Almost a year following its initial suggestion, the Online Casino Gambling Bill from New Zealand has ultimately received approval from the nation's single-chamber Parliament.
Online gambling venues are already broadly available throughout New Zealand. The leading physical gaming operator in the country, SkyCity, manages the most popular online gaming site at SkyCity Online Casino.
New Zealand's decision to permit online gaming aims to establish regulation and taxation for the virtual gaming sector.
"The Bill supports the coalition agreement by closing the gambling tax loophole and requiring licensed online casino operators to pay tax, just like any other business operating in New Zealand,” said New Zealand Internal Affairs Minister Brook van Velden in a statement.
Velden submitted the Online Casino Gambling Bill in July 2025 at the behest of Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s Cabinet.
Regulated iGaming Won’t Commence in 2026
Following the New Zealand Parliament's approval of the Online Casino Gambling Bill during its final reading, the iGaming legislation will proceed to receive Royal assent, officially enacting it into law.
Afterward, the Department of Internal Affairs will be tasked with creating regulations for iGaming, which will cover the process for competitive bidding as well as the taxation rate on overall earnings.
It will also be necessary to establish rules concerning advertising, prevention and reduction of harm, along with additional protections for consumers.
Van Velden has disclosed that New Zealand will issue up to 15 licenses for iGaming. Offshore providers that continue to permit access to their platforms once the regulated market launches will encounter legal consequences, which may include fines of up to $5 million for significant or repeated violations.
"The Department of Internal Affairs will regulate the sector using strengthened enforcement tools, including take-down notices, formal warnings, enforceable undertakings, and penalties. These tools will ensure that New Zealand law applies to all online casino gambling available in New Zealand, regardless of where operators are located, closing off avenues for avoidance and strengthening the regulator’s ability to monitor and enforce compliance,” the minister said.
Nevertheless, it is anticipated that the Internal Affairs Department will not start accepting applications for the iGaming licenses until the beginning of 2027.
Online Casinos in New Zealand
The numerous online casinos currently operating in New Zealand do so under licenses granted by international authorities.
For instance, SkyCity Online Casino is managed under an iGaming license from Malta. The company that oversees this online casino brand, SkyCity Malta Limited, is regulated by the Malta Gaming Authority.
The New Zealand-based SkyCity Entertainment Group, which owns and manages SkyCity Auckland, SkyCity Hamilton, and SkyCity Queenstown, is the parent organization of SkyCity Malta Ltd.
Since New Zealand had not permitted iGaming prior to the introduction of the Online Casino Gambling Bill, the Premier Rewards points from SkyCity Online Casino cannot be exchanged for the SHOW by SkyCity rewards system available at the physical casinos.
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