Entain and Super Group move to the next stage of New Zealand’s online casino licence auction

New Zealand’s Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) has published the results of its iGaming licence auction, and 11 companies have advanced after 10 rounds of bidding. For high-risk PSPs, the important bit is simple: this is a regulated market opening with a limited number of licences, explicit brand restrictions, and a hard deadline for operators that do not make the cut.

1. Out of 32 participants, 11 companies moved forward and said they were ready to pay NZ$15 mln (around $8,7 mln) for the right to apply for a licence. In total, 15 licences are available, and some operators secured multiple application rights.
2. The licence gives an operator the right to run a regulated online casino market under one brand for three years, with an option to renew for another five years. The source also notes that the licence costs more on the islands than in Brazil, where the figure cited is €5,2 mln.
3. Super Group, through Baytree Interactive, received three application rights, which is the maximum for a single operator. Entain received two rights through Playvia Gaming and another one through TAB NZ, its 25-year partnership vehicle. That structure makes Entain the only operator able to use cross-sell in the market, because TAB has a monopoly on sports betting.
4. Entain’s brands in New Zealand are Blackrush Casino and FoxySpins. Stake also won one licence right, and a company representative said this is part of its push into new markets after Alberta, Argentina, and Mexico.
5. Local operator SkyCity and Rock Swift Group each received two rights. SkillOnNet, One Casino (LCKY), Christchurch Online NZ, and Rush Entertainment received one each. DIA has not yet disclosed which brands the companies will use. Operators that did not make the shortlist must stop operating in the country by 1 December 2026, and the market launch is expected in 2027.

One detail worth keeping in view: Christchurch Online NZ, despite the name, is not connected to Christchurch Casino and is registered in Malta. For PSPs and acquirers, that is the usual reminder that brand names and corporate registrations are not always telling the same story.