You must be 20 or over to enter the gambling area of a casino in New Zealand. For pub and club pokies, TAB betting, Instant Kiwi and the online casinos that will be licensed from 2027, the minimum age is 18. Lotto, Powerball, Strike, Keno and Bullseye have no legal minimum age today. That changes on 29 March 2027, when every New Zealand lottery ticket becomes 18+.
Here is each age limit with the section of the law that sets it, the fines for breaking it, and what happens to a prize won by someone under age. We read the Acts on legislation.govt.nz in October 2026.
| Gambling | Minimum age | Where the law sets it |
|---|---|---|
| Casino (gambling area) | 20 | Gambling Act 2003, section 303 |
| Pub and club pokies (class 4) | 18 | Gambling Act 2003, section 302 |
| TAB betting on racing and sport | 18 | Racing Industry Act 2020, section 89 |
| Instant Kiwi scratchies | 18 | Gambling Act 2003, section 301 |
| Lotto, Powerball, Strike, Keno, Bullseye | None until 29 March 2027, then 18 | Section 301 as amended by the Regulatory Systems (Internal Affairs) Amendment Act 2026 |
| Licensed online casinos | 18 | Online Casino Gambling Act 2026, sections 38 and 66 |
Casino age in NZ: 20
Section 303 of the Gambling Act 2003 makes it an offence for a person under 20 to take part in casino gambling or to be found in the gambling area of a casino. The person under 20 faces a fine of up to $500. A casino operator that lets someone under 20 gamble, or enter or stay in the gambling area, faces a fine of up to $5,000.
Casinos check ID at the door. Christchurch Casino lists a passport, a New Zealand driver licence or a New Zealand firearms licence as accepted ID, and it keeps under-20s out of the whole building, restaurants and bars included. SkyCity Auckland applies the 20+ rule to its gaming areas, while 18-year-olds can buy alcohol in other parts of the complex. Our guide to New Zealand casinos has the entry rules for each of the five venues.
Pokies age: 18
Pokies in pubs and clubs are class 4 gambling. Under section 302 a person under 18 who plays them commits an offence and can be fined up to $500. The venue manager or a key person who allows it faces up to $1,000, and the society that holds the venue licence faces up to $5,000. Before granting a venue licence, the Department of Internal Affairs must also be satisfied that the chance of under-18s getting access to the machines is minimised.
Our pokies near me directory lists all 948 licensed pokie venues by district.
TAB age: 18
Section 89 of the Racing Industry Act 2020 covers betting with TAB. It is an offence for a person under 18 to make a bet, with a fine of up to $500, and an offence to bet on behalf of someone under 18, with a fine of up to $1,000. TAB staff or agents who accept a bet from someone under 18 face up to $5,000.
Under section 90, TAB staff or a police officer who believe a person under 18 is betting can ask for an evidence of age document. Refusing, or giving false information about your age, carries a fine of up to $500. Our TAB near me list has every TAB store, pub TAB and club TAB in the country.
Lotto age: none today, 18 from 29 March 2027
Today the age rule for lottery tickets in section 301 covers instant games, which means Instant Kiwi scratchies. Lotto NZ’s own player guide says that players must be 18+ to play any Instant Kiwi game and that “No other Lotto NZ games are restricted by age.” Lotto NZ also tells retailers to ask for ID when a customer who looks under 25 wants to buy or validate an Instant Kiwi ticket.
The Regulatory Systems (Internal Affairs) Amendment Act 2026 received royal assent on 5 June 2026. Its section 117 rewrites section 301 so that the age limit applies to any New Zealand lottery, which brings Lotto, Powerball, Strike, Keno and Bullseye under the 18+ rule. That section comes into force on 29 March 2027, or earlier if the Government sets a date by Order in Council.
Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden said: “This is a really simple change that will ensure age restrictions are clear to retailers and consumers, and ensure children are not inadvertently allowed to gamble.”
Once the change is in force, a person under 18 who buys a lottery ticket can be fined up to $500. An adult who buys a ticket for someone under 18, or a retailer who sells one to them, can be fined up to $1,000. A winning ticket bought before the change is still judged under the old rule. Results and odds for every draw are in our Lotto NZ section.
Online casino age: 18
The Online Casino Gambling Act 2026 sets 18 as the age for licensed online casinos. Section 38 says an operator must take all reasonable steps to ensure that a person gambling on its platform is at least 18. Section 66 makes it an offence to gamble online on behalf of someone in New Zealand who is under 18, with a fine of up to $10,000. Licences are expected from early 2027; our gambling law page follows the licensing process.
What happens to a prize won by someone under age
Under section 305 of the Gambling Act, a gambling operator that has reasonable grounds to suspect a winner is under the age for a lottery ticket, pokies or a casino must refuse to pay the money or prize. The operator records the name, the amount and the date, and tells the person they can claim the prize if they give satisfactory proof of age within 7 days.
Gambling the age sections do not cover
The age rules in sections 301 to 303 of the Gambling Act name lottery tickets, class 4 pokies and casinos. Raffles, housie and other small fundraising games run under classes 1 to 3 are not on that list.
Questions people ask
Can an 18-year-old go to a casino in NZ?
An 18-year-old cannot enter the gambling area of a New Zealand casino, because the minimum age there is 20. At 18 you can play pub and club pokies, bet with TAB and buy Instant Kiwi.
How old do you have to be to buy Lotto in NZ?
Until the change takes effect on 29 March 2027, only Instant Kiwi has a legal age limit of 18. From that date every Lotto NZ game, including Lotto, Powerball, Strike, Keno and Bullseye, is 18+.
Can I be fined for gambling under age?
A person under age can be fined up to $500 for casino gambling, pokies, TAB betting or an age-restricted lottery ticket. The fines for venues, operators and adults who help are higher, up to $10,000 for gambling online on behalf of someone under 18.
Do I need ID?
Carry photo ID. Casinos check it at the door. For pokies, TAB bets and age-restricted lottery tickets, the law gives venues and sellers a defence if they sighted an evidence of age document, so staff often ask for one.
Help
If gambling is a worry for you or someone in your family, the Gambling Helpline is free and open 24/7 on 0800 654 655 or by free text to 8006. More options are on our gambling help page.
Sources: Gambling Act 2003 (version as at 6 June 2026), Racing Industry Act 2020, Online Casino Gambling Act 2026, Regulatory Systems (Internal Affairs) Amendment Act 2026, Lotto NZ player information. Read on 29 October 2026.