The Department of Internal Affairs has announced the results of an auction for 15 online casino gambling licences in New Zealand, with eleven entities securing rights to apply. PokerStars and GGPoker are absent from the published list. Although the process is described as an online casino licensing regime, poker is included within the legislation.
Auction price and three-year licence terms
The auction ran from September 29 to October 12 and attracted 32 bidders across ten rounds, with the final price reaching 15 million NZD for each licence. Winning the auction does not guarantee a licence, with each company required to submit a full application, business plan and strategies on consumer protection, advertising, compliance and the prevention of gambling-related harm.
Each licence will initially remain valid for up to three years, with the possibility of renewal for another five years. A single licence covers one approved brand, and no operator may receive more than three licences.
What 1 December 2026 means for poker sites
From December 1, 2026, online gambling companies that have not submitted a licence application must cease operating in New Zealand. Providers with an application under consideration may continue operating during the assessment period, but they will not be allowed to advertise. If an application is rejected, the operator must leave the market.
Stake is the only successful bidder whose existing brand already includes peer-to-peer poker. Stake’s international poker site features around 300 average concurrent cash game players and 8,000 daily tournament entries. The fully licensed system is expected to become operational during 2027.
Entain, which owns PartyPoker among other brands, won two licences and is using them to run two online casinos. Pokerfuse says Entain could run a PartyPoker skin under either casino brand (BlackRush or TAB). PokerStars started offering its network to third-party operators in September, so a licence winner could partner with PokerStars to launch online poker in New Zealand. GGPoker has partnered with local brands before; no New Zealand arrangement has been announced.
The names of the eventual licensed brands have not been finalised. Companies may alter their proposed brands during the application process, and final approved names will appear in a public register after licences are issued. The government has not confirmed how internationally shared poker liquidity would operate under the new regime.