A New Zealand casino name running online from a Malta licence, with its legality before the courts
Visit SkyCity Online Casino →SkyCity Online Casino welcome bonus in New Zealand
Here is the current SkyCity Online Casino welcome offer for players in New Zealand, where SkyCity Online Casino is licensed to operate. Bonus terms change and are set by SkyCity Online Casino for each market — always confirm the live offer on its own site. See every licensed betting site in New Zealand →
Pros
- Backed by SkyCity Entertainment Group, an NZX-listed company with major land-based casinos
- Licensed by the Malta Gaming Authority, an established regulator
- Platform supplied by Gaming Innovation Group, running since August 2019
- New Zealand's new licensing regime may bring this operator under domestic oversight
Cons
- No New Zealand licence - regulation is Maltese, despite the New Zealand brand name
- Funded class action alleges unlawful operation for NZ players from Feb 2020 to Feb 2026
- From 1 June 2027 only licensed operators may serve New Zealand, and it is not yet licensed
- NZD 50 minimum deposit for a NZD 150 maximum match, at an ordinary 20x
- Bonus terms not verifiable at source
- Our own earlier page wrongly described the licence as a New Zealand one
Our verdict
Start with the correction, because our previous version of this page got the most important fact backwards. We said SkyCity Online Casino held an official New Zealand licence. It does not. The site is run by Silvereye Entertainment Limited, a Maltese company, under Malta Gaming Authority licence MGA/B2C/880/2021, on a platform Gaming Innovation Group has supplied since August 2019. The SkyCity name and the NZX-listed parent are real; the New Zealand licence was not. Until recently New Zealand had no way to license an online casino at all, which is how a domestic brand came to serve its home market from Malta. That changed on 1 May 2026, when the Online Casino Gambling Act 2026 took effect. The licence race opened on 17 July 2026 for a maximum of 15 licences awarded by the Department of Internal Affairs, and from 1 June 2027 only licensed operators may lawfully serve New Zealanders. SkyCity has said domestic licensing is a strategic priority, but it is not licensed today. There is also live litigation. A funded class action against SkyCity Entertainment Group, SkyCity Auckland Holdings and Silvereye alleges the online casino was not operating lawfully for New Zealand players, covering wagering losses from February 2020 to February 2026. SkyCity rejects the allegations and intends to contest them. We are not telling you the site is illegal - that is precisely the question a court has been asked. We are telling you it is contested, and that if you play here your protection comes from a Maltese regulator rather than a New Zealand one. The offer itself is ordinary: 100% up to NZD 150 plus 150 Club Points at 20x wagering, asking a NZD 50 minimum deposit for a NZD 150 ceiling. We could not verify those terms on the operator's own site.
How we rated it
Casino (36%)7.3
A real product behind a real land-based name - live casino and slots on Gaming Innovation Group's platform, online since August 2019 - but we verified little about the game offering beyond the operator's own material.
Bonuses & value (18%)7
100% up to NZD 150 with 150 Club Points at 20x is unremarkable, and it asks a relatively steep NZD 50 minimum deposit for a NZD 150 ceiling. We could not confirm the terms at source.
Customer support (18%)6.3
No complaint dossier found and no substantial independent evidence on service. The previous claim of no documented complaint pattern rested on no search, and a class action over player losses is now on foot.
Trust & licensing (27%)5.5
Cut hard from 8.0, which had rested on an 'official New Zealand licence' that does not exist. The licence is Maltese (MGA/B2C/880/2021, Silvereye Entertainment Limited); New Zealand's own regime only began on 1 May 2026 with no licences yet awarded. A funded class action alleges the site was not operating lawfully for New Zealand players between February 2020 and February 2026. The MGA is a genuine regulator, and the parent is NZX-listed, which is why this is not lower.
Quick facts
| Licensing | Malta Gaming Authority MGA/B2C/880/2021 - NOT a New Zealand licence |
| Operator | Silvereye Entertainment Limited (Malta C97463) for SkyCity Entertainment Group |
| Platform | Gaming Innovation Group, online since August 2019 |
| Litigation | Funded class action alleges unlawful operation for NZ players, Feb 2020-Feb 2026; SkyCity contests it |
| NZ regime | Online Casino Gambling Act 2026 in force 1 May 2026; licence race opened 17 July 2026, none awarded yet |
| From 1 June 2027 | Only licensed operators may lawfully serve the New Zealand market |
| Welcome bonus | 100% up to NZD 150 + 150 Club Points on live casino |
| Wagering | 20x, minimum deposit NZD 50 (not confirmed at source) |
How we verified this
The operating company and licence number come from the operator's own corporate disclosure and the platform supplier's launch announcement; the litigation from trade press and RNZ, New Zealand's public broadcaster. We report the class action as an unresolved allegation, because that is what it is - SkyCity denies it and the courts have not ruled. We do not tell you the site is illegal; we tell you the question is before a court and that the licence is Maltese, not New Zealand's.
Where SkyCity Online Casino is licensed
SkyCity Online Casino appears on the official register in 1 countries. Highlighted countries have a full local review — pick yours for its welcome bonus and licence details.
Oceania (1)
About SkyCity Online Casino
SkyCity Online Casino is operated by Silvereye Entertainment Limited, a Maltese company (registration C97463) under Malta Gaming Authority licence MGA/B2C/880/2021, on a platform supplied by Gaming Innovation Group since August 2019. An earlier version of this page said it held an 'official New Zealand licence' and scored it highly on that basis. That was wrong and it was the most misleading thing we published about this brand: there is no New Zealand licence, and at the time of writing there could not be one. New Zealand's first domestic online casino regime, the Online Casino Gambling Act 2026, only took effect on 1 May 2026, the licence race opened on 17 July 2026, and none have been awarded. Separately, a funded class action against SkyCity Entertainment Group, SkyCity Auckland Holdings and Silvereye alleges the online casino was not operating lawfully for New Zealand players, covering losses from February 2020 to February 2026. SkyCity rejects the claim and is contesting it.
SkyCity Online Casino FAQ
Is SkyCity Online Casino safe and legit?
It is licensed by the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA/B2C/880/2021, Silvereye Entertainment Limited), NOT by New Zealand - a correction to what this page previously said. New Zealand's own online casino regime only began on 1 May 2026 and no licences have been awarded yet. A funded class action alleges the site was not operating lawfully for New Zealand players between February 2020 and February 2026; SkyCity denies this and is contesting it in court.
What is the SkyCity Online Casino welcome bonus?
100% of your first deposit up to NZD 150 plus 150 Club Points on live casino, at 20x wagering with a NZD 50 minimum deposit. We could not confirm these terms on the operator's own site, so treat them as reported.