New Zealand is calling on operators to provide multi-jurisdiction criminal record checks for any relevant officer with the launch of its expression of interest (EOI) phase for its regulated online casino market.
Seeking a well-controlled ecosystem of operators and moving away from an unregulated market, Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden has explicitly emphasised that the market’s focus is on balance and safety, rather than just securing tax revenue.
The country’s official gazette has published details of the Online Casino Gambling Act 2026’s EOI phase, such as a platform’s minimum capital requirement of NZ$7.5m.
New Zealand believes the framework can help bolster the regulator in taking action against illicit operators, including giving them the power to issue takedown notices and penalties of up to NZ$5m for unlawful advertising, which can apply not only to operators but also to those publishing or arranging the publication of unlawful ads on their behalf.
The EOI phase will officially close on 14 August 2026. Interested parties may also submit questions about the EOI phase through the Government Electronic Tenders Service (GETS) portal up until 5pm on 31 July. The government’s Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) has until 5pm on 5 August to respond.
Only operators with an accepted EOI can participate in the auction at stage two of the licensing process. Documents that will be needed as part of the submission process include:
- Entity documentation.
- Diagram of current ownership structure.
- Diagram of management structure.
- Amount and source(s) of capital available.
- Certified credit check or report.
Each key officer will also need to submit:
- Certified photographic identification.
- Criminal record check.
- Certified credit check or report.
Up to 15 online casino licences will be issued, with one licence required per platform or brand. No single operator may have a significant influence over more than three licences, with licences granted for an initial period of up to three years, with a single renewal of up to five years.
True Legal Director Jarrod True provided iGaming Expert with a breakdown of the New Zealand commercial online casino market, underpinning the importance of migrating the black market to the regulated sector.
True stated: “Ultimately, the long-term success of New Zealand’s online casino framework will depend not only on the strength of its regulatory design but on its ability to successfully migrate player activity from the black market into the licensed ecosystem.
“For many years, New Zealand consumers have had broad access to offshore online casino operators operating outside the scope of domestic regulation. While the new regime introduces a robust licensing system and stronger enforcement tools, the fundamental policy challenge is one of channelisation: ensuring that consumers choose licensed operators over unlicensed alternatives.”