Kiwi online casino players are within sight of a newly regulated market opening up a wonderful world of entertainment. The new licence application process opens in October, and we look ahead to what the market, dominated by onshore operators, will bring.
New Zealand’s online gambling market is proving much bigger than earlier estimates suggested, highlighting the scale of an industry that has largely operated through offshore platforms.
That figure could also strengthen the case for licensed operators as New Zealand prepares to introduce its new regulatory framework.
But there is another side to the transition. With the licensing process still underway, the gap between the existing offshore market and the regulated sector could create opportunities for unlicensed operators to keep targeting New Zealand players.
New research commissioned by New Zealand’s Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) estimates that online gambling generated NZ$1.36 billion in deposits between October 2023 and September 2025.
The research, carried out by DOT Loves Data, used consumer card transaction data from one bank and then scaled up the results to estimate the wider market. The figure represents deposits, rather than the total amount wagered, and excludes Lotto NZ and TAB New Zealand.
It’s estimated that around 360,000 individual customers were active in the market by September 2025. It also found that online gambling activity had increased in both the number of participants and the amount being spent.
Spending through standalone casino operators increased by 38% year-on-year, while hybrid operators recorded a 22% increase. These numbers show why online casino regulation has become a significant issue.
New Zealand is no longer simply discussing regulating real money casinos. The Online Casino Gambling Act 2026 is now in force, creating a licensing system for online casino gambling and prohibiting unlicensed operators from conducting or advertising online casino gambling.
The Government plans to issue up to 15 online casino licences, and the process has three stages: expressions of interest, a competitive process, and then formal licence applications.
The expression-of-interest stage closed in August, with the auction scheduled for 29 September 2026 and licence applications due to open in October.
That makes the NZ$1.36 billion market estimate particularly significant and provides potential operators with a much clearer picture of the market they are trying to enter.
Each successful licence will cover a single brand, and no person can have significant influence over more than three licences. The licences will initially run for up to three years, with the possibility of renewal for a further five years.
However, a tricky period exists between the existing offshore market and the fully regulated system.
The new regime is being introduced in stages, with the DIA expecting the licensed market to be fully operational in 2027. Until then, existing providers can continue operating under transitional arrangements, but new providers cannot simply enter the market.
From 1 December 2026, operators that have not applied for a licence must stop conducting business, although those that have submitted an application can continue operating without advertising while their applications are considered, subject to the transitional rules.
Operators that fail to secure a licence will have to leave, while successful applicants move towards a regulated environment.
Players are already accustomed to accessing offshore gambling sites, and the DIA’s own research shows just how established that behaviour has become. Some operators will no doubt attempt to retain New Zealand customers outside the new licensing system.
Regulation does not automatically make the existing offshore market disappear. The Act specifically prohibits unlicensed online casino gambling that enables people in New Zealand to participate. It also gives authorities the power to investigate suspected breaches, issue take-down notices and impose financial penalties. The challenge will be enforcement.
With hundreds of thousands of customers already playing casino games online, some operators may have a financial incentive to keep serving the market even after they are no longer permitted to do so.
A larger licensed sector should give consumers clearer information about which operators are authorised, while the Government will need to ensure that unlicensed alternatives do not simply fill the gaps left behind.
Regulation is now catching up with an industry that has spent years developing largely outside the country’s domestic licensing framework.
With only up to 15 licences up for grabs, operators have a strong incentive to secure a place in the regulated sector. At the same time, the transition could test how effectively New Zealand can move customers from an established offshore market into a licensed one.
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