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New Zealand plans online casino licensing framework from July 2026

Licences & markets

New Zealand plans to begin its online casino licensing framework in July 2026, subject to the Online Casino Gambling Bill becoming law. The proposed system would cap approvals at 15 operators, grant licences for an initial three years and require unlicensed providers to leave the market after 1 December 2026, according to the report.

Prospective operators face a capped licensing process and a stated deadline to exit if they remain unlicensed.

End-of-day close SkyCity (SKC), NZD, to 17 April 2026
Story date19 January 202617 April 2026

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Licences & markets

New Zealand DIA advances 11 bidders in online casino licence tender

New Zealand's Department of Internal Affairs released the results of its online casino licence tender on 13 October, with 11 entities bidding NZ$15m to progress to the next stage. Entain, Super Group and Stake were among those advancing, with 15 licences available in total. The DIA said operators that failed at this stage must cease operations by 1 December 2026, with the full market launch expected at an unknown date in 2027.

On 13 October, the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) in New Zealand published the outcome of its tender for online casino licences. A total of 11 entities paid NZ$15m (€7.5m) to move forward in the process, and among the successful applicants were Entain, Super Group and Stake. Fifteen licences are on offer, and certain companies are following a multi-brand approach in the country.

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