SkyCity Wins Right to Apply for 2 NZ Casino Licences at NZ$30M

SkyCity confirmed the auction result in an October 13 stock exchange announcement. The company will now proceed to the application stage, with New Zealand’s fully licensed online casino market expected to open in 2027.

Two SkyCity Entities Secure Application Rights

Chief Executive Jason Walbridge said SkyCity would draw on its existing brand recognition and knowledge of the local market to develop an online casino business. The company has not yet received permission to operate under the new licensing regime.

The government’s list of successful bidders includes SkyCity NZ Online NO1 Limited and SkyCity NZ Online NO2 Limited. Each appears separately, matching the two application rights confirmed by the parent company.

32 Bidders Compete for 15 Licences

The Department of Internal Affairs reported that the auction ran from September 29 to October 12, 2026. It attracted 32 bidders and ended after 10 rounds, with 11 entities securing the right to apply for 15 licences.

Several participants obtained multiple application rights:

• Baytree Interactive Limited – three;
• Playvia Gaming (NZ) Limited – two;
• Rock Swift Group Limited – two;
• SkyCity – two across its NZ online entities.

Other successful bidders include Stake New Zealand Limited, Skill On Net Limited and TAB New Zealand.

A calculation based on the official results puts SkyCity’s share at 13.3% of the 15 available licence slots. Together, SkyCity, Baytree, Playvia and Rock Swift account for nine application rights, or 60% of the total.

At the final auction price, all 15 rights represent NZ$225 million (US$125.60 million) in potential licence fees before GST, assuming every successful bidder proceeds with a paid application. The conversions use the Reserve Bank of New Zealand’s October 13 reference rate of US$0.55820 per NZ$1.

The auction determines who may apply, not who will ultimately hold a licence. Applicants must still submit business plans and demonstrate compliance with consumer protection, advertising and harm-minimisation requirements.

December 1 Deadline for Existing Operators

Online casino providers that have not applied for a licence must stop serving New Zealand players from December 1, 2026. Those with applications under consideration may continue operating without advertising until a decision is made.

Each approved licence will cover one brand and last for up to three years, with a possible five-year renewal. The regulator has not yet published the brands that successful applicants intend to use.

The next stage is the assessment of individual applications. SkyCity’s two auction wins secure places in that process, but the final licensing decisions and approved brands are still outstanding.