New Zealand fines influencers for overseas online gambling advertisements. However, Casinoplusbonus confirms licensing won’t change.
The Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) have been taking illegal advertising of overseas online gambling entertainment platforms in the country very seriously. It has come to our attention that several influencers have received take-down notices from the DIA.
Section 16 of the Gambling Act 2003 makes it illegal to advertise overseas gambling to New Zealand residents. This rule has been in effect since 2003. However, it’s not one that the DIA has actively pursued until now; instead, the DIA has, for the first time, issued take-down notices, as reported by the New Zealand Herald in late March 2025.
Key concerns highlighted in the news report include gambling ads for overseas casinos targeting Māori gamblers. Vicki Scott is said to have commented to RMZ, “The blatant targeting by these casinos that are using Māori influencers is just appalling.” She is the Director of Gambling Regulatory Services and has suggested fines should be as high as $10,000 for those breaching the rules.
It is likely that, as part of the new licensing system to regulate iGaming, the DIA has decided to make an early start and begin enforcing the rule.
As a result, at the start of 2024, the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) began actively investigating influencers promoting offshore gambling operators that accept Kiwi players.
These casinos offer fiat currency deposits in New Zealand dollars under the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA), Curacao (GCB), and Anjouan (COMOS) licensing authorities. The Curacao GCB and Anjouan licensing authorities also allow online gambling sites to offer NZ players cryptocurrency gaming.
Have Overseas Online Gambling Sites Always Been Banned in New Zealand?
As per the new licensing rules, originally published by our Casinoplusbonus online gambling news team titled ‘How will regulated online casinos affect New Zealand?‘ Hon. Brooke Van Velden’s report mentions that all overseas online casinos and sportsbooks will be banned. Yet, we later learned that geo-blocking overseas casinos is not on the agenda. It isn’t very clear.
Let me explain. The DIA is taking action to issue takedown notices and fine influencers who advertise online gambling sites overseas. This law has been in place since 2003, but has not been enforced. We have also recently learned that, when the new iGaming licensing framework is in place, there will be no geo-blocking.
Therefore, if we have our facts straight, New Zealand will have the same setup as always, which has been to have no geo-blocking and a ban on overseas advertising. The only change is that the DIA is now enforcing its ban on advertising overseas gambling sites. Therefore, doesn’t this technically mean overseas gambling operations have always been banned?
My point is that, with no geo-blocking, overseas online gambling sites are still accessible to New Zealanders. Stating that they are illegal isn’t going to stop Kiwis from signing up for crypto gambling sites, and consumer rights laws cannot ban players in New Zealand from the freedom of choice to sign up to these overseas casino platforms.
No Geo-blocking Planned
In another news report we published titled ‘New Zealand to Fine Illegal Operators NZD 5m, but No Geo-blocking‘, we confirmed there will be no geo-blocking via our source, which is the News Room New Zealand. The only noticeable change is that the government has threatened a $5,000 fine for operators accepting New Zealand players. However, it is unclear how the government will enforce this on operators overseas.
The same news report also has some contradictions regarding the use of geo-blocking. In 2023, Finance Minister Nicola Willis said geo-blocking would be used, but in 2025, Van Velden said it is a waste of time as players can use VPNs. We would say the 2025 is the most valid as it is the most recent.
So What’s Actually Changing?
If we’re being honest, nothing changes in terms of player access. Kiwis will still be able to visit and play on offshore gambling sites just as they always have.
Based on our interpretation of the new iGaming licensing proposal:
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No geo-blocking is being implemented.
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No criminal penalties will be imposed on individual players for accessing overseas gambling sites.
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Yes, advertising and promotion by influencers or affiliates will be actively punished.
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A new legal market comprising 15 licensed operators is set to launch in 2026.
The real change is the government finally choosing to enforce an ad ban law that have been on the books for over two decades, and now offering licensing certificates.
Casinoplusbonus Opinion
Although the government clearly wants to make efforts to put out the message that overseas gambling sites are illegal, the terminology is not accurate. We’ve seen many regulatory authorities issue the same message, particularly the UKGC. Yet, governments will find it very difficult to change specific laws that dictate where people can and cannot spend their money.
Until such laws exist, we maintain that:
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Offshore gambling sites have always been banned from advertising in NZ
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They have never been banned in terms of access
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They remain accessible today, with no real technical barriers in place
- The new licensing authority will only mean operators are illegal, but not access for NZ players
To truly block offshore gambling, a government would need to overhaul constitutional freedoms and criminalise individual access, which New Zealand is neither proposing nor technically capable of enforcing.
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