New Zealand’s Department of Internal Affairs has closed submissions on a proposed technical interface that could give authorised third-party systems near-real-time access to data from non-casino pokie machines. Feedback on the draft standards closed at 5pm on Friday the 24th of July 2026.
The initial proposal concerned the Electronic Monitoring System used for Class 4 gambling in pubs and clubs. Intralot NZ is updating venue site controllers as part of an EMS contract that has already been extended to early 2032, and the Department expects the controller rollout to be completed during 2027.
If the plan proceeds as planned, use of the new interface is to begin on the 1st of January 2028. Under the draft, an authorised third-party system could request meter, event, configuration, and operating-state data for active gaming machines connected to a venue’s site controller. The interface would use Ethernet and REST-based systems, and it’s expected that the venue’s dataset would update at least once every 5 seconds.
Now, most importantly, access would be read-only, and third parties wouldn’t be allowed to add, change, or delete any machine data; faults in an external system also wouldn’t be able to disrupt the site controller.
Switching Would Remain Optional
The proposal would not force venues or equipment providers to adopt the new connection, and it would be entirely up to licensed operators whether they wanted to use it. Regardless of their decision, existing sniffer access would remain available, and the Department says sniffers are expected to continue to remain in service until a replacement EMS is introduced after 2030.
This matters quite a lot, actually, because the consultation is all about technical standards in the future – and not a quick change to the way New Zealanders actually play pokies. It’s almost certain that players themselves would notice no differences, with all of the effects taking place behind the scenes.
The Department has also made it clear that Intralot’s proposed protocol applies to the current generation of site controllers, too, and is not a guaranteed specification for whatever system eventually replaces the EMS.
Alex Smith is the lead editor and writer at DashTickets, specializing in online casino and sports betting content for New Zealand players. With over 12 years of iGaming experience, including a tenure as Head of Editorial at Casinomeister, Alex is renowned for his accurate, fair, and player-first writing style. His in-depth reviews and guides provide clear, trustworthy information to help readers make confident decisions.
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