The Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) in New Zealand has published guidelines regarding advertising and marketing requirements for online casinos ahead of the regulated market launch on December 1, 2026. This document complements the detailed regulatory rules introduced in June. Here are the key requirements highlighted by iGN:
- Operators are prohibited from paying partners for player-targeted actions, including registration, deposits, gaming activity, and losses of specified amounts, while payment for impressions and clicks remains permissible.
- Promotion of bonuses is allowed only on the operator's own website and in personal messages to consenting players, with registration bonuses permitted to be advertised solely on the website.
- Advertising in the form of personal recommendations from real, fictional, or AI-generated personas is banned.
- Native advertising, paid editorial content, and social media posts require explicit advertising labeling within the material, although the document does not specify the form of this labeling.
- Advertising is prohibited on platforms where the share of underage audiences may exceed 20%, with operators required to assess their audience composition.
- Targeting advertisements at individuals under 25 is allowed only with technical guarantees to exclude underage audiences.
- Advertising is not allowed near schools and youth events, as well as on online platforms popular with minors, including certain social media, online games, and streaming channels.
- Advertising for jackpots in slots is banned, but this restriction does not apply to jackpots in table games.
- Advertising formats aimed at underage audiences are prohibited, including animated characters, mascots, video game characters, and music, graphics, and visual effects referencing youth culture.
- Advertising materials must not reference luck, fate, or rituals as factors influencing game outcomes.
- Additionally, advertising that creates a sense of missed opportunity for players is also banned.
Advertising for unlicensed online casinos in the country is already prohibited, and the DIA has the authority to demand content removal and impose fines on violators of up to $3 million. Applications opened in July, and through an auction, the regulator will distribute up to 15 licenses. From December 1, 2026, operators that have not submitted applications must cease operations in the country.