Online Betting in New Zealand: The Legal Landscape and What Punters Face

Updated October 2026

Licensed

Available in US

Fast payouts

18+ Only

Data current as of 31 October 2026 and verified against the Department of Internal Affairs’ stated position on the Racing Industry Amendment Act 2025.

The short version: New Zealand has chosen a path almost no other country has. Since 28 June 2025, only TAB NZ — and its online sister brand Betcha — may lawfully take online sports and racing bets from people in New Zealand. There is no licence application process for anyone else, because the law does not contemplate a second operator. Everything else a New Zealand punter sees advertised is, strictly speaking, operating outside that framework. That single fact reshapes the whole market: what an app can offer, who is entitled to a deposit bonus, which harm-minimisation tools apply, and what recourse exists if a withdrawal stalls.

This guide walks through how that landscape works in practice. It covers the apps, the live betting experience, the bet types and odds on offer, the sports and tournaments TAB NZ covers, the operators New Zealanders actually encounter, and the mechanics of placing a bet from stake to payout. It then sets out which bookmakers are lawful in New Zealand and which are not, what the responsible gambling framework looks like, where crypto and offshore brands fit, and how TAB NZ’s bonus bets actually work once the marketing language is stripped away.

Betting apps and the mobile experience

New Zealand’s betting market runs on phones. TAB NZ’s app — listed as “TAB – Racing & Sports Betting” on the NZ App Store under the seller name New Zealand Racing Board — has been available since 8 September 2014 and carries a 17+ age rating while requiring customers to be 18 or over to bet. The app covers horse and harness racing, rugby union, rugby league, and other sports, both pre-match and live.

Betcha is the second TAB NZ app, published by Entain New Zealand Limited and first released on 6 August 2024. It is not a rival bookmaker; it is the same operator group, aimed at a younger, mobile-first audience with a streamlined wallet for deposits and withdrawals.

The TAB NZ app carries Trackside live race streaming with in-app betting, racing form analysis, Blackbook (a personal horse tracker) and Jockey Challenge tools. Safer gambling tools are built into the app itself: deposit limits, time-outs, and self-exclusion, with an exclusion that applies across both TAB NZ brands. The free New Zealand Gambling Helpline (0800 654 655) and the text line (8006) are listed within the app for users who need them.

For someone used to overseas bookmakers, the app experience feels different in two ways. First, the product mix is racing-heavy, as TAB NZ’s history as the national tote operator shows. Second, the in-app tools assume a single-wallet, single-account relationship with one operator. There is no need to compare welcome bonuses across brands, because there is only one lawful brand.

Live betting and cash out

Live betting is listed within the TAB NZ apps, covering the same racing and sports catalogue as pre-match markets. Whether there is any statutory restriction on in-play markets — distinct from TAB NZ’s own commercial choices — is not established. What is established is that TAB NZ’s terms define what counts as a live bet and when it settles; those terms are the operating rules, not the law.

Cash out is a feature many overseas bookmakers offer, allowing a punter to lock in a return before the final result is known. TAB NZ’s own product set centres on fixed-odds bets and Same Game Multis, and on racing products such as Same Race Multis, one-tap Popular Multis, and the Place Extra option (which lets punters back runners to finish up to 10th in selected races). The presence or absence of a traditional cash-out button on TAB NZ markets is not separately stated in the available product material; Punters who want certainty before the result can check the betting slip options inside the app before placing the bet.

What this means in practice: live betting exists, but it exists inside a single-operator framework. There is no second app to switch to for better in-play prices, and no comparison site that surfaces live odds across brands because there are no other brands. Punters who care about in-play depth — a feature the offshore market has built extensively — will notice that TAB NZ’s product set is what it is.

Bet types and odds

A bet placed with TAB NZ falls into two broad families: racing bets and sports bets. On the racing side, TAB NZ’s published betting rules define the full set: Win, Place, Each Way, Quinella, Exacta, Trifecta, First Four, Double, Treble, Daily Double, Running Double, Quaddie, and Big6. These are the tote and fixed-odds products that have made up New Zealand racing betting for years, and “dividend” is the tote payout — the share of the pool returned to winning tickets.

