75394 (2024). Hon Jan Tinetti to the Minister of Internal Affairs

75394 (2024). Hon Jan Tinetti to the Minister of Internal Affairs: Does she stand by her statement “Reputable offshore operators who don’t hold a New Zealand licence are likely to voluntarily geo-block their sites to New Zealand consumers to ensure they are not operating outside the law.”, if so, what advice, if any, did she base this statement on, by title and date?

Hon Brooke van Velden: Yes. Reputable operators in other jurisdictions geo-block customers if they are not licensed to operate in a particular area. This is a standard operating practice which is also followed by TAB New Zealand, SkyCity Entertainment Group, and the New Zealand Lotteries Commission (Lotto NZ). This has been discussed at numerous meetings with officials and I am advised that it has also been discussed in meetings between the Department and stakeholders over the course of developing the regulatory system. The following advice was provided to me on the issue of geo-blocking: • Options to regulate online gambling, 13 December 2023; and • Tax Policy Report: Options to regulate and tax online casino gambling, 18 December 2023 [joint Treasury, Inland Revenue Department, and Department of Internal Affairs report]. • Overview of regulatory models for discussion on online gambling, 28 March 2024; • Options summary – Online Casino Gambling Cabinet Paper 2, 10 October 2024; and • Draft cabinet paper, final cabinet paper and the Regulatory Impact Statement Online Casino Gambling Phase 2 Decisions, November 2024.