POLi Casinos in 2026: What Happened to POLi and Where It Works

A POLi casino is an online casino that accepts POLi, a service that lets you pay straight from your internet banking. In 2026 that market has almost disappeared. Australia Post shut POLi down in Australia on 30 September 2023, and in New Zealand, where Merco Ltd now runs it, POLi’s own rules bar unlicensed gaming services, including online casinos. That leaves New Zealand-licensed providers as the only gambling sites that may properly offer POLi. This page explains what happened to POLi, how it works, what it costs, and what the law in New Zealand and Australia means for you, as checked on 8 October 2026.

We do not publish a list of POLi casinos, and you should be wary of anyone who does. Offshore casinos are unlicensed in New Zealand, and POLi does not serve unlicensed gaming services. No online casino may lawfully be offered to people in Australia. If we list casinos for New Zealand once its licensing system is running, we will score them with the six weighted criteria on our how we rate casinos page, where licence for your country carries 30% of the score.

Key points

• POLi closed in Australia on 30 September 2023 and now runs only in New Zealand, under Merco Ltd.
• POLi’s participation criteria exclude unlicensed gaming services, including online casinos; New Zealand licensed or registered businesses are allowed.
• POLi is free for the payer and cannot be used for withdrawals.
• New Zealand’s Online Casino Gambling Act is in force: from 1 December 2026 only operators in DIA’s licensing process may serve New Zealand, and licences are expected from early 2027.
• No online casino may lawfully be offered to people in Australia under the Interactive Gambling Act 2001.

POLi at a glance (October 2026)

What POLi is and how it works

POLi is a payment option at checkout that connects you to your own internet banking and fills in the payment for you. It is not a card and not a wallet: there is no POLi account to open and no balance to top up. The money moves from your bank account to the merchant’s account as an ordinary bank payment.

1. At checkout, choose POLi as the payment method.
2. Pick your bank from the list POLi shows.
3. Log in to your internet banking through the POLi screen.
4. POLi pre-fills the amount, the merchant’s account and the reference.
5. Confirm the payment with your bank’s usual security steps. The merchant receives confirmation straight away and can release your order or credit your account.

On the bank side, nothing unusual happens. You use your normal internet banking login and any extra security step your bank requires, the payment shows on your statement as an ordinary bank payment with the merchant’s reference, and your bank’s daily payment limits apply. If the payment fails, no money leaves your account; if it succeeds, POLi tells the merchant at once.

That last point is what made POLi popular with merchants. Jetstar and PB Tech, both quoted on POLi’s site, describe releasing orders as soon as POLi confirms the payment, without waiting for the money to arrive. POLi says about 1.6 million New Zealanders have used it recently, which shows how widely it is still used there.

What happened to POLi in Australia

POLi belonged to Australia Post. In 2023 Australia Post decided to close the platform in Australia, and Merco Ltd, which already distributed POLi in New Zealand, bought the New Zealand business to keep the service running there.

POLi’s announcement said the change would not affect merchants or customers in New Zealand, and that Merco would keep POLi’s development team. It also said Merco could now dedicate all of POLi’s resources to New Zealanders and planned to introduce new services there. For Australians, POLi is simply no longer an option for any purchase, and any Australian page that still offers it, for shopping or for gambling, has not been updated since 2023. Australian merchants that relied on POLi had to move to other bank payment options or cards when the service closed.

POLi’s rules on gambling

POLi publishes participation criteria that every merchant must meet. They are the key to this page. Under “Prohibited businesses”, POLi Payment Services are not available for unlicensed gaming services, “including online casinos, gaming and sports betting services”. A footnote adds that New Zealand licensed or registered businesses are not prohibited. The same list bars affiliate marketing schemes, unregistered crypto-currency exchanges and several other high-risk activities.

Put simply, POLi may be used to pay a gambling provider that holds New Zealand authority, and not one that does not. Merchants must also accept payments only for their own goods or services, not on behalf of third parties, which rules out payment agents collecting for a casino. So when an offshore casino shows a POLi logo, either the page is out of date, the logo is decoration, or the payment is being routed in a way POLi’s rules do not allow.

