New Zealand Venue Directory
Casinos in New Zealand
Find every licensed casino and pokies venue across Aotearoa New Zealand. Data from the NZ gambling register, refreshed quarterly.
Find a licensed casino
Six Class 3 casinos across five cities. Each gets a full editorial page with hours, games, food, and how to get there.
Browse by region
All 16 NZ regions, ranked by number of licensed gambling venues.
Find venues in top cities
The twelve NZ locations with the most licensed gambling venues.
About gambling in New Zealand
Casinos in New Zealand
New Zealand has six Department of Internal Affairs-licensed casinos, located in Auckland, Hamilton, Queenstown (two venues), Christchurch, and Dunedin. The country also hosts roughly 1,100 licensed pokies venue, pubs and clubs permitted to run pokies machine under the Gambling Act 2003. This directory lists every licensed casino and every pokies venue, organised by region and city, so visitors and residents can find a land-based gambling venue near them.
How many licensed casinos are there in New Zealand?
There are six licensed casinos in New Zealand. The full list is SkyCity Auckland, SkyCity Hamilton, SkyCity Wharf Casino Queenstown, Wharf Casino Queenstown, Christchurch Casino, and Grand Casino Dunedin. No new casino licence has been issued in New Zealand since 1996, because the Gambling Act 2003 and its predecessor legislation cap the number of Class 3 (casino) licences at six.
The Department of Internal Affairs administers the licensing regime. Each casino runs under a Class 3 licence granted by the DIA and renewed at regulated intervals. The six-licence cap is legislative, not administrative. Changing it would require parliamentary amendment.
Where are the licensed casinos located?
New Zealand’s six licensed casinos sit in five cities. Queenstown is the only city with two licensed casinos. The table below summarises the city, region, and operator for each.
| Casino | City | Region | Operator |
|---|---|---|---|
| SkyCity Auckland | Auckland | Auckland | SkyCity Entertainment Group |
| SkyCity Hamilton | Hamilton | Waikato | SkyCity Entertainment Group |
| SkyCity Wharf Casino Queenstown | Queenstown | Otago | SkyCity Entertainment Group |
| Wharf Casino Queenstown | Queenstown | Otago | Locally operated |
| Christchurch Casino | Christchurch | Canterbury | Christchurch Casinos Ltd |
| Grand Casino Dunedin | Dunedin | Otago | Grand Casino Dunedin Ltd |
Wellington, Tauranga, Palmerston North, Napier, Hastings, New Plymouth, Whangārei, Nelson, Invercargill, and every smaller city in New Zealand have no licensed casino. In those cities, the only land-based gambling venues are licensed pokies venue, pubs and clubs that host pokies machine. Where to play in each of those cities is covered below by region.
What are pokies venue and how are they regulated?
A pokies venue is a pub, club, or similar DIA-licensed site hosting between one and 18 pokies machine under the Gambling Act 2003. Pokies venue are distinct from casinos (Class 3). They run at much lower per-spin stake caps and are embedded in ordinary hospitality venues rather than standalone gambling buildings.
There are roughly 1,100 pokies venue across New Zealand. The full register is published by the DIA at dia.govt.nz/Gambling-Class-4. Three rules define how pokies venue operate. First, no pokies venue may hold more than 18 pokies machine. Second, the maximum stake per spin is $2.50. Third, roughly 40 per cent of gross proceeds must be returned to the community as grants, typically funding sport, arts, and charity. Pokies venue therefore function partly as community-funding mechanisms, which is why many pubs and clubs host them.
For a full explanation of Class 4 licensing, stake limits, and community-grant rules, see pokies venue in NZ.
How do casinos in New Zealand differ from online casinos?
Casinos in New Zealand are physical venues under Class 3 licences. Online casinos operate under the separate Online Casino Gambling Act 2026, which comes into effect on 1 December 2026 and creates a new licensing regime for operators serving New Zealand players online. Before December 2026, online casino play by New Zealand residents occurs on overseas-licensed offshore sites, which the DIA doesn’t regulate directly.
