New Zealand plans to regulate online casinos from early 2026

Registered casinos also have to keep games fair and limit ads, especially for younger people and those at risk. DIA had issued four warning letters and was investigating 13 other influencers, but Scott http://playfina.info/ said there may be several dozen breaking the law. "The blatant targeting by these casinos who are using Māori influencers is just appalling." "It doesn’t seem like a lot of money, but when you think that they’ll be liable every single time they run one of these ads, they could quite quickly rack up."

why are online casinos banned in New Zealand

Online casinos might be required to finance problem gambling research efforts. Or, it will dedicate some of the money generated through taxes towards fighting the problem. While licensing shows a site is legitimate, it doesn’t mean it is reputable.

Swedish Goverment Plan To Expand Gambling Credit Ban

There’s surely a ton of tax money to be made here; money that would greatly benefit some of the Kiwis. Yes, the NZ government could take further action by filtering/censoring the internet. However, this method of content blocking is, at least in my opinion, a bit too much. It’s a hot take, one that the new winning majority is likely to consider sometime next year. Ultimately Froude said the goal is for the number of Kiwis who gamble to go down.

Limiting advertising and the number of operators in New Zealand is a good way of doing this. “SkyCity has long supported regulating online play to minimise harm and protect Kiwis,” he said. “Limiting advertising and the number of operators in New Zealand is a good way of doing this. In addition to GST and a problem gambling fee, licensed operators would have to pay a 12% gambling tax.

  • “We remain supportive of the regulation of online casino gaming in New Zealand, with an emphasis on strong host responsibility and delivering community benefits in New Zealand,” SkyCity said.
  • Unfortunately, the government can’t protect online casino players because it does not regulate the industry.
  • In a statement she said that, more importantly, it will prevent and minimise online gambling harm and limit opportunities for crime and dishonesty.
  • The obvious but awful, in our opinion, choice is to require offshore casinos to block NZ residents from accessing their websites.

In Australia, the total tax revenue raised by all gambling is around AU$5.5 billion a year. A knock-on effect will also be to encourage interest from New Zealand-based casino operators whose businesses could offer additional employment opportunities in the country. So, for some time there has been talk of introducing new regulations that acknowledge the current situation. It did, however, forbid remote interactive gambling with New Zealand-based companies via telephone, computer, and other communication devices. But it neglected to cover operators who were based outside of the country.

Key Features of the New Regulation

Because of this legal grey area, there is a large market for New Zealand gamblers that is serviced by overseas providers. As a consequence, many New Zealanders now play in casinos based overseas with seemingly no punishment should they be discovered. The new operators, expected to mostly be foreign-owned multinational gambling companies, would be able to advertise for the first time. As the regulatory framework develops, the public will get a chance to give their feedback on the process.

Why New Zealand Will Legalize Online Gambling

You may be wondering which external regulatory bodies are trustworthy and which are not. Some authorities are stricter than others, enforcing more robust regulations designed to protect the interests of players. While public consultations began in mid-2024, the rollout of these regulations follows a structured timeline.

At its start, stakeholders like consumers, operators, and advocacy groups could provide feedback. Still, by 2025, the select committee will finalize the framework to continue with full implementation, predicted to be in 2026. Although the current regulatory talks are at an early stage, credible reports suggest that NZ will tax offshore gambling companies at a flat rate of 12% of the gross income. Let’s have a look at various instances of ineffective regulation within the online gambling industry in several countries.

The government aims to create enticing gambling laws to attract the best online casinos in the country. This will reduce the number of black market casinos in the nation and subsequently improve the iGaming space. Beyond taxation, the government will have rules for foreign casinos that operate in New Zealand. Importantly, every offshore casino wikipedia.org will need to hold a valid license and a secure website. That way, New Zealanders who choose to play at foreign sites will be protected from unsafe operators. Unlike many countries, New Zealand is not trying to eliminate offshore casinos.