Crackdown on influencers in New Zealand promoting offshore online casinos has been issued

A crackdown on the actions of social media influencers promoting offshore online casinos is now taking place, with a warning that actions will be taken.

As reported by RNZ, the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) in New Zealand has said it has issued its first-ever takedown notices after a number of influencers have reportedly promoted overseas gambling operators.

The director of the gambling regulator service, Vicki Scott, spoke with the publisher to highlight what has been taking place: “We’ve been investigating this and will be taking actions in relation to those influencers who are very publicly and clearly breaking the law.”

In New Zealand, it is illegal to publish an advertisement for an offshore gambling operator according to the Gambling Act.

It’s been reported that if people are non-compliant and don’t remove the content, fines could be issued totalling up to $10,000 per breach.

“It doesn’t seem like a lot of money, but when you think that they’ll be liable every single time they run one of these ads, they could quite quickly rack up.”

A total of four warning letters have been issued, with 13 other influencers being investigated.

One of the letters was provided to the publisher, with it reading: “The department recommends that you immediately cease posting any reference to overseas online gambling or gambling operators to your social media.”

This comes at a time when the country has been focused on opening up its casino market with a potential 15 licenses to be auctioned off.

It’s thought that the licences will be issued for three years at a time, with this being a major shake-up by the government and in its regulation of online gambling. The licenses could start as soon as February 2026, with the licensing regime still being developed at a policy level.

The full details and dates of the possible changes haven’t yet been shared.

Featured Image: Credit to Richard N Horne on Wikimedia Commons

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