Alex Smith
Sophia NovakivskaGambling in New Zealand is governed by the Gambling Act 2003. Only the TAB and Lotto NZ may offer gambling online from inside the country; New Zealanders may still play on offshore sites, which cannot advertise locally.
The Online Casino Gambling Bill introduces a licensing regime for online casinos, with a limited number of licences planned from 2026.
At a glance
- Legal for players
- Players: grey area Playing on offshore sites is not an offence
- Licence types
- Casino venue, class 4 (gaming machines in pubs and clubs), online casino (from 2026)
- Who is punished
- Unlicensed operators and advertisers of overseas gambling
- Penalties
- Fines under the Gambling Act 2003
- Winnings tax
- Not taxed for players
Law-change timeline
- Gambling Act 2003 in force
- Online Casino Gambling Bill introduced
- Upcoming First online casino licences (up to 15)
- Date TBCUpcoming Advertising rules for licensed online casinos
Enforcement (1)
| Date | Who | Penalty | Why | Notice |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Example Media Ltd (demo row) | Warning | Advertising overseas gambling | — |
Demo row — replace it with a published notice.
Licensees (6)
| Brand | Licence | Since |
|---|---|---|
| Christchurch Casino | Casino venue licence | |
| Dunedin Casino | Casino venue licence | |
| Lotto NZ | Statutory operator — Gambling Act 2003 | |
| SkyCity Auckland | Casino venue licence | |
| SkyCity Hamilton | Casino venue licence | |
| TAB NZ | Statutory operator — Racing Industry Act 2020 |
Blocked list (1)
| Domain or brand | Blocked on | Source |
|---|---|---|
| example-offshore-casino.com (demo row) | — |
Regulators
Local pages
- Online pokies in New ZealandOffshore sites open to New Zealand players
- Pokies near meClass 4 venues across New Zealand
- Online Lotto in New ZealandLotto NZ games, results and statistics
- New Zealand’s 15 online casino licencesWhat changes for players
Sources
- Law text Gambling Act 2003 — New Zealand Legislation · captured
- Regulator Department of Internal Affairs — gambling · captured
- Regulator Gambling Commission · captured
- Law text Racing Industry Act 2020 — New Zealand Legislation · captured
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