Whether a particular New Zealand provider offers POLi is shown in its own deposit options. TAB NZ’s account terms, for example, list cash, Eftpos, bank deposit, Visa or Mastercard cards and telegraphic transfer from overseas.

POLi fees

For you as a payer, POLi is free. Its customer terms say: “We do not charge you a fee for using the POLi Service.” A merchant may add its own fee, which it must show on its website or app at the time of purchase.

Worked example: what POLi costs a merchant

On the standard plan, POLi takes 1.00% per transaction with a cap of $3.00, excluding GST. A $50 payment costs the merchant $0.50; a $200 payment costs $2.00; and any payment of $300 or more costs the $3.00 maximum, so a $1,000 payment also costs $3.00. A merchant with very few payments still pays the $10.00 minimum monthly charge. For you as the payer, none of this is charged unless the merchant adds its own fee, which it must show at checkout.

Those merchant fees help explain why POLi stays popular with New Zealand shops, schools and clubs. They matter to you only if a merchant passes them on.

Deposits and withdrawals with POLi

If you pay a licensed New Zealand provider by POLi, plan to receive any winnings by bank transfer to the same account. Our wire transfer casinos page explains bank payout timing and fees.

Is POLi safe to use?

POLi lists several security features on its site:

• No stored credentials. POLi says it does not capture usernames or passwords.
• Bank-level protection. The payment is protected by your bank’s own security, and POLi says confidential information is not disclosed to any third party, including POLi.
• Certificate checks. POLi checks the bank website’s SSL certificate and thumbprints to make sure you are talking directly to your bank.
• Independent reviews. POLi’s software is regularly reviewed by independent security companies.

Because you log in to your bank through POLi’s screen, and POLi’s own terms say your bank may not have approved the service, read your bank’s terms on third-party payment services, and only start a POLi payment from a merchant you trust. Never use POLi on a page reached through a link in an unexpected email or message.

POLi’s customer terms in plain English

POLi’s terms are worth reading before you use it anywhere, not only at a gambling site. The service is provided by Merco Limited, New Zealand company number 2208567. These are the points that matter most:

• POLi does not move the money itself. It passes your payment instruction to your bank, and your bank makes the transfer. Funds normally go straight from your account to the merchant’s and are not held by POLi.
• Overseas merchants are different. Where the merchant is overseas, your money may first go to an intermediary settlement account controlled by POLi or its agents before it is passed on.
• Your bank may not have approved POLi. Unless POLi has an open banking agreement with your bank, it may have no licence from, or agreement with, the bank, and POLi cannot guarantee that using it is allowed under your bank’s terms.
• Payments are hard to stop. POLi says it is generally not able to cancel or stop a payment once your instruction has reached your bank.
• Data is collected for fraud checks. POLi collects transaction data, bank account details, device identifiers and behavioural data such as keystrokes, and may send it overseas for payment and fraud purposes. You can revoke consent and ask for data to be deleted or anonymised.

Who to contact when something goes wrong

Blocking POLi as a gambling control

One feature of POLi’s terms is useful for anyone trying to cut back. You can ask POLi to block your bank accounts from being used with POLi by emailing [email protected] and naming the accounts. POLi says it will use reasonable endeavours to apply the block, that blocks are not always effective for technical reasons, and that you must tell it if a blocked account still works. It will check your identity before it blocks or unblocks.

A POLi block is a payment block, not a gambling self-exclusion. Combine it with the tools that apply to gambling itself: your bank’s gambling block if it offers one, and self-exclusion with the providers you use.

Online gambling law in New Zealand

New Zealand has long had an unusual position. The Gambling Act 2003 restricted who may run gambling in New Zealand, but did not stop New Zealanders from using overseas online casinos. As a result, the Department of Internal Affairs says, New Zealanders use hundreds of overseas gambling websites every day. The Online Casino Gambling Act changes that, and it is now in force.

The licensing timeline

How the licences work

Up to 15 online casino licences will be available. Each lasts up to three years, with the possibility of renewal for a further five years, and covers a single brand and the platforms players use to reach it. No one may hold more than three licences. Licence applicants must submit a business plan and strategies for advertising and marketing, consumer protection, harm prevention and minimisation, and compliance.

