New Zealand Bans Offshore Betting as TAB Gains Exclusive Rights

In a sweeping overhaul of its gambling laws, New Zealand has formally enacted legislation that prohibits all offshore sports betting operators from servicing its residents. The move, part of the Racing Industry Act 2020, marks the most significant shift in the country’s sports wagering framework in over two decades.

Under the new law, New Zealanders will now be allowed to place sports and racing bets solely through one officially licensed entity—TAB NZ. Prominent offshore platforms such as bet365, Betfair, and Stake are now off-limits to Kiwi users, as the government clamps down on international gambling companies operating without contributing to the local economy.

The primary motivation behind the ban, lawmakers argue, is to bolster financial returns for New Zealand’s domestic sporting and racing sectors, while also mitigating gambling-related harm. With New Zealand residents placing hundreds of millions of dollars in bets annually with offshore sportsbooks, authorities say these platforms offer “very little or no return” to the country’s racing industry.

By making it unlawful for foreign operators to accept bets from within New Zealand, the government aims to prevent international firms from extracting profits without creating local employment or contributing to the national economy. Officials believe that retaining this money domestically will stimulate growth in New Zealand’s racing industry and provide a more secure environment for bettors, shielding them from the unregulated and often opaque world of offshore gambling.

Though the reform strengthens TAB NZ’s market dominance, the agency is not a state-owned entity. It operates as a Crown-established statutory body, and its commercial betting and broadcasting services are outsourced to UK-based gambling conglomerate Entain. In June 2023, Entain secured a 25-year deal granting it full management rights over TAB’s operations, including its digital app, retail locations, online services, and Trackside TV, the firm’s dedicated horse racing and sports broadcast network.

While TAB’s exclusivity has been solidified, it now comes with a caveat—greater regulatory oversight. Government authorities will maintain the power to impose additional consumer protection protocols, scrutinize the platform’s performance on initiatives such as self-exclusion, and request data on individual players. These measures are designed to ensure the monopoly is accompanied by strict accountability.

The country’s gambling regulator has been tasked with enforcing the ban, ensuring that all offshore sportsbooks promptly withdraw from the market. Officials say this is a critical step in safeguarding both the financial and social health of New Zealand’s wagering environment.

By fLEXI tEAM