Sporting and racing codes to receive major boost from NZ betting law changes

[Wandering Eyes]

Changes to New Zealand betting laws which passed in Parliament today will provide a vital boost to New Zealand sporting and racing codes and to the safety of New Zealand bettors when the bill becomes law later this month.

Alongside the strengthened harm minimisation protections for New Zealand customers as a result of these law changes, a NZ$100m payment from Entain Group — which will be made after the changes to the Racing Industry Act take effect — will further deepen Entain’s commitment to the New Zealand industry and will boost the fortunes for Kiwi racing participants and national sporting organisations.

Entain’s suite of brands in New Zealand includes TAB and betcha, offering Kiwis a choice of bookmaker and betting preferences.

Entain’s 25-year strategic partnership with statutory body TAB NZ was established in June 2023 to provide an immediate financial uplift to the New Zealand racing codes and 38 National Sporting Organisations, committing more than $360m to boost the fortunes of racing and sports in the first two years of the partnership, and almost $1 billion in the first five years.

Kiwi sporting figures have welcomed the change in betting laws, and the injection to New Zealand sports and racing that follows.

“As a former professional athlete, I know how important investment is — not just at the top, but throughout the entire journey,” former Silver Fern netballer Courtney Tairi said.

“These changes to the betting laws here in Aotearoa mean more money stays in New Zealand and flows through to the codes and communities that keep sport and racing alive. That’s huge and helps to build a future where every athlete has the chance to thrive.”

The payment to racing and sporting codes and ongoing benefits from the law changes plays a crucial role in supporting communities and teams across New Zealand, sitting alongside efforts from government, member participation and sponsorship, Entain Australia and New Zealand’s Managing Director – New Zealand, Sam Moncur said.

“Entain is proud to be building on TAB NZ’s legacy of backing Kiwi racing and sport,” Moncur said.

“We are also very aware of the privilege we have to provide a world-class betting experience to Kiwis. Entain, through TAB and betcha, will deliver odds as fair and competitive as a customer would find in the highly competitive Australian market.

“Kiwis love a fair go, and we’re committed to providing fair odds for our racing and sports fans into the future.”

Entain Australia and New Zealand has been relentlessly focused on improving both the betting experience through investment in technology and the TAB retail network, as well as harm minimisation measures for customers since the strategic partnership began.

The TAB platform refresh in April 2024 brought with it a world leading suite of safer betting tools available to all customers. These best-in-class tools offer comprehensive choices to help customers tailor the way they manage their betting. These tools also became available to betcha customers upon its launch in August 2024.

These include: the ability to set deposit limits, an individual bet limit, curfews, controlling the markets a customer can choose to see, blocking out days of the week, deposit options, self-exclusion and account closure.
More harm minimisation options will be introduced to the New Zealand market to add to Entain’s world-class support in this area.

“We’re honoured to contribute to the future of the racing codes and play a part in keeping Kiwi sport alive and thriving,” Moncur said.

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