Despite efforts to launch the regulated iGaming market in New Zealand in mid-2026, the government has announced that the timeline will be pushed until early 2027.The...
Operators in New Zealand to pay 4% levy starting in 2027
Under New Zealand’s Online Casino Gaming Bill, operators will be required to pay 4% of their gross gaming revenue (GGR) to community funding.
The introduction of the new law is connected to concerns that the changing landscape from land-based to online casinos could reduce the funding from gambling revenue. With the bill, the government expects to generate between $10 million and $20 million during the first year, starting from January 1, 2027.
The bill’s first reading in Parliament was in July 2025 and was a big part of the Governance and Administration Committee’s recent report. Around 5,000 submissions were made during public consultations, of which over 4,000 raised concerns about community funding.
There were concerns that more online gambling could divert people’s spending habits away from gambling machines, reducing the contributions that land-based casinos make to important causes. Community returns from gambling are given to sports clubs and local organizations, and support measures such as helping send Special Olympics athletes to national competitions.
The new Online Casino Gambling Bill proposed in New Zealand aims to ban credit card deposits at online casinos or betting sites as a central harm-minimization measure.The...
