Age assurance
Operators must take all reasonable steps to ensure people participating on the platform are at least 18.
New Zealand policy centre
Regulation.
A plain-English map of the agencies, statutes, transition dates and operating standards shaping casino activity in Aotearoa. Official sources always control.
Reviewed 21 August 2026Information, not legal advice18+ context
Lead briefing
A new online regime is being built in stages.
The Online Casino Gambling Act 2026 is in force. The first expression-of-interest stage has closed, regulations and minimum standards are published, and the Department of Internal Affairs is working toward a fully licensed system in 2027.
Who does what
The regulatory map.
Department of Internal Affairs
DIA leads gambling policy, licensing administration and compliance work under the wider system. For online casinos it is designing and implementing the new licensing, monitoring, complaint and enforcement framework.
New Zealand Gambling Commission
The independent statutory decision-making body considers matters including casino licence renewals, casino venue agreements, appeals and other functions given to it by legislation.
Parliament and New Zealand Legislation
Parliament creates and amends primary law. The New Zealand Legislation website is the authoritative publication point for Acts and secondary legislation.
Public-health and support network
Harm prevention, clinical services and community support sit across health agencies and contracted providers. The Gambling Helpline offers free, confidential support by phone and text.
Online casino timeline
From assent to full licensing.
Royal assent
The Online Casino Gambling Bill completes the parliamentary process and becomes the Online Casino Gambling Act 2026.
Act in force
The framework commences. Transitional permissions are limited to providers already serving New Zealand; advertising is prohibited during the transition.
Minimum standards commence
Technical and operational requirements establish a baseline alongside the regulations.
EOI stage closes
The deadline for the first stage of the licence-selection process passes.
Market-exit boundary
Up to 15 successful competitive-stage participants may supply under exemptions during assessment; all other online casinos must exit the New Zealand market.
Full licences expected
DIA anticipates beginning to issue licences, supported by a public register and regulator-specified registration mark.
Operating baseline
What the new standards cover.
The Act, regulations and minimum standards must be read together. This summary highlights themes; it is not a compliance checklist.
Limit friction
Time, deposit and spend limits must be accessible; increases or removal require a waiting period of at least 24 hours.
Exclusions
Platforms need processes for excluded people and controls capable of enforcing relevant account states.
No credit
The Act prohibits providing credit when it is known or ought to be known that the credit is intended for gambling.
Complaints
Licensed operators must maintain a complaints process and complaints register, with a route to the regulator.
Technical evidence
Payment security, data retention, system operation and suitable infrastructure hosting form part of the control environment.
Advertising
Licensed does not mean unrestricted.
Online-casino advertising to New Zealand customers is prohibited during the current transition. Under the licensed regime, the regulations set audience, placement and content controls.
Advertising must not be reasonably likely to reach an audience that is more than 20 percent under 18, appeal to minors or depict a person who is or appears under 25 participating in online casino gambling. Restrictions also cover public transport, the front page of multi-page physical publications, direct communication and placement around live broadcasts.
Regulator-specified harm-minimisation messages and identifying marks are designed to make licensed status and safer-gambling information more visible.
Land-based casinos
A separate established framework.
Land-based casino operations continue under the Gambling Act 2003 and casino-specific licences. DIA’s regulatory-stewardship material records six casinos in New Zealand. The Gambling Commission has statutory roles in casino licensing matters, including renewals and venue agreements.
Online and land-based frameworks should not be collapsed into one. They have different statutes, channels and supervisory mechanics even where they share objectives such as fairness, integrity and harm minimisation.
Go to the primary record.
For a decision or compliance question, read the current official text and obtain professional advice where appropriate.
DIA implementation hub · Online Casino Gambling Act 2026 · Gambling Commission