New Zealand Names 11 Winners of Online Casino Licensing Auction

New Zealand’s Department of Internal Affairs has named the 11 entities that won the right to apply for the country’s 15 online casino gambling licences, confirming in an update to its provider guidance on 2026년 10월 13일 that an ascending clock auction with 32 bidders concluded after 10 rounds, closing at NZ$15 million per licence.

The department published the full list of successful auction participants:

• Baytree Interactive Limited – 3 rights to apply
• Christchurch Online NZ Limited
• One Casino Limited
• Playvia Gaming (NZ) Limited – 2 rights to apply
• Rock Swift Group Limited – 2 rights to apply
• Rush Entertainment Limited
• Skill On Net Limited
• SkyCity NZ Online NO1 Limited
• SkyCity NZ Online NO2 Limited
• Stake New Zealand Limited
• TAB New Zealand

The auction ran from September 29 to 2026년 10월 12일, with all stages of the licensing process conducted through the Government Electronic Tenders (GETS) website. Under the ascending clock format, the price changes in steps, and every participant is offered the same price at the same time, choosing whether to stay in the auction or withdraw. As the price rises, participants exit once it exceeds what they are willing to pay, and the auction continues until demand matches the number of licences available. The department said it chose the format because it is well suited to situations where transparency, fairness and confidence in the final price are important, with all participants treated equally and decisions made openly rather than through sealed bids or complex bidding strategies.

The competitive process began with an expression of interest stage that closed on 2026년 8월 14일. The department’s programme resources page records that it announced the auction date had been set on 2026년 9월 10일, ahead of the auction window opening on September 29. With the auction now concluded, the department’s published timeline shows successful bidders will shortly be able to submit full licence applications.

Winning the Auction Does Not Guarantee a Licence

The auction determined only who has won the right to apply. Each of the 11 entities must now proceed through a detailed application and assessment process before any licensing decisions are made. To apply, a successful bidder must pay the licence amount determined by the auction and complete a comprehensive application, providing a business plan and detailed strategies covering advertising and marketing, consumer protection, harm prevention and minimisation, and compliance, along with any additional information required at the application stage.

That material, together with the information supplied at the expression of interest stage, will be used to assess whether each provider is suitable to hold a licence and is willing and able to comply with all applicable requirements. Under the process, the Secretary must not grant a licence unless the provider has demonstrated that suitability. The department said guidance on how to submit a licence application will be provided before this stage begins.

The department is not publishing the brands that may ultimately operate under a licence at this stage, noting that operators may make changes throughout the application process. Approved brands will be published on a public register owned by the department once a licence has been granted.

Licence Terms and Market Exit Deadlines

Up to 15 licences will be available under the regime, each valid for a period of up to three years with the possibility of renewal for a further five years. Each licence covers a single brand and the various platforms players may use to interact with that brand, and no one can be granted more than three licences as part of the process.

The Online Casino Gambling Act is now in force and provides the legal framework for regulating online casino gambling in New Zealand. Supporting regulations set the rules for licensed operators on harm prevention and minimisation, consumer protection and record-keeping, advertising and marketing, and fees, levies and charges. The full licensed regime is not expected to be fully operational until 2027.

A transition timetable applies across the market in the meantime. Online casino gambling advertising is currently prohibited in New Zealand, and until the licensing regime is in place no new providers may enter the market. Under the department’s guidance for players, online casinos that provided services to people in New Zealand before 2026년 5월 1일 may continue to operate until 2026년 12월 1일. From that date, providers that have not applied for a licence must cease conducting online casino gambling in the country. Providers with an application under consideration may continue operating under an exemption, without advertising, until the outcome of their application is determined; if the application is declined, the provider must cease all online casino gambling operations in New Zealand and exit the market.

Sports and racing betting remains regulated under the Racing Industry Act 2020 and the Gambling Act 2003, and the department states the online casino gambling changes will not alter that framework. Since 2025년 6월 28일, online racing and sports betting in New Zealand has been restricted to domestic provider TAB NZ, including its other brands such as Betcha. Once licences are granted, licensed casinos will be listed on a public register and required to display a unique registration icon on their platforms and in their advertising. The department anticipates it will start issuing licences from early 2027 onwards, with the licensed system expected to be fully in place during 2027.