Online Betting in New Zealand After the Monopoly Took Hold
Available in USThe betting scene in New Zealand is no longer a question of choosing between sites. Since an amendment to the Racing Industry Act 2020 took effect on 28 June 2025, the country’s racing and sports betting funnel narrows to two online brands, both run by the same organisation, with every offshore bookmaker on the other side of a legal fence that does not name the player. That is the starting fact, and most of what follows is consequence: what a punter can actually place, who oversees the account, what the odds carry inside them, and what an offshore site gives up when it accepts a New Zealand customer.
Current as of 30 October 2026 against the Department of Internal Affairs register and TAB NZ’s published terms.
Table of Contents
- The Shape of the New Zealand Market
- The Legal Frame: What the Law Actually Says
- Safer Gambling Tools and Where to Get Help
- Crypto, Anonymity and the Offshore Bookmaker
- Bonuses, Free Bets and What They Cost
- Mobile Apps: What the Law Permits and What the Market Offers
- Live Betting and Cash Out
- Bet Types and the Odds That Carry Them
- Sports and Tournaments
- New Bookmakers and the Offshore Pipeline
- How Betting Actually Works in Practice
- The Bookmakers in Practice
- How the Ten Brands Stack Up
- Frequently Asked Questions
The Shape of the New Zealand Market
A market that looked open until mid-2025 is now a closed list. The Racing Industry Amendment Act 2025 inserted section 74AAA: no person other than TAB NZ may offer racing betting, sports betting or other racing or sports betting to a person in New Zealand. TAB NZ operates through two online brands, TAB and Betcha, both governed by the same house rules and overseen by the same regulator.
The change did not arrive quietly. The Department of Internal Affairs told unlicensed providers to withdraw with immediate effect. The market lost a layer of competition overnight, and the effect shows up in the odds a punter sees, in the bonus bets the apps run, and in the absence of the live-betting depth that offshore sites once provided.
Outside the fence, the offshore world keeps turning. Sites that accept bets on football, basketball and cricket still let New Zealand customers register in many cases. They do so without a New Zealand licence and without a New Zealand complaints route, which means the regulator’s consumer safeguards do not reach the account when something goes wrong.
What follows walks through what that split actually costs a punter: the law, the safer-gambling tools, the bonuses the monopoly does and does not run, the mobile apps the law permits, the in-play offering, the bet types and odds, and the practical mechanics of placing a bet from New Zealand.
The Legal Frame: What the Law Actually Says
The Department of Internal Affairs is the gambling regulator under the Gambling Act 2003. It monitors compliance with section 74AAA. The Racing Industry Act 2020 establishes TAB NZ as the sole betting provider for racing and sports. No other operator can apply for a betting licence in New Zealand, because none exists.
The criminal weight falls on the operator, not on the customer. Section 19(4) of the Gambling Act 2003, inserted in 2025, makes clear that an individual cannot be convicted for placing a bet with an offshore operator that is itself in breach of section 74AAA. The framing matters: New Zealand law targets the operator. The Department of Internal Affairs warns players of the risks, but no published penalty for a player has been found.
What an offshore operator gives up is direct. No New Zealand complaints route reaches the account, no harm-minimisation framework applies, and the operator’s own terms govern everything from payout speed to dispute resolution. Inland Revenue treats recreational gambling winnings as not taxable for the player, though anyone betting as a business sits in a different frame entirely. None of this makes offshore betting illegal for the punter. It does mean the punter is the one carrying the consumer-protection gap.
The advertising frame is narrower still. The Advertising Standards Authority’s Gambling Advertising Code applies to betting advertisements in New Zealand: ads must not target children or young people, must not encourage harm, and must be truthful with terms available. Promoting offshore betting to New Zealand audiences sits inside the section 74AAA prohibition the Department of Internal Affairs enforces.
The tax frame splits by side. TAB NZ pays a Problem Gambling Levy of 0.74%, in force from 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2028. Offshore operators supplying New Zealand residents pay an online gambling duty: 12% of profits since 1 July 2024, rising to 16% from 1 January 2027. The point-of-consumption charge on offshore racing and sports bets ceased on 30 June 2026. None of this makes an offshore offer lawful; duty payment and legal status are separate questions.
