Expression of Interest (EOI) for an Online Casino Gambling Licence (Stage 1)

Description

The Secretary for Internal Affairs has invited expressions of interest (EOIs) for licences under the Online Casino Gambling Act 2026 through a public notice. The notice specifies: - up to 15 licences will be available - applicants must have access to a minimum of NZD $7.5 million in capital - that the expression of interest must be submitted by 14 August, and - a list of information that must be included in the expression of interest. All required information must be provided using the approved EOI forms. The EOI process is the first of a three-stage licensing process for obtaining a licence to conduct online casino gambling in New Zealand. Applicants whose EOIs are accepted will be invited to participate in the auction stage. Successful auction participants will then be notified that they may apply for a licence in the third and final stage of the licensing process. Submission of an EOI, or acceptance of an EOI by the Secretary, does not confer any entitlement to a licence and does not constitute an application for a licence to conduct online casino gambling in New Zealand. While not required, potential applicants may notify the Department of their intention to submit an EOI by emailing OCGlicensing@dia.govt.nz by 10 August 2026. Please note this is for planning purposes only so we will have an indication of the number of EOIs we will be processing. This indication is not a form of EOI submission and will not form part of the assessment process or affect the acceptance of any EOI. Please refer to the documents attached to this listing for information on how to participate in the EOI process, including submission requirements, the approved EOI forms, and instructions for submitting an EOI.