How many online casino licences will New Zealand have, and does anyone hold one yet? The Online Casino Gambling Act 2026 allows up to 15 licences at any one time, and as at 8 October 2026 the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) has issued none.
DIA scheduled the auction that decides who may apply to begin on 29 September 2026, and it expects the first licences from early 2027. This guide sets out online casino licences in New Zealand in numbers and dates: the three stages, what changes on 1 December 2026, how long a licence lasts and what is still unknown. It will be updated when DIA announces the auction outcome and again when the first licences are issued. For the wider picture, read what the Online Casino Gambling Act 2026 changes for players.
The key dates at a glance
Three kinds of date appear in this guide. The Act fixes some of them (1 May 2026, 1 December 2026 and 1 June 2027), DIA set the auction date, and the entries marked “DIA expects” are expectations that can move.
| Date | What happens | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 1 May 2026 | The Act comes into force. No new provider may enter the market, and advertising without a licence is prohibited | The Act, ss 2(1) and 10; DIA |
| 17 July to 14 August 2026 | Stage 1: expressions of interest (closed) | DIA |
| 29 September 2026 | Stage 2: the auction begins | DIA |
| October 2026 | Stage 3: licence applications open (DIA expects) | DIA |
| 1 December 2026 | A provider that has not applied for a licence must stop offering online casino gambling in New Zealand | The Act, Schedule 1 cl 1(3); DIA |
| Early 2027 | First licences issued (DIA expects) | DIA |
| 1 June 2027 | Last day of the transitional exemption for applicants | The Act, Schedule 1 cl 1(2); DIA |
Dates are taken from the Online Casino Gambling Act 2026 and from DIA’s page for online casino providers. DIA’s pages and the Act’s commencement and transitional provisions were checked on 8 October 2026.
As at 8 October 2026, DIA has not published the outcome of the auction. DIA says the outcome will be publicly notified once the auction has concluded, and it does not publish the date the auction ends.
Three common assumptions about these dates do not match the sources: that 15 licensed casinos already exist, that everything else disappears on 1 December 2026, and that the winner of an auction is licensed.
How many online casino licences will there be in New Zealand?
At most 15 at any one time. The Act stops the Secretary for Internal Affairs (the Secretary) from granting a licence if more than 15 would be held. No licence has been issued to anyone as at 8 October 2026.
That makes 15 a ceiling, not a promise, and DIA’s own wording is “up to 15”. Each licence covers a single brand and the platforms players use to reach it. The Secretary grants licences, and DIA is the regulator.
One company cannot hold them all. Section 19(3) of the Act bars any person from having significant influence over more than three licences, and section 19(4) counts a person as having significant influence if they hold a licence or directly or indirectly control 20% or more of the voting power or securities of a holder.
A licence covers online casino gambling as the Act defines it. It does not cover betting on sport or racing, which only TAB NZ has been allowed to offer online since 28 June 2025, according to DIA. How online casino law fits with the rules for the TAB, Lotto and pokies is covered on the main online casino law page.
| Figure | What it measures | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 15 | Most licences held at any one time | The Act, s 19(3) |
| 3 | Most licences one person can have significant influence over | The Act, s 19(3) |
| 20% | Share of voting power or securities that counts as significant influence | The Act, s 19(4) |
| 3 years | Licence term, unless the Secretary sets a shorter one | The Act, s 24(1) |
| 5 years | Longest renewal, and a licence can be renewed once only | The Act, s 27(2) and (3) |
How is an online casino licence granted?
In three stages run by DIA: an expression of interest, an auction for the right to apply, and a full licence application assessed by the Secretary. Stage 1 closed on 14 August 2026, the auction was scheduled to begin on 29 September 2026, and DIA expects applications to open in October 2026.
- Expression of interest. Operators submitted an expression of interest. The Secretary accepted one only if the information was complete, capital requirements were met, key people had no relevant offences in the previous seven years, and New Zealand’s international reputation was not at risk. DIA has said it will not share final numbers or information about who is participating.
