Bill to Regulate Online Casino Gambling Introduced : pmp

By Arijit Roul - 2 Jul, 2025 More about the author

Minister of Internal Affairs, Brooke van Velden, pushed the Online Casino Gambling Bill forward in New Zealand’s House of Representatives today. According to Ms van Velden, this Bill will shape online gambling with a regulatory framework that focuses on reducing harm, keeping consumers safe, and increasing tax revenue. Before now, the Cabinet had already given a green light to start writing new laws for an online casino sector that has been running unregulated in the country.

A standout point, no more than 15 licences will reach online casino operators, and regulators will auction each spot out.
Applicants must submit formal business plan documents, targeting the New Zealand market, as part of their licence application package.
The law would let licensed companies advertise their offerings, but only within defined restrictions set by regulators.
Any operator without a licence risks complete removal from the market, with penalties for unauthorized gambling hitting up to $5 million.

Regulators are mapping out the rules on how to advertise and what harm prevention standards every online casino operator needs to meet in detail. The Bill aims for a select committee review later this year, and people across New Zealand can input their opinions during the process.