On the sports side, the product mix includes fixed-odds bets and Multis, including Same Game Multis (a multi whose legs all come from one event) and one-tap Popular Multis. The TAB NZ app also lists a Mega Multi bonus: up to $50 in Bonus Cash when a multi of four or more legs falls short by a set number of legs, terms and conditions apply.

Odds are shown in decimal form — a TAB NZ quote of $2.10 means a $10 stake returns $21 if the bet wins, with $11 of that being net profit. The return is always stake × odds; the net profit is stake × (odds − 1). For a combination bet, the odds of the legs multiply into one combined price, which is why a four-leg multi at roughly $2.00 per leg can produce an $8.00 combined quote — and why missing one leg means losing the whole stake.

The bookmaker’s margin sits inside every quoted price. A market’s payout share (1 ÷ (1/odds₁ + 1/odds₂ + … + 1/oddsₙ) across all outcomes) plus the margin adds up to 100%. A 5% margin means 95% of every dollar bet on the market is returned to punters on average; the remaining 5% is the bookmaker’s take. That is what the odds on screen are really saying, beneath the surface of any single price.

Sports and tournaments covered

TAB NZ’s racing codes are thoroughbred, harness (trots), and greyhounds. Greyhound racing is closing in stages from 1 August 2026, and from that date offshore operators may not take bets on greyhound races either. Harness and thoroughbred continue.

The sports offering covers rugby union and rugby league prominently — Super Rugby Pacific, NRL, All Blacks test matches — along with other codes. Punters familiar with the New Zealand sporting calendar will find All Blacks, Black Caps, Warriors, Melbourne Cup (Cup Day is a major racing and betting day), and the major Australasian leagues well represented. The exact event list is updated continuously inside the app and is not enumerated in the Racing Industry Act or in TAB NZ’s public licence material.

International events are covered too, because the Racing Industry Act 2020 prohibition applies regardless of where the event is held. A bet on an overseas horse race or an overseas football match follows the same TAB NZ framework as a domestic one: single operator, New Zealand harm-minimisation tools, NZ dollar wallet, NZ complaints route.

What is not covered, or not clearly covered, is equally important. Politics and novelty markets are not established as part of TAB NZ’s product set. Whether esports betting counts as “sports betting” under the Racing Industry Act is not settled. Virtual (computer-simulated) sport is treated by the 2026 online casino law as casino gambling, not sports betting. Any punters who have used overseas bookmakers for these markets will find the NZ product narrower by design.

New bookmakers and the “newness” question

The phrase “new online betting sites” implies a market where new entrants appear regularly. That is not the New Zealand market since 28 June 2025. Betcha, released on 6 August 2024, was the last “new” brand to launch inside the lawful New Zealand framework, and it was not a new operator at all — it was a new app from the existing monopoly holder. There is no application route for a second TAB NZ to be licensed, and no licence register for bookmakers because there is only one lawful provider.

Brands that look new — Sportaza, RoyalistPlay, Telbet, Alawin, FunBet, BetNinja, 22Bet, and others — are not licensed in New Zealand. Their freshness, where it exists, is freshness in the offshore market, not in New Zealand. A punter who sees a “new” bookmaker advertised at a New Zealand IP address is being shown an offshore brand whose New Zealand business is unlawful on the operator side.

What that means in practice: do not treat “new” as a signal of quality or safety in this market. The market’s two lawful brands are not new, and the brands that are new are not lawful here. The combination a reader might expect from an offshore market — a new brand with a generous welcome bonus and a modern app — does not exist for New Zealand residents under the current framework.

How online betting works in New Zealand

Opening an account with TAB NZ requires a verified New Zealand address and identity verification. The age requirement is 18, with betting under 18 an offence under section 89 of the Racing Industry Act 2020. Land-based casino age is 20 — never the two.

Deposits and withdrawals go through a single wallet shared by TAB NZ and Betcha, because they are the same operator. Deposit methods and limits are set by TAB NZ’s own terms; no government-set payment rule for betting accounts was found. Cards, bank transfers, and prepaid options are typical; crypto is not stated in the available TAB NZ terms as a deposit method.

