Quick answer
Sports and racing betting for New Zealand customers is restricted to TAB NZ and its Entain-operated online brand Betcha. Offshore casinos may run international sportsbooks, but that product is not something a New Zealand resident can lawfully use for NZ sport. Our guides explain the markets and the odds rather than pointing you offshore.
Rugby union is the sport New Zealanders follow most closely and the market with the deepest coverage at TAB. Handicap and totals markets are where the value usually sits, because head-to-head prices on the All Blacks are often very short.
The NRL is the most heavily traded rugby league competition in the world and the one New Zealanders engage with most, alongside Kiwis internationals and State of Origin, which is a genuine ratings event in this market.
Cricket betting rewards format knowledge more than most sports. A price on the same two teams differs substantially between T20, ODI and Test cricket, and conditions often matter more than the teams.
Netball has a smaller betting market than rugby or cricket but a very informed following in New Zealand, and the Constellation Cup and World Cup cycles generate the most interest.
Racing remains a core part of the TAB product and New Zealand's racing industry, with a funding relationship through the TAB that returns money to the code.
The Racing Industry Act 2020 was amended so that, from 28 June 2025, only TAB NZ may promote or take racing and sports bets from people in New Zealand. Entain operates the platform under a 25-year partnership that began on 1 June 2023, and Betcha is its online brand.
| Operator | Status for New Zealand customers |
|---|---|
| TAB NZ | Licensed and lawful for sports and racing betting |
| Betcha | Operated under the Entain partnership with TAB NZ, also lawful |
| Offshore sportsbooks | Not permitted to take or promote NZ sports and racing bets. Using them for NZ sport sits outside the licensed route |
| Market | What it means |
|---|---|
| Head to head | Who wins. Short prices on heavy favourites. |
| Handicap or line | Points start, used to get near-even prices on one-sided matches. |
| Totals | Over or under a combined points line. |
| Winning margin | The exact margin band. Higher odds, lower strike rate. |
| Scorer markets | First or anytime try scorer in rugby, top batter in cricket. |
| Futures | Competition outrights, priced well ahead of the event. |
| Multi | Combined legs. Odds multiply, probability divides. |
| In-play | Markets that move during the match and settle on live events. |
Gambling should be entertainment, not a way to make money. Before you deposit anywhere:
Free, confidential support is available 24/7 from the Gambling Helpline on 0800 654 655 (text 8006), or through Safer Gambling Aotearoa. You can also self-exclude from New Zealand pokies venues through the Multi-Venue Exclusion scheme.
No. Since 28 June 2025 only TAB NZ may promote or take racing and sports bets from people located in New Zealand. DIA states that overseas sites offering these bets to New Zealand customers are breaking New Zealand law.
Betcha is an online betting brand operated under the Entain partnership with TAB NZ. It is one of the lawful online routes for New Zealand customers.
Anything TAB offers: rugby union and league, cricket, netball, horse racing, football, basketball, motorsport and international events, including in-play and futures markets.
Multiply your stake by the decimal price to get your total return. Odds of 2.50 on a NZ$10 bet returns NZ$25, of which NZ$15 is profit. Implied probability is one divided by the decimal odds.
TAB NZ returns a share of its profit to New Zealand sport and racing. It distributed NZ$28.5 million to sports organisations and Sport NZ in the year to July 2025, and the 2025 rule change exists to keep that funding model intact.