New Zealand passed its iGaming bill during the first Parliamentary vote in July 2025. Legal experts, however, are of the opinion that the legislation’s lack of clarity could delay the proposed market launch, which has a deadline for 2026. Experts also question whether lawmakers have rushed the process, ignoring key factors in the process.
Regulated iGaming in New Zealand: What’s Next for the National Industry
- Once the legislation receives Parliamentary approval, up to 15 operators will receive permits to start operating in New Zealand. The current deadline for all approvals is set for July 2026.
- Experts believe the stringent timeline is too short for successful consultation. They also point out several key regulatory details missing from the bill, including terms of how licensing should work.
- According to the proposed bill, gambling operators will have to pay a goods and services tax on all gambling operations. They are also liable to pay an additional 1.24% of profits, which will go toward preventing gambling harm.
New Zealand Proposes New Gambling Bill to Parliament
Brooke van Velden, New Zealand’s Minister of Internal Affairs, in a historic move, introduced the Online Casino Bill for Parliamentary approval on June 30, 2025. According to the terms of the bill, operators must pay a 12% offshore gambling duty and goods and services tax for targeting local players.
Operators must also pay 1.24% of profits as a mandatory levy to fund services preventing gambling harm. Additionally, the government proposed specific restrictions on gambling advertisements, including a ban on primetime TV commercials to minimise exposure to children, and suitable age verification.
However, legal experts have questioned the timeline, claiming the rushed deadline lacks important details required to operate a regulated market. The first Parliamentary hearing of the bill was on July 15. It was approved by 83 and opposed by 39 members. The bill will now be debated by the Governance and Administration Committee, and feedback has been sought from industry stalwarts.
Once the legislation receives all necessary Parliamentary clearance, up to 15 iGaming operators will receive permits to operate in the iGaming market in New Zealand. Legal experts are of the opinion that the deadline is too tight for successful consultation. They also suggest several important regulatory details have been overlooked in the process.
Jamie Nettleton, a partner at a law firm, in a press briefing, said:
Having looked at the bill, there are a lot of gaps still to be filled. In my view, it’s lacking in detail with respect to the legislation. There are a lot of broad brush statements, in terms of how the licensing should work.
Samuel Gaucci, senior lawyer at Addisons, added:
The problem is they’ve given themselves such a short timeframe from the announcement to bringing it into play, that they’re not going to have the consultation time they need. Consultations are ongoing, but will they have enough time to draft regulations?
Feasible Deadline and Terms of the Gambling Bill
One of the key concerns for operators at this stage is whether they can effectively budget to enter the auction for the 2026 window, which is set to open in February. Moreover, owing to the lack of information surrounding many of the regulatory details, it will be difficult for operators to decide whether to go through with the process. Nettleton explains:
This really is crystal ball stuff. The government is looking for 15 operators and that’s essentially what they would like to get. How will they get to 15? What price do you put on the option process? It’s got to be economically viable. You won’t keep your competitors out with 15 licences available, so you have to factor in that they will be there.
Restricted advertising measures include a ban on paid promotions by celebrities, influencers, and athletes. Moreover, a portion of each gambling ad must contain a harm minimisation message. The government is likely to permit inducements and bonuses as part of the statutes.
The problem with many of these legislations is that they are not set in stone. Therefore, after the bill is passed, many of the statutes will have to be determined by a gambling regulator. Moreover, operators need more information, and the bill does not seem satisfactory at the time. Once they have the additional information, they can decide whether or not to join the auction process.
During the first phase of the licensing window, operators can bid for one of the 15 gambling licences that are on offer. Several global operators have already expressed interest in an NZ gambling licence.