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PokerStars and GGPoker were not among the 11 entities that won the right to apply for New Zealand’s first regulated online casino licences. That means neither operator currently appears to hold the auction rights needed for a direct application, although the final brands that will operate in the market have not yet been decided.

The auction allocated application rights for up to 15 licences, rather than granting licences outright. It drew 32 bidders over 10 ascending-clock rounds, ending at NZ$15 million per licence, or about US$8.4 million. The process ran from Sept. 29 through Oct. 12.

The 11 selected entities include Baytree Interactive, which can apply for three licences, and Playvia Gaming (NZ) and Rock Swift Group, which each secured two. Christchurch Online NZ, One Casino, Rush Entertainment, Skill On Net, two SkyCity NZ Online entities, Stake New Zealand and TAB New Zealand each secured rights for one licence.

PokerStars and GGPoker could still potentially find a route into the country through a commercial deal with a successful bidder. A local licence holder could operate an approved brand while using technology and player liquidity supplied by an international poker network, but no GGPoker partnership with a New Zealand bidder has been announced.

That possibility remains uncertain because the Department of Internal Affairs has not confirmed how internationally shared poker liquidity would work under the new regime. Liquidity is particularly important in poker, where a larger player pool supports more cash tables, a wider choice of stakes and larger tournament fields. Stake is the only successful bidder whose existing brand already includes peer-to-peer poker.

The new system covers poker as part of online casino licensing, so offshore poker sites cannot assume peer-to-peer games receive different treatment from other online gambling products. From Dec. 1, operators that have not submitted a licence application must stop offering online casino gambling in New Zealand. Applicants may continue operating while their applications are assessed, but cannot advertise; operators whose applications are rejected must leave the market.

An auction win is only the first stage. Each selected company must submit a full application and business plan, including plans for consumer protection, advertising, compliance and gambling-harm prevention. The Department of Internal Affairs will then decide whether applicants are suitable and able to meet the rules.

The regulator has said the framework is meant to improve consumer protection, harm minimisation and tax compliance, rather than increase gambling. A licence covers one approved brand, may initially run for up to three years and can potentially be renewed for another five years; no operator can receive more than three licences.

The identity of the eventual licensed brands will be published only after licences are granted, on the Department of Internal Affairs public register. The fully licensed system is expected to begin operating during 2027, with licences expected from early in the year.