New Zealand Opens GETS Registration as Online Casino Licensing Process Advances

New Zealand's regulated online casino market is moving closer to reality as the government opens registration on the Government Electronic Tenders Service (GETS), the platform that will manage the country's upcoming online casino licensing process.

While the formal Expression of Interest (EOI) stage is not expected to begin until later in 2026, the opening of GETS allows prospective operators to start preparing for what is expected to be a highly competitive licensing race. The move marks another important milestone in the implementation of the Online Casino Gambling Act 2026, which will introduce New Zealand's first fully regulated online casino framework.

What Is GETS and Why Does It Matter?

GETS, short for Government Electronic Tenders Service, is New Zealand's official online procurement and tendering platform. Under the new gambling framework, it will serve as the central system through which online casino licence applicants submit documentation and participate in the licensing process.

Although registration on the platform does not guarantee a licence, it allows operators to familiarise themselves with the system and begin preparing the information regulators will require during the upcoming application stages.

The staged licensing approach gives regulators multiple opportunities to assess applicants before licences are awarded, while allowing operators time to prepare for the requirements of New Zealand's new market

A Three-Stage Path to a New Zealand Online Casino Licence

The licensing process has been designed around three distinct phases intended to evaluate applicants at each stage.

Stage 1: Expression of Interest

The first phase requires operators to submit detailed information about their business. This includes ownership structures, key personnel, financial resources, operational capabilities, and corporate governance arrangements.

Regulators will use this information to assess whether applicants are suitable candidates to progress further in the process.

Stage 2: Competitive Auction

Applicants that successfully pass the initial screening will move into a competitive auction process conducted through GETS.

This stage will determine which operators continue to the final licensing phase. The auction may involve multiple rounds and is intended to provide a transparent method of allocating licences in a market where supply is limited.

Stage 3: Formal Licence Application

Operators that emerge successfully from the  auction stage will then be required to submit comprehensive licence applications.

These submissions must include responsible gambling frameworks, anti-money laundering controls, consumer protection measures, marketing policies, and detailed operational plans.

Ongoing Compliance Requirements Will Be Strict

Obtaining a licence will only be the beginning of an operator's regulatory obligations.

Licensed operators will be required to implement robust age verification systems, responsible gambling tools, spending controls, and account management safeguards designed to minimise gambling-related harm.

Customer funds must be held separately from operational funds, while payment systems must comply with restrictions that prevent the use of certain credit-based funding methods.

Advertising will also be subject to strict controls. Marketing messages must be accurate and responsible, while operators will face restrictions on how and where promotions can be displayed.

Even after a licence expires, operators may still be required to manage outstanding customer balances and maintain regulatory records for a specified period.