Thirty-two bidders, ten rounds and a final price of NZD 15 million per licence. New Zealand has completed the auction that selected participants for the next stage in establishing a regulated online casino market. The regulator's key qualification is that winning grants the right to apply, not an approved licence.
The Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) announced the results on 13 October 2026. According to its statement, 11 entities secured the right to apply for the 15 available licences. They now face detailed assessment. The first licences are expected to be issued from early 2027, subject to applicants meeting the requirements. This is another stage in the process and should not be confused with the launch of an operational market. [1]
Who progressed through the auction?
The results also appeared in the government's GETS procurement system. Baytree Interactive Limited secured three rights to apply, while Playvia Gaming (NZ) Limited and Rock Swift Group Limited secured two each. The other entities received one each. [2]
Baytree Interactive Limited - three rights to apply.
Playvia Gaming (NZ) Limited and Rock Swift Group Limited - two rights each.
One right each: Christchurch Online NZ Limited, One Casino Limited, Rush Entertainment Limited, Skill On Net Limited, SkyCity NZ Online NO1 Limited, SkyCity NZ Online NO2 Limited, Stake New Zealand Limited and TAB New Zealand.
The list identifies companies taking part in the process. It is not a register of approved casino brands. DIA notes that brands may change during assessment and that approved names will appear in the public register only after licences have been granted. [1]
1 December 2026: an important deadline for existing providers
Entities that did not secure a route to a New Zealand licence must stop providing online casino services to the country's residents by 1 December 2026. This also applies to providers that did not take part in the process. The regulator warns that some brands may leave earlier. Announcing the auction results does not, by itself, mean an immediate change for players while applications are being assessed. [1]
What should readers look for in subsequent announcements? Licensing decisions and the public register of approved brands. News of an auction win does not replace either document.
Player protection must be part of how the platform operates
DIA's published minimum standards require easy access to time, deposit and spending limits. Increasing or removing a previously set limit requires a waiting period of at least 24 hours. Platforms must also check the self-exclusion register when an account is activated and at login, and prevent self-excluded people from gambling. [3]
The requirements also cover game design: at least 2.5 seconds between the start of a round and the opportunity to start another, a separate deliberate user action for every round, and no automatic start of the next round. The standards rule out linking slot games in a way that enables simultaneous play on several of them. They also provide for mechanisms to check that the user is located in New Zealand. [3]
What do the results mean for the iGaming industry?
Editorial assessment: the auction concluded the competition for access to the next stage, but shifted the focus of preparation to operational compliance. An operator must demonstrate working procedures and technology, not merely an ability to bid a price. For platform suppliers, this means incorporating local requirements into product design from the outset.
Official guidance describes documentation supporting an application, including marketing, consumer-protection and harm-minimisation strategies. These must demonstrate policies, procedures, systems, oversight and evidence of compliance in practice. This stage is separate from the auction itself. [4]
There is no basis yet for treating the auction price as a forecast of the winners' profitability or the performance of the market as a whole. Licensing decisions, the final set of brands and their actual results after launch remain unresolved. The reform's next test will therefore be the transition from a list of bidders to supervised services.
Read more about tools for reducing risk in the Responsible gambling section. We follow regulatory developments in Radio Sloty Magazine.
Sources and verification
[1] DIA - auction results, 13 October 2026: https://createsend.com/t/j-F451D57EFD36F7BA2540EF23F30FEDED
[2] GETS - participants and results: https://www.gets.govt.nz/DIA/ExternalTenderDetails.htm?id=35167172
[3] DIA - minimum standards: https://www.dia.govt.nz/Online-Casino-Gambling-Minimum-Standards
[4] DIA - Legislative guidance, July 2026: https://www.dia.govt.nz/diawebsite.nsf/Files/Online-Casino-Gambling/$file/Online-Casino-Gambling-Legislative-guidance-July-2026.pdf
Verification date: 17 October 2026.
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