New Zealand Names Contenders for 15 Online Casino Licenses

Out of 50 auction participants, 11 companies were authorised to put forth licensing requests in New Zealand after 10 rounds of bidding (each company could apply for up to 3 licenses). 

The final price of a single license was eventually set at nearly €8 million, excluding taxes.

What Are the Names of the Fortunate Companies

The exact brands are yet to be determined, but the company names have already been announced: 

• Baytree Interactive (Betway, Spin Casino, Jackpot City) — 3 licenses

• Playvia Gaming — 2 licenses

• Rock Swift — 2 licenses

• Skycity — 2 licenses

• TAB New Zealand (Entain, TAB, and Betcha) — 1 license

• Stake — 1 license

• One Casino (Lucky Casino, Vera&John) — 1 license

• Skill On Net (PlayOJO) — 1 license

• Rush Entertainment — 1 license

• Christchurch Online — 1 license

It appears that Entain emerges as the biggest winner. In addition to its two licenses, the group effectively secures a third through TAB NZ, under a 25-year agreement. TAB holds a monopoly on sports betting, allowing Entain to offer casino games and sports betting to the same players, an advantage unavailable to other operators.

It is worth noting that Stake’s efforts to enter New Zealand’s regulated iGaming market have eventually been fruitful.

A successful bid doesn’t automatically mean the companies obtained a license. In fact, bid winners have yet to submit a business plan, marketing policy, player protection measures, and to pass the final round of validation.