New Zealand will hold its first auction for online-casino licence application rights on Sept. 29, opening the next stage of a regime that will allow up to 15 licensed operators. Companies that secure a place in the auction will be able to submit full licence applications in October, but a winning bid will not itself permit them to launch.
As covered in July, New Zealand had already begun a staged rollout of the new regime, allowing existing providers to operate under transitional arrangements while barring new entrants from the market.
The Department of Internal Affairs said all expressions of interest submitted between July 17 and Aug. 14 had been assessed, and eligible operators had been notified of their invitation to the auction. The process will use an ascending-clock format: participants receive the same stepped price and can remain in or withdraw as the price rises. The format was chosen to promote transparency, fairness and confidence in the eventual price.
Successful bidders must pay the amount established at auction and complete a comprehensive application. That application must contain a business plan as well as detailed policies for advertising and marketing, consumer protection, gambling-harm prevention and minimisation, and compliance. The department will assess both those materials and information supplied at the expression-of-interest stage when deciding whether an applicant is suitable and able to meet the requirements.
The Secretary cannot grant a licence unless an operator demonstrates that suitability. A provider’s compliance history may also be considered. Licensed businesses will be subject to rules on system integrity, player protection and responsible gambling.
FocusGN reported that applicants must also show how their internal policies align with the Online Casino Gambling Act 2026 and associated rules, while their technology must be certified by independent testing laboratories. Games and random-number generators already tested to relevant standards in the United Kingdom or Ontario will not need retesting for the market’s first day, though other existing games and titles introduced after launch will require external testing. The outlet said operators are expected to complete application requirements by Oct. 23.
Each licence covers one casino brand, including the platforms through which customers access that brand. Licences can run for up to three years and may be renewed once for up to five years. No operator may be granted more than three licences.
Advertising of online casino gambling to New Zealand customers remains prohibited during the transition. From Dec. 1, providers that have not applied for a licence must stop offering online casino gambling in the country. Those with an application under consideration may continue operating but cannot advertise, while an operator whose application is declined must exit the market. The department expects the fully licensed regime to be operational in 2027.
