Press Releases
Kiwis Deserve Safe Gambling That Gives Back
The Government’s new Online Casino Gambling Bill, currently under Select Committee review, is a step in the right direction toward creating a safer, fairer, and more transparent gambling environment for New Zealanders. As the country’s leading source of information on legal online gambling, we at PlayCasino.co.nz support the push to regulate offshore operators and introduce licensing, age checks, harm minimisation measures, and tax contributions.
But we believe the bill has a serious flaw: it makes no provision for the ongoing funding of community sport, which currently receives over NZ$170 million annually from gaming machine grants.
This gap in the legislation threatens the very fabric of Kiwi sport — the local clubs, youth teams, and community programmes that rely on consistent, ring-fenced funding from gambling grants. If licensed online operators are going to take market share away from the current retail sector, then it is only fair and responsible that they contribute back to the communities they serve.
We Believe in Smart Regulation That Gives Back
The bill includes strong proposals for reducing harm, enforcing local oversight, and holding operators accountable. That’s excellent — and long overdue.
But regulation is not just about minimising harm. It’s also about maximising benefit. And right now, community sport stands to lose big.
As Martin Snedden, Chair of Cycling New Zealand, rightly put it:
“Sport has thrived for decades off the back of community gambling grants. It all goes to clubs, not professional sport.”
We couldn’t agree more. If these new offshore casinos are to be welcomed into our regulatory framework, then they must be required to support the public good, just like the domestic gaming trusts they’ll be replacing.
Public Submissions Close 17 August – Let’s Make Our Voices Heard
This is not a done deal. The bill is still under Select Committee review, and the Government is accepting public submissions until 17 August. That means every New Zealander has a chance to weigh in and help shape the future of online gambling in Aotearoa.
We’re calling on our readers, our fellow players, sports lovers, parents, club organisers — everyone who cares about keeping our communities strong — to speak up.
We’ll be publishing a simple guide to help you make a submission quickly and easily. The more people who raise this issue, the harder it will be for lawmakers to ignore.
How We See It: Four Principles for a Better Gambling Bill
- Safer Gambling for Players
We fully support age verification, harm prevention, and enforcement of responsible gambling standards. - Legal Options for Kiwis
Licensing offshore operators gives Kiwis safe, controlled alternatives to the black-market casinos they’re already using. - Fair Play for Communities
If operators are earning revenue from Kiwi players, they must return some of it to the grassroots clubs that hold our communities together. - Transparency for All
Licensing is meaningless unless it comes with clear rules — and clear benefits — for the whole country.
We want the Online Casino Gambling Bill to succeed. We want safer play. But we won’t stay silent while community sport is pushed to the side.
We’ll Only Recommend Licensed, Responsible Operators
Once New Zealand’s online gambling market is regulated, we at PlayCasino.co.nz will only promote and review licensed casinos that meet the highest standards of safety, fairness, and transparency.
But we also want to see those operators contributing back — not just to tax revenue or harm services, but to the clubs and communities that make New Zealand what it is.
Final Word: Gambling Should Be Safe — and It Should Give Back
This bill is a chance to build a future where gambling works for players and communities, not just for offshore companies.
Let’s not miss that chance.
About PlayCasino.co.nz
PlayCasino.co.nz is New Zealand’s go-to platform for finding safe, legal, and high-quality online casinos. We help players compare casinos, understand payment options, claim free no deposit bonuses responsibly, claim free spins bonus, and stay informed about the latest casino news and regulations.
We’re committed to responsible gambling, local transparency, and promoting only trusted operators — now and after regulation. Find the list below.
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The post Kiwis Deserve Safe Gambling That Gives Back appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Latest News
Sportradar Report | World Cup 2026: Opportunities for the Latin American Sports Betting Market
With the World Cup set to be the largest edition of the tournament to date, Sportradar has published a new report exploring the opportunities and challenges facing sports betting operators across Latin America.
The report examines how sportsbooks can capitalize on the surge in betting activity expected during the tournament and convert it into long-term customer growth.
Key topics include:
- The impact of 104 matches across 39 days on betting activity
- The rise of a new bettor profile seeking personalized and interactive experiences
- The three pillars of sportsbook success: enhancing the betting experience, fueling fan engagement, and safeguarding market integrity
- The role of AI in delivering personalized experiences and real-time engagement
Among the report’s findings:
- An estimated US$50 billion in betting handle globally
- 60% of consumers plan to bet online or via mobile apps
- 19% are expected to place their first-ever sports bet during the tournament
We hope you find these insights valuable for soccer’s biggest event.
