Entain, Stake and Betway win rights to apply for New Zealand online casino licences

New Zealand’s Department of Internal Affairs has confirmed 11 operators after an expression of interest auction for online casino licences, with the final price set at NZ$15 million (US$8.42 million) per licence. For PSPs and acquiring teams, the important bit is simple: the market is moving from “interested bidders” to a regulated licensing process, and not every winning bidder will make it through to an actual operating licence.

1. The auction involved 32 bidders competing over 10 rounds for 15 available licences. The process used an ascending clock format, where licence prices rose step by step until the number of willing bidders matched the 15 licences on offer.
2. Fifteen “rights to apply” were awarded to 11 successful participants. Some operators won multiple rights, which means they can submit separate licence applications. The successful applicants were Baytree Interactive Limited (Betway) with 3 rights, Playvia Gaming (NZ) Limited (Entain) with 2 rights, Rock Swift Group Limited with 2 rights, Christchurch Online NZ Limited, One Casino Limited, Rush Entertainment Limited, Skill On Net Limited, SkyCity NZ Online NO1 Limited, SkyCity NZ Online NO2 Limited, Stake, and TAB New Zealand (Entain JV).
3. Getting a right to apply is not the same as getting a licence. Each successful bidder still has to go through a full application and regulatory assessment before licences can be formally awarded. The regulator has not disclosed which brands will operate under the licences, and approved brands will only appear on a public register once licences are granted.
4. Stake New Zealand Limited, the local branch of Stake, said the result marks a step in its broader international expansion, which includes recent entries into Alberta, Argentina and Mexico. A spokesperson said: “It’s a strong fit for Stake and another important step in growing our presence globally.”
5. Entain came away with two rights, after previously aiming for three. CEO Stella David had flagged the company’s intentions in its FY25 earnings call, pointing to Entain’s exclusive betting brand TAB in New Zealand as part of the strategy.

For high-risk payment providers, the useful signal here is the structure of the process: New Zealand is not handing out licences in bulk, and the bridge from auction win to live operation still runs through regulatory review. That means onboarding, merchant risk checks, settlement setup and local acquiring plans all sit behind the licence question, not ahead of it.