New Zealand’s gambling world is currently going through one of the biggest shakeups for… well, decades – and the person who’s behind all of the new changes is ACT Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden.
Her Online Casino Gambling Bill is designed to bring online casino gambling under New Zealand law for the first time. This has, predictably, been met with criticism from anti-gambling campaigners, and praise, from the industry.
Brooke van Velden is New Zealand’s Minister of Internal Affairs, and she serves as part of the National-ACT-New Zealand First coalition government. She represents the Tāmaki electorate in Auckland and is the Deputy Leader of the ACT Party.
In quite an ironic twist, van Velden is probably one of the least likely people to ever open an online casino. She’s claimed to have never purchased a lotto ticket in her life, has never played pokies, and has described debate about who should benefit from gambling proceeds as “icky.” And yet… here she is, leading one of the most important gambling-related pieces of legislation in the Western world for decades!
Now, the bill that she’s advancing is a coalition policy that originated with the National Party, and her focus is, primarily, on minimising the harm gambling can cause – and beginning an unregulated grey market under proper government oversight.
For years, New Zealanders have been able to gamble on offshore online casino sites – and while this has been easier than joining regulated sites, for some, it also means players have virtually no legal protections at all. There are no requirements for operators to have spending limits, no dispute resolution tools, and basically no real safeguard if something goes wrong.
The bill is designed to change that. According to van Velden, the legislation will introduce a regulatory system for online gambling in New Zealand that prioritises harm minimisation, consumer protection, and tax collection.
The Online Casino Gambling Bill proposes licences for online casino operators through a competitive auction process, and up to 15 licenses can be granted – with the process involving three steps:
Licences will be issued on three-year terms. The expected start date for the new online casino licences is 1 December 2026, so things are moving quite quickly – and it won’t be long before it all becomes a reality for Kiwi players.
As for advertising, van Velden has taken a pretty firm line. The bill increases penalties for promoting illegal online gambling from $10,000 to $300,000.
A total ban on online casino advertising will begin on 1 May 2026, when the legislation formally takes effect, and this gives unlicensed operators a clear deadline. Any operators without a valid licence will be prohibited from operating in New Zealand after 31 December 2026, while existing operators can continue until that date, provided they apply for a licence by 1 July 2026.
Now, perhaps the most controversial part of the bill is the relationship it has with community funding. Under the existing framework, New Zealand organisations currently receive $345 million a year in grants from the owners of pokie machines.
The Select Committee received more than 5,000 submissions, with 3,966 of them raising concerns about community returns from gambling revenue. Van Velden listened, adapting some rules in the new Bill.
As a result, offshore gambling duty will rise in the bill from 12% to 16%, with the additional 4% ringfenced specifically for community returns. This is estimated to reach between NZ$10 million and NZ$20 million in the first year alone – so it’s clearly going to be financially beneficial.
The Governance and Administration Committee has reported back on the Online Casino Gambling Bill. Van Velden has described the report as a crucial step forward in advancing regulations that protect Kiwis from harm. She has also indicated that she’s excited to see the bill progress through the House.
So, in summary – whatever you think of her politics, Brooke van Velden is overseeing a pretty unique moment for New Zealand gambling. The Online Casino Gambling Bill is far from perfect, sure, and it has faced (legitimate) criticism from community groups, public health advocates, and existing casino operators alike.However, it does clearly represent a serious – and much-needed attempt – to regulate a market that has operated in the shadows for far too long – and with the increased revenue that will go back into communities – there could well be some good to come from the Bill.
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