All the online casino games unlicensed providers, including brands such as PokerStars and Unibet, have been forced to leave the New Zealand gambling market. They must no longer allow new players from 1 October 2021 and must completely leave the market as of 1 november.
By Order Of The New Zealand Gaming Authority
The Gaming Authority (the KSA) received the order from Sander Dekker, The New Zealand minister for legal protection. He also gave the KSA the authority to impose fines on operators who do not comply with the deadlines listed above.
This means that PokerStars and Unibet and all other unlicensed gambling providers will have to leave the market before they can get a license. They will have to undergo a cooling-off period of six months after leaving the market.
The fines will apply to operators with a turnover of 15 million dollars a year. Operators with a turnover of more than $ 15 million will be fined 4% of their turnover.
Remote gambling law
The announcement that unlicensed providers will have to leave the New Zealand market comes after the Remote Gaming Act was passed in april 2021. This law has legalized online gambling in New Zealand, but requires all providers to be licensed before they can accept players from the country.
This means that PokerStars and Unibet and all other unlicensed gambling providers will have to leave the market before they can get a license. They will have to undergo a cooling-off period of six months after leaving the market.
Six months seems like a reasonable time limit, as some jurisdictions have imposed much longer suspension periods. For example, the cooling-off period for unlicensed operators in Nevada was 10 years.
“I think it is important and obvious that providers who do not yet have a license in the short term terminate all their offers for New Zealand players” – said Dekker in his letter to the House of Representatives.
Since he was talking about "short term", at some point these companies will be able to apply for permits. However, it is not possible to say how long this will take, since most of the companies hoping to enter the New Zealand online gambling market have already submitted their application months ago.
Which online casinos enter the New Zealand market?
Applications for online gambling providers in the New Zealand market were opened on april 1. 28 companies have submitted applications with $48,000 entry fee, but the KSA has not quite finished announcing who is successful, as the board will not begin approving applications until October 1, 2021.
Since big names like PokerStars and Unibet have remained active, they will not be able to launch their online poker products on the New Zealand gambling market together with the first batch of licensees. GGPoker is the first online poker site to be live in New Zealand. In december 2020, PartyPoker left the market while GGPoker left years ago.
Elwin Terry
Elwin advises start-up companies and SMEs in the field of marketing communication and brand identity. Thanks to his years of content experience, he knows how to make information readable for our website visitors.