What changes for players

DIA says there are no changes for online casino customers until 1 December 2026. After that, the sites still serving New Zealand will be those in the licensing process, and once licences are issued DIA will publish a public register of licensed online casinos. Licensed casinos must display a unique registration icon on their platforms and in their advertising. If a licensed casino does not meet the standards, you will be able to complain to the casino or to DIA as the regulator. If you use an unlicensed platform, DIA warns, you will not have the same protections.

Advertising rules

Online casino advertising has always been prohibited under the Gambling Act 2003, and the new Act gives DIA stronger powers to enforce that. DIA can issue takedown notices, and penalties for unlawful advertising go up to NZ$5 million. They can apply to anyone who publishes, or arranges to publish, an unlawful advertisement for an online casino, including social media influencers, content creators and platforms.

Once licensing is complete in early 2027, up to 15 licensed operators will be allowed to advertise to people in New Zealand, with restrictions. Cabinet’s initial decisions, released in late 2025, include a ban on affiliate marketing and paid endorsements. The regulations now released cover harm prevention and minimisation, consumer protection and record-keeping, advertising and marketing, and fees, levies and charges.

That matters for how you read casino content aimed at New Zealanders. A page that promotes an online casino to New Zealand readers in 2026 is in a grey or unlawful position, and from 2027 affiliate promotion of licensed casinos is set to be banned too. That is part of why this page does not list casinos.

Who may offer what in New Zealand today

The Department of Internal Affairs has also published market insight reports for potential operators, covering online casino gambling, online sports and race betting and overseas lotteries from October 2023 to September 2025. DIA notes they are based on card transactions from one bank, scaled up to estimate the market, measure deposits rather than amounts wagered, and exclude Lotto NZ and TAB NZ.

Sports and racing betting

Betting is separate. Since 28 June 2025, online racing and sports betting in New Zealand is prohibited unless it is run by TAB NZ, including TAB’s other brands such as Betcha. Overseas companies that still offer online casino games during the transition must not offer racing and sports betting in New Zealand.

What licensed New Zealand casinos will have to do

The Online Casino Gambling (Minimum Standards) 2026, made by the Secretary for Internal Affairs under section 80 of the Act and in force from 8 July 2026, set the technical and operational baseline for licensed operators. They work alongside the Online Casino Gambling Regulations 2026. Some of the rules players will notice:

None of these protections applies at an unlicensed offshore site, which is the practical meaning of DIA’s warning that players using unlicensed platforms will not have the same protections.

Suitability checks for licence applicants

At the licence application stage, successful bidders pay the licence price set by the auction and submit a full application. DIA uses that application, together with the expression of interest, to assess whether the provider is suitable to hold a licence and willing and able to comply with all requirements. The Secretary must not grant a licence unless the provider has shown that suitability. If an application is declined, the provider must stop all online casino gambling in New Zealand and leave the market.

Payment rules for licensed New Zealand casinos

Several of the minimum standards deal directly with money, which is what matters most on a payments page:

• PCI DSS. Standard 18 requires payment service providers used to process transactions to comply with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard, version 4.0.1 (2024).
• Traceable transactions. Every account transaction must be uniquely identifiable and traceable to a single customer account.
• Protected payment changes. Customers must be offered multi-factor authentication for sensitive actions, including registering a new deposit or withdrawal method.
• Limits at the point of deposit. Deposit and spend limit settings must be reachable from deposit pages or screens, or by a link on them.

The standards also cover live dealer games, which must use commercial casino-quality equipment and video surveillance of all dealer activity, and peer-to-peer games, where a player must not be able to play against themselves or take more than one seat at a table. The Secretary for Internal Affairs made the standards on 1 July 2026.

What the new regime could mean for payments

POLi’s participation criteria already allow New Zealand licensed or registered businesses. Once DIA issues online casino licences, a licensed operator could in principle apply to offer POLi like any other New Zealand merchant, subject to POLi’s own checks and pricing. Whether any licensed casino will do so is not known yet, and we will not guess. What is clear is that POLi will not be a route to the unlicensed sites that must leave the market from 1 December 2026.

