Online casino brands come and go, and the two years to 2026 have been an unusually busy stretch for players in Aotearoa New Zealand. Some operators shut down for good, others stopped accepting New Zealand sign-ups while carrying on elsewhere, and a few never held a licence that made them a safe choice here in the first place.
This page keeps a plain, factual record of brands that were once written about on this site and are no longer a realistic option for New Zealand players. It explains what is known about each one, who owned it, and what it means if you still hold an account or a balance. Nothing here is a recommendation to gamble anywhere. Brand statuses change quickly, so always confirm the current position yourself before acting.
For brands that are still operating, the casino overview lists every entry on this site, and the guide to online casino licensing in New Zealand explains how the new rules work.
Key points
- New Zealand’s Online Casino Gambling Act (2026) replaces the old offshore free-for-all with a licensed market of up to 15 auctioned licences.
- Operators active before May 2026 may run until 1 December 2026 without advertising; the first licences are expected in 2027.
- Some brands on this page have closed completely; others simply no longer accept New Zealand players.
- Licensed operators must protect player funds, so withdraw and keep records as soon as a closure is announced.
- A complaint about an offshore casino goes to the regulator that issued its licence, not to New Zealand authorities.
Why casinos are closing or leaving New Zealand
Two forces are behind most of these exits.
The first is regulation. New Zealand is moving from an unregulated offshore market, where overseas sites simply accepted Kiwi players, to a licensed one. The Online Casino Gambling Act was passed in 2026, and the Department of Internal Affairs is running the new system. The right to apply for a licence is being auctioned, with up to 15 licences available; each licence covers a single brand and no company may hold more than three. Operators that were already serving New Zealand before May 2026 may keep going until 1 December 2026 but are not allowed to advertise, and operating or advertising without a licence after that point can attract a civil penalty of up to NZD 5 million for a company. The first licences are not expected to be issued until 2027, after which the Department will publish a public register of approved operators. You can read the underlying law in the Gambling Act 2003, while industry explainers such as iGaming Business and Asia Gaming Brief track how the reform is unfolding. Faced with this, several operators that did not plan to apply quietly stopped taking New Zealand customers. For background on how the old market worked, see the note on New Zealand’s unregulated casino market.
The second is ordinary commercial churn. Mid-sized operators go insolvent, surrender licences or get folded into larger groups every year, regardless of New Zealand. When that happens, a brand can disappear from search results and old listings within days. If you want to check whether a specific brand is licensed, the trust, safety and compliance guide shows how to read a licence page.
Casinos that have closed
The clearest cases are operators that have wound up completely. The best-documented is Casino Gods, one of the Genesis Global brands (alongside Genesis Casino, Sloty and Spinit). Genesis Global became insolvent in December 2022, and the Malta Gaming Authority suspended its licence in January 2023 and later cancelled it; player funds tied to the licence were frozen for the dissolution process. The Casino Gods domain has since passed to an unrelated website, so anything published there now has nothing to do with the original casino.
Dunder is another. It left the UK market in 2020, and industry trackers now list the casino as closed, with its site no longer taking players. It was never licensed for New Zealand.
Several other brands are listed as closed by industry closure trackers and operator notices rather than by major news coverage, so treat the details below as reported status rather than fully confirmed fact: VegasKings (operated by Markor Technology, reported inactive since 2025), Conquestador (Mobile Incorporated Ltd, reported to have stopped taking play in early 2026 after its licence was not renewed), All Jackpots (part of the Jackpot Factory / Digimedia family), Jackpot Molly (a Grace Media brand licensed in Gibraltar), and the Two Shepherds brands Casigo, Captain Spins and Jonny Jackpot, which were reported to have closed during 2026. Where a brand has genuinely closed, its login is usually taken offline within days and any balance has to be pursued through the licence holder.
Casinos that no longer accept New Zealand players
Some brands are still live in other countries but are no longer a route for New Zealanders.
Guts and Rizk are both Betsson Group brands and continue to operate in regulated European markets. Their availability to New Zealand players has changed as the market tightens, so an old login may no longer work from a New Zealand address; if you held a balance, the current operator terms apply rather than the version you signed up under.
Royal Panda is part of the LeoVegas group, which is owned by MGM Resorts. LeoVegas withdrew Royal Panda from the UK in 2020 and later exited other markets, and the brand does not serve New Zealand. Gate 777 and Lumi Casino are both White Hat Gaming brands aimed at the UK, Canada, parts of Europe and — for Lumi — Finland’s “pay and play” audience; neither targets New Zealand or supports New Zealand banking. Karamba, long associated with Aspire Global and later White Hat Gaming, may still appear in old New Zealand listings, but it is not a licensed option here, so treat those listings as out of date.
