What does the Online Casino Gambling Act 2026 change for people in New Zealand who play at online casinos, and when? The Act has been in force since 1 May 2026 and creates licences issued by the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA), up to 15 in all. From 1 December 2026, only a licence holder, or an existing operator that has applied for one, may run an online casino for people here.

DIA says, as at 6 October 2026: “There are currently no changes for online casino customers in New Zealand.” The rules arrive in stages, and the first licences are not expected until early 2027. This guide reads the Act and the Regulations, then sets out what each rule means for a player’s account.

What the Act sets out to do

The full title is the Online Casino Gambling Act 2026 (Public Act 2026 No 14), which received Royal assent on 28 April 2026. Section 3 says the Act exists to:

  • establish a licensing regime for online casino gambling;
  • prohibit the conduct and advertisement of unlicensed online casino gambling;
  • prevent and minimise harm from online casino gambling;
  • protect consumers who participate in online casino gambling; and
  • ensure that money from online casino gambling benefits the community.

The rules sit in three layers. The Act sets the framework. The Online Casino Gambling Regulations 2026 (SL 2026/169) were issued on 2 June 2026 and came into force on 3 July 2026, and they hold most of the detail that reaches a player’s account. A third instrument, the Online Casino Gambling (Minimum Standards) 2026, covers operators’ technology and is not read here.

DIA is the regulator, and it says the regime is not expected to be fully operational until 2027. Other kinds of gambling, including class 4 gambling, stay under the Gambling Act 2003 and other laws.

Key dates and licences

The Act does not switch on all at once. The table lists each date with the provision or page it comes from.

DateWhat happensSource
28 April 2026Royal assentThe Act
1 May 2026The Act comes into force, and advertising without a licence is prohibitedAct, ss 2(1) and 10
3 July 2026The Regulations come into forceRegulations, reg 2
1 December 2026Existing operators that have not applied for a licence must stop, and the offence in section 66 startsAct, Schedule 1 and s 2(2)(a)
1 January 2027Sections 81 to 86 start, covering duty and related amendmentsAct, s 2(2)(b)
From early 2027DIA expects to start issuing licencesDIA, information for players
1 June 2027Latest date an applicant can keep operating without a decisionAct, Schedule 1
By 1 December 2027The Minister must recommend regulations for an exclusion registerAct, s 75(3)

Section 19(3) sets two limits: no more than 15 licences held at any time, and no one person with significant influence over more than three. DIA says a licence is “valid for a period of up to three years, with the possibility to renew for a further five years”. DIA’s process for the right to apply included an expression of interest stage and an auction set for 29 September 2026. The sources read do not report the result, and as at 6 October 2026 no licence has been issued. The steps are set out in the guide to the 15 online casino licences and the key dates.

Who does the Act apply to, and what does it cover?

The prohibitions are aimed at the people who run and advertise online casinos. Section 9(1) allows someone to run an online casino “in a manner that enables a person who is in New Zealand to participate” only under a licence, and section 4 says that rule applies whether or not the person is in New Zealand.

Sport and racing are handled elsewhere. DIA says sports and racing betting is regulated under the Racing Industry Act 2020 and the Gambling Act 2003, and that since 28 June 2025 online racing and sports betting is prohibited unless it is run by TAB NZ. For how these pieces fit together, see how online casino law fits with the rest of New Zealand’s gambling rules.

What a licensed operator must do, and what it means for your account

This section describes duties on a licensed operator. As at 6 October 2026, DIA has issued no licences, so it covers what is coming, not what a player can use today.

Age and identity

Section 38 says an operator “must take all reasonable steps to ensure that a person who participates in online casino gambling on the operator’s platform is at least 18 years old.” Under regulation 15, the operator collects a customer’s name and date of birth before the account is activated, and regulation 16 requires it to verify identity and age.

In practice, expect those questions at sign-up.

Limits and breaks

Regulation 5 requires the operator to let you set daily, weekly or monthly limits on how long you play, on deposits and on spend. It must prompt you to set limits when the account is opened, and every month after that if you have not set a particular limit. Raising or removing a limit has to wait at least 24 hours after the request. Under regulation 6(3)(a), you can also set a break in play of at least 5 minutes after 60 minutes of continuous play. That is an option, not an automatic pause. The Regulations name no default amounts.

