A government analyst sizing up a market usually works from licensing records or operator filings. New Zealand’s Department of Internal Affairs had neither, because for years almost none of the online casino activity happening inside the country was licensed. So the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) commissioned a firm called Dot Loves Data to trawl through bank card transactions and reconstruct the market from the money trail alone.
What came back surprised many. Between October 2023 and September 2025, New Zealanders sent an estimated NZ$1.36 billion into online gambling platforms. Monthly spend remained above NZ$100 million for the final 19 months of that period.
If that’s not enough, transaction numbers climbed nearly 9% year on year, while total spending rose faster still at 10.5%, suggesting that existing customers deposited larger amounts more often rather than a new wave of customers.
The online casino market has been changing before the new rules arrive
New Zealanders are not new to spinning reels in slots and playing other casino games. In fact, the country has long had an international character. Local customers have been able to access offshore casino websites, with many of the businesses serving the market operating from outside the country. And looking at the DIA estimates, you might be surprised to learn that around 360,000 customers were active in the online gambling market by 2025.
Casino spending also grew faster than other parts of the market. The research found that spending with casino-focused operators increased by 38% compared with the previous year. Of course, this growth can’t just be attributed to the convenience of accessing online platforms alone. Yes, convenience matters because more players can now reach a casino from home without having to travel to a physical venue.
But these platforms have also been changing how people interact with online casino games. For instance, by integrating advanced features like free spins no deposit on sign up offers, casinos make it possible for new customers to try selected games without making an initial deposit.
With all this already happening in the market, the regulatory change is arriving at a very different moment from what might have been expected a few years ago. The online casino sector is no longer a small side of New Zealand’s gambling industry waiting for a legal framework; it’s a sizeable market with substantial money flowing through it.
Think about it: according to the DIA data, operators based in Cyprus. Gibraltar, Great Britain and Malta accounted for over 96% of market spend during the period examined. Statistics like these help explain why this sector may need a proper regulatory framework.
New Zealand is putting a limit on who can operate online casinos
On May 1, the Online Casino Gambling Act 2026 came into force, creating the legal foundation for a regulated online casino market. An auction was scheduled for September 29, 2026, with up to 15 successful operators expected to win the right to apply for a license. In other words, the new system caps the number of licenses available rather than opening the market to an unlimited number of operators.
But there’s more to it than the auction itself. Successful bidders still have to submit a full application and meet the requirements set out under the new regulatory framework. The DIA will then assess those applications before issuing licenses.
Operators that have been serving New Zealand customers from overseas must now decide whether they can operate within the country’s new licensing system. Those who do not apply for a license will be required to stop offering services to New Zealand customers from 1 December 2026. And if an operator’s application is still under consideration, operation can continue during the transition, although they cannot advertise while waiting for a decision.
The rules also set out several requirements around the customer experience. Licensed operators must:
- Verify customers
- Provide a complaints process
- Allow customers to set deposit limits
A public register will also show which operators hold a New Zealand license, while licensed brands will have to display a registration icon.
Why deposit limits are an important part of the new system
Gambling should be purely for entertainment. But if not approached cautiously, it can lead to harmful behavior. Unfortunately, this is already affecting a growing number of New Zealanders. According to the Problem Gambling Foundation 2024 data, 22% of New Zealand adults have been affected at some point by their own gambling or someone else’s gambling.
One way to help these players is to let them decide in advance how much they are prepared to deposit over a particular period. And this is where the new deposit-limit rules come into play.
Under the Act, operators must now allow customers to set limits on their gambling time, deposits, and spending. The limits can be set daily, weekly or monthly, giving customers a way to establish a boundary before gambling rather than deciding how much to spend while playing.
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