Key points:
- New Zealand plans to cap online casino licences at 15 and require age verification for users
- A ban on advertisements targeting children is part of the new regulations, with sizeable fines for violations
- The proposal aims to protect consumers and enhance safety in online gambling
The New Zealand Government has announced plans to introduce stricter regulations for the country’s online casino industry, aiming to cap the number of operator licences and enforce measures to protect minors and vulnerable users.
Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden revealed that the proposal, set to take effect by early 2026, will require online casino operators to implement age verification systems and ban advertisements directed at children.
The new licensing system is expected to permit up to 15 licensed online casino operators, with an explicit focus on protecting New Zealand consumers from unregulated offshore gambling websites.
Good to know: Violations of these new rules could result in penalties up to NZ$5m ($2.96m)
Commenting on the intention behind the new system, Brooke Van Velden stated: "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 today.
"Currently, New Zealanders can and do gamble on thousands of offshore gambling websites. By introducing a regulatory system my intention is to channel customers towards up to fifteen licensed operators."
As part of the proposed regulation, operators will be restricted to online casino games only, excluding sports betting and lottery products, and will be required to set a minimum age of 18 for users.
This marks a notable shift for New Zealand, which currently has no regulatory framework for online casino gambling, leaving consumer protections largely absent.
The proposed bill will go before Parliament in 2025, where further details around advertising standards and consumer protections will be developed.