Greyhound racing is closing in stages from 1 August 2026, and from that date offshore operators may not take bets on greyhound races either.
Safer Gambling Tools and Where to Get Help
TAB NZ provides deposit limits, time-outs and self-exclusion inside its apps, and an exclusion applies across both brands. The age for betting is 18; land-based casinos require 20, and the two thresholds are distinct. TAB NZ accounts require a verified New Zealand address and identity.
The free Gambling Helpline (0800 654 655, text 8006) and Safer Gambling Aotearoa are the harm-minimisation contacts. There is no single national online-betting exclusion register: the register the 2026 online casino law will require is for online casinos only. For betting, self-exclusion is operator-level, and TAB NZ’s exclusion covers its two brands but does not reach offshore sites.
A punter who excludes themselves from TAB and Betcha has done what is possible inside the law. The offshore accounts remain open unless the punter closes them individually. The incentive to do so is real: offshore sites do not carry the New Zealand safer-gambling tools, the helpline listings do not appear in their cashier pages, and a problem that escalates has no local backstop.
Crypto, Anonymity and the Offshore Bookmaker
Crypto-native sportsbooks are a visible slice of the offshore market. They accept Bitcoin and other coins, run on blockchain deposits and withdrawals, and position anonymity as a feature. From New Zealand, the picture is more complicated than the marketing suggests.
TAB NZ’s account opening requires a verified New Zealand address and identity. Offshore crypto sites typically do not. The trade is consumer protection for convenience: no address check means no local complaint route, no local exclusion framework, and no recourse through any New Zealand body if a payout stalls or a bonus term is read in a way the punter did not expect.
The crypto-specific operators in the offshore set, including brands like Thunderpick and Roobet, hold Curaçao licences. Curaçao authorisation does not apply to New Zealand customers. Section 74AAA does not care where the operator is incorporated; it cares who the customer is. A Curaçao licence is a license to operate from Curaçao, not a license to serve New Zealand.
The Department of Internal Affairs warns that overseas operators may sit in jurisdictions with minimal consumer safeguards, may not return unspent credits, and may not pay out large wins. Nothing in New Zealand law requires a bank to block payments to offshore sites, and nothing prevents a punter from using a VPN, but using one does not change the legal status of the bet. The operator remains in breach. The punter is not the target.
For a punter who values the audit trail and the regulator backstop, the choice is the same as it was before crypto sportsbooks appeared: TAB NZ and Betcha, or accept the consumer gap.
Bonuses, Free Bets and What They Cost
The bonus vocabulary of online betting, from “free bet” to “deposit match” to “boosted odds”, comes with a price tag that rarely shows on the marketing line. The price is the wagering requirement, the minimum odds, the deadline, and the cap on free-bet winnings. A “free” bet whose stake is not returned on a win is worth less than a winning cash bet by the stake amount. A deposit match with a 5x wagering requirement means the bonus must be turned over five times before any of it becomes withdrawable cash.
TAB NZ runs Bonus Cash promotions that can be split across multiple bets, plus a Mega Multi bonus of up to $50 in Bonus Cash when a multi of four or more legs falls short by a set number of legs. Same Race Multis, Same Game Multis, one-tap Popular Multis and a Place Extra option that lets punters back runners to finish up to 10th in selected races round out the in-app promotional line.
Offshore bonuses tend to be larger on paper. A 200% welcome bonus sounds generous until the wagering factor, minimum odds and game-weighting rules are read. A “free bet” with a 10x rollover on the bonus amount, at minimum odds of 1.50, and a 30-day deadline is a specific financial commitment, not a gift. The honest read: bonuses are operator marketing, and the marketing always prices in the conditions.
TAB NZ’s terms govern the New Zealand-side bonuses. Offshore sites’ terms govern theirs. Reading the terms is the difference between treating a bonus as a small edge and treating it as a hidden cost.
Mobile Apps: What the Law Permits and What the Market Offers
The TAB NZ app, “TAB – Racing & Sports Betting”, sits on the New Zealand App Store under the seller name New Zealand Racing Board. First released on 8 September 2014, it covers horse and harness racing, rugby union and rugby league, and other sports, pre-match and live. The app carries a 17+ App Store age rating while stating customers must be 18 or over to bet.
