New Zealand cracks down on influencers advertising offshore gambling
New Zealand authorities have initiated a significant crackdown on social media influencers who market offshore online gambling platforms. The Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) has already sent takedown notices to those advertising illegal operators, threatening severe consequences for non-compliance.
New Zealand’s gambling act
New Zealand’s Gambling Act explicitly prohibits advertising offshore, unlicensed gambling services. This law aims to protect consumers from fraudulent operations that do not adhere to strict safety and fairness guidelines. Any individual or business caught promoting such services faces serious legal repercussions.
DIA’s first takedown notices
According to RNZ, the DIA has served its first takedown notices to influencers who have been actively marketing illegal gambling websites. Non-compliance with these notices may lead to significant fines or additional legal action.
Vicki Scott, Director of Gambling Regulatory Services at the DIA, has stressed that action will be taken against influencers who blatantly break the law. The department has been investigating these cases for some time, and this enforcement is just the beginning of a larger effort to clean up illegal gambling promotions.
Scott stated, “We’ve been investigating this. We will be taking actions in relation to those influencers who are very publicly and clearly breaking the law.”
New Zealand’s Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) has notified that influencers who continue to breach the Gambling Act risk being fined as much as NZ$10,000 (approximately €5,300), possible bans on social media platforms, and the loss of trust and sponsorships.
What prompted this action?
The rise of offshore gambling sites has made it easier than ever for New Zealanders to access unregulated betting platforms. Social media influencers, with their large and engaged audiences, have become key players in driving traffic to these platforms. Through giveaways, web links, and live-streamed casino games, influencers have encouraged users to participate in gambling activities that fall outside of New Zealand’s legal framework.
New Zealand’s gambling regulations and reforms
Currently, gambling advertising in New Zealand is tightly regulated, but offshore platforms operate in a grey area. To address this, the government plans to introduce a new licensing system by early 2026, aiming to bring offshore operators under local jurisdiction.
One of the biggest issues in this crackdown is the disproportionate effect of gambling on the Māori people. Although they only comprise 17 percent of the population, Māori people represent 30 percent of the overall cases of gambling harm in New Zealand. It has been reported that offshore gambling operators are specifically using Māori influencers to target this vulnerable group, making the situation worse.
Public health concerns
Māori public health organisation Hāpai Te Hauora has strongly supported the DIA’s enforcement actions. Jason Alexander, the Chief Operating Officer, emphasised that these gambling companies are “manipulative” and “have no regard for the wellbeing of our whānau.”
Alexander stated that what is really worrying is that these same companies – the ones targeting our people illegally now – could be operating legally here as early as next year. It is shown by their current behaviour exactly how little whānau is cared about by them. If this is how actions are taken before regulation, what will be done once they are in the system? This isn’t just about the law being broken – it is about whānau being protected. Gambling harm is already being caused in our communities. Social media cannot be allowed to become another weapon in that fight.
