New Zealand Faces Enforcement Gap as Offshore Casinos Pay Influencers More Than Fines

New Zealand’s gambling enforcement is facing challenges as offshore casinos can pay local influencers significantly more than the fines imposed for promoting their platforms.

In September 2025, four influencers and an offshore operator received combined fines of $125,000. Millie Elder-Holmes was fined $5,000 in May 2025 and later received another $10,000 in penalties for two additional breaches.

Vicki Scott, gambling director at the Department of Internal Affairs, previously indicated that offshore casinos were paying influencers tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of dollars. The maximum infringement fine is $5,000.

The issue also extends beyond well-known influencers. In July 2025, the Department of Internal Affairs contacted ten university students who were promoting offshore gambling sites, including Rainbet and SpinBet. Rainbet student affiliates were reportedly offered up to $1,200 per week for content.

New Zealand’s online gambling market was valued at $1.36 billion as of September 2025 and had 360,000 customers. Spending increased by 10.5% over the previous year, while the number of customers grew by 2.7%.

A new licensing system with 15 licences is due in 2026. The system is intended to bring online gambling operators under domestic regulation.