This one is about us rather than about you, but it is worth publishing because most review sites do not.

The rules

Section 16 of the Gambling Act 2003 prohibits advertising overseas gambling. DIA reads this broadly: communications that publicise or promote overseas gambling or an overseas operator, or that are reasonably likely to induce people to gamble overseas, are caught. The offence carries a fine of up to NZ$10,000.

The Online Casino Gambling Act 2026 adds enforcement powers. DIA has reported penalties of up to NZ$5 million for unlawful advertising, and Cabinet decisions to prohibit affiliate marketing and paid endorsements. Licensed operators may advertise only once licensing is complete, and then under restrictions.

The Advertising Standards Authority Gambling Advertising Code applies to gambling advertising in any medium, and the ASA's guidance on identifying advertising specifically notes that affiliate blog content can amount to native advertising. Where a commercial relationship is not obvious, it must be clearly labelled.

What that means in practice

A site that ranks offshore casinos, publishes bonus details and provides click-through links is operating in territory where the advertising prohibition may apply. Adding a disclaimer does not resolve that by itself — the legal question is whether the content promotes overseas gambling.

This is a live issue for every affiliate publisher targeting New Zealand, and the right answer is legal advice rather than a comfortable sentence on a page.

What we do about it

  1. We publish our methodology, so readers can see that ratings are editorial and evidence-based.
  2. We disclose commercial relationships on every page and in full on our affiliate disclosure page.
  3. We mark commercial links with rel="nofollow" and, when tracked links go live,

rel="sponsored", which is the standard mechanism search engines and regulators expect.

  1. We describe rather than urge. Our reviews explain what we could and could not verify, and

we do not tell anyone to gamble.

  1. We keep the licence paperwork visible — operator name and licence number, with

verification notes, so readers have facts rather than badges.

  1. We publish the harm side at the same length as the product side, including helpline details

on every page.

What a reader should ask any casino site

  • Who is the operating company, and what licence do they hold?
  • Is the commercial relationship disclosed clearly, or buried?
  • Does the site publish a methodology, or just numbers out of ten?
  • Does it ever say "guaranteed" or "risk-free"?
  • Does it show the responsible-gambling information as prominently as the bonuses?

If a site fails those five questions, its ratings are not worth much.