New Zealand Implements Some of the World’s Most Stringent Guidelines for Gambling Advertising in Preceding 2027 Casino Licences

Key Points

• Advertising guidance prohibiting luck, destiny, superstitions, and ritual practices in gambling ads has been published by New Zealand’s Department of Internal Affairs (DIA).
• Ads are prohibited from targeting an audience in which under-18 viewers comprise more than 20%, and there is a 30-minute broadcasting window before and after live broadcasts.
• These regulations will apply in the preceding of upcoming licensing of up to 15 casino operators in 2027.

The Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) of New Zealand has provided thorough guidelines on advertising for licensed online casinos in what is likely to be one of the strictest guidelines for content ever implemented in any Asia-Pacific gambling jurisdiction. This set of guidelines comes as part of the Online Gambling Regulations 2026 which were introduced last week and took effect on 3 July 2026.

Use of Terms “Luck”, “Fate” and “Superstition” in Gambling Advertisements Prohibited

It will be forbidden for any licensed operator to make reference to luck, fate, ritual, and superstition in advertising of gambling services. Ads shall not imply gambling as a necessity or means to improve one’s life and shall not include any endorsement of the service by individuals. Any images and video materials containing physical gaming machines and poker chips will be considered ineligible content, while promotions of slot games’ jackpots will not be allowed except for table games’ jackpots.

Pressure in the Advertisement Will Be Judged Based on Its Language, Visuals, Sound, Timing and Calls to Action. All advertising statements should be substantiated and must be compliant with the requirements set forth by the Fair Trading Act 1986 in New Zealand. This obligation shall cover any type of advertising material, including native advertising, editorial content, social media posts, and all such types of advertisements must have a clear disclosure statement.

Minor Protection Rules Carry a Specific Audience Threshold

Advertisers must assess likely audience demographics before placing gambling content and avoid any placement where people under 18 could account for more than 20% of probable viewers. This threshold covers social media channels, livestreaming platforms, and physical placements near schools or youth events. Cartoons, mascots, and music commonly associated with youth culture are barred from gambling marketing regardless of platform.

Advertising directed at people under 25 is also restricted. Operators can only run such campaigns if they can demonstrate that age-verification and exclusion systems are in place and are effectively blocking access for under-18 users, a requirement that goes beyond standard age-gating at account registration.

Operators must disable automated audience expansion features, which are tools commonly offered by social media platforms to extend a campaign’s reach beyond its defined target audience. The guidance also imposes a 30-minute blackout window around live broadcasts, prohibiting gambling advertising from 30 minutes before an event until 30 minutes after it ends.

Behavioural Data Cannot Be Used to Encourage Riskier Gambling

The guidance places direct limits on how operators can use individual customer data for marketing. Operators cannot target players with bet sizes that exceed their established spending patterns, and promoting slot games to customers whose activity is primarily in table games is also prohibited. These restrictions are designed to prevent operators from using gambling behaviour data to escalate player risk.

Direct marketing through email, text messages, or private messages requires clear voluntary consent, and unsubscribe requests must be honoured immediately. Bonuses, free spins, and other promotional offers must display all material terms prominently. Offers linked to new accounts can only be advertised through licensed online casino platforms or approved direct communication channels.

Under the Online Casino Gambling Act 2026, the DIA holds powers to issue takedown notices and impose penalties of up to NZ$5 million for unlawful advertising, a provision that applies to both licensed operators and offshore platforms targeting New Zealand audiences.

An Ongoing Process of Licensing

New Zealand’s journey towards regulation started in 2024 when the government introduced plans for liberalisation of iGaming. The Online Casino Gambling Act 2026 passed its second reading in March 2026, received Royal Assent in April, and came into effect from 1 May. Regulations were provided in June.

The licensing timeline set out by the DIA involves reaching a fully operational market in 2027. The process of expressions of interest opened on 17 July with the date of licence auction set for September 2026, and full applications anticipated in October. The operators that fail to apply by 1 December 2026 will be required to cease providing online casino gambling in New Zealand. A maximum of 15 licences will be granted, each linked to one brand, and the fee will amount to NZ$19,000. CEO of Entain in her FY25 earnings call stated that the company was applying for three licences available.

Community Concerns Shaped the Framework, Though Some Remain Unresolved

During the select committee process, Pub Charity managing director Martin Cheer warned the Governance and Administration committee that the Online Casino Bill could result in a “tsunami” of advertising, with free credit offers and push notifications becoming routine. Andree Froude, a spokesperson for the Problem Gambling Foundation, labelled some inducements as predatory, noting that one case featured a NZ$1,000 bonus with a 40-times wagering condition prior to allowing a withdrawal.

The DIA did not go so far as to prohibit all inducements, but the obligation to feature all terms upfront, along with the strict regulations on where inducements can be offered, is a product of that submission. New Zealand’s guidance also sits within a broader regional shift. In April 2026, the Australian government announced prospective gambling advertising reforms, including television time caps and restrictions on celebrity endorsements. New Zealand’s content rules go further in several respects, particularly on superstition-based messaging and the use of customer behavioural data for marketing purposes.

Expert Analysis

The DIA guidance moves beyond standard placement rules and addresses the persuasion techniques that gambling advertising has traditionally relied on. Prohibiting luck and fate references targets the emotional framing built into decades of casino marketing. Blocking the use of behavioural data to escalate player risk closes a marketing channel that remains open to operators in many other licensed jurisdictions.

Compliance history is explicitly listed as a factor in the licensing assessment, meaning the advertising rules function as a pre-qualification standard rather than a post-launch obligation. Operators must demonstrate adherence now, before licences are granted. With the DIA having already issued fines to social media influencers for promoting offshore casinos to New Zealand audiences, the enforcement posture is established. Operators entering this market will need to assess not just what their advertising says, but how it is targeted, where it appears, and what customer data underpins it.