If you are looking for how to stop, this page is about that. There are no casino recommendations on it and no offers.
The tools available differ a lot in how well they work, and the difference is not obvious from the outside. This page sets out what each one actually does.
The four tools, and which are strongest
That ordering is deliberate, and it is close to the reverse of how these tools are usually presented.
Self-exclusion at a casino gets talked about first because it is the one the casino controls. It is genuinely useful, and it is also the weakest of the four: it depends on the operator honouring it, applies to one account only, and covers nothing you might open tomorrow.
Bank gambling blocks
A block at your own bank stops card payments to gambling merchants across every site at once, and it does not care whether any casino agrees.
Westpac NZ offers one on request by phone or at a branch. It applies to all your credit and debit cards, blocks online transactions with gambling businesses, and stays in place for a minimum of three months before it can be removed. Kiwibank operates a category restriction on cards that can be applied through the app or by phone. As of early 2026, ANZ, ASB and BNZ have not publicly confirmed an equivalent dedicated voluntary block in New Zealand, though all banks decline some overseas gambling merchants through ordinary fraud filters. Ask your own bank directly — this is changing, and the answer you get from them is better than the answer here.
Two things to know about the limits. Blocks work by reading merchant category codes, so payments routed through an e-wallet, a prepaid voucher or a cryptocurrency exchange may not be caught. And a card block does not cover payments made straight from your bank account rather than from a card, because those never touch the card network.
That is not a reason to skip the block. It is the reason to pair it with device blocking, which closes the gap from the other direction.
Ask about the delay. Most blocks carry a stand-down period before they can be lifted — three months at Westpac, shorter elsewhere. That delay is the part doing the work. When you set one up, ask how long the removal period is and choose the longer option if you are offered a choice.
Device blocking software
BetBlocker is free software from a registered charity that blocks thousands of gambling sites and apps. It installs on phones, tablets and computers, and once a restriction period is set it cannot be lifted early.
Install it on the phone as well as the computer. Mobile is the device most people actually gamble on and the one most often left uncovered.
Venue exclusion, which does have teeth
This is the part of the New Zealand system that works properly, and it is worth understanding in some detail because it is stronger than most people assume.
Once it is in place, it is an offence for the venue to admit you to the gambling area and an offence for you to enter — with a maximum fine of NZ$5,000 for the venue manager and NZ$500 for the excluded person. Failing to issue an order when properly asked carries the same NZ$5,000 penalty. That imbalance is deliberate, and it is what gives venues a real reason to enforce it. Venues must also keep records of every exclusion and produce them to the Secretary for Internal Affairs on request.
Multi-Venue Exclusion covers many venues through a single process rather than visiting each one. It has run nationally since 2011, is administered by the Salvation Army, and any gambling harm service can arrange it. In practice it is a short meeting with a counsellor, identification, a form and a photograph. Call Oasis on 0800 53 00 00 or the Gambling Helpline on 0800 654 655. New Zealand’s casinos also run a multi-venue scheme between themselves.
Family and friends can act too.
What online exclusion does and does not do
Online self-exclusion works at one operator only.
There is no scheme in New Zealand that excludes you from offshore casinos as a group. Setting an exclusion at one site does nothing at any other site, and nothing stops a new account being opened elsewhere the same evening.
That is not a comment on anyone’s willpower. It is a structural gap, and it is the whole reason the bank-level and device-level tools matter more than they are usually given credit for.
Two claims commonly made about online self-exclusion are not reliable:
“Every reputable online casino offers self-exclusion.” No operator serving New Zealand is currently licensed here, and none is presently required to offer self-exclusion, honour it, or stop you opening a second account. Many do offer it. None is obliged to.
“You can’t reverse an online self-exclusion.” Some operators allow reversal, and some simply reopen accounts once a period expires without any check. Do not rely on a casino’s exclusion as your only barrier.
And exclusion does not cross between a venue and that brand’s website. Where a New Zealand casino company also runs an online casino, the two are separate businesses under separate regulators — the venue under New Zealand law, the website usually under a Maltese licence. Excluding yourself at one does not automatically exclude you at the other, and the reverse does not necessarily hold either. Our SkyCity vs Christchurch Casino comparison and our SkyCity online guide explain that split. Ask both directly, in writing, and keep the replies.
The contrast is worth naming plainly. A venue exclusion in New Zealand is backed by statute, carries a penalty for the venue that breaches it, and can be applied across many venues through one process. An online exclusion at an unlicensed offshore operator has none of that behind it. Both get called “self-exclusion”. They are not the same instrument.
