New Zealand's Department of Internal Affairs has published draft technology requirements for online casino operators and opened a two-week silent auction for 15 licenses. The process began on 29 September, with licenses expected to be issued by year-end.
Operators must obtain independent certification of games and platforms within six months of licensing, then annually. The regulator will accept certificates issued in other jurisdictions—the United Kingdom and Ontario are named explicitly. Accredited labs include GLI Australia, Quality Assurance Laboratories and BMM Australia.
Before licensing, applicants must submit a game registry and list of random number generators with proof of testing for each title, including live dealer games. They must disclose technology suppliers, data centre or cloud infrastructure locations, and provide ISO 27001 certification or equivalent.
Once live, operators must file updated game registries with a statement from the CEO or chief compliance officer confirming technology compliance. The filing must cover third-party solutions, infrastructure, operating systems, databases and software. Any new game or RNG requires external testing. Changes affecting game fairness trigger re-evaluation. The regulator will monitor systems and RTP metrics; operators must conduct periodic vulnerability scans and platform penetration tests.
New Zealand is among the few jurisdictions in Asia-Pacific to license online casinos. The online gambling law was passed in 2026.