Placing a bet is straightforward: pick a market, choose a stake, confirm. The bet slip shows the decimal odds, the stake, and the potential return. A $10 bet at $2.50 returns $25 if it wins ($15 net profit). A multi combines several selections into one combined price; all legs must win, or the multi loses.

Settling follows the event. Racing bets settle when the result is official; sports bets settle when the market result is confirmed. TAB NZ’s published betting rules define what counts as a result in edge cases — a scratched runner, a voided leg, a match abandoned before completion.

Withdrawing is the reverse of depositing: from the wallet, back to a bank account or other payment method. Payout times are operator-level, set in TAB NZ’s terms. For punters used to “instant withdrawals” advertised by offshore brands, the realistic expectation is a bank-processing window — overnight for New Zealand banks, longer over weekends and public holidays.

What does not exist, anywhere in this flow, is an account with a second lawful bookmaker. There is no “best odds comparison” that surfaces a second New Zealand-licensed brand, because there is no second brand.

Online betting sites in New Zealand

The ranking below is not a recommendation. New Zealand law allows only two brands — TAB and Betcha — and these are the same operator. Every other brand in the table is offshore and not licensed in New Zealand. Each is rated on the same criteria: what it offers, what its own terms state about the subject, and where it sits in the landscape a New Zealand reader actually encounters.

The table does not collapse the two groups because the law does not. TAB and Betcha sit on one side; everyone else sits on the other. The “what the operator’s own terms state” column is drawn from each brand’s own public material; an absence in that column means the brand’s own public material does not state a relevant term, not that the brand is unsafe or safe in New Zealand.

TAB

TAB NZ’s online brand carries the full weight of being the only lawful option. Operated under the Racing Industry Act 2020, it covers racing codes (thoroughbred, harness, greyhounds until 1 August 2026), rugby union, rugby league, and other sports. Same Race Multis, Same Game Multis, one-tap Popular Multis, Place Extra, and the Mega Multi bonus (up to $50 in Bonus Cash) are all part of the product. Live betting exists inside the app; the safer-gambling tools (deposit limits, time-outs, self-exclusion) are built in, and exclusions apply across both TAB NZ brands.

TAB’s standing in New Zealand is not a marketing claim; it is a statutory one. The Department of Internal Affairs confirmed TAB NZ as the sole lawful operator for online sports and racing bets, and instructed unlicensed providers to withdraw with immediate effect. The harm-minimisation framework (deposit limits, time-outs, self-exclusion, Gambling Helpline 0800 654 655) reaches TAB NZ accounts because it is operator-level, not market-level. The complaints route is a New Zealand one, with an operator bound by New Zealand consumer law.

Where TAB feels limited is the obvious place: there is no second brand to compare with. The odds TAB offers are the odds a New Zealand punter can take. For someone used to the offshore market’s price competition, this means accepting the margin that sits inside TAB’s quotes without the option to shop around.

The verdict for a New Zealand punter is that TAB is the lawful choice, full stop. The harm-minimisation framework, the regulator oversight, and the complaints route are all real and all New Zealand-based. The product mix is what it is, and the price is what it is.

Betcha

Betcha is the same operator as TAB, presented as a separate app aimed at a younger, mobile-first audience. Released on 6 August 2024 by Entain New Zealand Limited, it carries the same betting catalogue and the same wallet as TAB. The streamlined wallet for deposits and withdrawals is one of its distinct features; the same-rain account exclusion applies across both brands.

The reason Betcha sits second in this ranking is presentation, not product. It is the same operator offering the same markets to the same customers under the same law. A punter who wants a fresher interface and a mobile-first design picks Betcha; a punter who wants the full TAB NZ product set with longer history picks TAB. Both choices end at the same wallet, the same harm-minimisation tools, and the same regulator.

The verdict is that Betcha is the second lawful brand in name only. Its real value is giving New Zealand punters a choice of interface, not a choice of operator. Anyone using it is betting with TAB NZ.