- Auction. A multi-round ascending clock auction for up to 15 lots. The price rises round by round as bidders drop out, and all winners pay the same price. Cabinet decided on an auction, which DIA says suits situations where transparency, fairness and confidence in the final price matter. DIA says the auction runs under strict probity requirements.
- Licence application. A successful bidder applies within 20 working days of being notified. The application includes a business plan and four strategies: advertising and marketing, consumer protection, harm prevention and minimisation, and compliance. A licence cannot be granted until the applicant shows it is willing and able to comply with the Act and suitable to hold a licence. If the Secretary refuses to grant a licence, the Act requires the amount paid for it to be refunded.
Winning is not the same as being licensed. DIA’s newsletter of 24 September 2026 says that success at auction “does not guarantee a licence will be granted”. A winner has the right to apply. The licence follows only if the Secretary is satisfied.
What does DIA actually check?
DIA checks the people behind an application, the money behind it and the plans for protecting players, and none of that is complete until a licence is granted.
At stage 1 the tests are the four listed above. At stage 3 DIA reads the business plan and the four strategies.
One limit matters. An operator continuing under the transitional exemption, explained below, is not yet licensed, so its stage 3 assessment is still to be decided. DIA says it may continue operating without advertising.
What changes on 1 December 2026?
From 1 December 2026, a provider that has not applied for a licence must stop offering online casino gambling in New Zealand. A provider that applied before that date, and was operating on 1 May 2026, may continue under a transitional exemption until its application is decided, or until 1 June 2027 at the latest.
Schedule 1, clause 1 of the Act sets this out. An applicant under section 17 before 1 December 2026 is not caught by the prohibition in section 9(1) until the earlier of the day after the Secretary notifies a decision and 1 June 2027. For any other provider the prohibition applies from 1 December 2026, and it falls on the provider.
What the transitional exemption covers
“Exemption” is DIA’s word. The Act says the prohibition “does not apply” until a date. Its limits are narrow.
- It reaches only a person who was conducting online casino gambling on 1 May 2026 in a way that let people in New Zealand take part, and that person must be the applicant. A new operator that succeeds at auction can start only with a licence.
- There is no exemption from the advertising ban. DIA says operators cannot advertise until they hold a licence.
- An operator under the exemption is not licensed. DIA says that on an unlicensed platform players do not have the same player protections.
DIA’s own notice of the outcome, not a news report, is the source to wait for.
What this means for your account
The effect depends on which of three situations an operator is in.
- The operator won at auction and applied. The Act lets it continue until the Secretary decides, and until 1 June 2027 at the latest, but it must not advertise and is not yet licensed.
- The operator did not apply. After 1 December 2026 the prohibition in section 9(1) applies to it, and DIA says it must cease. The DIA pages checked do not say what happens to player balances at an operator that leaves. The general steps are to ask for a refund of any balance and to keep dated emails and statements.
- The operator’s application is declined. The exemption ends the day after the Secretary notifies the refusal, and DIA says the provider must exit the market.
The exemption ends no later than 1 June 2027, and an applicant that has not been granted a licence by then must stop offering online casino gambling. Any change of site can also be a natural moment to set a deposit limit or take a break.
How long does a licence last?
Three years from the date it is granted, unless the Secretary sets a shorter period in the licence. A licence can be renewed once, for up to five years, and the operator must apply at least six months before it expires.
A licence is not transferable to another person, according to the Act. The Act also provides for suspension, cancellation and surrender, and the Secretary can impose, change or remove conditions.
How will you be able to tell who is licensed?
Through a public register that the Secretary must keep under section 74 of the Act. DIA says it will publish a register of licensed online casinos, but as at 8 October 2026 none has been published, because no licence has been issued. Its name and web address are not yet known.
Section 74 of the Act says the register will cover each operator and each licence, including its start and expiry dates, its conditions, whether it has been renewed, and whether it is current, suspended, cancelled, surrendered or expired.
