To help customers identify which online casinos are licensed and meet New Zealand’s regulatory requirements, we will publish a public register of licensed online casinos. Licensed casinos will also be required to display a unique registration icon on their platforms and in their advertising, making it easier for players to recognise licensed operators. Only five venues in New Zealand hold a casino operator’s licence under the Gambling Act 2003. The casino operator’s licence is the only one that permits casino table games — blackjack, roulette, baccarat, poker — alongside pokies machines. Every other licensed gambling venue in the country is a pokies pub or club and falls under a different licence class (Class 4).

Current requirements for providers

Specific document acceptance belongs to the venue’s current guidance, and any uncertain case should be asked directly before departure. The national guide helps identify the requirement; it is not an identity-verification service. The Gambling Commission makes casino licensing decisions.

The remainder are operated by smaller chains and independents. This approach has been chosen because it is well suited to situations where transparency, fairness and confidence in the final price are important. All participants are treated equally, the process is easy to understand, and decisions are made openly rather than through sealed bids or complex bidding strategies. An ascending clock auction is a way of setting a price when there are multiple interested buyers. The competitive process took place as an ascending clock auction.

The Department of Internal Affairs administers the licensing regime. Each casino runs under a casino operator’s licence and a casino venue licence granted under Part 3 of the Gambling Act 2003 (sections 124–146), renewed at regulated intervals. No new casino licence can be granted without a parliamentary amendment — the cap is legislative, not administrative. All 16 NZ regions, ranked by licensed casinos and pokie venues. These operators will be permitted to operate under an exemption while their applications undergo a rigorous assessment process. All other online casinos will be legally required to exit the New Zealand market.

How Are Gambling Venues Licensed by the Department of Internal Affairs?

• For slots, always card-on (the casino tracks plays anyway; the card just credits comps).
• Unreasonable banking policies, slow payout times, withdrawal fees, and the lack of payment method variety are sure ways for an online casino to receive a poor rating.
• The Department of Internal Affairs administers the licensing regime.
• Sports and racing betting is regulated under the Racing Industry Act 2020 and Gambling Act 2003.
• This approach gives effect to the legislative framework through an implementation process that produces effective consumer protection, responsible gambling and regulatory compliance.
• A land-based venue licence identifies a physical place, while online casino gambling has a separate framework.
• A source-backed national list with city, island, operator and checked date.

A pokie venue is a pub, club, or similar DIA-licensed site hosting between one and 18 pokies machines under the Gambling Act 2003. Pokie venues are distinct from casinos, which are licensed under a separate casino operator’s licence regime (Part 3 of the Act). They run at much lower per-spin stake caps and are embedded in ordinary hospitality venues rather than standalone gambling buildings. The Department of Internal Affairs issues gambling venue licences under the Gambling Act 2003. The DIA is the primary regulator for all land-based gambling in New Zealand. Search by your current location, or type a suburb, city, or venue name.

• Offshore operators listed here hold no DIA licence — the Online Casino Gambling Act 2026 licensing round is still under way.
• A historical article may describe the correct older venue set.
• As of 28 June 2025, online racing and sports betting is prohibited unless it is operated by New Zealand’s domestic provider TAB NZ.
• Casino operator’s licences sit under Part 3 of the Gambling Act 2003 and each is granted to a specific operator and venue; no new casino licence has been issued since 1996.
• We also consider the number of support channels a player can use, as well as the hours of operation.
• Open the venue’s current contact or visit page shortly before departure.
• One visitor wants every active venue; another wants a place near a booked hotel; another is checking whether an old name is still current.

Further information and guidance will be provided as each stage of implementation progresses. For a group, separate shared logistics from individual eligibility. Everyone may use the same transport, but each person still needs to satisfy the applicable entry conditions. A larger entertainment precinct can contain spaces with different access rules. Confirm the actual destination within the precinct and give the group a workable non-gambling meeting point if some people will not enter the restricted area.

How to Play Online Baccarat Like a Pro

New Zealand has 5 casinos concentrated under Independent / Other’s operation across 5 cities. That single-operator dominance shapes everything from rule sets to comp programs — players effectively choose between visiting different Independent / Other properties or going elsewhere. Licensed operators will need to comply with regulations designed to ensure system integrity, player protection, and responsible gambling.

Gambling should stay entertainment, never a way to make money. Set a deposit limit before you play and walk away when it stops being fun. Gambling law changes — confirm anything that matters with the regulator before you travel. The expression of interest (EOI) stage closed on 14 August 2026.

Current Regulations

All stages of the licensing process will be run through the Government Electronic Tenders (GETS) website. Successful bidders from the auction will shortly be able to submit full licence applications. Do not collect or circulate copies of everyone’s identity documents merely to make the planning note look complete. Record that each traveller will bring their own accepted current document.

National

A casino can earn a 5-star rating from us if it offers Evolution, Pragmatic Play, or Ezugi software, as these popular game providers bring the best streaming quality. For a favourable rating, according to our process, an NZ online casino also needs to have roulette, blackjack, baccarat, and game shows to have a well-rounded collection, and at least 50 titles. We first start out our casino review process by looking for licenses at the NZ online gambling site. We check for the regulatory body, and we make sure the license is active. We look for SSL encryption algorithms to make sure that your information is safe from all data breaches.

A remote service can use a city name without operating a physical casino there. Creating a new marker simply because a search phrase exists would turn the map into a misleading destination guide. The full list is SkyCity Auckland, SkyCity Hamilton, SkyCity Queenstown, Christchurch Casino, and Grand Casino Dunedin. No new casino licence has been issued in New Zealand since 1996; six venue licences were granted in total, and Queenstown’s Wharf Casino surrendered its licence in March 2024, leaving five. CasinoList.co.nz is an independent New Zealand comparison site. When reviewing live casino games, our CasinoList.co.nz team looks for the size of the collection, the game types available, and the game providers.

Relationship with racing and sports betting

For a full explanation of Class 4 licensing, stake limits, and community-grant Zoccer online casino review rules, see pokie venue in NZ. Every day, New Zealanders use hundreds of overseas gambling websites. Regulating this sector will help protect consumers, reduce gambling harm, prevent crime and dishonesty, and make sure casinos providing to customers in New Zealand follow clear rules. Every figure below was checked against the operator or a licensed source.

While the successful auction operators are being announced, the brands that may ultimately operate under a licence are not being published at this stage. Operators may make changes throughout the application process, and approved brands will be published on a public register owned by the Department of Internal Affairs once their licence has been granted. A visitor already staying in Auckland may need one current venue record and a reliable return to the hotel.

If you’re looking for somewhere to play that isn’t one of the five casinos, see the licensed pokie venues directory or pick your region. Open the underlying source and compare the entity, event and period. Keep the uncertainty visible if the evidence does not resolve it. The correction checklist explains the fields needed for a useful discrepancy record and the guide’s published editorial contact route.

If a particular table, restaurant or event is the reason for going, ask about that item directly. Older pages and directories continue to count Wharf Casino. Its venue licence was surrendered on 28 March 2024, so it does not belong in the active set. Separate venue licences, operator licences, renewal activity and the closed Wharf record. Our engagement approach is built on transparency and fairness. Are you curious about spicing up your gameplay with baccarat side bets and eager to explore new winning strategies?