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Gambling System Update
25 March 2026
Kia ora,
Welcome to the first issue of the Gambling System Update for 2026. It’s hard to believe we’re already in March, and the year is well underway. As always, 2026 is shaping up to be a busy and exciting year for all of us, and we’re pleased to have you with us as we navigate it together.
Since the summer break our investigation and enforcement efforts have been widely reported. Not only did we secure a guilty plea relating to the largest ever illegal lottery in New Zealand’s history, our investigations also led to 23 people facing charges for a mammoth pokie proceeds fraud. Both of these cases speak to the hard work of our investigators, and showcase our strong response to any attempts to undermine gambling profits going back into the community.
2026 promises to keep us busy, with a lot more on the horizon including the Online Casino Gambling Bill, further in-person and online engagements, more consultations, and DIA’s new regulatory podcast.
Keep reading to learn about all these and more in this issue of the Gambling System Update.
Ngā mihi nui,
Vicki Scott
Gambling Director
Class 4 - Key banking dates for Easter & Anzac 2026
As we approach the Easter and ANZAC public holidays, please take note of the following key dates for GMP banking during this period.
The due dates for GMP banking are:
- Week ending 29 March 2026 – weekly GMP banking due by Tuesday, 7 April 2026
- Week ending 5 April 2026 – weekly GMP banking due by Monday, 13 April 2026
- Week ending 26 April 2026 – weekly GMP banking due by Monday, 4 May 2026
DIA Investigation secures guilty plea in NZ’s largest illegal lottery case
Thanks to some impressive investigative work from our Regulatory Investigations team, New Zealand’s largest-ever illegal online lottery has been successfully prosecuted in Christchurch – the first prosecution of its kind.
In just over a year, the lottery generated more than $11 million in revenue. Our investigation (which included the search of multiple addresses across Christchurch and North Canterbury) found that the defendants personally benefitted from selling illegal lottery tickets via online platforms – with prizes like high value cars, boats, caravans, cash and even a freehold house on offer.
Money and assets associated with the offending are currently subject to a High Court restraining order and we will work with Police to support forfeiture of the ill-gotten gains under the Criminal Proceeds (Recovery) Act 2009.
23 people charged over ‘mammoth’ pokie proceeds fraud
An investigation into a network of community organisations saw 23 defendants face over 500 charges under the Crimes Act 1961recently, including alleged offending related to money laundering, receiving, and using forged documents.
Read more about the investigation and charges on our website.
Consultations
We currently have two consultations open:
- The proposal to amend the Baccarat game rules. The amendments seek to introduce a new wagering option, Dragon Tiger Baccarat, and to provide greater consistency and clarity to the players. This consultation closes Friday 27 March 2026.
- The proposal to incorporate the QCOM 1.6.7 communications protocol into the minimum standards for the Class 4 Electronic Monitoring System (EMS). This also includes updating references to the most recent Queensland Government documents relating to the EMS site controller and the venue fibreoptic loop (or LAN). This consultation closes Monday 13 April.
Visit the DIA website for full details on all consultations , including all consultation documents and due dates for feedback.
Check out our podcast
We’re proud to announce the launch of ‘Reg Talk NZ’ - a regulatory podcast covering gambling and anti-money laundering topics in an accessible, digestible format that you can listen to when you’re on your commute or out walking the dog.
Episodes will feature a mix of updates on important changes, interviews with experts, and deep dives into specific topics relevant to the sectors we regulate. Listeners will also have the chance to ask us questions and have them answered in regular “Mailbag” episodes.
Just search ‘Reg Talk NZ’ online , or find it on your favourite podcast app. Be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss any future episodes, and get in touch with the podcast team at podcast@dia.govt.nz
Online Casino Gambling Bill passes Second Reading
We’re pleased to share a major update in New Zealand’s journey towards regulating online casino gambling. The Online Casino Gambling Bill (the Bill) has now passed its Second Reading in Parliament, bringing New Zealand another step closer to establishing a safer, regulated online casino gambling environment.
Second Reading supports the Government’s decision to require the online casino gambling market to provide for community returns. Government has decided to increase the Offshore Gambling Duty (which will become the Online Gambling Duty when the Bill passes) from 12 percent to 16 percent with approximately four percent ring-fenced for community benefit.
With the Second Reading complete, the Bill now moves into the next phases of the New Zealand parliamentary process.
Making it easier to engage with us
The Class 4 venue workshops we ran in 2025 let us share important information with those in the room, and also confirmed the importance of face to face engagement, to answer questions and hear your experiences.
Building on the success of those workshops, our team is focused on enhancing and expanding our engagement efforts throughout 2026.
Making it easier for the sector to engage with us is a key priority this year. There are some significant changes to New Zealand’s gambling landscape on the horizon, and it is critical that the sector has the ability to ask us questions, receive good information, and raise issues that affect their operations.
In addition to the engagements listed earlier in this newsletter, we’re working hard behind-the-scenes to plan and deliver a tranche of regional workshops and roadshow forums, and develop better gambling content for the DIA website.
Keep an eye on your inbox for more throughout the year, and as always, email us at gambling@dia.govt.nz if you’d like to discuss how we can engage better.
Poker guidance for players
Thinking about joining a poker game? Our recent Facebook and Linkedin posts help you know what's legal, spot the red flags, and protect yourself from illegal play.
Follow the DIA Facebook and Linkedin pages to see this and other future posts.
2026 Clubs New Zealand Conference
Vicki Scott, Director Gambling at DIA, will be speaking at the 2026 Clubs New Zealand Conference in New Plymouth on Friday 27 March.
The annual conference – this year running from the 25th to the 28th of March – is a chance for members to meet up and connect, as well as keep up to date with the industry and regulations. We’re excited to catch up with the sector, discuss upcoming and proposed changes, and lay out our engagement approach for 2026.
Find out more about the 2026 Clubs New Zealand Conference on their website.
Spotlight
This month we want to shine a light on the importance of problem gambling awareness training. As this is a big part of how you operate, it’s important to remember why it’s necessary, and how often in needs to be done.
The current Gambling Harm Prevention and Minimisation regulations include the requirement for class 4 venues to ensure that staff are adequately trained to identify and respond to potential problem gambling.
Specifically, the regulation states that:
From 1 December 2023, the holder of a class 4 venue licence must, in relation to a class 4 venue at which it conducts gambling, provide problem gambling awareness training to the venue manager, and any other staff who supervise gambling in the course of their duties at the venue:
- before the venue manager or staff first start supervising gambling in the course of their duties at the venue, and
- at least once a year.
Chapter Four of our Gambling Harm Prevention and Minimisation Guidance (available on the DIA website) has comprehensive details on the training regulation, including information on which staff require training, how training should be conducted and why it’s important to ensure staff are adequately trained.
There are also a number of other great resources available to help understand and prevent gambling harm, including data and research from Ministry of Health, and printable resources from Gambling Host.
Further Reading
