It’s looking like New Zealand is on the brink of a major overhaul of its gambling laws, with plans now firmly in motion to introduce a fully regulated online casino market by 2026.
The move, led by Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden, looks to bring long-overdue oversight to a sector that is currently being taken advantage of by offshore operators.
While online sports betting has been legal since 2003, online casinos and poker have been left in the lurch, leaving Kiwi players exposed to offshore sites that often lack consumer protections.
To tackle this, the New Zealand government has a new Online Gambling Bill in the works, which will set out a framework for licensed, legal iGaming in the country.
Speaking on the initiative, van Velden said the legislation is designed to “facilitate a safer and compliant regulated online gambling market.”
The plan looks to issue licenses to a limited number of operators — capped at 15 — to maintain control and ensure quality is there.
“Currently, New Zealanders can and do gamble on thousands of offshore gambling websites,” van Velden said. “By introducing a regulatory system, my intention is to channel customers towards up to 15 licensed operators.”
In addition to establishing a legal iGaming market, the bill will enforce strict advertising standards, especially around misleading content and marketing to minors.
Licensed operators will also be required to adopt robust responsible gambling measures, and if they’re found to be non-compliant, there are potential fines of up to NZ$5 million (US$2.5 million).
If all goes to plan, legislation will be introduced by the end of this month, with licensing potentially opening as early as February 2026, meaning the first legal online casinos could go live by April 2026.
Van Velden emphasized that this reform is not about increasing gambling participation but making it safer for those who already engage.
“My goal is not to increase the amount of gambling that is happening online, but to enable New Zealanders who wish to play casino games online to do so more safely than they can do today,” she said.
Beyond consumer protection, the economic rationale is clear. By licensing and taxing iGaming locally, New Zealand stands to recapture millions currently lost to overseas platforms, mirroring the fiscal gains seen in markets like the United States.
