Regulation For New Zealand
The government of New Zealand has agreed to begin regulating online casinos in the country.
This will be the first time New Zealand has had a regulated market, and plans are in place to complete the process by 2026.
A High-Level Approach
The New Zealand government is developing regulations for online casinos, but it has been confirmed that it will take a high-level approach. This approach will focus on reducing player harm, supporting tax collection, and providing consumer protection. This is likely to be similar to regulated markets in Europe and other parts of the world, though an exact framework is yet to be drawn up.
Brooke Van Velden, the country’s Minister of Internal Affairs, has said that the purpose of regulating online casinos is to prevent illegal operators from providing their service in the country. Van Velden said, “This is not intended to increase the amount of gambling New Zealanders do but to ensure operators meet requirements for consumer protection and harm minimisation, as well as paying tax,”
A select committee process will take place, allowing members of the New Zealand public to have their say. There is no news on whether or not online sports betting and lottery services will be regulated.
An Ongoing Issue
The status of online gambling in New Zealand has been a cause for contention in the country for a while. A regulated New Zealand online casino market has been rumoured since Christopher Luxon’s New Zealand National Party won the 2023 General Election.
During the election, the National Party criticised the previous government, controlled by the New Zealand Labour Party, for not collecting goods and services taxes from offshore operators. Labour strongly argued this point, while the New Zealand party argued that a regulated market would bring in around $179m in tax.
The news has been widely praised across the industry, with casino operator SkyCity Entertainment saying that it strongly supports online casino regulation in the country and believes it will bring many community benefits.
