Online Casino Gambling Act 2026 explained: licences, advertising and player rules

Timeline

The Act is the Online Casino Gambling Act 2026 (2026 No 14). The detailed rules sit in the Online Casino Gambling Regulations 2026. The Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) is the regulator.

Licences and the auction

The Act allows up to 15 licences. Each licence covers one brand, lasts up to three years and can be renewed for up to five more, and no company may hold more than three. DIA sold the right to apply for a licence in an ascending clock auction that closed on 12 October 2026 at NZ$15 million per licence.

Eleven companies won rights to apply: Baytree Interactive Ltd (3 rights), Christchurch Online NZ Ltd, One Casino Ltd, Playvia Gaming (NZ) Ltd (2 rights), Rock Swift Group Ltd (2 rights), Rush Entertainment Ltd, Skill On Net Ltd, SkyCity NZ Online NO1 Ltd, SkyCity NZ Online NO2 Ltd, Stake New Zealand Ltd, TAB New Zealand. Winning the auction is not a licence. DIA still has to grant each licence, and the casino brands will only be published on DIA's public register once a licence is granted.

Advertising and affiliates

Since 1 May 2026, only licensed operators may advertise online casino gambling to people in New Zealand. DIA can issue take-down notices, and penalties reach $300,000 for an individual and $5 million for a company. DIA says these can be issued to "anyone who publishes an unlawful advertisement", not only to the casino. The Act's definition of advertising includes endorsements, sponsorships and similar third-party arrangements.

Licensed operators also face strict rules. They cannot use sponsorships, personal endorsements or affiliate arrangements, meaning deals where a publisher is paid when a referred player signs up, deposits, plays or loses. DIA's guidance says pay-per-impression and pure pay-per-click deals are likely to be permissible. Licensed ads must carry DIA's registration icon, cannot run during a live broadcast or within 30 minutes either side of it, cannot appear on public transport, must not use urgency messaging or vague claims about winnings, and cannot run where more than 20% of the likely audience is under 18. Editorial-style ads must be clearly disclosed up front.

Player protections

Licensed sites must verify that players are 18 or over and must not accept credit cards or other credit. Players must be prompted to set daily, weekly or monthly limits on time, deposits and spending, and raising or removing a limit only takes effect after 24 hours. There must be breaks of at least five minutes after 60 minutes of play, time-outs and pop-up alerts, and only one pokie may be played at a time, with no autoplay.

Self-exclusion is set by the player, can be indefinite, cannot be shortened, and takes effect within 24 hours. The Act allows for a central self-exclusion register, but the 2026 Regulations do not create one yet, so self-exclusion currently works site by site.

Bonuses and inducements

A bonus that needs none of your own money is capped at $100. Where you must deposit or bet, the cap is the lesser of $100 or 200% of your deposit or bet. Players get at least 60 days to meet the terms, and operators must let players withdraw winnings from an inducement without any requirement to use them for gambling. Sign-up offers can only be advertised on the operator's own licensed platform. If you are weighing an offer from an offshore site, our wagering calculator shows how much betting its terms require.

Offshore casinos today

DIA says it is not illegal for someone in New Zealand to gamble on overseas websites, but the protections then depend on the country hosting the site. DIA's player page says there are currently no changes for online casino customers. What has changed is advertising: overseas casinos must not advertise to New Zealanders, and the Gambling Act 2003 also makes advertising overseas gambling an offence.

What is still unclear

Which brands will launch, and when, depends on DIA's licensing decisions. A national self-exclusion register needs further regulations. And how the advertising rules apply to particular publishers and media is for DIA and the courts, not for us — this guide is general information, not legal advice.