Glorion

Glorion is an offshore brand not licensed in New Zealand. Its own terms state that live chat and email support are available, and that the site accepts customers aged 18 or over only. The brand names no licence that applies in New Zealand, and the New Zealand harm-minimisation framework (deposit limits, Gambling Helpline self-exclusion register) does not reach it.

The relevant question for a New Zealand punter is not whether Glorion offers a market a TAB NZ punter cannot find — many offshore brands do — but whether Glorion is a lawful place to take that bet from inside New Zealand. Under section 74AAA of the Racing Industry Act 2020, the answer is no: only TAB NZ may offer racing or sports betting to people in New Zealand, regardless of where the operator is incorporated. New Zealand law targets the operator in this case, not the player, but the lack of a New Zealand complaints route and the lack of any guarantee that unspent credits will be returned or large wins paid out are real risks.

The verdict is that Glorion is an offshore brand with no New Zealand standing. It can offer markets TAB NZ does not, but the cost of that access is leaving the New Zealand regulatory framework behind.

RoyalistPlay

RoyalistPlay is an offshore brand operated by Novatrix SRL, a Costa Rica company, holding an e-gaming licence (No. 0000002) from the Tobique Gaming Commission. That licence provides no New Zealand betting authorisation, and no New Zealand complaints route or harm-minimisation framework reaches it.

The same statutory point applies as for Glorion: section 74AAA restricts who may offer racing or sports betting to people in New Zealand, and the Tobique licence is not a New Zealand one. Punters using RoyalistPlay from New Zealand are betting with an offshore operator whose own licence framework is the Tobique Gaming Commission, and whose New Zealand consumer protections are nil.

The verdict is that RoyalistPlay offers whatever its Tobique licence framework permits, and that framework is not a New Zealand one. The risks DIA warns about — overseas operators in jurisdictions with minimal consumer safeguards, unspent credits not returned, large wins not paid out — are the operating reality here.

Sportaza

Sportaza is an offshore brand whose footer cites an Anjouan licence (No. ALSI-202606064-FI2), while its terms cite a Tobique licence (No. 0000067). Neither offers any New Zealand betting authorisation under section 74AAA.

The dual-licence presentation is itself worth noting: a brand listing one licence on its footer and a different licence in its terms is signalling something to readers who read carefully. For a New Zealand punter, neither licence is the relevant one. The relevant framework is the Racing Industry Act 2020, and Sportaza is not inside it.

The verdict is that Sportaza operates under offshore licences that have no jurisdiction over New Zealand. The brand can offer markets and odds TAB NZ does not, and a New Zealand punter who uses it is doing so under the offshore terms, with no New Zealand recourse if anything goes wrong.

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. It names no licence that applies in New Zealand.

The crypto framing matters because it changes the payment profile of the bettor: a crypto-funded account has no New Zealand bank in the loop, and no path through New Zealand consumer law if the operator decides not to pay out. The Department of Internal Affairs warns that overseas operators may not return unspent credits or pay out large wins; for a crypto-funded account, the warning is sharper still because there is no bank dispute route either.

The verdict is that Telbet is a crypto-first offshore brand with no New Zealand standing. A punter using it is operating entirely outside the New Zealand framework, on the operator’s own terms, in the operator’s own chosen currency.

Alawin

Alawin accepts customers aged 18 or over only, per its own terms, and names no licence that applies in New Zealand. The age threshold matches New Zealand’s TAB NZ age requirement, but the licence position is the same as every other offshore brand in this ranking: not licensed in New Zealand, no New Zealand complaints route, no harm-minimisation framework reaches it.

The verdict is that Alawin’s age policy is one small data point among many, and it does not change the New Zealand position. A brand can be 18+ in its own terms and still be unlawful to use from New Zealand under section 74AAA.

FunBet

FunBet’s sportsbook offers odds on football, ice hockey, American football, basketball, volleyball, tennis, rugby and baseball, with live betting and a 24/7 bookmaker. The product set is wide, and the live betting and 24/7 framing position FunBet for in-play punters who want a market open around the clock.

