The New Zealand government is moving towards the full regulation of online casinos in 2026 with the goal of providing consumer protections which are currently unavailable through the unregulated offshore casino market.
Proposed New Regulations Highlights
- Licensing system in place by 2026 New Zealand Moving Closer to Regulated Online Casino Market New Zealand Moving Closer to Regulated Online Casino Market
- Sports betting and lottery not included New Zealand Moving Closer to Regulated Online Casino Market
- Advertising allowed but under strict conditions
- Sponsorships by online casinos to remain banned
- Department of Internal Affairs to regulate the industry
Under the proposed new regulations, a licensing system for online casinos operating in New Zealand would be introduced by 2026. These rules would require operators to secure licenses, comply with strict consumer protection standards, and pay taxes on revenue.
New Zealand Moving Closer to Regulated Online Casino Market“There will be a licencing system for online casinos, where operators will need to comply with a set of criteria before they will be able to offer services to New Zealanders. It will be illegal for unlicensed operators to offer services to New Zealanders.
New Zealand Moving Closer to Regulated Online Casino MarketI expect the new regulatory system to be in place from early 2026 and the public will have the opportunity to provide feedback during the Select Committee process. Once established, the Department of Internal Affairs will be the regulator.”
Current Market Status
New Zealand Moving Closer to Regulated Online Casino Market is currently something of a gray area.According to New Zealand’s Gambling Act 2003, locally-based online casinos are banned, but international (offshore) casinos are technically legal as they are breaking no laws by allowing New Zealanders to access them.
The government has made it a priority to reduce the harms of problem gambling by moving local gamblers away from international casinos that offer no customer protections to locally-licensed platforms. It believes that a formal licensing structure would help minimize these risks, aligning New Zealand with other nations like the UK, Sweden, and the Netherlands, where online gambling regulations have proven effective.
New Offshore Tax Duty
New Zealand Moving Closer to Regulated Online Casino Market companies that operate locally. The offshore gambling duty will require offshore online gambling operators to pay a 12% duty on their profits, in addition to the existing Goods and Services Tax (GST). This measure aims to ensure that operators contribute fairly to New Zealand’s tax revenue.The policy came into effect in July of 2024.
Olivia has worked as an editor and writer for major brands across multiple niches. She now focuses on the iGaming and sports betting industries.