NewsRegulation3 min read
New Zealand Auctions 15 Online Casino License Rights to 11 Firms at NZ$15M Each
New Zealand's Department of Internal Affairs has named 11 companies, including Stake, SkyCity and TAB New Zealand, as winners of 15 rights to apply for online casino licenses at NZ$15 million each.
Written by Editorial Desk14 October 2026
New Zealand's Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) has announced that 11 companies won 15 rights to apply for online casino licenses, each priced at NZ$15 million, or about US$8.4 million. The regulator published the auction results on October 13.
Thirty-two bidders competed for the 15 licenses on offer, and the auction ended after 10 rounds, the DIA said. According to reports, it used an ascending clock format: the price went up in steps, bidders confirmed at each step that they were still interested, and the auction closed once enough had dropped out for demand to match supply.
A right to apply is not a license. The DIA said a winning bid guarantees nothing, and each winner still has to pay and prove it is fit to operate. For offshore sites outside this group, the deadline to stop serving New Zealanders is December 1, 2026.
The winners on the DIA list
According to the list on the DIA's website, Baytree Interactive Limited won three rights, which reports describe as the most any single operator could hold. Playvia Gaming (NZ) Limited and Rock Swift Group Limited took two each. Eight companies won one right apiece:
- Christchurch Online NZ Limited
- One Casino Limited
- Rush Entertainment Limited
- Skill On Net Limited
- SkyCity NZ Online NO1 Limited
- SkyCity NZ Online NO2 Limited
- Stake New Zealand Limited
- TAB New Zealand
Most of these names are local vehicles. According to reports, Baytree Interactive belongs to Betway owner Super Group, and One Casino Limited belongs to Malta-based LCKY, formerly Glitnor Group. Skill On Net is also based in Malta. Christchurch Online NZ is registered in Malta and is not connected to Christchurch Casino, reports say.
Rock Swift Group was previously licensed by the Kahnawake Gaming Commission, according to reports, and neither it nor Christchurch Online has a known link to an international operator. The DIA is not yet saying which brands each winner plans to run.
Land-based casino group SkyCity confirmed its two rights in a stock exchange filing, putting the cost at NZ$15 million each before sales tax. It said it will apply ahead of the market opening in 2027.
Entain's two routes in
Playvia Gaming (NZ) is an Entain subsidiary, according to reports. TAB New Zealand, which holds the country's sports betting monopoly, is run by Entain under a 25-year partnership, reports say. There had been doubt that TAB could apply because of that monopoly. It will.
We are pleased to have successfully progressed to the final licence application stage of New Zealand’s online casino licensing process for our BlackRush and Foxy brands, alongside TAB NZ, which is supported by Entain.
Reports disagree on what this adds up to. One treats the TAB right as a third license for Entain, while another says the group, which wanted three, now has a chance at two. Nothing published so far settles whether TAB's right counts toward Entain's limit.
The TAB link matters commercially. Entain chief executive Stella David said on the group's FY25 earnings call that Entain is the only operator able to cross-sell sports betting and online casino in New Zealand.
Stake adds another regulated market
Stake New Zealand Limited is the crypto-first casino's local arm, according to reports. A Stake spokesperson tied the result to the company's launches in Alberta, Argentina and Mexico this year and to a strategy of entering markets with long-term potential.
We’re really excited about the opportunity in New Zealand as the market moves towards regulation. It’s a strong fit for Stake and another important step in growing our presence globally.
The price is steep by recent standards. According to reports, NZ$15 million is more than the €5.2 million cost of a license in Brazil.
Applications, then a 2027 market
Winners must pay the auction price and file a business plan setting out how they will handle advertising, consumer protection and harm reduction, the DIA said. Licenses follow only once a provider proves it is suitable, and approved brands will then appear on a public register.
Each license covers one brand for three years, with a possible five-year renewal, according to reports. Applicants can keep operating without advertising until the DIA decides, reports say, and online casino advertising remains banned.
Licenses are expected early in 2027, according to reports. The DIA has given no exact date for the full market launch.