New Zealand’s licensed regime also means that payment providers, banks and players will have a register to check. That makes it simpler to see whether a gambling payment goes to a provider that may lawfully serve you.

If you have money at an offshore casino

From 1 December 2026, online casinos that have not applied for a New Zealand licence must stop serving New Zealand. If you hold a balance at one of them, act before then:

• Withdraw your balance, and finish or cancel any active bonus so it does not block the payout.
• Complete identity checks now, because a casino winding down its New Zealand business may take longer to process requests.
• Keep screenshots of your balance, transaction history and any messages about closing your account.
• Be wary of emails offering to “move” your account to another site; check the new site against DIA’s register once it is published.

If a casino refuses to pay, complain to the operator and then to the dispute body named in its licence terms. DIA can act against unlawful operators and advertising, but it does not regulate offshore sites that are not part of its licensing system.

How to check a New Zealand online casino from December 2026

1. Look for the operator on DIA’s public register of licensed online casinos once it is published.
2. Check for the registration icon on the site and in its advertising, and confirm it against the register rather than trusting the image.
3. Read the terms for the legal operator’s name and its complaints process.
4. Be wary of a site that still advertises to New Zealanders without appearing in the licensing process; advertising by unlicensed providers is not allowed, and DIA asks people to report it to [email protected].

Online casinos and the law in Australia

POLi’s closure is not the main obstacle for Australians. The Interactive Gambling Act 2001 makes it an offence for an operator to provide online casino services to people in Australia, including online pokies, roulette and blackjack. The offence is the operator’s, not the player’s, but the result is the same: there is no lawful online casino for Australians to pay with any method.

What is legal online in Australia

The Interactive Gambling Act 2001 draws a line between online casino-style games and wagering. Licensed Australian providers may take online bets on sport and racing, and lotteries are sold online by licensed lottery operators. Online pokies, casino table games and in-play online betting on sport are not permitted. For casino games there is no lawful online option at all, which is why a POLi casino page for Australians has nothing honest to list.

BetStop, the national self-exclusion register

BetStop is a free Australian Government service that lets you block yourself from all licensed Australian online and phone gambling providers. Once you register, those providers may not let you bet, may not let you open new betting accounts and may not send you marketing. You can nominate someone to support you while you are excluded. Registering takes about five minutes, according to BetStop. Offshore casinos are not part of BetStop, which is another reason they are risky for anyone trying to stop.

Why offshore sites are risky for Australians

• Australian consumer protections for gambling do not apply to them.
• ACMA can have them blocked at any time, which can cut off access to your balance.
• Complaints go to a foreign regulator or a dispute service chosen by the operator, if anywhere.
• Payment routes change often, and some are designed to disguise gambling transactions.

If you are in Australia and see a page listing “POLi casinos”, treat it as a sign the page is old or aimed at people the casino may not lawfully serve. ACMA lists the illegal sites it has had blocked, and its guidance is to avoid offshore gambling sites because Australian protections do not apply to them.

Old claims about POLi that are no longer true

A lot of POLi casino content was written before 2023 and never updated. These are the claims to discount:

• “POLi works in Australia and New Zealand.” It has worked only in New Zealand since 30 September 2023.
• “POLi belongs to Australia Post.” Australia Post sold the asset in 2023; Merco Ltd runs POLi in New Zealand.
• “Hundreds of offshore casinos accept POLi.” POLi’s participation criteria exclude unlicensed online casinos.
• “Online casinos are legal for Australians if the casino is licensed overseas.” The Interactive Gambling Act 2001 bars offering online casino services to people in Australia, wherever the operator is licensed.
• “POLi withdrawals are instant.” POLi has never been a withdrawal method; payouts come back by bank transfer.

Alternatives to POLi

For a New Zealand reader paying a lawful provider, the realistic alternatives are the methods those providers list themselves:

Our casino payment methods hub compares every method we cover. For Australians, there is no lawful online casino to pay, whatever the method.

When you choose between these, think about both directions. A debit card or bank transfer usually works for deposits and payouts with the same provider, which keeps identity checks simple. A prepaid voucher caps what you can spend but forces you to set up a second method to withdraw. Whatever you pick, use an account in your own name: providers compare the payment name with your account, and a mismatch is a common reason for a payout to be held.