What changes from 2027
Under the Online Casino Gambling Act 2026 and its regulations, operators holding a New Zealand licence will have to:
- Provide self-exclusion that takes effect within 24 hours
- Offer deposit, spend and session limits across daily, weekly and monthly periods, prompted at sign-up and monthly thereafter
- Apply a 24-hour cooling-off period before any limit increase takes effect, with reductions applying immediately
- Verify age, with a minimum of 18
- Monitor player behaviour for indicators of harm
- Stop accepting credit card deposits
- Remove autoplay and prevent more than one pokie running at once
The licensing register is expected from 2027, and licensed platforms will display a unique registration icon.
Until then, none of that is binding on the operators available to you. Our New Zealand gambling laws guide sets out the timeline in full.
If you are wondering whether it is time
There is no threshold you have to cross before you are allowed to use any of this. People contact these services at every stage, including well before things become serious.
Some things that commonly prompt a rethink:
- Gambling more than you planned to, more often than you meant to
- Trying to win back money you have lost
- Borrowing to gamble, or using credit
- Choosing payment methods partly because they keep it off a bank statement
- Not being straight with people about how much
- Feeling restless or on edge when you are not gambling
- It affecting work, sleep, relationships or health
None of these is a diagnosis and this is not a test. If more than one of them landed, that is worth a phone call — not because something is wrong with you, but because the call is free, confidential, and easier than most people expect.
Our responsible gaming page has further information.
A note about this site
We publish information about online casinos. That means we should be direct about something.
If you are on this page because gambling has stopped being enjoyable, the rest of this site is not what you need right now. Nothing here will help you find a safer casino or a better bonus, because those are not the problem being solved.
The numbers at the top of this page are the useful part. Everything else is context. If you think something on this page is wrong or out of date, our contact page is the way to tell us, and our about page explains how we check things.
This page is published for information. It is not legal, financial, medical or clinical advice, and nothing on it is a diagnosis. It describes how the tools available in New Zealand work; it does not replace speaking to a counsellor, and the services listed here are free.
Bank policies, exclusion procedures and legislation change. Phone numbers and processes were checked when this page was last reviewed. If something here does not match what you are told by a bank, a venue or a support service, take their answer over ours.
If gambling is causing harm to you or someone close to you, free confidential support is available in New Zealand 24 hours a day on 0800 654 655, or by free text to 8006. If things feel urgent, call or text 1737. In an emergency, call 111.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does self-exclusion at one online casino cover the others?
No. It applies only to that operator. There is no scheme excluding you from offshore casinos as a group, which is why bank blocks and device blocking software matter more.
What is the strongest tool available to me right now?
A gambling block at your own bank, combined with blocking software on your devices. Neither depends on a casino honouring anything, and both cover every site at once rather than one at a time.
Will a bank block catch everything?
No. Blocks read merchant category codes, so payments routed through an e-wallet, prepaid voucher or cryptocurrency exchange may get through, and a card block does not cover payments made directly from your bank account. Pair it with device blocking to close that gap.
Which New Zealand banks offer a gambling block?
Westpac NZ offers one on request by phone or at a branch, applied to all your cards and held for at least three months. Kiwibank operates a card category restriction. ANZ, ASB and BNZ have not publicly confirmed an equivalent voluntary block. Ask your own bank — this is changing.
How do I exclude myself from pokie venues?
Ask any venue with pokies, or a casino, and they are required to issue an exclusion order under section 310 of the Gambling Act 2003. To cover several venues at once, use Multi-Venue Exclusion — call Salvation Army Oasis on 0800 53 00 00 or the Gambling Helpline on 0800 654 655, and a counsellor will arrange it.
Does a venue exclusion actually get enforced?
It has legal force. Once an order is in place it is an offence for the venue to admit you to the gambling area and an offence for you to enter, with a maximum fine of NZ$5,000 for the venue manager against NZ$500 for the excluded person. The larger consequence sitting with the operator is what gives venues a reason to enforce it.
If I exclude myself at a casino, am I excluded from its website?
Not automatically. The venue and the website are usually different companies under different regulators. Ask both in writing and keep the replies.
Can I reverse an online self-exclusion?
Sometimes, depending on the operator. Some allow reversal and some reopen accounts once a period ends without any check. It is not a reliable barrier on its own.
Are the helplines really free and confidential?
Yes. Calls and texts to 0800 654 655 are free from any New Zealand landline or mobile, you do not have to give your name, and the services are government funded. The same applies to PGF Services on 0800 664 262 and Salvation Army Oasis on 0800 53 00 00.
Can I get help for someone else’s gambling?
Yes. These services support whānau and friends as well as the person gambling. You can also raise concerns directly with a venue operator, and bringing something concrete like bank statements helps.