Betcha, the sister app from Entain New Zealand Limited, first released on 6 August 2024, targets the same New Zealand audience under the same TAB NZ umbrella. The two apps are not rivals; they share the same wallet, the same terms, and the same self-exclusion scope.
Trackside live race streaming with in-app betting, racing form, Blackbook and Jockey Challenge tools, and a simplified wallet for deposits and withdrawals are TAB NZ’s mobile-side features. Place Extra, Same Game Multis and one-tap Popular Multis are the bet-type suite.
Offshore apps are a different question. New Zealand does not block bookmaker sites or apps, so an offshore sportsbook’s iOS or Android app downloads and runs. The app is still an offshore account, with no New Zealand oversight, no local harm-minimisation tools, and no local complaints route. The convenience of a mobile app does not change the legal frame of the bet.
Live Betting and Cash Out
TAB NZ lists live betting in its apps, with markets on rugby, football and racing unfolding in real time. Live betting is a part of what TAB NZ offers, not a separate product, and the same wagering rules apply.
Cash out, where the bookmaker offers to settle a bet early at a price that reflects the current state of play, is a feature TAB NZ lists. The cash-out price is a margin-bearing price, and the bookmaker’s edge sits inside it the same way it sits inside the pre-match odds.
Offshore books typically run deeper in-play markets and more frequent cash-out opportunities. They can afford the trading desk; TAB NZ, as the monopoly operator, sets the depth of its own in-play offering. A punter who values live-betting depth over the regulatory backstop will look offshore; a punter who values the backstop over depth will stay inside TAB NZ.
The choice is not between “good live betting” and “bad live betting”. It is between depth and oversight.
Bet Types and the Odds That Carry Them
TAB NZ takes fixed-odds and tote (pool) bets. Its published betting rules define Win, Place, Each Way, Quinella, Exacta, Trifecta, First Four, Double, Treble, Daily Double, Running Double, Quaddie, Big6, and Multis including Same Game Multis. The place terms vary by race type and field size.
Decimal odds are the format: a $10 stake at odds of $2.10 returns $21.00 if the bet wins, a net profit of $11.00. The formula is the same whether the bet is a single, a multi or a Same Game Multi; the odds multiply when legs combine, and the payout scales with the multiplied price.
The bookmaker’s margin sits inside every price. A market with three outcomes priced at $2.10, $3.40 and $3.60 carries a payout share of 1 ÷ (1/2.10 + 1/3.40 + 1/3.60) = 1 ÷ (0.476 + 0.294 + 0.278) = 1 ÷ 1.048 = 0.954, which is a margin of 4.6%. The bookmaker keeps 4.6 cents of every dollar wagered on that market across all three outcomes. A margin of 5% on a $100 total stake means the expected cost to the punter is $5. The expected cost is an average across many bets, not a guaranteed loss on any single bet.
Lower margins favour the punter. A 3% margin on the same three-outcome market prices the outcomes at roughly $2.04, $3.30 and $3.50, and the punter’s expected cost drops to $3 per $100 wagered. Margins on racing tend to be higher than margins on major-team sports; margins on novelty markets tend to be higher still. Reading the margin of the market a bettor actually wagers on is the sharpest read of value available.
TAB NZ publishes odds but does not publish margins as such. Offshore sites vary. The punt is the same in either case: the lower the margin, the less the bookmaker keeps, and the more of every dollar wagered returns to bettors in aggregate.
Sports and Tournaments
TAB NZ covers thoroughbred, harness and greyhound racing; rugby union and rugby league, including Super Rugby Pacific and NRL; cricket, including the Black Caps’ international schedule; football, including the A-League and major European leagues; basketball; American football; tennis; and other sports. Greyhound racing closes in stages from 1 August 2026, after which TAB NZ will not take bets on greyhound races.
The Melbourne Cup sits inside TAB NZ’s racing schedule, and Same Race Multis and Place Extra extend the betting types on Cup Day. All Blacks test matches, Warriors NRL fixtures, and Black Caps internationals are the headline events on the sporting side.