The report is available here:
- Portuguese : LATAM_Sportradar_Industry Report_Copa_De_Mundo
- English: LATAM_Sportradar_Industry-Report_World-Cup
For your reference, here’s the link to our LinkedIn post: linkedin.com/posts/sportradar_sportradarsoccer
The post Sportradar Report | World Cup 2026: Opportunities for the Latin American Sports Betting Market appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
Gmonitor.ai
Gmonitor llega a Latinoamérica: la plataforma de inteligencia de mercado para operadores debuta en seis mercados regulados
Gmonitor amplía su cobertura a Brasil, México, Colombia, Panamá, Perú y Argentina tras su participación en SBC Summit Americas
Gmonitor.ai, la plataforma de inteligencia de mercado para el sector del juego online, anuncia su lanzamiento oficial en los mercados regulados de Latinoamérica. La compañía pone a disposición de los operadores su plataforma en Brasil, México, Colombia, Panamá, Perú y Argentina, llevando a la región la misma inteligencia diaria de mercado, juegos, promociones y competencia que ya utilizan operadores de primer nivel en Europa.
El anuncio se produce tras la participación de Gmonitor en SBC Summit Americas, celebrada en Fort Lauderdale entre el 9 y el 11 de junio, donde la compañía presentó su plataforma a operadores, proveedores y reguladores de toda la región y confirmó el fuerte interés del mercado por herramientas de inteligencia competitiva accionables.
Gmonitor monitoriza a diario los lobbies de los operadores con licencia, sigue la posición y el rendimiento de cada juego, mapea el panorama promocional y consolida datos de mercado en un único panel. El resultado permite a los equipos de marketing, marca, producto, trading y contenido sustituir miles de horas de seguimiento manual por información lista para la toma de decisiones: qué juegos crecen, cómo se mueven los competidores y dónde están las oportunidades de captación y retención.
Latinoamérica es una de las regiones de mayor crecimiento del juego regulado del mundo, pero los operadores siguen tomando decisiones con una visibilidad limitada de lo que ocurre a su alrededor. Llevamos a la región una plataforma ya probada con operadores líderes en Europa.” Hákon Magnússon, COO de Gmonitor
Con cobertura inicial en seis mercados, Gmonitor da servicio tanto a operadores que buscan defender y ganar cuota como a proveedores de juegos que necesitan entender su distribución y posicionamiento frente a la competencia. La compañía tiene previsto seguir ampliando su cobertura a Estados Unidos en las próximas semanas.
The post Gmonitor llega a Latinoamérica: la plataforma de inteligencia de mercado para operadores debuta en seis mercados regulados appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
André Boesing General Manager for South LatAm at OKTO PAYMENTS
OKTO says Argentina’s provincial rules complicate iGaming payments and operations
The payments provider points to fragmented licensing and local requirements as operators expand across Argentine jurisdictions in 2026.
OKTO PAYMENTS said the rapid expansion of iGaming across Argentina’s provinces is increasing operational complexity for operators, as each jurisdiction brings distinct regulatory requirements, licensing processes and local commercial dynamics. The company shared its view in a June 2026 statement focused on the country’s multi-jurisdiction framework.
Unlike other Latin American markets with a single national model, Argentina’s provincial approach forces operators to adapt to multiple regulatory environments within one country, OKTO said. The company argued that as the market matures, expectations around transparency, traceability and operational control are also rising.
“For years, growth was the industry’s primary objective. Today, the challenge lies in how to scale efficiently in a market where each jurisdiction may present different requirements, expectations, and operational dynamics,” said André Boesing, General Manager for South LatAm at OKTO PAYMENTS.
Boesing added that consumer expectations for consistent user experience can mask the complexity behind the scenes. “Users expect a simple and seamless experience regardless of where they play. But behind that experience lies increasing operational complexity that operators must manage efficiently as they expand into different jurisdictions,” he added.
OKTO said capabilities such as orchestrating deposits and withdrawals, treasury and liquidity management, and efficient settlement processes are becoming more important as operators work with multiple providers and payment methods across provinces. “In many cases, infrastructure goes unnoticed until something goes wrong. However, in highly fragmented markets like Argentina, the ability to manage multiple providers, maintain operational consistency, and adapt quickly to local requirements can become a competitive advantage in itself. At OKTO PAYMENTS, we call this ‘playing a different game’: competing not only through products and services, but also through operational resilience and adaptability,” he explained.
The company concluded that long-term success in Argentina will depend on balancing growth with operational control and adaptability. “The operators best positioned for long-term success will be those capable of combining growth, operational control, and adaptability. Financial infrastructure is no longer simply a technological support layer; it is becoming a strategic advantage in increasingly sophisticated markets,” Boesing concluded.
The post OKTO says Argentina’s provincial rules complicate iGaming payments and operations appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
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