New Zealand is set to license online casinos and online poker rooms, under a new regulation aimed at minimizing harm, boosting tax collection, and providing protection to consumers, as announced by Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden.
The Government of New Zealand is expected to establish a regulatory framework by early 2026, with a limited number of licenses available through an auction process. All the licenses will be valid for three years, and operators will need to renew these licenses after the valid period. However, if the operator fails to meet the regulatory requirements, regulators have the authority to revoke the license validity before 3 years.
According to Mr Van Velden, the government will allow licensed operators to advertise under strict limitations, but they will not permit sponsorship. These licenses will apply exclusively to online casino games, such as poker, but won’t support sports betting and lottery products.
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden said, “There will be a licensing system for online casinos, requiring operators to comply with a set of criteria before offering services to New Zealanders. It will be illegal for unlicensed operators to offer services to the locals.”
He said the government doesn’t have any motives to increase the amount of gambling among New Zealanders with this new regulation, but to ensure that gambling operators meet requirements for consumer protection and harm minimization, as well as paying taxes.
He further said that the public will have the option to provide feedback during the Select Committee process. After the establishment of the regulatory system. The Department of Internal Affairs will serve as the regulator. The government will reveal some details later this year.
The Government of New Zealand has been very strict regarding gambling. While gambling is legal in the country, only 5 casinos are operating in the nation. Online gambling has been prohibited in the country. However, this new regulation will now allow popular online poker operators to enter New Zealand legally.
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