New Zealand brings underage lottery sales to a stop
The New Zealand government has made a key regulatory amendment to prevent the underage purchasing of lottery products.
Concerns over underage gambling are long-running in New Zealand, with an absence of age restrictions on lottery products highlighted back in 2022.
Passing of the amendment’s third and final reading was announced by Brooke van Velden, Head of the Internal Affairs Ministry that administers the Gambling Act.
MPs were mobilised for the vote after a review of the regulatory framework identified a section that did not comprehensively ban the purchasing of lottery tickets by people under the age of 18, essentially creating a loophole where children could buy relevant products such as Lotto NZ’s twice-a-week draw.
Commenting further, van Velden said: “This is a really simple change that will ensure age restrictions are clear to retailers and consumers, and ensure children are not inadvertently allowed to gamble.
“The suite of minor changes included in this Bill will help to keep the Department operating efficiently, amounting to a significant improvement taken together. I am pleased it has now passed all stages with full support of the House.”
The latest is part of New Zealand’s wider gambling restructuring, with the country moving towards a monumental shift that would see its iGaming market opening up to international competition.
Currently, the market hovers in a grey area where offshore operators are not explicitly banned and New Zealanders can still freely gamble on such platforms. This is a direct result of the 2003 Gambling Act which has fallen behind today’s digital innovations.
Awaiting Royal Assent, the new online gambling act will introduce 15 new licenses up for grabs, creating a very different landscape to what we have now with the grey market Entain’s exclusive sports betting licence through TAB NZ’s assets.
Once the Assent is granted, applications are expected to open on 1 December, with the government targeting a market launch date of 1 July 2027.
Naturally, land-based operators such as SkyCity Entertainment Group are wary of the idea of online gambling flooding New Zealand, but van Velden has remained adamant that such a change is necessary to end the growing grey market once and for all, bringing in much-needed player protection and tax dollars into the treasury.
https://lotterydaily.com/2026/06/02/regulation/new-zealand-lottery/