Tax on gambling winnings in New Zealand and Australia

In both countries, winnings from recreational gambling are generally not taxed as income. New Zealand’s Inland Revenue treats gambling winnings as non-taxable unless you are in the business of gambling. Australia’s Taxation Office takes the same approach for people who gamble as a hobby: winnings are not assessable income, and losses are not deductible. In both countries the picture changes if gambling is run as a business, and interest or other income you earn on winnings is taxable in the normal way. If you are unsure, ask a tax adviser.

Identity checks and anti-money-laundering rules

Paying from a bank account does not replace identity checks. Gambling providers in New Zealand have duties under the country’s anti-money-laundering law, and licensed online casinos will be held to DIA’s standards on consumer protection and harm minimisation. Expect to prove your age, identity and address, and to show that the bank account you pay from is in your name. Larger or unusual transactions can lead to questions about the source of your funds.

Why New Zealand businesses use POLi

POLi’s own site gives a picture of who uses it today: retailers, financial and professional services, sports clubs, charities and not-for-profits, schools, equestrian events, hospitality and travel. POLi says it is pre-integrated into popular shopping carts, that over 1,500 businesses reach customers with POLi through Shopify, and that it also works with Wix and with Pay Now buttons on Xero invoices.

To sign up, a merchant provides basic business details, a bank proof document and a logo. POLi then processes the application and checks the bank information under anti-money-laundering rules before it issues account details. POLi says a merchant can be running in as little as 24 hours. Those checks, together with the participation criteria, are what keep unlicensed gambling operators off the service.

POLi compared with other bank payment methods

For Canadian readers, our Interac casino guide covers the equivalent bank-payment network there.

Questions to ask a casino that says it takes POLi

• Which company receives the payment? Your bank shows the payee before you confirm. If it is not the casino or a payment company the casino names, stop.
• Where is the casino licensed, and may it serve New Zealand? From 1 December 2026 only operators in DIA’s licensing process may do so.
• How will winnings be paid? POLi cannot pay out, so the casino must name another method.
• Is the casino advertising to New Zealanders? Online casino advertising is prohibited under the Gambling Act 2003, and DIA can issue takedown notices and seek penalties of up to NZ$5 million.

A casino that cannot answer these clearly is not one to trust with your bank login.

Pros and cons of POLi

Before you pay any gambling site from your bank

1. Check that the provider may serve your country: in New Zealand, DIA’s register once it is published; in Australia, a licensed wagering provider, never an online casino.
2. Check who receives the money. The payee name your bank shows should match the provider or its named payment company.
3. Read the provider’s withdrawal terms, so you know how winnings will be paid back.
4. Set a deposit limit with the provider before your first payment.
5. Know your bank’s own tools: many banks let you block gambling payments, and POLi lets you block your accounts from POLi.
6. Keep records of every payment until it shows in your account balance.

Paying a licensed New Zealand provider, step by step

1. Open an account with the provider and complete its identity checks.
2. Go to its deposit page and choose a method it lists: card, bank deposit or, where offered, POLi.
3. For a bank payment, check the payee name your bank shows before you confirm.
4. Wait for the deposit to show in your balance before you play.
5. To withdraw, request a payout to a bank account in your name and allow for the provider’s processing time.

POLi terms explained

• Online debit payment: a payment taken straight from your bank account through internet banking, rather than by card.
• Master distributor: the company that sold and supported POLi in New Zealand; Merco Ltd held that role before it bought the business.
• Participation criteria: POLi’s rules on which businesses may use it and for what.
• Registration icon: the mark New Zealand’s licensed online casinos must show, linked to DIA’s public register.
• Remote interactive gambling: the Gambling Act 2003 term for gambling by internet, phone or similar means.

A note on the previous version of this page

An earlier version of this page was titled “POLi Casinos Netherlands” and listed casinos as if POLi were a Dutch payment method. It never was: POLi served Australia and New Zealand, and since 30 September 2023 only New Zealand. Dutch players use iDEAL, and the Netherlands only allows casinos licensed by the Kansspelautoriteit. We have rewritten the page from primary sources and removed the list, because no casino we could find may honestly offer POLi to the readers who search for it.

