Once licensed operators enter the market, advertising will be permitted only within the new rules, which prohibit practices including affiliate marketing, sponsorships and paid endorsements. A pokie venue is a pub, club, or similar DIA-licensed site hosting between one and 18 pokies machines under the Gambling Act 2003. Pokie venues are distinct from casinos, which are licensed under a separate casino operator’s licence regime (Part 3 of the Act).
Contact a Casino Gambling Inspector
No new casino licence has been issued in New Zealand since 1996; six venue licences were granted in total, and Queenstown’s Wharf Casino surrendered its licence in March 2024, leaving five. This makes it especially important to choose carefully, understand the risks, and gamble responsibly. Wherever possible, stick to legal and regulated gambling options, and keep an eye on these significant law changes that are fundamentally altering the online casino landscape. In New Zealand, gambling is regulated at the national level under the Gambling Act 2003, with oversight shared between the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) and the Gambling Commission. The DIA is responsible for licensing, compliance, and enforcement across most gambling activities, while the Gambling Commission deals with casino licensing and certain appeals and disciplinary matters. The Online Casino Gambling Act 2026 now sits alongside these rules to specifically regulate the digital market.
Every day, New Zealanders use hundreds of overseas gambling websites. Regulating this sector will help protect consumers, reduce gambling harm, prevent crime and dishonesty, and make sure casinos providing to customers in New Zealand follow clear rules. Online casino gambling is now regulated by the Online Casino Gambling Act 2026.
The property operates Sunday to Wednesday until 3am and Thursday to Saturday until 5am. New Zealand’s six licensed casino venues are split between three operators. SkyCity Entertainment Group holds four licences and is the dominant player in the market. Christchurch Casino is operated by Skyline Enterprises, a New Zealand-owned leisure and tourism company. Dunedin Casino operates independently and is the only property in the country unaffiliated with either of the two larger operators. New Zealand has six licensed casino venues spread across five cities, all regulated under the Casino Control Act 1991.
Stage 2: Auction
Located on Victoria Street in central Christchurch, the property is operated by Skyline Enterprises and remains the only major casino in the South Island outside of Queenstown and Dunedin. The details of the regulatory framework are currently still being worked through. Finalised regulations and guidance on how to comply will be published in mid-2026.
The tool searches all 962 licensed casinos and pokie venues in NZ and returns the closest ones open near you — with directions, addresses, opening hours, operator, and machine count. In doing so, they establish a robust and balanced framework to protect consumers, reduce gambling related harm, and ensure online casino gambling operates in a safe, fair and responsible way in New Zealand. While the Act is in force, the full licensed online casino gambling regime is not expected to be fully operational until 2027. In 2023 the brand was relaunched as an independent affiliate and review platform. We no longer accept player registrations, process deposits, or offer gambling services. The Department of Internal Affairs issues gambling venue licences under the Gambling Act 2003.
Common myths about gambling in New Zealand
A mismatch between the brand you are on and the licensed entity behind it is the clearest signal that something is wrong. Allocation runs through a three-stage process on the government tenders’ platform, and the DIA has published indicative timing for each step. The table below maps the stages that lead into a licensed Boho casino review launch. Our Deep AI Scan took New Zealand through all 201 questions of our regulatory checklist, from 79 official documents, read on 19 Oct 2026. Our research team then traced every figure on this page to the document and sentence that states it. The full research report is due to go to our compliance team.
SkyCity properties also operate mandatory player registration, which allows patrons to set spending limits, time limits and cooling-off periods directly through their membership account. Licensed operators will need to comply with regulations designed to ensure system integrity, player protection, and responsible gambling. From 1 December 2026, providers must cease conducting online casino gambling in New Zealand if they have not applied for a licence. The auction has concluded, with 11 entities winning the right to apply for an online casino gambling licence.
How the DIA licensing framework works
- Providers that have not applied for a licence must cease operating in New Zealand.
- The Gambling Act 2003 permanently caps the number of licensed properties, meaning no new casinos can open in New Zealand.
- Pokie venue therefore function partly as community-funding mechanisms, which is why many pubs and clubs host them.
- Using an unlicensed offshore casino is not an offence for individual players.
- During 2026 and into 2027, expect some sites to claim New Zealand licensing before any licence exists.
- Online casino operators cannot advertise to New Zealand customers.
This includes traditional casino venues, as well as gaming machines in pubs and clubs, lotteries, bingo, and other approved community gaming activities. These operators must adhere to strict host responsibility and harm minimisation standards. The Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) requires all 15 authorised operators to clearly display a mandatory registration icon on their websites and in any permitted advertising. If you do not see this official mark, the operator is likely an unlicensed offshore site and does not offer New Zealand’s local consumer protections.
- SkyCity Entertainment Group is New Zealand’s largest tourism and entertainment company, listed on the New Zealand Stock Exchange and headquartered in Auckland.
- In 2023 the brand was relaunched as an independent affiliate and review platform.
- The expression of interest (EOI) stage closed on 14 August 2026.
- These operators must adhere to strict host responsibility and harm minimisation standards.
- Providers with an application under consideration may continue to operate without advertising until a decision is made.
- If you need more detail, feel free to reach out with additional questions.
THE BOTTOM LINE FOR PLAYERS
Winnings count as income only in the rare case where a person’s gambling amounts to a business. Each gets a full editorial page with hours, games, food, and how to get there. Every licensed casino and pokie venue in New Zealand — with a ‘Near Me’ finder, opening hours, a live ‘open now’ filter, and one-tap Google Maps directions.
An ascending clock auction is a way of setting a price when there are multiple interested buyers. The competitive process took place as an ascending clock auction. Further information and guidance will be provided as each stage of implementation progresses. No operator holds an active online licence in New Zealand as of 19 Oct 2026. Smaller cities with their own dedicated pages include Tauranga, Rotorua, Palmerston North, Napier, New Plymouth, Whangārei, Nelson, and Invercargill. The detailed regulations supporting the Online Casino Gambling Act 2026 have now been released.
Timeline overview
1 January 2027 is often quoted as a milestone, but it is the date the online gambling duty rises, not a launch date. The licensed market itself is expected to open across 2027 as applications clear. No New Zealand law specifically taxes a player’s gambling winnings and operators withhold nothing.
At this stage, online casino gambling advertising is prohibited in New Zealand. Online casinos must not advertise online casino gambling services to New Zealand customers. Through 2027, licensed New Zealand sites will arrive with real, enforceable protections that offshore ones never carried. Until then, no site is licensed here, so verify before you trust, set your limits early, and be ready to move to a licensed operator once the DIA register is live.
This staged approach allows time to establish licensing arrangements, assess applicants, and ensure that regulatory, harm minimisation and compliance systems are in place before the regime is fully implemented. The Department of Internal Affairs administers the licensing regime. Each casino runs under a casino operator’s licence and a casino venue licence granted under Part 3 of the Gambling Act 2003 (sections 124–146), renewed at regulated intervals. No new casino licence can be granted without a parliamentary amendment — the cap is legislative, not administrative.
The market is tightly controlled wuth the Gambling Act 2003 prohibiting the opening of any new land-based casinos and capping the number of properties permanently. SkyCity Entertainment Group dominates, operating four of the six licensed venues including the flagship SkyCity Auckland at the base of the iconic Sky Tower. The minimum gambling age is 20, higher than most comparable markets. Up to 15 online casino gambling licences will be available, each valid for a period of up to three years, with the possibility to renew for a further five years. Each licence will cover a single brand, and the various platforms players may use to interact with that brand.
