The Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) in New Zealand has issued new comprehensive guidance regarding gambling advertisements aimed at licensed online casino operators. This guidance includes strict regulations prohibiting marketing efforts that appeal to individuals under the age of 18. Released this week, this directive accompanies the full Online Gambling Regulations 2026, which were unveiled in June.
New Zealand is working towards a 2027 launch for its licensed iGaming market, with the regulator currently accepting Expressions of Interest (EODs) for online licenses. These efforts to liberalize iGaming were initially announced in 2024.
According to the guidance, advertisers must evaluate the demographics of their likely audience and avoid placements where minors might represent more than 20% of potential viewers. This prohibition extends to advertising near schools, youth events, and platforms favored by individuals under 18, as well as certain social media and livestreaming channels.
Advertising formats that appeal to younger audiences, including cartoons, mascots, and youth culture music, will be excluded from gambling marketing. Additionally, advertisements must not target anyone under 25 unless the operator can prove that robust measures for age verification and exclusion are effective in preventing under-18 access.
This requirement echoes the stipulations in the original Online Gambling Regulations, which mandate that all customers must be verified for their full name, date of birth, and age (with a minimum requirement of 18 years) prior to account activation.
In terms of audience controls, operators are required to disable automated features that would broaden the reach to minors. Furthermore, they must utilize existing audience controls, which encompass age and geographic targeting, placement exclusions, and disabling audience expansion features.
For ads that are embedded within software or at live events, operators must implement age restrictions, such as aging gates or ticket controls, especially at events with participation from the industry. There will also be a mandatory wait period for live broadcasts, preventing advertisements from appearing 30 minutes before and after such events.
The new rules also impose restrictions on specific content and practices in advertising. Advertisements are not permitted to suggest personal endorsements from individuals nor encourage excessive, impulsive, or continuous gambling. The regulator will evaluate ad content, including wording, imagery, audio, sequencing, and calls to action, for any indications of urgency or pressure.
All claims made in advertisements must be verifiable and comply with New Zealand’s Fair Trading Act 1986. Furthermore, certain content is expressly forbidden: images or videos depicting physical gaming machines or poker chips are not allowed, and there is a specific ban on advertising jackpots from slot games, though table game jackpots may still be advertised.
Advertisements must avoid mentioning luck, fate, rituals, or superstitions and cannot imply that gambling is a necessary or life-enhancing activity.
In regard to customer data use, operators are prohibited from leveraging individual customer behavior metrics to promote higher-risk gambling. Practices like targeting players with bets above their typical amounts or promoting slot games to table game players are also banned.
When utilizing direct communication through channels like email, text messages, or direct messages, operators must obtain clear, voluntary consent and must immediately respect any unsubscribe requests. All marketing materials that promote bonuses, free spins, or other incentives must prominently disclose material terms.
Incentives that are linked to new accounts can only be marketed on platforms licensed for online casino services or through compliant direct communication channels. Additionally, native ads, paid editorial content, and social media posts must clearly disclose that they are advertisements within the material itself.
