New Zealand introduces online gambling regulations ahead of licensing process

On Friday, the New Zealand government officially published detailed regulations to implement the Online Casino Gambling Act 2026.

These regulations, coming into force on 3 July 2026, will establish stringent operational and advertising requirements for licensed online casino operators, alongside the introduction of a new levy on online gambling profits. 

Notably, the regulations will come into play as the upcoming licensing process for prospective operators is predicted to begin. 

The regulations were issued through an Order in Council, following recommendations from the minister of internal affairs.

Safeguarding as a priority 

Online casino operators will face robust obligations designed to protect consumers and minimise harm.

Customers must be able to set daily, weekly or monthly limits on playtime, deposits and total spending. Operators are required to prompt limit-setting at account creation and monthly thereafter. Customers can request increases or removals of limits, subject to a mandatory 24-hour waiting period.

Platforms are also obliged to provide “break-in-play” features, such as a minimum five-minute break after 60 minutes of continuous play. This may also include time-out options spanning from 24 hours to up to three months, and mandatory pop-up alerts that display session information and pause play.

For self-exclusions, players may self-exclude for fixed durations or indefinitely, with operators mandated to process exclusions within 24 hours. Operators must also issue warnings and provide assistance to suspected problem gamblers, with the authority to exclude them for up to two years.

Identification and payments

The regulations specified identification and payment safeguards too. Customers must be verified for full name, date of birth and age (minimum 18 years) before account activation. Operators need to check for previous exclusions or existing accounts.

Credit products, such as credit cards and certain linked payment methods (e.g. cards associated with land-based gambling), are prohibited. Each customer may only register one deposit method and one account per platform, with a 24-hour lock on deposit method changes. Withdrawals may use a different method.

Operators were also provided with stringent transparency requirements. These included providing customers with accessible information on game rules retaining compliance and customer records for the duration of the business relationship, plus seven years.

Advertising strictly controlled

The regulations introduce extensive constraints on advertising online casinos:

• Ads will face limitations on placement, precluding them from front pages of print publications and public transport, among others.
• Broadcast restrictions forbid ads during and within 30 minutes before and after live broadcasts.
• Banned ad types include sponsorship and endorsement-style promotions, affiliate marketing, inducement advertising (except under tight controls), ads encouraging impulsive play, personalised ads targeting increased spend and references to other gambling forms.
• Advertisements must avoid appealing to under-18s or reaching an audience where more than 20% are underage.
• Direct marketing requires express consent or narrowly tailored account-holder preferences, with mechanisms to control frequency and content.

New Zealand joins its neighbours Australia in tightening its gambling advertisement regulations. In April of this year, the Albanese government set out prospective reforms to target gambling advertisements, including television time caps and a ban on celebrity advertisements. 

Product features and financial obligations

Some product feature restrictions were laid out. Operators may not allow customers to play more than one online slot simultaneously, while autoplay functions are banned. Additionally, network progressive jackpots are limited to licensed platforms, except for poker games involving only human players. Game design elements encouraging excessive or impulsive play will be prohibited.

Operators must submit quarterly and annual reports detailing player metrics, usage and profits. They must also notify the secretary of serious incidents within five working days. 

In addition, operators will pay a quarterly levy of 3.5% of online gambling profits, subject to penalties for late payment.

Why is this important?

The publication of the regulations will be under scrutiny by prospective operators, as many will deliberate whether to enter the licensing process. The recent Online Casino Gambling Bill, which came into law last month, authorised the issuance of up to 15 licences to qualified online casino operators through a competitive application process. 

The process will begin with a formal expression of interest, which the regulations have specified will require a $19,000 expression-of-interest fee. A licensing auction will then be held, followed by a detailed licensing application. 

During Entain’s FY25 earnings call, its CEO Stella David noted that the company had its sights set on three licensing spots.