The product breadth is the part that tempts comparison with TAB NZ. TAB NZ’s product set is narrower by design — the law gives it no reason to expand into markets no New Zealand punter can use, and its racing-heavy catalogue reflects its tote origins. A New Zealand punter looking for round-the-clock basketball markets will find FunBet offers them; the cost is leaving the New Zealand framework behind.

The verdict is that FunBet is a product-rich offshore brand with no New Zealand standing. Its 24/7 framing is real for users who use it, and immaterial for users who need a New Zealand-licensed operator.

BetNinja

BetNinja states that it is licensed to conduct online gaming operations by the Union of the Comoros. That licence provides no New Zealand betting authorisation, and no New Zealand complaints route or harm-minimisation framework reaches the brand.

The Comoros licence position is similar to Anjouan’s: a low-cost offshore authorisation that allows the operator to run a sportsbook and casino, but that does not extend to any regulated market like New Zealand. Punters using BetNinja from New Zealand are betting under the Comoros framework, with whatever consumer protections that framework offers (typically few).

The verdict is that BetNinja is an offshore brand under a Comoros licence, with the usual gap between its offer and any New Zealand standing.

22Bet

22Bet’s address redirects to an alternative site, and the site shows copyright for 2017–2026 with a 21+ age notice. The brand names a Curaçao licence (8048/JAZ), with TechSolutions Group N.V. as the holder. None of that offers any New Zealand betting authorisation.

The 21+ age notice is itself worth flagging: 22Bet’s threshold is higher than New Zealand’s 18+ for TAB NZ betting, but the licence position is the same as every other offshore brand in this ranking. The age threshold is the brand’s own rule, not a New Zealand rule.

The verdict is that 22Bet is an offshore brand under a Curaçao licence, with the usual gap between its offer and any New Zealand standing. A long copyright run (2017–2026) is not the same as a New Zealand licence, and treating it as such misreads what a copyright notice actually says.

Overview of the New Zealand market

New Zealand’s online betting market is one of the smallest regulated markets in the developed world, in the sense of “regulated” meaning “the number of operators the regulator allows”. One provider, two brands, one wallet. That is the structure.

For a punter used to the UK, Australian, or European market, the structure feels constraining. There is no price comparison across brands, because there is only one brand. There is no welcome bonus competition, because there is no second brand competing for the same customer. There is no “best odds” market because the regulator has chosen monopoly over competition.

The trade-off is in harm minimisation and consumer protection. TAB NZ’s product is wrapped in New Zealand harm-minimisation tools, regulator oversight, and a complaints route. The same operator pays a Problem Gambling Levy (0.74% from 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2028) which funds the Gambling Helpline and Safer Gambling Aotearoa. Offshore brands offer none of that, because none of that is their framework.

The market is also smaller in dollar terms. TAB NZ’s partner Entain runs the TAB business under a 25-year agreement 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 pledged a one-off $100m payment to the racing sector. That is a private deal between TAB NZ and its commercial partner, and its scale is the scale of the lawful New Zealand market. Offshore brands that take New Zealand bets are doing so outside that framework, and their scale is unmeasured.

Legality and regulation

The Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) is the gambling regulator under the Gambling Act 2003 and monitors compliance with the betting prohibition in the Racing Industry Act 2020 (section 92A). The Racing Industry Act 2020 establishes TAB NZ as the sole betting provider for racing and sports in New Zealand. 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, regardless of where that person is resident or incorporated. The change took effect on 28 June 2025, and DIA told providers serving New Zealand to withdraw with immediate effect.

There is no licensing route for another bookmaker and no licence register for betting, because there is only one lawful operator. The law does not geo-block offshore websites; it puts liability on the offshore operator. New Zealand does not block bookmaker sites, so a New Zealand punter can still reach them; the issue is whether reaching them is lawful on the operator side.

The Online Casino Gambling Act 2026 licenses online casino gambling only and does not license sports betting. TAB New Zealand winning the right to apply for a casino licence does not extend the betting monopoly. Anyone who treats the two as the same is conflating two separate statutory regimes with separate rules.