Offshore books cover the same sports and many more, with the same international depth on football, basketball and tennis. The trade remains: more market depth offshore, more regulatory backstop at home.
The Online Casino Gambling Act 2026 licenses online casino gambling only. It does not license sports betting, and TAB New Zealand’s right to apply for a casino licence does not extend the betting monopoly. Esports sits in an unresolved frame: whether esports betting is “sports betting” under the Racing Industry Act is not established, and TAB NZ’s own terms govern what it accepts.
New Bookmakers and the Offshore Pipeline
The offshore market keeps launching. New brands appear, run on Curaçao or Anjouan licences, and accept New Zealand customers where their terms allow. None of them are licensed in New Zealand, because none can be; the law does not provide a route.
The newcomer pipeline is a marketing reality, not a legal one. A 2024 launch means the site has had two years to build a customer base. The licence held, whether Curaçao, Anjouan or Tobique, provides no authorization for the New Zealand market. The site works because New Zealand does not block it, and because the operator’s terms let it.
For a punter who has decided to use an offshore bookmaker, the practical question is which one holds up: payout speed, market depth, bonus terms, and the quality of the customer support when something goes wrong. The legal question was settled on 28 June 2025.
How Betting Actually Works in Practice
Opening a TAB NZ account requires a verified New Zealand address and identity. Deposits go through the cashier, with TAB NZ’s terms setting the minimum and maximum per transaction. A bet is placed by selecting a market, choosing a stake, and confirming the bet slip. Same Game Multis let a punter combine legs from one event; multis across events work the same way but combine legs from more than one fixture.
A winning bet pays out at the odds shown at the time the bet was placed. TAB NZ settles bets according to its published rules; disputes go through TAB NZ’s own process. Self-exclusion, deposit limits and time-outs are set inside the account, and they apply across TAB and Betcha.
An offshore account opens more quickly, asks less in verification, and pays out through the operator’s own methods. The dispute path is the operator’s own. A payout that stalls has no regulator to escalate to. The convenience is real; the backstop is not.
The Bookmakers in Practice
The ten operators below are split into two groups that are distinct. TAB and Betcha are the two online brands of TAB NZ, the sole lawful provider of online racing and sports wagers in New Zealand since 28 June 2025. Every other brand in the list is not licensed in New Zealand, holds no licence that applies in New Zealand, and offers no New Zealand complaints route. The criteria below are the same for both groups, but the legal status is not.
TAB
TAB is the retail and online brand of TAB NZ, the monopoly operator under section 74AAA of the Racing Industry Act 2020. The TAB NZ app covers horse and harness racing, rugby union and rugby league, and other sports, pre-match and live, with Trackside live race streaming, racing form, Blackbook and Jockey Challenge tools, and a simplified wallet for deposits and withdrawals.
Bet types include Win, Place, Each Way, Quinella, Exacta, Trifecta, First Four, Double, Treble, Daily Double, Running Double, Quaddie, Big6, Multis, Same Race Multis, Same Game Multis, one-tap Popular Multis and Place Extra (backing runners to finish up to 10th in selected races). Bonus Cash can be split across multiple bets, and a Mega Multi bonus of up to $50 in Bonus Cash applies when a multi of four or more legs falls short by a set number of legs, terms and conditions applying.
Safer-gambling tools inside the app cover deposit limits, time-outs and self-exclusion, with the free Gambling Helpline (0800 654 655) and text line (8006) listed. The age threshold is 18. Account opening requires a verified New Zealand address and identity.
TAB is the only lawful bookmaker for a New Zealand punter who wants the regulator’s oversight and the harm-minimisation framework. The trade-off is depth: TAB NZ sets the breadth of its own markets, and in-play depth on football or basketball is thinner than the offshore average.
Betcha
Betcha is the second online brand of TAB NZ, run by Entain New Zealand Limited under the 25-year partnership signed in 2023 that gives Entain a 50/50 share of gross profits, with at least $150m a year going to TAB NZ for the first five years and Entain pledging a one-off $100m payment to the racing sector. The app was first released on 6 August 2024.
