New Zealand Moves Toward Online Casino Regulation With 2025 Bill

For more than twenty years, New Zealand’s gambling law has left a gap that offshore casinos have filled with ease. The Gambling Act 2003 created a system where only TAB NZ and Lotto NZ could legally operate online, while the rest of the industry moved offshore, out of reach of local rules. That gap has now become too large to ignore.

With a new gambling bill now before Parliament, the question is not whether a New Zealand online casino offer as we know it, with secure play, reliable payouts and broad game variety, will be replaced, since the bill does not suggest such drastic move, but whether the high international standards can be met at home.

The Gambling Act 2003 was clear in its intent. It allowed only TAB NZ to run sports and racing bets online and Lotto NZ to operate lotteries and instant games. No licence could be issued to domestic casino operators, leaving the field wide open for overseas providers.

Players who wanted poker, blackjack or digital slots had little choice but to log in to offshore platforms. These sites delivered entertainment but operated outside local law. If winnings were withheld, New Zealand courts could not intervene, and the government collected no revenue from the play.

The Online Casino Gambling Bill introduced in June 2025 is designed to change that. For the first time, operators will be able to apply for licences that let them serve New Zealanders legally. The framework is deliberately tight, intended to be both controlled and credible.

Under the Bill, the government has confirmed it will issue just 15 online casino licences, allocated through a competitive auction process designed to keep the market limited but manageable for regulators. Each licence will be tied to a single platform or brand, and no operator will be able to hold more than three.

Licences will run for three years, with one possible renewal of up to five. Enforcement measures will be strong, including fines of up to NZ$5 million, take-down notices, and the power to apply rules even to offshore companies holding a New Zealand licence. The first approvals are expected between August and December 2026.

The financial aspects surrounding the new gambling bill are central to why lawmakers acted. New Zealanders spend about NZ$700 million a year on offshore casinos, a flow of money that has so far escaped local taxation and regulation.

The government sees regulation as a way to redirect part of that spending. By shifting activity into a licensed system, funds can be taxed and potential disputes resolved through domestic channels. The aim is not to close offshore access but to introduce a home-based alternative that works alongside it.

For players, the reform is likely to broaden their options rather than limit them. Offshore platforms will remain available, continuing to provide global jackpots, international tournaments and innovative game formats, while licensed casinos will add a domestic choice bound by New Zealand law on payouts and consumer safeguards.

That dual structure has already become a focus of debate in Parliament and industry circles. Proponents of the Bill emphasise that regulation will introduce consumer protections and accountability under New Zealand law. Concerns have also been raised that limiting the market to 15 licences may restrict variety compared to the international platforms that New Zealanders already use. The Select Committee process is expected to examine these issues in detail as submissions from political parties, operators and community groups are heard.

Inside Parliament, the Bill has drawn strong backing, passing its first reading with support from the coalition parties and the Greens. Labour and the Māori Party expressed concern about whether the proposed safeguards go far enough, and their arguments are expected to feature prominently in the committee stage.

Beyond the chamber, disagreement is just as evident. Community trusts that rely on gaming machine revenue fear reduced funding for grants, while problem-gambling advocates are calling for stricter advertising rules. Industry voices counter that most casino play already takes place online through offshore providers, and that the Bill is less about expansion than about recognising this reality.

By 2026, the first licences are expected to be active, and the test will be how well the new domestic system sits alongside the offshore market. Early years of operation will show whether regulation achieves its goals of accountability and tax revenue without disrupting a pattern of play that has already become deeply established.

What is certain is that New Zealand has chosen to define its own rules for online casino play after years of leaving the matter untouched. That decision signals a new phase, not of replacement, but of coexistence defined by the preferences of the players themselves.