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New Zealand has formally opened the first stage of its online casino licensing process, inviting companies to submit expressions of interest for 15 available iGaming licenses. The move begins a 3-part rollout that will run through an auction in September and a final application deadline in October.
First Phase Opens
The Department of Internal Affairs launched the initial phase this week, setting out the terms for prospective operators seeking entry into the newly legalised and regulated online casino market. The invitation was published on 16 July and became effective on Friday, marking the shift from policy design to active procurement.
The process is tied to New Zealand’s planned market launch in 2027. Officials have positioned the current stage as the first step in a tightly managed framework that will determine which operators can participate in the market.
The applications for the expressions of interest have to be made via the government procurement website GETS and have a deadline of 14 August 2026. There is a non-refundable fee of NZ$19,000 per application or $11,082.
License Rules And Limits
The framework places clear limits on participation. Only 15 licenses will be available, and applicants must show access to at least NZ$7.5 million in capital. The government has said this reflects its intention to limit the market to a small group of established and well-capitalized operators.
Operators will also be limited to 3 licenses each. That restriction adds another layer to a process already designed to narrow the field and control the pace of market entry.
Applicants will need to provide detailed disclosures covering key officers, ownership structures, and management arrangements. They must also include comprehensive descriptions of the brand and gambling platform they plan to use.
The move comes after the original licensing timeline was set out by the Department of Internal Affairs in March. At that point, the government had already signalled that the process would unfold in stages rather than through a single application round.
Compliance And Disclosure
The department is also asking applicants to provide strong evidence supporting the information they submit. That includes credit reports, certified identification, criminal record clearances or international equivalents, and documentation showing that available capital can be verified.
Applicants will also have to declare if there were any regulatory infringements in the past, legal inquiries into their activities, insolvencies such as liquidation or bankruptcy, and unfavorable decisions from advertising regulation bodies in New Zealand or overseas.
The requirements point to a process built around probity, compliance, and risk mitigation. Rather than focusing only on market access, the system places substantial weight on operator background, financial strength, and legal history.
Entain chief executive Stella David said earlier this year that the company intended to apply for 3 of the 15 available licenses. She also noted that, with its TAB betting brand in New Zealand, Entain would be the only online operator able to cross-sell between sports and iGaming.
Next Steps For 2027
The Online Casino Gambling Act was approved by New Zealand’s parliament earlier this year, legalising and regulating online casino gambling in the country. The next stage is expected to be a license auction in September, after which successful bidders will be invited to submit full license applications from October.
Final licenses are expected to be issued in early 2027. In a comment to iGB in June, the spokesperson stated that such a timeline would give sufficient time to conduct the process in a robust and considered manner, as required under the Act.
While some operators might have wanted a faster roll-out schedule, the current one indicates that the government prefers process over speed. According to regulators, legal specialists, and operators, the 2027 timeline represents a model in which licensing scrutiny, harm reduction, and consumer protection are equally important as market regulation.
Jarrod True, director of True Legal, recently said the most significant shift is the move from an unregulated offshore market to a tightly controlled, license-limited regime under the Online Casino Gambling Act 2026. He also said the delay appears intentional, with the emphasis placed on orderly transition and a strong regulatory framework.
Source: iGaming Business
