Online Casinos in New Zealand
Until recently there were no online casinos that were located in New Zealand or used a .nz domain, as they were illegal. However, there are online casinos that are based in and legislated by other countries, who accept players that are residents of New Zealand, such as Jackpot City, Captain Cooks Casino and Casumo. Online Gambling in New Zealand has been allowed providing you play at offshore online casinos. This is changing: the Online Casino Gambling Act 2026 came into force on 1 May 2026 and creates up to 15 online casino licences. The Department of Internal Affairs runs an expression of interest stage (July 2026) and an auction (from late September 2026), with the first licences expected from early 2027. From 1 December 2026 offshore operators that have not applied for a licence must stop offering online casino games to New Zealanders.
New Zealand Slot Machines
The most popular New Zealand Slot Machines were created by some of the largest software developers in the industry. Slots such as Starburst and Gonzo´s Quest were developed by NetEnt. Microgaming pokies (now distributed by Games Global) Adventure Palace, Avalon, Thunderstruck II and Immortal Romance are also played often as well as the jackpot slot Mega Moolah. In recent years Pragmatic Play slots such as Gates of Olympus, Sweet Bonanza and 5 Lions Megaways and Playson's Coin Strike have joined them. The Egyptian theme of the Book of the Dead slot by Play ´n GO is also attractive to Kiwi players.
New Zealand Online Casino Games
The residents of New Zealand prefer online casino games, Roulette, Blackjack, Craps, Baccarat, Sic Bo and Poker. There are many different versions of these games that can be played at online casinos and this is great news for Kiwi residents. The ability to access this games from the comfort of home is appealing, especially with the addition of Live Casino games. These allow players to get a more real casino experience as they watch the wheel spin,the cards being dealt or the dice thrown by real people at a real table. It is also possible to interact with the dealer and other online players that are active at the table.
Casinos in New Zealand
The Gambling Act 2003 states that there will be no new casino licenses issued and only the licenses for the 6 existing casinos in New Zealand can be renewed. The first casino opened in Christchurch in 1994 and is still operational today; in 2004 the SkyCity Entertainment Group bought a stake in it, but sold its shares in 2012, and the Christchurch Casino is now majority owned by Skyline Enterprises. The SkyCity Entertainment group holds 4 casino licences across New Zealand: SkyCity Auckland, SkyCity Hamilton, SkyCity Queenstown and the Skycity Wharf Casino. The Wharf Casino in Queenstown closed during the first Covid lockdown in 2020 and has not reopened, although its licence remains, while SkyCity Queenstown had its venue licence renewed for 15 years from December 2025. The only other legal casino is the Dunedin Casino that opened in 1999.
Gambling Act New Zealand
Gambling in New Zealand is legislated under the Gambling Act 2003. Lotteries were first established in 1933 and the New Zealand Lotteries Commission was launched in 1987. This commission, known today as Lotto NZ, runs Lotto with Powerball and Strike, Bullseye, Instant Kiwi Scratch cards and daily keno games (the Big Wednesday lotto ended in 2015). Sports betting is also legal, however in 1920 it was illegal to make a bet unless it was at the racecourse where the race was being run. However in 1951 it became legal for people to be able to make off-course bets via the Totalizator Agency Board (TAB), which later also took sports bets. In 2023 TAB NZ entered a 25-year partnership with Entain, which now runs its betting and broadcasting operations. The latest milestone is the Online Casino Gambling Act 2026, which came into force on 1 May 2026 and will introduce up to 15 licensed online casinos, with the licensed market expected to open from early 2027.
