The Department of Internal Affairs

Department of Internal Affairs | Te Tari Taiwhenua

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Gambling Technical Equipment

The Gambling Act 2003 (the Act) provides for the Secretary for Internal Affairs to prescribe minimum standards for the design, manufacture, and performance of gambling equipment. This page contains information on the current minimum standards that apply to class 4 and land-based casino gambling.

The Act sets a condition on every Class 3 licence, Class 4 venue licence and casino operator's licence that all gambling equipment used for the purposes of the licence must comply with relevant minimum standards. In addition, the Act provides for the Secretary for Internal Affairs to declare that specified gambling equipment must be approved as complying with minimum standards before it may be used under a licence granted under the Act. This declaration was made in June 2004 for all gambling equipment used to conduct or monitor class 4 and land-based casino gambling (links to NZ Gazette website). At the same time, minimum standards for gambling equipment for class 4 and casino gambling were prescribed (links to NZ Gazette website).

Since 2004, these minimum standards have been amended and added to a number of times. Key changes included providing for alternative payment technology for casino gambling, and implementing requirements in the Gambling (Harm Prevention and Minimisation) Regulations 2004 (NZ legisltion website) that require game and player information displays on all gaming machines and set maximum bet and prize limits for class 4 gambling.

Current versions of the minimum standards are set out below for class 4 and casino gambling.

Minimum Standards

Class 4 gambling

Two minimum standards have been prescribed for class 4 gambling:

Gambling (Class 4 Gambling Equipment) Minimum Standard 2026

Gambling (Class 4 Gambling Equipment) Minimum Standard 2026 (PDF, 720KB)
Effective 30 September 2026

Incorporated documents:

Gambling Act (Class 4 Gambling Equipment) Minimum Standard 2004:

Casino gambling

There are two minimum standards that apply to all casinos, and one set of regulatory concessions that apply to the SkyCity casino in Auckland.

As a condition on casino licences, any technology deployed in New Zealand casinos must first be approved by the Gambling Commission prior to deployment on the casino floor.

Gambling Act (Casino Gambling Equipment) Minimum Standard 2004:

Minimum Standards for Other Casino Gambling Equipment

Rules of Casino Keno, Racing and Gaming Machines – Added June 2004:

Rules of Casino Table Games

Gambling Act (Casino Mandatory Account Based Play) Minimum Standard 2025

SkyCity Auckland regulatory concessions

The above minimum technical requirements are part of a package of regulatory concessions agreed when SkyCity contracted to build the International Convention Centre. The concessions apply solely to the SkyCity casino in Auckland. The New Zealand International Convention Centre Act 2013 authorises and gives effect to the regulatory concessions in the agreement.