Guts Casino: Closed

This is a factual record of a casino brand that no longer operates. It contains no offers and no link to any operator.

If you are here because you had an account, the short answer is below.

The closure

Listings still describe Guts as a currently operating casino accepting New Zealand players. Most were written years ago and never updated after the brand shut.

How the brand got here

The ownership chain is the useful part. In twelve years the brand passed through at least three corporate structures and withdrew from two markets before being retired.

That matters beyond this one casino. Review pages routinely cite an operator’s longevity as a reason for confidence — “over a decade of experience,” “trusted since 2013.” The years accrue to the brand name. The company holding your money, the licence supervising it, and the management setting the terms can all change without the name above the door changing at all.

The claim about New Zealand law

The description of New Zealand as a “permissive” market was a reasonable summary of the position a few years ago. It is now wrong in every particular, and the framing was questionable even then — an absence of regulation is a gap in protection, not a benefit.

Our New Zealand gambling laws guide sets out the current framework and timeline in full.

What a licence actually covers

Worth recording, because it is unusual across this section.

The return figures published for this brand are the most accurate found anywhere in this section. Games generally exceed 95% return, jackpot games run considerably lower — sometimes as low as 88% — and blackjack and table games can exceed 99% with correct strategy.

Elsewhere a jackpot slot’s 88.12% figure gets listed in a table beside 96% games with no comment at all. Here the difference is explained, by somebody who understood the subject.

The point stands independently of the casino: a progressive jackpot slot costs roughly three to four times as much per unit staked as an ordinary slot, because a slice of every stake funds the prize pool instead of returning through wins. Our rules of blackjack and video poker pages cover how much the specific version of a game matters.

Where to look now

We do not recommend a replacement, and we do not publish rankings or sign-up links.

If you are considering any operator during the current transition, the position is the same for all of them. Operators serving New Zealand before 1 May 2026 may continue until 1 December 2026. After that, only those that have applied for a licence may continue. Licences are expected from early 2027, and the Department of Internal Affairs will publish a register with a unique registration icon at that point.

Until then, no operator can accurately be described as licensed for online casino gambling in New Zealand, and the DIA is direct that players on unlicensed platforms will not have the same protections.

Our casino reviews page sets out how to assess an operator yourself, including how to check an operating company against a regulator’s own register rather than trusting a footer.

If a casino you use closes

Brands close, migrate and exit markets regularly, and 1 December 2026 will produce more of it than usual. Four things are worth doing.

Withdraw before you need to. A balance sitting in a gambling account is exposed to more than just the temptation to play it. If an operator is winding down a market, funds are simpler to retrieve before the deadline than after.

Keep your own records. Screenshots of your balance, transaction history and any correspondence. If an account migration goes wrong, that is what you will have.

Check whether a self-exclusion carried across. Exclusions are meant to survive migrations and apply group-wide. If you find you can register at a successor brand after excluding yourself, raise it with the operator and its regulator.

Know which regulator applies. It is the one named in the operator’s licence, not the one in your own country. Our responsible gaming page lists the free support services available in New Zealand, which are available regardless of where an operator is based.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Guts Casino still open?

No. The brand closed on 2 December 2025 and migrated to a replacement platform operated by the same parent group. The operator’s own site confirms it closed to New Zealand players on that date.

What happened to my account and balance?

Accounts were reported as migrated rather than closed, with login details carried across to the successor platform. If you cannot access an account or locate a balance, contact the parent group’s support and reference the migration date.

Who owned Guts Casino?

It launched in 2013 under MT SecureTrade Limited, as the flagship brand of Gaming Innovation Group. In 2020 that group sold Guts — along with Rizk, Kaboo and Thrills — to the Betsson Group, and the brand was operated through Zecure Gaming Limited, registered in Malta, until closure.

Did my self-exclusion carry over?

It should have. Exclusions are designed to survive brand migrations and to apply across a group’s brands. If you find you can register at the successor platform after excluding yourself, raise it with the operator and, if unresolved, with its regulator.

Was Guts licensed in New Zealand?

No. It operated under overseas Malta licensing. No operator holds a New Zealand online casino licence yet — the DIA register opens from early 2027.

Is it still legal to play at offshore casinos from New Zealand?

The position changed in 2026. Operators serving New Zealand before 1 May 2026 may continue until 1 December 2026; after that, only those that have applied for a licence may continue. The Act applies regardless of where an operator is incorporated.

Where can I get help if gambling is causing problems?

The Gambling Helpline is free and available 24 hours a day on 0800 654 655, or by free text to 8006. PGF Services offers free counselling on 0800 664 262. Support is also available to whānau and friends.