Stablecoin Could Play a Key Role in New Zealand’s Regulated Gaming Sector
Last Updated on July 15, 2025
New Zealand is finally making moves to regulate its online gambling sector. The Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) has been given the green light to issue no more than 15 licenses under New Zealand’s new Online Gambling Bill. Interested parties will be able to acquire the licenses through an auction. This raises the question of what kind of financial infrastructure will be integrated into the new system.
Cryptocurrency is expected to make significant inroads into the sector at some point, and one that stands out for several reasons is stablecoin. Stablecoin is pegged to fiat currencies and is quickly becoming one of the most sought-after cryptocurrencies in the digital market. It does everything a normal cryptocurrency does. Stablecoin allows customers to make fast transactions both locally and internationally and does not incur outrageous fees in the process.
Unlike Bitcoin or Ethereum, stablecoin is true to its name, meaning users do not really need to be worried about price volatility. With New Zealand building its digital gambling sector from the ground up, stablecoin could be a game-changer for making transactions.
How Stablecoin fits into New Zealand’s Long-Term Plans
The primary goal of New Zealand’s new bill is to wrestle back control of the digital gambling sector from offshore operators that are profiting from betting. Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden made it clear that the purpose of the new bill is not to get more people interested in gambling but to reduce the risks involved.
Acquiring a license comes with strict regulations attached. These reflect how invested the government is and how determined they are to regain control of the sector. Anyone who gets a license will have to agree to strict advertising limits, strong identity verification systems and age restrictions. They must also be transparent about how they operate their platform.
But even the best regulatory framework still needs to work out a seamless way for money to move in and out of the system. That is where stablecoin comes in. Many of the most popular online casinos in New Zealand are already using digital wallets, mobile banking and cryptocurrencies to facilitate payment transactions.
Under the new regulations, licensed operators must standardise their processes to make sure they abide by the rules. That makes it easier for them to embrace stablecoin. Stablecoin is a natural fit for online gambling in more ways than one. With stablecoin, fast, smart and accountable transactions are the bare minimum.
It has several features, but one that will certainly catch the eye of bettors is Smart contracts. Those are self-executing agreements written into code. It is a solid foundation for triggering automatic payouts and ensuring funds are only released under preset conditions.
Future-Proofing the Sector
Stablecoin is becoming increasingly popular around the world. Fintech powerhouse Stripe allows businesses in over 100 countries to use stablecoin-powered financial accounts, real-time payments, and inflation-resistant holdings. Worldpay, Mastercard and Apple are all exploring stablecoin rails. Considering New Zealand has a strong track record in digital currencies, stablecoin will fit in like a glove. Trina Lowry, director of the Gambling Implementation Programme, has emphasised the importance of engaging with potential license owners early on.
That opens the door to financial technologies, and stablecoin could be embedded into the regulatory set-up. It could be the bridge between regulatory goals and tech possibilities. Rather than settling for the slow and costly pathways of legacy finance, New Zealand can leapfrog into the future by integrating stablecoin into its online gambling ecosystem from the start. With stablecoin at the heart of things, programmable money can become the lifeblood of online commerce, automation and digital services.
Gambling is just one example of where stablecoin could be effective. But it’s a big one – especially in New Zealand which is keen to build a cleaner and fairer gambling sector. The difference between a ‘good’ and ‘game-changing’ policy often lies in how forward-thinking the architecture is.
With stablecoin, New Zealand has the opportunity to build a system that is safe and efficient in the present but also relevant for the next decade. In the global fintech community, fast transactions are no longer the big prize. It’s more about eliminating unnecessary intermediaries and making sure transactions go through seamlessly.
