New Zealand clears 11 operators for online gambling licence bids
The Department of Internal Affairs has named 11 companies, including Entain, SkyCity, Stake and Betway, as eligible to apply for 15 online gambling licences under New Zealand's new regime.
Eleven gambling companies have been confirmed as eligible to bid for New Zealand's 15 available online gambling licences, SBC News reported, marking the next stage in the country's shift from an unregulated online market to a licensed one.
Betway, operating through Baytree Interactive Ltd, secured rights to the most applications of any candidate, with three. Entain's local entity, Playvia Gaming Ltd, and Rock Swift Group Ltd each hold two application rights.
The remaining approved applicants are Christchurch Online NZ Ltd, One Casino Ltd, Rush Entertainment Ltd, Skill On Net Ltd, Stake New Zealand Ltd, TAB New Zealand, and two SkyCity Entertainment subsidiaries, SkyCity NZ Online NO1 Ltd and SkyCity NZ Online NO2 Ltd.
According to SBC News, the 11 companies emerged from a ten-round auction that drew 32 bidders in total, with each individual licence priced at NZ$15m, roughly £6.4m.
Clearing this stage does not guarantee a licence. The DIA now requires each company to submit full documentation covering its finances, local business plans, marketing approach and player protection measures before any licence is granted.
Operators that do not lodge an application by 1 December 2026 must stop offering online gambling services to New Zealand customers from that date. Those with an application pending may keep trading while it is assessed, though they must observe a temporary cap on advertising during that period.
The licensing framework stems from legislation that took effect on 3 July 2026, designed to bring online casino activity that had largely operated in a legal grey area under formal oversight.
Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden said the legislation supported the coalition government's commitment to closing a gambling tax loophole, requiring licensed online casino operators to pay tax in New Zealand in the same way as any other domestic business.
Van Velden added that the measures were intended to apply New Zealand law to all online casino gambling accessible in the country irrespective of an operator's location, giving the regulator stronger powers to track and enforce compliance among overseas firms.
The successful licences are due to take effect from 1 July 2027. Sports betting will remain outside this process, staying under Entain's 20-year exclusive arrangement, a position that gives the company an established footing in the market as the casino segment opens up.
Stake's inclusion continues its push into regulated jurisdictions, following licences already obtained in markets such as Denmark, even as its internationally known grey-market.com brand remains active elsewhere.
A Stake spokesperson told SBC News the company was enthusiastic about the New Zealand opportunity as the market regulates, calling it a strong fit and a further step in its global expansion, pointing to recent moves into Alberta, Argentina and Mexico as part of the same strategy of targeting markets with long-term potential.