New Zealand is introducing a licensed gambling sector. The result could be a market shaped by compliance and legislation.
Earlier this month, the Online Casino Gambling Act 2026 began to take effect in New Zealand. It will provide only 15 licenses to operators, in a bid to increase channelisation rates while ensuring regulatory compliance and competition.
The scale of this could seriously impact how games are developed, with what seems like strict oversight. This could have an impact on the catalogue of games and how they are developed for the New Zealand market.
New Zealand’s Online Casino Regulations
Before news broke of New Zealand’s regulated casino market, the Department of Internal Affairs conducted research suggesting that between October 2023 and September 2025, an annual sum of NZ$1.36 billion was flowing to offshore casinos.
It also found that more than 96% of casino revenue was going to operators based in Gibraltar, Malta, Cyprus, and Great Britain.
Offshore casinos, left unchecked, didn’t descend into chaos, ripping off customers and providing lax security.
With so much competition, many of them became extremely efficient and consumer-friendly, with licenses gained from many of the aforementioned global boards.
Several offshore operators like Spinbet online casino, already serving New Zealand players, including brands licensed in Curaçao and Malta, have built audiences through broad game libraries and established payment systems.
Until regulation is fully implemented, many New Zealand players continue using offshore platforms operating under international licenses. Yet the benefits of a regulated sector, listed below, could not be ignored by the state:
- Taxable revenue
- Responsible gambling oversight
- Robust financial checks and anti AML
- Increased consumer protections
- Domestic job creation
According to iGamingtoday.com projections show that a potential expansion of New Zealand’s regulated online gambling sector will bring increased revenue. This is demonstrated in the table below.
| Year | New Zealand iGaming Market Revenue (Billion USD) |
| 2025 | 2.89 |
| 2026 | 2.99 |
| 2027 | 3.09 |
| 2028 | 3.21 |
| 2029 | 3.34 |
How Compliance Will Dictate Game Type?
Legislation could have a huge impact on what casino games can and can not do. A case in point can be found with a recent addition to offshore gambling platforms, titled “Rush Hour”.
Created by 155.io, a Dubai-based studio, it uses real-world CCTV footage from around the world, allowing viewers to bet on events based on real-world traffic flows. This can include how many motorcycles may pass a junction, or how many cars drive through traffic lights.
In a press release for the game, Sam Jones, the CEO of 155, added that “This release represents a new direction for interactive betting experiences.
By combining live CCTV feeds with automated computer vision tracking and AI, we’ve created a format that is simple to understand yet highly engaging.”
Yet the statement failed to address many major compliance issues.
Do the people driving the vehicles give their consent to be filmed? What if there is an accident that is streamed? How easy is it for people to manipulate the on-screen results?
Games must leverage a degree of social responsibility, which seems to be at the heart of New Zealand legislation. This would omit many games of Rush Hour’s nature, which have large legal loopholes.
Advertising, Research and Development
Another factor that may shape how games are developed is external changes to marketing and advertising.
While this is speculative, Paul James, Secretary for Internal Affairs, hinted that a ban on affiliate marketing may be forthcoming when he spoke at the ‘Regulating The Game’ conference in Sydney in March 2026. He added that a ban will be explicit and total, with no affiliate arrangements and paid endorsements.
This will be a huge blow to a sector that has come to rely on them. How this will impact games could take many forms.
A positive is that it could shift the budget from marketing to research and development. This would switch the onus from acquisition to retention, as operators seek to build the most unique and cutting-edge games.
A possible downside could be that this now places more power in the hands of developers and gives casinos more budget to leverage exclusive games.
Much like streaming services compete for blockbuster releases, platforms could compete for the next instalment in big franchise exclusives, like Big Bass and Book of Dead. Just as console games are often limited to one device, these releases could become commonplace.
The world of gaming, and in particular gamification, could be one solution to this. People love gamification, and it has been seen everywhere in culture, from Amazon warehouses to language learning apps.
By leveraging social aspects, such as leaderboards, tournaments and competitions, operators can build loyalty. Many casinos like SpinBet already employ this tactic, utilising these features to foster customer loyalty.
Responsible Gambling as Core Features
This responsible outlook has been evidenced in the country’s recent move to ban forms of credit in gambling payments. This will include the use of credit cards and ‘Buy Now, Pay Later’ schemes. Thus, people will not be able to gamble with money they don’t already have.
Any expansion of online gambling in New Zealand will also be subject to strict responsible gambling expectations, including age restrictions and harm-minimisation policies.
Brooke Van Velden, the Internal Affairs Minister, added, “That is something that we are currently drafting for the regulations.
The reason behind this is that I did not want to end up with people who were using online gambling, making their way into further debt, and getting themselves into a bit of a cycle.” Similar schemes have been utilised in legislated gambling markets across the world, such as the United Kingdom.
With this move toward responsible gambling as a core feature, we may see many other additions or omissions required for compliance in some world markets. Historically, these have been features that take gambling out of the hands of the player and into the realm of automated features.
Turbo spins, which omit animations and graphics and speed up gameplay, could go. Auto-play features, which bet and spin automatically for players, could follow.
Products will need to be compliant or adapted to suit them. This may eliminate some titles, such as Rush Hour, from licensed casinos. Yet developers will inevitably look to other ways to adapt and incorporate games.
Aviator, with its 5 million monthly active players by its own admission, started at online crypto casinos before adapting for mainstream audiences.
For operators like SpinBet, which already operates within this framework through its gamification features, loyalty programmes, and responsible gambling tools, New Zealand’s regulatory shift represents an opportunity rather than a constraint.
As the licensed market takes shape, platforms that have already embedded social features like leaderboards, tournaments, and retention-focused mechanics, will be best positioned to thrive.
Rather than being solely built around cash gaming, these operators could evolve into broader entertainment destinations, with compliance and player experience working in tandem rather than in opposition.
Responsible Gambling – Online gambling should only be conducted by those who are 18+. This is a form of entertainment. Manage your bankroll and only gamble that which you can afford to lose.
Author – David Fox is an experienced iGaming specialist with deep knowledge of online casinos, licensing standards, and player-focused platforms. His background in sales and affiliate partnerships gives him a unique understanding of how operators work behind the scenes. David delivers clear, reliable insights that help readers navigate the gambling world confidently.
With many years of professional experience within transnational corporations in different industries, Richard Jaimes has had the opportunity to lead people and organizations, investigate future topics, create strategies and innovations, consult senior management and translate insights into business advantages. Richard is also a long time senior consultant with Quantumrun Foresight.