Casinos to avoid on licensing grounds
A brand being online is not the same as it being safe. Sunrise Slots, for example, runs on RealTime Gaming software without a clearly disclosed licence, and player forums carry complaints about unpaid withdrawals. An unlicensed casino gives you no regulator to complain to, which is the single most important reason to stay away — no matter how large the advertised bonus.
Closures and withdrawals at a glance
| Brand | Owner / group | What is known | Status for NZ players |
|---|---|---|---|
| Casino Gods | Genesis Global | Insolvent Dec 2022; MGA licence suspended Jan 2023 | Closed |
| Dunder | Mill of Magic Ltd | Left UK 2020; listed as closed | Closed |
| VegasKings | Markor Technology | Reported inactive since 2025 | Reported closed |
| Conquestador | Mobile Incorporated Ltd | Reported closed early 2026, licence not renewed | Reported closed |
| All Jackpots | Jackpot Factory / Digimedia | Listed as no longer trading | Reported closed |
| Jackpot Molly | Grace Media | Reported closed early 2026 | Reported closed |
| Casigo, Captain Spins, Jonny Jackpot | Two Shepherds Ltd | Reported closed during 2026 | Reported closed |
| Guts, Rizk | Betsson Group | Still live in Europe; NZ access tightened | No longer serving NZ |
| Royal Panda | LeoVegas / MGM | Left UK 2020; not offered in NZ | Not available |
| Gate 777, Lumi | White Hat Gaming | UK / Canada / EU and Finland focus | Not available |
| Karamba | Aspire Global / White Hat Gaming | May appear in old listings; not licensed for NZ | Not a licensed NZ option |
| Sunrise Slots | Undisclosed | No clearly disclosed licence; payout complaints | Avoid |
What to do if a casino you used has closed
Withdraw first, ask questions later. As soon as an operator announces a closure or a market exit, request a full withdrawal to a payment method in your own name. Licensed operators must ring-fence player balances, but the process is far simpler while the site is still live.
Keep your records. Screenshots of your balance, your transaction history and any closure emails are what a regulator or payment provider will ask for. The guide to casino payout times explains what a normal withdrawal timeline looks like, which helps you judge when something has gone wrong.
Complain to the licensing regulator. Offshore casinos are supervised by the body that issued their licence — for example the Malta Gaming Authority or the UK Gambling Commission. New Zealand’s Department of Internal Affairs does not regulate offshore operators and cannot recover funds from them, so a complaint has to go to the overseas regulator named on the old site.
Use the closure as a natural break. If you had been playing more than you intended, the guide to self-exclusion tools covers the free options available in New Zealand, and the Gambling Helpline (0800 654 655) is available around the clock.
Disclaimer: This page is factual information only. It does not encourage gambling, promote any operator, or advise any particular decision, and brand statuses can change at any time. Online gambling carries financial risk. Check the current licensing position with the Department of Internal Affairs and, if gambling is affecting you or someone close to you, contact the Gambling Helpline Aotearoa (0800 654 655) or Safer Gambling Aotearoa.
Sources
- Department of Internal Affairs — Online Gambling for providers: licensing and auctions
- GamingTechLaw — New Zealand online casino licensing 2026: requirements and deadlines
- iGaming Business — Malta Gaming Authority suspends licence of insolvent Genesis Global
- CasinoBeats — MGA suspends Genesis Global’s Malta operations
- Gaming Intelligence — LeoVegas withdraws Royal Panda from UK market
- SlotCatalog — Dunder casino status
Frequently asked questions
Can I still log in to a casino that has closed?
Usually not. Once an operator shuts down, the login is normally taken offline within days. If a balance is owed to you, contact the licence holder in writing and copy the regulator that issued the licence.
Will I get my money back if a casino closes?
Licensed operators in jurisdictions such as Malta, Gibraltar and the Isle of Man must keep player funds separate from company money, so balances are normally refunded or handled under player-protection rules. Unlicensed sites offer no such protection, which is why licence status matters more than any bonus.
Why have brands like Guts and Rizk stopped being available in New Zealand?
Both are Betsson Group brands that continue to run in regulated European markets. As New Zealand’s licensing regime takes shape, access from a New Zealand address has tightened, so an old account may no longer open here even though the brand still exists elsewhere.
When will unlicensed offshore casinos have to stop serving New Zealand?
Operators that were already active before May 2026 may continue until 1 December 2026 but cannot advertise. The first New Zealand licences are expected from 2027, and once the register is published, anything not on it should be treated as unlicensed.
How can I check whether a casino is licensed for New Zealand?
Look for a licence number in the site footer and confirm it on the regulator’s own register. When New Zealand’s regime is fully in force, the Department of Internal Affairs will publish the list of licensed operators and a registration icon; treat anything missing from that list as unlicensed.