Gradually, more and more countries around the world are coming alive to the fact that online casinos are not just here to stay, but getting bigger and better all the time. This is in sharp contrast to attitudes over recent decades. Generally, these have been to simply not acknowledge the existence of online casinos. This means that there have been no specific laws either permitting or banning them, with a few exceptions.
The UK is one of these outliers. Ever since a major overhaul of gambling laws by Tony Blair’s New Labour government in 2005, this country has licensed online casinos.
What’s more, it set up its independent regulator, the Gambling Commission, in 2007. This is a body responsible for the licensing of operators and ensuring that they act fairly and responsibly.
Now, one of the latest countries that is going to follow the UK model is New Zealand. So while it seems to be cracking down on the number of people emigrating to the so-called “Land of the Long White Cloud,” it is preparing to open its doors to offshore online casinos.
The New Rules
For some time, the New Zealand Government has been mulling over the idea of issuing a fixed number of licences for online casinos, and by the middle of 2025, these aims have become well advanced, if not finalised. The plans, as they stand, are to issue a total of 15 licences initially, possibly to extend this number depending on how the experiment goes.
The legislation behind the plan is called the Online Casino Gambling Bill and was introduced to the New Zealand Parliament on June 30th, 2025.
Under the proposals, online casino operators wanting to apply for licences will need to undergo a three-step process. There will be an initial expression of interest followed by a phase of competitive bidding to secure one of the 15 licences on offer. Finally, formal applications will need to be scrutinised and approved by the Department of Internal Affairs.
Once awarded, it’s envisaged that each licence will be valid for three years with the option to extend it for a further five years. The sorts of sums being required to secure a licence have not been announced yet, perhaps because it’s hoped that the market will decide.
Busting the Booming Offshore Market
One of the main reasons for trying to regulate the online gambling market is that it’s estimated that New Zealanders currently spend between NZ$500 million and NZ$900 million on online gambling with operators registered offshore, which represents a lost opportunity to collect tax. Some of these operators aren’t reliable; they could be untrustworthy, slow, or just plain bad.
Because of this, New Zealanders’ best option is to check a review site to make sure they will be playing quality, legitimate games. Residents aren’t currently short of options, so Casino.org researches deposits to get players the best possible deal and will only recommend tried and tested providers. In a growing market, knowing where you stand is more important than anything, and having a solid foundation of knowledge can mean the difference between a great and disastrous time.
While the new gambling law still has to pass through the legislative process, already it has been announced that operators, both licensed and unlicensed, could face fines of up to NZ$5 million for breaches of regulations. There have also been intimations that fairly strict rules will be imposed on advertising for the new casinos.
Who’s in the Frame?
It’s too early for any potential licensees to show their intentions. But one can be reasonably confident that many of the big names from the US and the UK will be interested. There is sure to be a very thorough process of due diligence behind any application. So only the sort of operator who is well-reviewed online will have a chance.
They will probably also need an unblemished record where they are currently operating in other countries, and any fines or sanctions imposed in the past will almost certainly exclude them.
Dissenting Voices
It has to be said that not everyone is 100% in favour of the proposals. One of the most vocal critics is the SkyCity Entertainment Group. Owners of the country’s four biggest land-based casinos have been actively canvassing to get the number of potential licences reduced from the proposed 15.
They undoubtedly have a vested interest in reducing the level of competition they face, particularly as their profits have been on something of a downward trajectory in the last couple of years. There has also been considerable pushback from over 50 sporting organisations in the country who fear that little, if any, of the taxes and licence money raised will be put back into community sports and other activities.
Whether either the sports bodies or SkyCity will be successful in changing the proposals remains to be seen. But the momentum does seem to be very much behind the Department of Internal Affairs, so the writing could already be on the wall.