The two brands share a wallet, the same TAB NZ terms, and the same self-exclusion scope. Betcha is not a rival to TAB; it is a different front door to the same house. The bet types and safer-gambling tools are the same. The legal status is the same.
For a punter who prefers the newer app’s interface or the Entain-built product layer, Betcha offers the same regulatory protection as TAB. The choice between them is product preference, not legal posture.
Glorion
Glorion support is available by Live Chat or by email, and the site accepts customers aged 18 and over only. It is not licensed in New Zealand; only TAB NZ may offer racing and sports betting to people in New Zealand under section 74AAA. No New Zealand complaints route or harm-minimisation framework reaches it.
Glorion’s offshore status means a New Zealand punter using it has no regulator to escalate a dispute to and no local exclusion framework. The convenience of Live Chat support does not change the consumer gap.
RoyalistPlay
RoyalistPlay is owned and operated by Novatrix SRL, a Costa Rica company with registration number 3-102-893958, and holds an e-gaming licence (No. 0000002) from the Tobique Gaming Commission. The Tobique licence gives no right to take bets from people in New Zealand.
The operating company is Costa Rica, the licence is Tobique, and the customer base, if it includes New Zealand residents, sits on the wrong side of section 74AAA. Harm-minimisation frameworks are unavailable.
Sportaza
Sportaza’s footer states it is licensed and regulated by the Government of the Autonomous Island of Anjouan, Union of Comoros, under licence No. ALSI-202606064-FI2, while its terms (section 1.4) cite licence No. 0000067 issued by Tobique. Neither licence applies in New Zealand.
The Anjouan and Tobique licences are jurisdiction-specific. They authorise the operator to run from those jurisdictions; they do not authorise the operator to serve New Zealand residents. The discrepancy between the footer and the terms is a reading-aloud signal that the licensing picture is not unified.
Telbet
Telbet describes itself as a crypto casino and sportsbook, with a welcome offer of 200% up to 1 BTC plus 50 free spins and a 5 USDT free bet on its Russian-language site. The site is not licensed in New Zealand; only TAB NZ may offer racing and sports betting to people in New Zealand under section 74AAA. The brand names no licence that applies in New Zealand. This operator is unavailable to New Zealand residents.
The crypto angle is real: Bitcoin deposits and withdrawals, blockchain ledger, and a different onboarding path from a fiat bookmaker. The legal status is the same as every other offshore site in this list. No New Zealand complaints route or harm-minimisation framework reaches the account.
Alawin
Alawin accepts customers aged 18 or over only. The brand names no licence that applies in New Zealand.
The 18+ age gate is the operator’s own term. It is not a New Zealand licence condition, and it does not carry the New Zealand harm-minimisation requirements or the regulator’s oversight.
FunBet
FunBet’s sportsbook offers odds on football, ice hockey, American football, basketball, volleyball, tennis, rugby and baseball, with live betting and a bookmaker described as open 24/7. Complaints routes are absent.
The sports coverage is broad, and the live-betting claim is the kind of language offshore sites use. None of it changes the section 74AAA position: an offshore operator taking a bet from a New Zealand resident is in breach.
BetNinja
BetNinja states that it is licensed to conduct online gaming operations by the Union of the Comoros. The Comoros licence gives no right to take bets from people in New Zealand.
The licence is jurisdiction-specific. The Comoros authorisation does not extend to New Zealand customers, and the account lacks any New Zealand complaints route.
22Bet
22Bet’s site shows copyright for 2017-2026 and a 21+ age notice. The brand is not licensed in New Zealand; only TAB NZ may offer racing and sports betting to people in New Zealand under section 74AAA. The Curaçao licence (8048/JAZ), held by TechSolutions Group N.V., gives no right to take bets from people in New Zealand.
The 21+ age notice sits above the New Zealand betting age of 18 and the land-based casino age of 20. None of those thresholds are interchangeable.
