NZ Online Casino Licence Auction Set For September
New Zealand's Department of Internal Affairs has closed the first stage of its new online casinos licensing process, with market interest strong enough that only a fraction of applicants will end up with a licence.
Up to 15 licences will be available under the Online Casino Gambling Act 2026, which is now in force, and an auction to determine who can apply for one is scheduled for September 2026.
The DIA's expression of interest (EOI) window ran from July 17 to August 14, 2026, the first of three stages set out on the department's own Online Gambling for Providers page. Operators whose EOIs are accepted move to an ascending clock auction in September, where the price rises in steps until demand matches the 15 available licences.
Successful bidders then submit full licence applications from October, covering business plans, advertising and marketing strategy and harm minimisation measures, before the Secretary decides whether to grant a licence. Each licence covers a single brand, runs for up to three years with an option to renew for five more, and no operator can hold more than three.
A Hard Deadline for Unlicensed Operators
From December 1, 2026, any provider that has not applied for a licence must stop offering online casino gambling to New Zealand customers, according to the DIA's published timeline. Operators with an application still under review can keep operating without advertising until a decision is made.
The regulations accompanying the Act, now published, cover harm prevention, consumer protection, record-keeping, advertising and marketing, and licensing fees. Online casino gambling advertising to New Zealand customers remains prohibited in the meantime, and no new providers may enter the market until the regime is live.
The DIA has not published the list of EOI submissions, but at least one applicant has confirmed its own interest publicly.
Philippine operator DigiPlus Interactive Corp told the Philippine Stock Exchange in a disclosure that its board approved filing an expression of interest for a New Zealand online casino licence, part of what the company described as a push into overseas markets alongside Brazil and South Africa.
The DIA requires applicants to show access to at least NZ$7.5 million in capital as part of the process.
What To Watch
The September auction will determine which operators even get the right to submit a full licence application, with the DIA expecting the first licences to be issued from early 2027.
Until the regime is fully operational, only providers already active in New Zealand may keep serving local players, under the transitional rules in the Act.
Players comparing online casino operators in the meantime should confirm which operators are actually pursuing a New Zealand licence before the December 1 cut-off changes who can legally serve the market.
