New Zealand Sets 29 September Auction for Online Casino Licences

New Zealand will begin the auction stage of its new online casino licensing process on 29 September 2026, with up to 15 licences available under the country’s newly established regulatory framework.

The Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) will conduct the licensing process under the Online Casino Gambling Act 2026, which established New Zealand’s first domestic licensing regime for online casino gambling. The Act came into force on 1 May 2026, with supporting regulations taking effect from July.

The licensing process began with an expression-of-interest stage. Operators were required to submit their applications through the Government Electronic Tender Service, with the initial stage determining which applicants could proceed to the subsequent auction. The EOI process opened in July and closed in August.

Applicants that successfully passed the EOI stage will be eligible to participate in the auction. The auction is scheduled to commence on 29 September and will determine which applicants can proceed to the formal licensing stage.

The new framework limits the number of online casino licences to a maximum of 15. A separate licence is required for each online casino platform or brand. In addition, a single operator or corporate group cannot have significant influence over more than three licences.

Licences will initially be issued for a period of up to three years. Successful operators will have the possibility of applying for a single renewal for a further period of up to five years, subject to the applicable requirements.

The auction forms the second stage of the three-stage licensing process. Applicants that are successful in the auction will then move to the licence application stage, during which the Department of Internal Affairs will assess whether the applicant meets the requirements for an online casino licence.

The licensing framework covers online casino gambling conducted through communications devices. The legislation establishes a regulated market for online casino products while maintaining separate arrangements for other forms of gambling, including New Zealand’s existing sports and racing betting framework.

The new system also establishes requirements concerning operators’ suitability and ownership. The licensing process is intended to assess applicants before they are permitted to provide online casino services to customers in New Zealand.

The framework includes restrictions on unlicensed online casino activity. The government has introduced enforcement measures aimed at preventing operators that do not hold a New Zealand licence from continuing to provide online casino services to New Zealand customers. The legislation provides for significant penalties for breaches of the restrictions.

New Zealand has historically had a significant offshore online gambling market. Research commissioned by the Department of Internal Affairs found that New Zealand consumers had deposited approximately NZ$1.36 billion with overseas online gambling operators through September 2025. The research identified hybrid casino and sports-betting operators as accounting for the majority of those deposits.

The licensing process is therefore being introduced in a market where New Zealand residents have already had access to overseas online casino websites. The new framework establishes a domestic regulatory mechanism through which selected operators will be permitted to offer online casino services under New Zealand requirements.

The 15-licence limit is accompanied by the restriction on significant influence over more than three licences. The structure limits the number of licences available while also placing a cap on the extent to which one operator or corporate group can control the licensed market.

The Department of Internal Affairs is responsible for administering the licensing framework. The department has published information concerning the regulatory implementation of the Online Casino Gambling Act and its associated regulations, including the staged licensing process.

Following the auction, successful participants will have to complete the remaining licensing requirements before commencing operations. Winning the auction therefore does not itself constitute final authorisation to provide online casino gambling services in New Zealand.

The September auction is the first competitive allocation stage under New Zealand’s new online casino regime. Once the auction and subsequent licensing process have been completed, the successful operators will be able to provide online casino services under the domestic framework, subject to the conditions attached to their licences.

The 29 September auction consequently marks the next formal stage in New Zealand’s transition to a capped and licensed online casino market. Up to 15 licences will ultimately be available, with each licence tied to an individual platform or brand and a maximum of three licences subject to significant influence by any single operator or group.