SkyCity asks government to limit New Zealand online gaming licenses

[The Buzz]

SkyCity Entertainment Group, which runs four casinos across New Zealand and Australia, is challenging the New Zealand government's proposal to issue 15 online casino licenses. They are advocating for a significantly reduced number—no more than five—and insisting that these licenses be exclusively granted to New Zealand-based companies.

From Inside Asian Gaming:

SkyCity’s stance was included in official documents related to a new Online Gambling Bill and accessed by local media outlet RNZ under the country’s Official Information Act. The documents reveal a similar stance by the TAB, which wants no more than five to seven licenses issued.

Details of the Online Gambling Bill were first announced last year, with the government keen to offer up licenses in a bid to minimize the proliferation of illegal offshore gambling across the country.

However, in a letter to Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velde, SkyCity – which has already confirmed its intention to bid for one of the licenses on offer, argued, “The safest way to ensure online casino profits are subject to New Zealand income tax is to only allow incorporated New Zealand companies to hold licenses and not permit a license to be held by a foreign company or a New Zealand branch of a foreign company.”

Van Velden told RNZ that it was clear SkyCity was looking out for its own interests. casino was looking after its own interests.

“I’m not here to look out for SkyCity. I’m not here to look out for any established particular casino or their brands. I’m here to ensure that we have a fair marketplace and a fair, regulated market,” she said, according to the RNZ report.

Read more here: https://asgam.com/2025/03/11/new-zea...enses-to-five/

[CasinosBroker]

Bold challenge.

[universal4]

Interesting they demand only 5, why not just go with 4?

Because if they try to push only four, there would be zero expansion, and they understand now that it has been proposed there WILL be expansion.

My opinion is they likely see their own monopoly is coming to an end, and they used the number of 5 thinking it might reduce the final number that will be decided on.

Not sure they will ever get a "fair" marketplace, but it does seem quite logical the number of licenses is sure to increase.

Rick
Universal4

[BettingBoss]

Hi guys

I live in New Zealand, and currently it's illegal to have a co.nz website advertising offshore online casinos or bookmakers. Do we think with the latest news, affiliate marketing in NZ will become legal?

From what I know, the government is looking to geo-block offshore casinos and bookmakers, which means Kiwis would need to bet with the NZ TAB or one of these 15 approved casinos. Therefore, aff marketing should be made legal in that case?