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New Zealand is not moving to adopt Australia-style gambling advertising restrictions for now, even as it prepares to bring its online casino market under formal regulation. Authorities say their immediate focus is on finalizing the framework for online casinos by May, while watching how Australia’s new system performs before deciding whether to follow suit.
Regulatory Focus Shifts To Online Casinos
The Department of Internal Affairs said it is monitoring Australia’s coming reforms but does not plan to rush into similar rules. Instead, the priority is the Online Casino Gambling Bill, which is expected to be enacted in May 2026. The bill is designed to place New Zealand’s currently unregulated online casino market under local oversight through a licensing system that would allow up to 15 operators.
That makes the country’s next step a structural one rather than an advertising-led one. While Australia is moving ahead with broad restrictions on gambling promotion, New Zealand is concentrating on setting up the rules that will govern online casino operators themselves.
Australia’s Changes Under Watch
The Australian authorities have already announced drastic regulations, which will come into force from January 1, 2027. These regulations imply limitations of television ads for betting services during the daytime hours, total prohibition of these ads during sports games, more severe requirements for radio ads, and limitation of athlete and celebrity endorsers.
New Zealand officials are watching those measures closely, but they are choosing a slower approach. The DIA said the government wants to see whether Australia’s system proves effective before considering whether similar domestic action would be useful. That response suggests New Zealand is open to revisiting the issue later, but not before it has evidence to work from.
Possible Ad Rules For Casinos
Although New Zealand is not adopting Australia’s current gambling ad limits, the DIA said online casino advertising rules are likely to include some similar features. In particular, advertisements during programs watched by children can be prohibited; sponsorship or endorsement of racing bets can also be prohibited; finally, the location of advertisements when more than 20% of viewers are underage can be limited.
The Racing Industry Amendment Act 2025 provides the authorities with sufficient grounds to regulate advertisements in the future. At the same time, the authorities emphasized that further actions will be carefully conducted. According to the DIA, the Minister for Racing is going to study the effectiveness of the system and take further measures based on data.
Industry And Public Pressure
The discussions over advertising regulations do not happen in isolation. Over 50 sports groups have been on record expressing their concern about possible changes that could impact funds for community sports, making the issue politically touchy. Moreover, the Advertising Standards Authority reported that in 2025 it processed 955 complaints about 306 advertisements across all products and services. Twelve of those advertisements raised issues under the Gambling Advertising Code related to the content, placement, and clear identification of the advertisements, with its code of conduct under review in the coming months.
The country is ready to impose restrictions on online casinos first, while the question of Australian-like advertising restrictions could be addressed at a later point if needed.
Source: Asia Gaming Brief