How the Ten Brands Stack Up
The table below compares the ten operators across three matters: the New Zealand status, the operator’s own licensing claim, and what the operator’s own terms state on player protection and age. The first column is the law as it applies to a New Zealand customer; the second is what the operator says about its own licence; the third is the operator’s own age and safer-gambling position.
| Brand | New Zealand status | Operator licence claim | Operator’s own player-protection terms |
|---|---|---|---|
| TAB | TAB NZ brand, lawful under section 74AAA | Racing Industry Act 2020 | Deposit limits, time-outs, self-exclusion; 18+; Gambling Helpline 0800 654 655 |
| Betcha | TAB NZ brand, lawful under section 74AAA | Racing Industry Act 2020 (via TAB NZ) | Same TAB NZ safer-gambling tools; 18+ |
| Glorion | Not licensed in New Zealand | None applying in New Zealand | 18+; Live Chat and email support |
| RoyalistPlay | Not licensed in New Zealand | Tobique e-gaming licence No. 0000002 | Novatrix SRL ownership disclosed |
| Sportaza | Not licensed in New Zealand | Anjouan ALSI-202606064-FI2; Tobique No. 0000067 cited in terms | Terms cite two licences |
| Telbet | Not licensed in New Zealand | None applying in New Zealand | Crypto sportsbook; 18+ implied by Russian-language welcome offer |
| Alawin | Not licensed in New Zealand | None applying in New Zealand | 18+ |
| FunBet | Not licensed in New Zealand | None applying in New Zealand | Live betting 24/7; broad sport coverage |
| BetNinja | Not licensed in New Zealand | Comoros licence | Comoros licence applies to jurisdiction of comoros |
| 22Bet | Not licensed in New Zealand | Curaçao 8048/JAZ (TechSolutions Group N.V.) | 21+ age notice on site |
The two New Zealand-lawful brands are governed by the same framework; the offshore eight are governed by none of it. That is the column the table shows, not a ranking of who is “best”. A punter choosing an offshore brand is choosing depth of market over regulatory backstop. A punter choosing TAB or Betcha is choosing the backstop over depth. The columns do not say which trade is right.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I bet on the Melbourne Cup online?
Melbourne Cup betting is available through TAB NZ’s online platforms, which offer fixed-odds and tote (pool) bets on the race, including Win, Place, Each Way, Quinella, Exacta, Trifecta and First Four, plus Same Race Multis and Place Extra. Account opening requires a verified New Zealand address and identity. Offshore bookmakers may also offer Melbourne Cup markets, but they are not licensed in New Zealand under section 74AAA.
How do I bet on horses online?
TAB NZ’s app and website cover horse and harness racing with fixed-odds and tote bets. Select a race, choose a bet type (Win, Place, Each Way, Quinella, Exacta, Trifecta, First Four, Double, Treble), enter a stake, and confirm the bet slip. Winnings pay out at the odds shown when the bet was placed. Greyhound racing closes in stages from 1 August 2026.
How do I bet on Lotto online?
Lotto is run by Lotto NZ, not by TAB NZ, and uses a separate account and verification process. TAB NZ covers racing and sports betting; Lotto NZ covers draw-based games. The two are separate products with separate regulators and separate accounts.
Which bookmaker may lawfully take sports and racing bets in New Zealand?
TAB NZ, through its two online brands TAB and Betcha, is the sole lawful provider of online racing and sports wagers in New Zealand under section 74AAA of the Racing Industry Act 2020. No other bookmaker can apply for a New Zealand betting licence because none exists. The Department of Internal Affairs told unlicensed providers to withdraw with immediate effect.
How is the return on a bet worked out from the stake and the odds?
The return equals the stake multiplied by the odds: a $10 stake at odds of $2.10 returns $21.00, a net profit of $11.00. For a combination bet, the odds of the legs multiply into one price, and the same formula applies. The bookmaker’s margin sits inside every price and is the share of every dollar wagered that the bookmaker keeps across all outcomes of that market.
What is the bookmaker’s margin and how can it be seen in the odds?
The margin is the share of every dollar wagered that the bookmaker keeps. It is calculated from the odds across all outcomes of a market: payout share = 1 ÷ (1/odds₁ + … + 1/oddsₙ); margin = 1 − payout share. A market priced at $2.10, $3.40 and $3.60 has a payout share of about 0.954 and a margin of 4.6%. Lower margins favour the punter; higher margins cost more per dollar wagered on average.
Published by the Kiwimobilebetting team.