How we researched this page

This is desk research. On 8 October 2026 we read POLi’s New Zealand site, its pricing page, customer terms and participation criteria, the Department of Internal Affairs’ pages for online casino players and providers, TAB NZ’s account terms and ACMA’s guidance on illegal gambling and the credit card ban. We did not make test payments. If you find an error, our editorial policy explains how we correct pages.

Help and self-exclusion in New Zealand

The Gambling Helpline is free and confidential: call 0800 654 655 or text 8006. DIA also points players to the Safer Gambling Aotearoa website. Once licensing is in place, every licensed online casino must keep a register of self-excluded customers and check it before activating an account and at each login, and must offer limits, time-outs and breaks that cannot be loosened for at least 24 hours. Until then, use the tools on each site you play at, ask your bank whether it can block gambling payments, and consider asking POLi to block your accounts from POLi payments.

Reporting unlawful gambling advertising

In New Zealand, DIA asks people to report unlawful online casino advertising by email to [email protected]. In Australia, ACMA investigates illegal online gambling services and publishes the sites it has had blocked.

UK players

POLi is a New Zealand service and does not work with UK bank accounts. In Great Britain only operators licensed by the UK Gambling Commission may offer gambling (Gambling Act 2005), and GAMSTOP self-exclusion only covers those sites.

US players

POLi does not serve US bank accounts, and this page is not aimed at US residents.

Play safely

Online gambling is for adults only: 18 or older, and 20 to enter a land-based casino in New Zealand. In New Zealand, the Gambling Helpline is free and confidential on 0800 654 655, or text 8006. In Australia, Gambling Help Online answers on 1800 858 858, and BetStop lets you exclude yourself from all licensed online and phone wagering providers. Our responsible gambling page lists more support.

Frequently asked questions

Does POLi still exist in 2026?

Yes, but only in New Zealand. Australia Post shut POLi down in Australia on 30 September 2023. Merco Ltd, POLi’s master distributor in New Zealand, now runs the system there, with support for ANZ, BNZ, ASB, Kiwibank, TSB, The Co-operative Bank and Westpac.

Can I use POLi at online casinos?

Not at unlicensed ones. POLi’s participation criteria say its services are not available to unlicensed gaming services, including online casinos, gaming and sports betting services. New Zealand licensed or registered businesses are not prohibited, so POLi can only be used for gambling with a provider licensed in New Zealand.

Are there online casinos that accept POLi in Australia?

No. POLi closed in Australia in 2023, and offering online casino games to people in Australia is an offence for the operator under the Interactive Gambling Act 2001. Any site advertising POLi casinos to Australians is out of date or unlawful.

Is online casino gambling legal in New Zealand?

New Zealanders could legally use overseas online casinos under the Gambling Act 2003. The Online Casino Gambling Act is now in force: from 1 December 2026, only operators that won the right to apply for a licence at the September 2026 auction may serve New Zealand while their applications are assessed, and the Department of Internal Affairs expects to issue licences from early 2027.

Does POLi charge fees?

POLi’s customer terms say it does not charge you for using the service, though a merchant may charge a fee. Merchants pay POLi 1.00% per transaction on the standard plan, capped at $3.00, with a $10.00 minimum monthly charge, excluding GST.

Can I withdraw winnings with POLi?

No. POLi is a pay-from-your-bank deposit service. Refunds of a POLi payment go back to the bank account the payment came from, but winnings are paid by the gambling provider through its own withdrawal methods, usually a bank transfer.

Is POLi safe?

POLi says it does not capture usernames or passwords, checks the bank website’s security certificate, and has its software reviewed by independent security firms. You still log in to your bank through POLi’s screen, so check your own bank’s terms on third-party payment services.

What can I use instead of POLi?

In New Zealand, debit cards and bank transfers are the usual alternatives for licensed providers. Prepaid vouchers and e-wallets are offered by some sites. In Australia there is no lawful online casino to pay, and licensed wagering providers may not accept credit cards since 11 June 2024.