New Zealand‘s Department of Internal Affairs has named 11 operators cleared to apply for one of 15 capped online casino licences, with Entain, Stake, Super Group’s Betway and SkyCity among those advancing. The result marks a decisive stage in the country’s shift from an unregulated offshore market to a licensed domestic regime.
The clearance follows a competitive auction that
ended with a final price of NZ$15 million (US$8.42 million) per licence, involving 32 bidders competing over 10 rounds for 15 available licences.
Securing a place on the shortlist does not guarantee a final licence, but it puts the named companies on the only realistic path into the market before transitional arrangements expire.
What happened
The New Zealand licensing process produced a list of 11 entities with rights to apply.
The successful bidders were Baytree Interactive Limited (Betway) with three rights, Christchurch Online NZ Limited, One Casino Limited, Playvia Gaming (NZ) Limited (Entain) with two rights, Rock Swift Group Limited with two rights, Rush Entertainment Limited, Skill On Net Limited, SkyCity NZ Online NO1 Limited, SkyCity NZ Online NO2 Limited, Stake, and TAB New Zealand.
Betway’s parent secured the largest allocation.
Super Group through its Baytree Interactive vehicle received three rights to apply, the maximum available to each single operator.
Entain’s position is split across two routes into the market.
Entain obtained two rights to apply using its Playvia Gaming subsidiary, as well as an additional licence through TAB NZ, which is fully operated by the group under a 25-year strategic sports betting partnership.
SkyCity, the only land-based incumbent on the list, confirmed its own progress directly. The operator stated it
was a successful participant for the right to apply for two licences in the auction
, giving it a potential route to combine its physical casino estate with an online offering. Stake, meanwhile, welcomed the result, with a spokesperson saying it was
“a strong fit for Stake and another important step in growing our presence globally.”
Clearing the auction is not the finish line.
Since the approvals are not a licence guarantee, all listed companies now need to provide the Department of Internal Affairs with the required documentation for a full business assessment, including information about domestic business plans, marketing strategies and consumer protection mechanisms.
Operators that missed out face a hard deadline: those without an application in progress
must cease their online casino offering by December 1, though those who have begun the application process will be granted an exemption while their application is assessed.
Why it matters
The structure of the New Zealand regime makes this an unusually concentrated market opportunity. With only 15 licences available against 32 auction participants, the companies named this week have effectively locked out a majority of bidders. For operators, the commercial calculation now shifts from market access to positioning: Betway and Entain’s multiple rights suggest ambitions to run more than one brand or product line within the same jurisdiction, a strategy only available to operators with deep enough balance sheets to clear the auction price repeatedly.
For affiliates and performance marketers, a capped licensing model changes the dynamics of player acquisition from the outset. A market with a fixed, small number of licensed brands tends to produce higher-value, more predictable commercial terms than open markets flooded with competing operators, but it also means affiliate programmes will likely launch later and with fewer counterparties than in less restrictive jurisdictions. Agencies building New Zealand strategies should expect the brand roster to be largely settled well before the market opens, with search and content planning able to focus on a known shortlist rather than a shifting field.
The bigger picture
New Zealand’s approach sits alongside a wider pattern of previously grey or offshore-tolerant markets moving to formal licensing, echoing recent regulatory tightening seen across Europe and the Americas. The scale of the prize explains the intensity of competition: New Zealand has for years seen significant player spend flow to unlicensed offshore operators with no local consumer protection obligations, and the new Online Casino Gambling Act 2026 is designed to bring that activity onshore.
The operators that have advanced are familiar names from other regulated markets. Entain and Stake have both pursued aggressive licensing strategies internationally in 2026, including separate and ongoing battles to re-establish footholds in Brazil following that market’s recent crackdown. Their presence on the New Zealand shortlist, alongside SkyCity’s domestic incumbency advantage, points to a market likely to open in 2027 with a small, well-capitalised group of operators setting the competitive tone from day one.
For more coverage of licensing decisions and market entries shaping the global iGaming sector, visit our industry news section.
Sources
- SBC News – New Zealand names all operators cleared for second licensing stage
- iGaming Business – Entain and Stake among bidders to progress in New Zealand licence bid
- InterGame Online – Stake, Entain advance in New Zealand igaming licence race
- NEXT.io – Entain and Stake among 11 firms to advance in NZ casino licence auction
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