In practice, a deposit limit set on a calm day cannot be raised on impulse, because any increase waits at least 24 hours.

Pokies, payments and your money

Under regulation 14(3), an operator may not let a customer play more than one online slot game at a time, or offer autoplay. “Online slot game” is the Regulations’ term for what players call online pokies. Credit is ruled out as well: section 42 stops an operator offering credit it knows, or ought to know, is meant for gambling, and regulation 18(1)(a) bars payment methods that involve a credit contract, a credit card for example. A customer registers one deposit method when the account is created, and cannot change it within 24 hours of registering it (regulation 20).

The operator must keep uncommitted customer funds in a bank account separate from its own accounts (regulation 21(1)(d)). You can ask to close the account and withdraw your money (regulation 21(1)(e)), and the money must be paid out without undue delay once legal requirements are met (regulation 21(3)). The money is returned using the deposit method registered on the account or, where that is not possible, a different withdrawal method you choose. The Regulations give no number of days.

In practice, the balance sits apart from the operator’s own money and is returned, where possible, by the method used to deposit. Ask for the operator’s own timeframe in writing.

Self-exclusion

Under section 40, an operator must take all reasonable steps to make sure a person who asks to be excluded is excluded. Regulation 8 lets you choose the period, including an indefinite one, and the period cannot be shortened. The operator must act without undue delay and no later than 24 hours after the request. Coming back needs the period to end, a deliberate decision from you and another 24 hours.

It applies platform by platform. There is no national register yet: section 75(3) says the Minister must, “no later than 1 December 2027”, recommend regulations that set up “a register of persons who wish to be excluded from online casino gambling”. Until then, excluding yourself at one operator does not cover any other.

If gambling is affecting you or someone in your whānau, the Gambling Helpline offers free support on 0800 654 655, or you can text 8006.

Complaints

Section 45 requires a publicly available complaints procedure and a resolution within 40 working days of a complaint being received. Regulation 24 adds a written acknowledgement within 24 hours, and a complaint can be made within six months of the event or of learning about it. Under section 68, a complaint can go to DIA in writing without first going to the operator, and DIA says players will be able to complain either to the casino directly or to DIA as the regulator.

A complaint is only as useful as the place it can be sent. As at 6 October 2026, the DIA page for players gives no complaint form or address for player complaints, only an email address for reporting unlawful advertising and a form for general questions.

In practice, the 40 working days and the route to DIA belong to licensed operators. Neither is promised for an unlicensed operator.

What DIA actually checks

Three tools stand out in the Act: a public register, a registration icon and a scale of penalties. The first two depend on licences being issued.

The register

Under section 74, DIA keeps a register with details of each operator, including an address for service in New Zealand, a description of the platform and a summary of any enforcement action taken against the operator. For each licence it records the dates, the conditions and the status, from current to expired, and the register must be available on the internet. DIA says it will publish a public register of licensed online casinos. As at 6 October 2026 that register has not been published, so there is no address yet to check an operator against.

The registration icon

Section 41 requires a licensed operator to show a registration icon on its platform and in every visual advertisement, and a registration audio mark in audio advertisements. If a licence is suspended, cancelled, surrendered or expires, the icon must come down as soon as reasonably practicable and within 24 hours. A site without a licence must not display it.

An icon is a claim that anyone can copy. A register entry is a record. Once the register exists, check the operator there and note the date.

Penalties

Under section 61, the High Court can order a civil pecuniary penalty on DIA’s application. Section 62(4) says “for an individual, the limit is $300,000” and “for any other person, the limit is $5 million”.

Where DIA’s reach ends

DIA says a player on an unlicensed platform does not have the same player protections. The sources read do not say whether DIA can recover a player’s money, so no promise is made here.

Advertising

Section 10(1) allows an online casino advertisement only if it is published in accordance with a licence. DIA says takedown notices and increased penalties can be issued to anyone who publishes, or arranges to publish, an unlawful advertisement on behalf of an online casino gambling provider. DIA says penalties of up to $5 million apply to unlawful advertising, and existing operators that carry on during the transition must do so without advertising to people in New Zealand. For licence holders, DIA’s initial advertising decisions include prohibiting affiliate marketing and paid endorsements, and regulation 40 lists sponsorship, personal endorsements and advertisements involving an affiliate arrangement among the prohibited forms of advertisement.