What may be bet on: racing and sports betting from TAB NZ only. TAB NZ takes fixed-odds and tote (pool) bets. Bets on politics and novelty markets are not established as part of the framework. Virtual sport is treated by the 2026 online casino law as casino gambling; whether esports betting counts as “sports betting” is not established. The ban covers events held inside and outside New Zealand.

For the player: section 19(4) of the Gambling Act 2003 (inserted in 2025) says an individual may not be convicted for placing a bet with an offshore betting operator in breach of section 74AAA. No source states a penalty for a player. The honest framing is: TAB NZ and Betcha are the only lawful option, with New Zealand harm-minimisation tools, regulator oversight and a complaints framework; offshore brands are unlawful for the operator to serve New Zealand, with no New Zealand complaints route and DIA’s stated risks around unspent credits and unpaid winnings. Neither is “the safe choice” by default.

The Department of Internal Affairs warns that overseas operators may be in jurisdictions with minimal consumer safeguards, may not return unspent credits, and may not pay out large wins. That warning is a standing one, not a forecast. Any New Zealand punter weighing an offshore brand against TAB NZ is weighing DIA’s stated risks against TAB NZ’s actual framework.

Responsible gambling

The age for TAB NZ betting is 18; betting under 18 is an offence under section 89 of the Racing Industry Act 2020. Land-based casinos are 20 — never the two. TAB NZ accounts require a verified New Zealand address and identity.

TAB NZ lists deposit limits, time-outs, and self-exclusion in its apps, with an exclusion that applies across both TAB NZ brands. There is no single national online-betting exclusion register: the register the online casino law will require is for online casinos only. TAB NZ must keep the risks of problem and underage gambling minimised, and pays a Problem Gambling Levy of 0.74% (in force from 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2028).

Help is available through the free Gambling Helpline (0800 654 655, text 8006) and Safer Gambling Aotearoa. These are New Zealand services funded in part by the levy, available to anyone in New Zealand affected by gambling harm, regardless of which operator they used.

For someone whose betting is causing harm, the practical first step is TAB NZ’s own self-exclusion, because TAB NZ is the only brand a New Zealand punter is lawfully using. Offshore brand self-exclusion does not reach a New Zealand harm-minimisation framework, and offshore brands do not exclude customers from each other.

The wider principle is that responsible gambling tools work best when they sit inside one operator relationship. A single-operator market means a single-operator set of tools. That is a design feature, not a flaw.

Crypto and anonymity

Nothing in the Racing Industry Act 2020 or the Gambling Act 2003 explicitly addresses crypto betting. Account opening at TAB NZ requires a verified New Zealand address, which rules out anonymous play at the lawful end of the market. TAB NZ’s deposit methods and limits are operator-level and come from its own terms; no statutory payment rule for betting accounts (card, bank, credit, prepaid, crypto) was found.

Crypto-first offshore brands — Telbet is the clearest example in the rankings above — operate in crypto, settle in crypto, and answer to no New Zealand framework. The Department of Internal Affairs’ standing warning about overseas operators applies: minimal consumer safeguards, unspent credits possibly not returned, large wins possibly not paid out. For a crypto-funded account, the warning is sharper because there is no bank dispute route either.

VPN use to access offshore brands from New Zealand does not change the operator’s legal position. Section 74AAA targets the offer to a person in New Zealand, regardless of how that person is reached. The tool used to reach the operator does not move the operator inside the New Zealand framework.

The honest framing for a New Zealand punter weighing crypto betting is that the lawful option (TAB NZ) does not offer crypto, and the offshore crypto brands operate under no New Zealand oversight. There is no middle ground in this market.

Bonuses and free bets

TAB NZ runs “bonus bets” promotions. New TAB NZ customers can receive Bonus Cash that can be split across multiple bets, and the app lists 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. No New Zealand rule on bet-bonus size or wagering terms was found, so the only terms that apply are TAB NZ’s own.

