The NZ Government Has Cracked Down on Offshore Online Casino Advertising

The New Zealand government has taken action and cracked down on offshore online casino operators that have breached its ban on advertising their services to New Zealand residents.

This action comes as a prelude to some upcoming changes to their online casino regulatory environment, and is a sign that the NZ government is not going to suffer breaches of its regulations lightly.

The online casino environment in New Zealand has, for a long time, existed as a legal grey zone. There have been no domestic operators licensed by the NZ government able to offer services to residents, but residents have been legally free to seek the services of offshore operators, like the ones listed on Kiwislot’s popular free spins list, if they wish.

An important part of this situation has been the total ban on offshore operators advertising their services directly to NZ residents.

While for much of the history of this rule, it has been ignored or circumvented with ease, 2025 has seen the NZ government take action in several cases in which it was broken. This can be assumed to be a sign of the NZ government flexing its regulatory muscles as it prepares to put into action an entirely new regulatory environment.

Let’s take a closer look at the current and coming regulatory environments for online casino gaming in NZ, and at the crackdown on gambling advertising and what it might signify.

What the Current Regulatory Environment is for Online Gambling?

The current regulatory environment for online gambling in New Zealand is governed by the Gambling Act 2003. This act has created an environment in which no domestic operators are allowed to offer online casino services in the country, but NZ residents are perfectly legally able to engage in casino activities at offshore platforms.

As per section 16 of this act, no offshore gambling operators are allowed to advertise overseas gambling services to NZ residents.

The law is clear, and covers a wide range of advertising forms, including print, broadcast, social media and other online forms of advertising.

Despite this, there have been many historical instances of operators and brands breaching this law and offering promotions that directly target NZ residents.

It could be said that part of the reason for this strange situation, in which it was legal for operators to service NZ residents but not to advertise to them, is due to the lack of any kind of regulation that would allow domestically licensed online casino platforms to exist. But that fact is soon to change.

How Gambling Regulation in NZ is Changing?

There have been huge changes in the online gambling regulatory landscape in NZ over the last year or so. The government introduced the Online Casino Gambling Bill to Parliament on the 30th June 2025, and the bill was passed but is still currently in the final stages of being amended.

The bill is expected to be enacted and fully in place by the 1st July 2026, which should usher in a new era of regulated online casino gaming in NZ.

The main aim of the bill is to bring some revenue back from offshore operators to NZ, and to ensure that NZ residents who engage in online casino gaming are doing so with the best level of protection possible. Among other things, the legislation aims to do the following:

• Prohibit unlicensed online casino platforms from offering or advertising to NZ residents, with stronger penalties than currently exist.
• Create 15 online casino licenses for domestic and international operators to bid on.
• Regulate and oversee the casino platforms that will gain licenses, ensuring they include features like age verification, responsible gambling measures and anti-money laundering protocols.
• Give the New Zealand Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) stronger powers to fight against any entities that breach gambling advertising bans.

All in all, the legislation is trying to push through a much safer, responsible and transparent online casino environment for residents of NZ.

The NZ Government Handed Out More Than Warnings in 2025

While historically the DIA and other NZ authorities on this matter have largely issued warnings to entities that have breached the Gambling Act 2003 ban on gambling advertising, 2025 has been different.

As of late September 2025, a number of influencers and an offshore operator received penalties that collectively add to NZ$125,000 due to advertising breaches.

The four influencers, Millie Elder-Holmes, Calen Morris, Billy Whaanga and Tuhira Wana, received fines of NZ$30,000, NZ$20,000, NZ$20,000 and NZ$15,000, respectively. The Operator, a Curacao-based casino and sportsbook, received NZ$60,000.

This enforcement action shows that the DIA is not only unafraid to flex its regulatory muscles, but it isn’t afraid to do so against individual promoters that it deems have breaches it’s regulations.

It is also evidence that the NZ government is unafraid to level enforcement actions against international companies for breaches of its laws.

Why Has the NZ Government Started Enforcing More Heavily?

While there are many reasons that could be cited as reasons for the step-up in enforcement, it seems clear that the NZ government is preparing for operators to test the limits of their new regulatory environment.

By showing a strong hand early, the NZ government and the DIA are showing international operators that not only will they enforce their new regulations, but that they can enforce them with actions that will hurt their bottom line.

The change in regulatory environment and the enforcement actions are all occurring in the name of better consumer protections. The NZ government wants to ensure that its residents who engage in online casino gaming do so in as safe and responsible a way as is reasonable.

Final Thoughts

The enforcement of the regulation against advertising online casino services to NZ that has occurred throughout 2025 is a sign of things to come.

It is a clear flexing of regulatory muscle from the DIA, and it is attempting to send a clear message to promoters and operators both: “We will protect our residents, and you will see action from us if you overstep our boundaries.”