BMM Testlabs says it has been approved to provide online gaming testing and certification services in New Zealand under the online casino framework overseen by the Department of Internal Affairs. The company announced the approval on October 19, 2026. The approval extends BMM’s testing and certification services in New Zealand from the land-based gaming sector to the regulated online casino market. Gaming Laboratories International announced its own approval earlier in October.
BMM will bring 45 years of technical expertise and regulatory knowledge to operators and suppliers in the online casino segment. BMM’s capabilities also benefit from its combination with eCOGRA. Kirk White, President of Land-Based Gaming and Inspections at BMM, said: “BMM has a long history of supporting New Zealand’s land-based gaming industry, and we’re excited to build upon those relationships as the country moves toward regulated online casino gaming. Our customers rely on us for quality, speed, and service. We’re proud to bring that same commitment to this next chapter of New Zealand’s gaming industry.”
DIA draft names approved labs and accepted standards
The DIA’s discussion draft of its testing and monitoring requirements, dated September 2026, sets out the proposed testing, certification and monitoring framework for operators under the Online Casino Gambling Act 2026. The draft lists as approved labs test houses approved by the UK Gambling Commission, labs registered with the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario, and the three facilities that already test land-based gambling in New Zealand: Gaming Laboratories International Australia, Quality Assurance Laboratories and BMM Australia. Testing can be against New Zealand’s own regulations and minimum standards, the Ontario standards for internet gaming or the UK Remote Gambling and Software Technical Standards.
Registers, hosting details and ongoing checks required
Before receiving a licence, an applicant must submit a Game and RNG Register confirming that every game, including live dealer games, and every random number generator has been tested by an approved lab. Applicants must also list their critical technology providers and the data centre and cloud hosting locations they use; evidence of ISO 27001 certification or equivalent assurance will also be required. The proposed regime requires ongoing monitoring of operators’ systems and Return to Player performance, and periodic vulnerability scanning and penetration testing of platforms.
After launch, new games and any update that could affect fairness must be tested externally, while minor changes can be checked internally if the operator meets the draft’s control requirements. The testing requirements are still a discussion draft, with the effective date left blank in the published version, so the final list of approved labs could change. According to Yogonet, 15 online casino licences are expected under the new regime.