A “bonus bet” is not the same as a cash bet. The stake is usually not paid back with a win, so a $10 bonus bet at $3.00 returns $30 ($20 net profit) — not $40 ($30 net profit). The expected value of a free bet is the free-bet amount × (odds − 1) ÷ odds × payout share of the market. That is what the bonus is worth on average; it is not what any individual punter will win.

Offshore brand welcome offers follow the marketing playbook: deposit matches, free bet bundles, free spin packages. None of them are lawful to claim from New Zealand. The “200% up to 1 BTC plus 50 free spins and a 5 USDT free bet” Telbet advertises on its Russian-language site is one example among many; the offer exists, the law does not let a New Zealand punter claim it.

For New Zealand punters, the offer landscape is what TAB NZ runs. That means comparing bonus terms inside one product set, not across a market. The framing “best possible boost” versus “modest offer” is a real comparison inside TAB NZ’s catalogue; it is not a comparison across the offshore market, because the offshore market is not a lawful option.

The “no promo code” rule matters here too: never print a working bonus, promo or voucher code. A reader who wants the current TAB NZ promotion goes to the TAB NZ app or the TAB NZ site. The code is there if it exists; it is not in this article.

Frequently asked questions

How can I bet on the Melbourne Cup online?

The Melbourne Cup is a major Australian racing event with strong New Zealand interest. TAB NZ covers it through its racing product set, including fixed-odds Win, Place, Each Way, Quinella, Exacta, Trifecta, First Four, and the multi bet products (Same Race Multis in particular). Place a bet through the TAB NZ app or the TAB NZ site once you have a verified account. Offshore brands also list the Melbourne Cup; using them from New Zealand is unlawful on the operator side under section 74AAA of the Racing Industry Act 2020.

How do I bet on horses online?

Open a verified TAB NZ account with a New Zealand address and identity. Fund the wallet through TAB NZ’s accepted deposit methods. Pick a race from the racing calendar, choose a bet type (Win, Place, Each Way, Quinella, Exacta, Trifecta, First Four, Quaddie, Big6), set a stake, confirm. The decimal odds on screen multiplied by the stake gives the return if the bet wins; the stake multiplied by (odds − 1) gives the net profit. The TAB NZ app has Trackside live race streaming with in-app betting for users who want to bet in-running.

How do I bet on Lotto online?

Lotto is run by Lotto NZ, not by TAB NZ. The two are separate products. To play Lotto online, you go through the Lotto NZ channels (MyLotto account, retail outlet), not the TAB NZ app. This article covers betting on racing and sports; Lotto is a different product under a different statutory framework (the Gambling Act 2003, not the Racing Industry Act 2020). The same age threshold (18) applies.

Which bookmaker may lawfully take sports and racing bets in New Zealand?

TAB NZ, through its two online brands TAB and Betcha. Section 74AAA of the Racing Industry Act 2020 (in force since 28 June 2025) names TAB NZ as the only operator allowed to take online sports and racing bets from people in New Zealand. There is no licence application process for anyone else, and no licence register for bookmakers, because the law does not contemplate a second operator. Offshore brands are not licensed in New Zealand; using them from New Zealand is unlawful on the operator side.

How is the return on a bet worked out from the stake and the odds?

Decimal odds make this direct: return = stake × odds; net profit = stake × (odds − 1). A $10 stake at $2.50 returns $25 if it wins ($15 net profit). For a combination bet, the odds of the legs multiply into one combined price. A four-leg multi at roughly $2.00 per leg produces a combined quote near $16.00; missing one leg loses the whole stake. The return is only realised when all legs win; the calculation gives the maximum payout, not a forecast of any single outcome.

What is the bookmaker’s margin and how can it be seen in the odds?

The bookmaker’s margin is the slice of every dollar bet on a market that the bookmaker keeps on average. It is calculated as 1 minus the payout share, where payout share = 1 ÷ (1/odds₁ + 1/odds₂ + … + 1/oddsₙ) across all outcomes of one market. A market where the payout share is 95% has a 5% margin. The margin is what is left when the prices on every outcome are added up — the gap between the implied probabilities (1/odds) and 100%. That gap is the bookmaker’s take, sitting inside every quote.

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