Three practical differences matter for anyone deciding where to play. Land-based casinos are regulated under the Gambling Act 2003 with 24/7 in-person host-responsibility oversight, self-exclusion procedures at each venue, and a minimum entry age of 20. Pokies venue are also regulated under the Gambling Act 2003, with a minimum age of 18 and capped stakes. Online casinos (before and after the 2026 Act) operate entirely separately and are covered in detail on the casino vs pokies guide and the New Zealand gambling law explainer.
Where can I play pokies near me in New Zealand?
Pokies are available at all six licensed casinos and at every licensed pokies venue. The six cities with the largest concentrations of pokies venue are Auckland, Christchurch, Wellington, Hamilton, Dunedin, and Queenstown. Each has a dedicated directory page listing every pokies venue by suburb with addresses and hours.
- Casinos in Auckland: SkyCity Auckland plus ~240 pokies venue across the Auckland region.
- Casinos in Christchurch: Christchurch Casino plus ~160 pokies venue in Canterbury.
- Casinos in Wellington: No licensed casino, ~130 pokies venue across the Wellington region.
- Casinos in Queenstown: Two licensed casinos (SkyCity Wharf and Wharf Casino) plus ~45 pokies venue in Otago Lakes.
- Casinos in Hamilton: SkyCity Hamilton plus ~95 pokies venue in Waikato.
- Casinos in Dunedin: Grand Casino Dunedin plus ~55 pokies venue in Otago.
Smaller cities with their own dedicated pages include Tauranga, Rotorua, Palmerston North, Napier, New Plymouth, Whangārei, Nelson, and Invercargill. For a single nationwide index, see pokies near me.
What is the legal gambling age in New Zealand?
The legal gambling age in New Zealand is 20 for casinos and 18 for pokies venue, lotteries, and the TAB. All six licensed casinos enforce the 20-year minimum age at entry and require photo identification. Pokies venue enforce the 18-year minimum age at the gaming room rather than the venue entrance. The pub or club itself remains accessible to anyone of legal drinking age for ordinary hospitality.
The age differential reflects a deliberate policy distinction. Casinos offer higher-stakes table games and uncapped-stake pokies, so the Gambling Act 2003 treats casino entry as a more consequential decision and raises the minimum age by two years. Class 4 pokies machines have the $2.50-per-spin cap and are embedded in regular pubs, so the 18-year age aligns with the general drinking-age framework.
How are gambling venues licensed by the Department of Internal Affairs?
The Department of Internal Affairs issues gambling venue licences under the Gambling Act 2003. The DIA is the primary regulator for all land-based gambling in New Zealand. Its functions include granting and renewing Class 3 and Class 4 licences, auditing venue compliance with host-responsibility rules, publishing the authoritative Class 4 register, enforcing problem-gambling signage requirements, and prosecuting breaches.
Two licence classes matter for physical venues. Class 3 is the casino licence, capped at six, each granted to a specific operator and venue. Class 4 is the pub and club gaming-machine licence, a much larger register, each tied to a specific pub or club. Separate classes exist for Lotteries (Lotto NZ), non-commercial gambling (Class 1, Class 2 raffles), and now online casino under the 2026 Act. Full regulatory detail, including complaint procedures, sits on the New Zealand gambling law page.
What responsible gambling resources exist in New Zealand?
The Gambling Helpline NZ (0800 654 655) is the primary responsible-gambling support line in New Zealand, available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The service is free, confidential, and accessible from anywhere in the country. Every DIA-licensed venue (casino or Class 4) must display the Gambling Helpline number prominently at gaming areas.
Three other organisations play central roles. The Problem Gambling Foundation (pgf.nz) provides counselling, harm-reduction programmes, and advocacy. Safer Gambling Aotearoa coordinates multi-agency responses. The Ministry of Health funds host-responsibility training for venue operators and publishes problem-gambling prevalence research.
Every licensed casino runs a voluntary self-exclusion scheme. The six casinos jointly operate a multi-venue exclusion programme so a self-exclusion at one casino is enforceable at all six. Pokies venue support single-venue self-exclusion. Anyone concerned about their own gambling or a family member’s should call 0800 654 655 or visit responsible gambling in New Zealand for the complete list of support services and exclusion procedures.
Regions
Browse casinos and pokies venue by region: