New Zealand Imposes Restrictions on Online Casino Ads with Prohibition Against Luck and Ritual Claims

New Zealand has issued fresh guidance for licensed online casino operators that places strict limits on gambling advertising, including a ban on content that appeals to minors or relies on personal endorsements. The Department of Internal Affairs said the new rules are designed to shape how iGaming advertising is presented as the country moves toward a licensed online casino market.

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Guidance Sets Clear Boundaries

The guidance, released last week, accompanies the full Online Gambling Regulations 2026, which were published in June. New Zealand is targeting a 2027 launch for licensed iGaming, and the regulator is currently accepting expressions of desire for online licenses from interested parties. Laws for liberalizing iGaming were first introduced in 2024.

According to the guidelines, advertisers should estimate the demographics of the target audience and make sure that minors comprise no more than 20% of the probable audience. Ads should not appear near schools and other events that may be attended by children, or websites that have users below 18, including all kinds of social media sites or streaming websites.

The guidance further prohibits advertising in a form that would be appealing to children, such as cartoons, mascots, and popular music among young people. The ad may not target people who are younger than 25 unless the operator is able to demonstrate age verification and exclusion controls that prevent minors from using the service.

The requirement has been taken from the original Online Gambling Regulations that required customers to be verified for their full names, dates of birth, and ages.

Audience Controls And Placement Limits

Operators are also being told to switch off automated audience expansion tools that could increase exposure to minors. The guidance says advertisers should rely on existing audience controls such as age and geographic targeting, placement exclusions, and the disabling of expansion features.

For ads embedded within software or live events, operators must ensure age restrictions are in place. The guidance points to age-gates and ticket controls, especially for events involving industry participation.

Live broadcasts face another restriction through an official waiting period. Advertising will be barred from 30 minutes before to 30 minutes after such events.

The new rules indicate a more tightly managed advertising environment, with the regulator placing greater emphasis on where ads appear and who is likely to see them.

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Content Restrictions Expand

The guidance also prohibits content that could imply personal endorsements from individuals. The guidelines indicate that advertising should not promote over-gambling, impulsive gambling, and/or persistent gambling, and that the regulator will look at the words, images, sounds, sequence, and call to actions used to determine whether urgency is created by the advertisement.

Any claims made in advertising need to be verifiable and in line with the Fair Trading Act 1986 of New Zealand. Additional bans include images or videos of physical gaming machines and poker chips, along with a specific prohibition on advertising slot game jackpots, although table game jackpots may still be promoted.

Ads must also avoid references to luck, fate, rituals, or superstitions. They cannot suggest that gambling is necessary or life-enhancing.

Data Use And Disclosure Rules

The guidance introduces further restrictions on the use of customer data. Operators cannot use individual customer behaviour metrics to encourage higher-risk gambling, including targeting players with bets above their usual levels or promoting slot games to table game players.

The use of direct communication methods, including emails, text messaging, and direct messaging calls for informed and explicit consent, while unsubscribing must be complied with promptly. Any advertising that highlights any bonuses, free spins, or similar incentives must be made aware of all significant details.

Inducements tied to new accounts can only be promoted on platforms licensed for online casino services or through compliant direct communications. Native ads, paid editorial content, and social media posts must also carry explicit advertising disclosures within the advertisement itself.

The latest guidance leaves little room for ambiguity, setting out a detailed framework for how licensed online casino advertising will need to operate once New Zealand’s regulated market begins.

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Source: iGaming Business