- New Zealand legislators have passed a bill to legalize iGaming in the country, allowing for massive amounts of tax revenue.
- Players in New Zealand can currently play online blackjack at offshore casino sites.
NEW ZEALAND – A regulated online gaming market will be coming to New Zealand soon. Parliament passed the New Zealand Online Casino Gambling Bill on Thursday, just under a year after its proposal.
Though it is expected to be finalized soon, sources say that the domestic market will not be up and running until at least 2027 due to licensing and other processes. Bettors in New Zealand can currently use offshore sites to play blackjack, but the country aims to prevent this in the future with the bill's extraterritorial reach.
New Zealand Online Casino Legalization Limits Offshore Reach
New Zealand's new gambling laws will apply to all online casinos that are accessible within the country, regardless of their physical location. License applications are due by December 1, 2026 and unlicensed online casinos will be required to stop accepting NZ players, or they will face a $5 million penalty.
Up to 15 licenses will be awarded to gaming operators in the country according to Brook van Velden, the New Zealand Internal Affairs Minister. The primary driver for the bill is tax revenue, which would greatly help the country, as has been seen in countries in North America and Europe.
Legal blackjack games will be one of the biggest draws for players in New Zealand due to its simple rules and fast paced gameplay. Blackjack is arguably the most popular table game and paired with ease of access that online casinos allow, it creates a recipe for massive amounts of revenue.