New Zealand Reviews Advertising Rules as Part of Online Casino Regulation Plan

New Zealand will regulate how its gambling companies advertise during the Online Casinos gambling bill, as it intends to implement a full licensing framework to manage the promotion and the provision of gambling services by the end of 2026. The government feels that the changes are justified due to illegal offshore gambling contributing to the online gambling activity that encourages gambling harm. The Department of Internal Affairs states that New Zealanders spend over 300 million NZD on online gambling on overseas sites, which includes online casinos that are unlicensed and unregulated.

New Zealand’s government is pushing online casinos to operate online, with the advertising restrictions being primarily on the services. The Online Casino Gambling bill that was introduced in 2025 aimed to eliminate the advertising of offshore provision from being a non-regulated, unlicensed provision to being a fully controlled and licensed advertising license provision. The advertising is historically restricted in theory, but in practice, and is now a focus of the services to be limited.

This legislative initiative aims to address the concerns of health advocates and regulators who believe the current gambling advertisements are out of touch with the digital age. While digital platforms are legally restricted from targeting New Zealand consumers, international gambling companies continue to operate lawlessly, placing consumers at risk, and the government is left with an unregulated marketplace. 

The advertising guidelines are likely to try to balance these concerns with the opening of a regulated market to safe gambling. This will likely set the stage for a new debate on responsible gambling and the potential harm of gambling advertisements.

Government Moves to Tighten Oversight of Gambling Promotions

Promoting the use of foreign gambling websites is illegal, although there are still a few laws enforcing these restrictions. In recent years, the Department of Internal Affairs has issued a few enforcement tickets, including to influencers who post promotional material for foreign gambling websites. However, advertisements for online gambling remain present on most digital platforms.

This will likely be the situation if the proposed licencing model is accepted. Regulated gambling companies will be able to advertise to a restricted extent, and companies that do not hold a gambling licence will face more stringent requirements. Government officials believe the line will be drawn clearly, and there will be an increase in advertising in New Zealand that is regulated compared to advertising that is unregulated. The government anticipates that there will be 15 licencing agreements that will include stipulations about advertising, responsible gambling, and reporting requirements.

Regulatory reviews will go over advertising restrictions regarding content, placement, and target audiences, and they plan to establish rules regarding ads during certain hours, misleading claims, and responsible gambling advertisements. These regulations will likely remain in place to ensure advertising is not overly aggressive while also keeping services in compliance with regulations.

Focus on Consumer Protection and Responsible Advertising

Gambling is now more accessible due to the digital age, especially with mobile devices like smartphones and tablets; mobile online casinos have become a significant contributor to the growth of online gambling, offering customers casino games that are designed for smaller screens to be used on the go. These services usually include a mobile-optimised interface for faster payments and easier navigation for mobile users.

Policymakers in New Zealand are left to consider the methods that will be used to advertise this type of service. Mobile gambling formats allow for increased frequency of play, which remains a public health concern. Approximately 0.3 per cent of the adult population in New Zealand is cited as having moderate to high risk gambling harm, with online gambling identified as a contributing factor, according to data from the Ministry of Health.

Regulators have also pointed to offshore models that promote no verification access, where limited identity checks allow users to gamble with minimal friction. Officials argue that such practices weaken age controls and make it harder to identify vulnerable players. The official position is that advertising rules must capture these risks. 

Proposed changes include clearer risk warnings, limits on promotional offers and more rigorous age restrictions. These proposals, according to government officials, aim to balance consumer choice with harm reduction rather than eliminate advertising altogether.

Online Casino Licensing Framework Takes Shape

The licensing framework is central to the new changes. Primary regulation will be the responsibility of the Department of Internal Affairs, which will manage the allocation of licenses, as well as compliance and enforcement. Advertising and consumer protection compliance will be a prerequisite to licensure renewal for operators, which will be for a fixed term.

The government believes that, based on the stated regulatory impacts, tax revenue will be generated by licensed operators, and that revenue will support the initiatives designed to mitigate harmful impacts. Treasury data suggests that the total amount of revenue projected for the New Zealand economy that would result from regulating this market would likely be a considerable portion of the $300 million that is currently estimated to be spent on cross-border gambling.

Within these parameters, advertising has a useful function. Licensed operators must have a certain level of advertising to be able to compete with offshore operators, but the government will restrict this to a reasonable level. The government expects that providing a limited amount of advertising will protect consumers more than leaving them to interact with unregulated operators.

During the consultation phase, industry groups made submissions that were cautiously optimistic regarding the rules of advertising. They said that advertising rules that are too rigid may negatively impact the potential of the licensed advertising market. They suggested that advertising regulations and prospects of international enforcement should be the same.