yet clear what will happen after those initial 8 years are up.
The December Deadline
Despite the Expressions of Interest and auction phases, there’s still a hard cut-off period which is set for December 1st 2026. From that date onwards, any operator – regardless of where they’re based – must stop offering online casino gambling to New Zealanders if they haven’t been awarded a license.
Operators with applications pending under assessment will still be able to continue serving players under an exemption, but they will not be able to advertise until their applications are decided, or until the 1st June, 2027, whichever comes first.
It’s clearly a pretty major change for the online gambling landscape in New Zealand, and some major operators haven’t even bothered waiting for the deadline – choosing to withdraw ahead of the deadline. More exits are also expected as the licensing window approaches.
What It Means for Players
For Kiwi players, the most visible changes will come when the licensed framework comes fully into play. The DIA will maintain a public register of licensed casinos, and licensed sites must display a unique registration icon on their platforms and in all advertising, which will make it very easy to check whether a site is genuinely licensed or not.
Licensed operators will also be forced to prompt players to set deposit and spending limits, and breaks of at least 5 minutes will be enforced after 60 minutes of gambling, too. There’s also a ban on credit card gambling, and very strict advertising controls, although full details on the latter remains to be released.
