GLI Approved to Test iGaming for New Zealand’s Regulated Online Casino Market

Gaming Laboratories International (GLI) has been approved to provide independent testing services for New Zealand’s new regulated online casino market as the country moves ahead with its 2026 framework. For operators and suppliers, that means one more piece of the licensing puzzle is now visible: the technical testing and certification layer.

1. New Zealand’s Online Casino Gambling Act 2026 sets the legal framework for regulated online casino gambling in the country. The Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) has already published Minimum Standards and draft Testing and Monitoring Requirements as preparations for the new regime continue.
2. Licensing is moving through a competitive allocation phase, with applications expected to open in October 2026. In practice, that gives operators and suppliers a fairly clear timetable for getting their compliance and technical documentation in order before the window opens.
3. GLI’s approval means operators and suppliers preparing to enter New Zealand can use its iGaming testing and compliance services while they work through the technical and regulatory requirements of the new framework. Richard Howarth, Managing Director of GLI APAC, said New Zealand represents “an important step” for regulated iGaming in the APAC region.
4. GLI said it serves more than 710 regulated gaming jurisdictions worldwide and has laboratories in Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide, Australia, plus operations across the APAC region. That combination of global testing experience and regional presence is exactly what matters when a market goes from draft rules to actual licensing.
5. The New Zealand approval follows GLI’s recent work in other regulated iGaming markets. Earlier in 2026, GLI became the first independent gaming test laboratory accredited by PAGCOR to test and certify iGaming platforms in the Philippines.

For high-risk PSPs, the practical takeaway is simple: New Zealand is no longer just a policy headline. With the legal framework, draft technical standards, and a testing provider now in place, the market is moving toward a licensing process that operators and payment partners can actually plan around.