There are no licensed online casinos in New Zealand yet, because online casino licences are new. As at 8 October 2026 the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) has not issued any, and DIA says the licensed regime is not expected to be fully operational until 2027. This page explains what a licence under the new law means, where licensing stands, how you will be able to check a licence and how a licensed operator differs from an unlicensed one.

BonusOut is an information website. We do not operate gambling and we do not issue licences. Nothing on this page recommends an operator, and we have not listed any online casino here, because DIA has not published a list of licensed operators. This page gives general information and is not legal advice.

What an online casino licence means

The Online Casino Gambling Act 2026 (the Act) allows an operator to provide online casino gambling to a person in New Zealand only under a licence (section 9). A licence names the operator and the brand, lasts for a limited time and comes with rules that the operator can be measured against. DIA is the regulator.

According to the Act and DIA:

  • Number – no more than 15 licences can be held at any one time, and no one can have significant influence over more than three of them (section 19(3)).
  • One brand – each licence covers a single brand and the platforms players use to reach it.
  • Duration – a licence is valid for up to three years and can be renewed for a further five years.

A licence is not a measure of quality. It tells you who is responsible for an operator and which rules apply to it. It does not tell you that gambling with that operator is safe, or that you will win or be paid.

What a licensed operator has to do

The Act and the Online Casino Gambling (Minimum Standards) 2026 set duties that a licensed operator has to meet. Among them:

  • Age – an operator must take all reasonable steps to make sure that a person who gambles on its platform is at least 18 years old (section 38).
  • Limits – time, deposit and spend limit functions must be easy to access on the platform, and so must the ability to set breaks in play, time-outs and pop-up alerts.
  • Self-exclusion – a platform must keep an accurate and current register of customers who have self-excluded from it. Self-exclusion therefore works platform by platform. The Act provides for regulations to establish a register of people who wish to be excluded from online casino gambling, but none exists yet.
  • No credit – anyone who conducts online casino gambling must not offer or provide credit that they know, or ought to know, is intended to be used for gambling (section 42).
  • Complaints – an operator must have a publicly available complaints process and must investigate and respond to a complaint within 40 working days of receiving it (section 45).

These are the standards a licensed operator is held to.

Where licensing stands

DIA is licensing online casinos in three steps. The dates below are the ones DIA gives, checked on 8 October 2026.

StepWhat it isWhen
1. Expressions of interestOperators tell DIA they want to take part17 July to 14 August 2026 (closed)
2. AuctionOperators compete for the right to apply for one of up to 15 licences29 September 2026 (the date DIA set)
3. Licence applicationsSuccessful bidders may submit full applications, which DIA assessesOctober 2026 (DIA’s timetable)
Fully operationalThe licensed regime is expected to be fully in place2027 (DIA’s timetable)

Winning the auction gives an operator the right to apply. It is not a licence. As at 8 October 2026 DIA has not published the outcome of the auction and has not issued any licence. No online casino can therefore be shown to hold a licence under the Act yet.

The dates DIA expects, such as October 2026 and 2027, can move. We will review this page when the outcome of the auction is published and again when the first licences are issued.

What changes on 1 December 2026

From 1 December 2026, an operator that has not applied for a licence must stop providing online casino gambling in New Zealand. An operator that was already providing it on 1 May 2026 and applies before 1 December 2026 may carry on until DIA decides on its application, and no later than 1 June 2027 (Schedule 1 of the Act). DIA calls this an exemption. If an application is declined, the operator must leave the market.

The exemption covers operating, not advertising: DIA says these operators may continue to operate without advertising. The exemption lifts the prohibition in section 9(1) for a time; it does not give the operator a licence. Applying for a licence is therefore not the same as holding one.

These rules are addressed to operators. This page does not say whether you may play on a particular site, and we make no claim of our own about that. For a question about your own situation, speak to a lawyer.

What a licence covers and what it does not

The licensing regime covers online casino gambling as the Act defines it: gambling at a distance through a communication device, including games run by a random number generator, table games and bets on computer-simulated sporting events.

Betting on a physical sporting event is not part of this regime, because the Act’s definition of gambling leaves it out. Nor is class 3 gambling in the form of a lottery run by a class 3 operator. These activities and land-based gambling are dealt with under other law, such as the Gambling Act 2003 and the Racing Industry Act 2020. This page does not cover them.

The Act speaks of licences granted under the Act. A licence from a regulator in another country is a different matter. It is issued under that country’s rules, and it does not tell you whether an operator holds a licence under the Act.

How you will be able to check a licence

Today there is nothing to check against, because no licence has been issued. DIA says it will publish a public register of licensed online casinos. The Act requires the register to be available online and kept up to date, and sets out what it must contain:

  • For each operator – an address for service in New Zealand, a description of the platform and how people reach it, and a summary of enforcement action taken against it.
  • For each licence – when it starts and expires, its conditions, and whether it is current, suspended, cancelled, surrendered or expired.

We could not find the name or address of the register yet. We will link to it from this page when DIA publishes it.

Licensed operators must also display a unique registration icon on their platforms and in their advertising, and must remove it within 24 hours of a licence being suspended, cancelled, surrendered or expiring (section 41). An icon is still an image, and an image can be copied. The entry on the register is the evidence.

When the register opens, check a site this way:

  1. Find out who runs the site. Look for the name of the company behind the brand, not only the brand.
  2. Open DIA’s website yourself. Type the address instead of following a link from the casino.
  3. Compare the details. The company name, the brand and the web address must match the entry on the register.
  4. Read the status. A licence that is suspended, cancelled, surrendered or expired is not a current licence. The summary of enforcement action is on the same entry.

Until the register exists, treat any statement that a site holds a New Zealand licence as something you cannot yet confirm. Our guide Is an online casino licensed in New Zealand? How to check goes through the steps in more detail, and our section Online casino scams and complaints shows where to turn if a site does not add up.

Licensed and unlicensed operators

An operator that holds a licence answers to DIA and to the rules described above. DIA says you will be able to complain about a licensed online casino either directly to the casino or to DIA.

DIA describes that route for licensed casinos. For an operator without a licence, DIA puts it plainly: “If you decide to use an unlicensed platform, you won’t have the same player protections.” The limits, the self-exclusion register, the complaints process and the age checks described above are standards for licensed operators.

The difference in protection is real, and it is better understood before you deposit than after.

Gambling more safely

A licence tells you who supervises an operator. It does not tell you how much you can afford to spend. Set limits before you start, and gamble only with money you can afford to lose.

If gambling is causing harm to you or to someone close to you, the Gambling Helpline offers free support on 0800 654 655, or you can text 8006. Our page Safer gambling sets out the principles we follow. If you have a question about this page, write to us at info@bonusout-nz.com.

References

All pages were checked on 8 October 2026.

18+ Gambling can be harmful and can become addictive. Support: Gambling Helpline 0800 654 655

Last updated: 8 October 2026