What happens if an online casino is not licensed?

Operators that served people in New Zealand before 1 May 2026 may carry on until 1 December 2026. After that, an operator that has not applied for a licence must stop, and one that has applied may continue until the day after DIA notifies its decision or until 1 June 2027, whichever is earlier. DIA says all other online casinos must exit the market.

Schedule 1 puts the cut-off plainly: “In all other cases, the prohibition in section 9(1) does not apply to the person until 1 December 2026.” DIA adds that operators allowed to continue “will be permitted to operate under an exemption while their applications undergo a rigorous assessment process.”

In practice, there will be a period, from 1 December 2026 until licences are issued, when sites operate under an exemption, without a licence and, as at 6 October 2026, without a published register to check. As things stand, a player would have no official place to look an operator up during that period.

Your balance

No source read says what happens to a balance at an operator that leaves the market, and regulation 21 protects customer funds held by licence holders. If an operator announces that it is leaving, ask in writing what will happen to your balance, and keep statements, screenshots and messages with their dates. Nothing in these sources shows that money can be recovered.

Where the player stands

The prohibitions in sections 9 and 10 are written for those who run and advertise online casinos. The part of the Act headed “Offence” includes section 66: a person commits an offence by participating in online casino gambling on behalf of a person in New Zealand who is under 18, knowing or being reckless as to whether that person is under 18. The fine is up to $10,000, and the section starts on 1 December 2026. Whether anything else in the Act touches players is a question for the Act itself or a lawyer.

What is still to come

DIA expects to start issuing licences from early 2027, and the sources read give no date for the public register it plans. The exclusion register has a longer runway, with regulations due to be recommended by 1 December 2027.

Inland Revenue says a 12% online gambling duty applies to online gambling operators, and section 82 of the Act replaces “the rate of 12%” with “the rate of 16%” from 1 January 2027. That charge falls on operators and does not change a player’s account directly.

This guide describes the position as at 6 October 2026. It needs reviewing after 1 December 2026, after 1 January 2027 and once the first licences are issued.

Where to report and where to get help

The route depends on who is on the other side of the problem. These steps cover most cases:

  1. Keep every email, screenshot and receipt, and note the date on each.
  2. Write to the operator and ask for its complaints procedure. A licence holder must have a public one.
  3. If the operator is licensed, a complaint can also go straight to DIA. Once the register exists, confirm the operator there first.
  4. Tell your bank about any payment you do not recognise.
  5. If you think you were the target of a scam, report the site to Netsafe.

For free support at any stage, call the Gambling Helpline on 0800 654 655 or text 8006. More on limits, exclusion and support is in safer gambling tools and where to get support. This guide gives general information and is not legal advice.

Common questions about the Online Casino Gambling Act 2026

When did the Online Casino Gambling Act 2026 come into force?

The Act came into force on 1 May 2026, under section 2(1). Sections 66 and 67 start on 1 December 2026, and sections 81 to 86 start on 1 January 2027.

How many online casino licences will New Zealand have?

Up to 15 at any one time, and section 19(3) limits any one person to significant influence over no more than three. DIA says a licence is valid for up to three years. As at 6 October 2026, no licence has been issued.

How old do you have to be to play at a licensed online casino?

You must be at least 18. Section 38 requires an operator to take all reasonable steps to make sure that anyone playing on its platform is 18 or older, and regulation 16 requires it to verify identity and age.

Can you pay with a credit card at a licensed online casino?

No. Regulation 18(1)(a) bars an operator from accepting a payment method that involves a credit contract, a credit card for example, and section 42 stops an operator offering credit meant for gambling.

Does the Online Casino Gambling Act 2026 cover sports betting and the TAB?

DIA says sports and racing betting is regulated under the Racing Industry Act 2020 and the Gambling Act 2003, and that since 28 June 2025 online racing and sports betting is prohibited unless TAB NZ runs it. The Act covers online casino gambling, so sports betting follows separate rules.

How do you complain about a licensed online casino?

Start with the operator, which must have a public complaints procedure and resolve a complaint within 40 working days. A complaint can be made within six months of the event or of learning about it. Under section 68, it can also go to DIA without first going to the operator.

Sources

All sources were read on 6 October 2026.