SkillOnNet clears the auction and will proceed with New Zealand online casino licences

SkillOnNet has secured the right to apply for an online casino licence in New Zealand after finishing among the 11 successful bidders in this week’s auction. The auction attracted 32 bidders, proceeded over 10 rounds and concluded at a final price of NZ$15 million per licence.

Auction outcome and next step

The process allocated slots to apply under the regulatory framework established by the Online Casino Gambling Act, which came into force in May 2026 and allows up to 15 licences for online casinos in the country. SkillOnNet has announced it will now submit a full application for regulatory assessment.

Regulatory framework requirements

The framework includes obligations on player protection, responsible gambling, age verification, advertising and operational transparency. Those requirements will form part of the assessment of applications when companies submit the required documentation.

Statement from SkillOnNet

“We are honoured to have secured the opportunity to participate in the next stage of New Zealand’s licensing process. If successful, it would be a testament to our extensive experience and proven track record in regulated markets around the world,” said Maor Nutkevitch, Head of Corporate Development at SkillOnNet.

Maor Nutkevitch added that the creation of a dedicated regulatory framework for online casinos in New Zealand is attractive to the company and that they see “huge potential for PlayOJO in this market,” with the ambition of making the brand one of the country’s leading online casinos. The operator will repeat the formal application process set by the authority to obtain the licence.

For regulatory context and formal requirements, the sector can consult the new [regulatory framework](/regulation) and product criteria such as those linked to [casino](/casino).