Licensed operators must also display a unique registration icon on their platforms and in visual advertising, and play a registration audio mark in audio advertising. Both must be removed within 24 hours of the licence being suspended, cancelled or surrendered, or after it expires. The Act leaves the design of both to the Secretary, who sets what is required.
The register gives the icon its meaning. A licence that a player cannot check in the register protects them no more than a logo in the footer. Once licences exist, the record in the register, with the date it was checked written down, is the evidence to rely on. Licensed operators must also take all reasonable steps to ensure that people taking part are at least 18.
Licensed operators pay an online gambling duty and levies. Whether a player’s own winnings are taxed is a separate question, covered in whether gambling winnings are taxed in New Zealand.
What is still not known
- The auction outcome, including how many lots sold and at what price. DIA says it will be publicly notified.
- Which operators won the right to apply.
- The date of the first licences. DIA says only “from early 2027”.
- The name and address of the public register.
- What the registration icon will look like. The Act leaves that to the Secretary.
- Whether and how any licence that is not granted will be offered again.
- What happens to player balances at operators that leave. The DIA pages checked are silent on it.
Where to report and where to get help
DIA takes reports of online casino advertising without a licence at onlinegambling@dia.govt.nz. For licensed operators, DIA says players will be able to complain either to the operator or to DIA, but that route opens only once licences exist. More is on DIA’s page for players.
If gambling is causing harm to you or someone in your whānau, the Gambling Helpline offers free support on 0800 654 655, or you can text 8006. For limits, breaks and other tools, see safer gambling tools and support. The online casino law guides cover the rest of the rules. This guide gives general information and is not legal advice.
Frequently asked questions
How many online casino licences will there be in New Zealand?
Up to 15 at any one time, under section 19(3) of the Online Casino Gambling Act 2026. DIA’s own wording is “up to 15”. Each licence covers one brand, and one person can have significant influence over no more than three.
Has any online casino been licensed in New Zealand yet?
No. As at 8 October 2026 DIA has not issued a licence, and it expects to start issuing them from early 2027. DIA scheduled the auction for the right to apply to begin on 29 September 2026 and has not yet published its outcome.
Does winning the auction mean an online casino is licensed?
No. DIA says winning the auction gives a prospective operator the right to apply for a licence, and it does not guarantee that one will be granted. The Secretary must still be satisfied that the applicant is suitable to hold a licence.
What happens on 1 December 2026?
A provider that has not applied for a licence must stop offering online casino gambling in New Zealand. A provider that applied before that date, and was operating on 1 May 2026, may continue until its application is decided or until 1 June 2027, but may not advertise.
What is the 1 June 2027 deadline?
It is the latest day the transitional exemption can last for an applicant, under Schedule 1 of the Act. An applicant that has not been granted a licence by 1 June 2027 must stop offering online casino gambling and leave the New Zealand market.
How long does an online casino licence last?
Three years from the date it is granted, unless the Secretary sets a shorter period. It can be renewed once, for up to five years, and the operator must apply at least six months before it expires. A licence is not transferable to another person.
Sources
These sources support the dates and figures on online casino licences in New Zealand above.
- Online Casino Gambling Act 2026, New Zealand Legislation: sections 2, 5, 9, 10, 15, 17, 19, 21, 23 to 30, 37, 38, 41, 74 and Schedule 1. Checked on 8 and 9 October 2026.
- Information for online casino providers: licensing and compliance, DIA (updated 15 September 2026). Checked on 8 and 9 October 2026.
- Information for online casino customers, DIA. Checked on 8 and 9 October 2026.
- Resources for providers, DIA (updated 24 September 2026): newsletters of 10, 22 and 24 September 2026. Page checked on 8 October 2026; newsletters checked on 9 October 2026.
- The Gambling Helpline: 0800 654 655, text 8006. Checked on 8 October 2026.