New Zealand opens expressions of interest process for online casino licences
Operators can start the process of applying for one of 15 licences available for New Zealand’s regulated online casino market.
New Zealand.- The Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) has opened the expressions of interest (EOI) process for companies seeking one of the 15 online casino licences that will be issued under New Zealand’s online casino regulatory framework.
The EOI stage, which opened on July 17, is the first step in a three-phase licensing process. Interested operators have until August 14 to submit their applications. Successful applicants will then be invited to participate in a licence auction slated for September before submitting full applications by October.
It’s expected that licences will be granted in early 2027. Any unlicensed operator still serving players in New Zealand after December 1 will faces fines up to NZ$5m and will be forced to leave the market.
The government has capped the market at 15 licences, with individual operators allowed to hold up to a maximum of three each. Applicants must provide detailed information about their ownership structure, key personnel, gambling platform, existing licences and regulatory history. They must also demonstrate access to at least NZ$7.5m (US$4.4m) in capital and pay a non-refundable application fee of NZ$19,000 (US$11,100).
