Journalists Wandering Eyes Posted 2 hours ago Journalists Posted 2 hours ago Article by Kelsey Wilhelm March 2, 2026, published in the Asia Gaming Brief New Zealand’s Racing Integrity Board (RIB) is stepping up its efforts as the country moves closer to enacting its new Online Casino Gambling Act in early 2026 and issuing licenses by the end of the year. In a recent case study authored by the Chief Executive of the RIB, New Zealand, Dr. Eliot Forbes notes that there is a ‘close relationship between online gaming and racebook offerings’. Forbes highlights that ‘the New Zealand Government’s intention to grant online gaming licenses reinforces the need for officials, regulators and policy-makers to be well informed about the crossover between these products and the integrity risks that can arise from both’. Currently, TAB NZ holds the exclusive right to offer betting to New Zealand residents. Under legislation enacted in June of 2025, Kiwis cannot place bets on race and sports with anyone apart from TAB NZ, which extends to race and sports betting events that take place outside of the country. Challenges already abound The RIB Chief Executive notes that, even before the new online casino licenses come into effect, the board is facing increasing challenges in ensuring a fair and legal market. ‘The current landscape requires us to extend our integrity focus beyond domestic borders to an environment that is international, multi-jurisdictional and increasingly crypto-denominated. Currently, NZ-based wagering ‘accounts for only around one-third of the combined Australasian betting on New Zealand races’, indicates the case study, published in the quarterly bulletin of the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA) Council on Anti-Illegal Betting and Related Crime. While the appointment of Entain by TAB NZ ‘has modernized the product offerings and upgraded the technology systems’, ‘the scale of Australia-based wagering on New Zealand racing […] means it remains essential to maintain visibility of activity with Australian operators’. But Australian betting is not only confined to the regulated market, with Responsible Wagering Australia finding that ‘illegal or ‘grey market’ offshore operators now account for about 36 percent of Australia’s total online gambling market’ – doubling since 2019. And ‘it would be optimistic to assume that New Zealand is insulated from similar forces’. Crypto concerns Forbes highlights how cryptocurrency – commonly used in the online casino space – is already posing a problem for regulators, as ‘more than 50 leading crypto-enabled brands, licensed in pseudo-regulatory environments, now accept bets on New Zealand racing’. The official notes that ‘they do not pay product fees, do not share integrity data, offer limited or no consumer protections and are unlikely to adhere to anti-money-laundering obligations’. In an analysis by RIB, the group found that ‘operators rely on ‘grey market’ licensing regimes such as Curaçao, Anjouan and Costa Rica, where licensing confers the appearance of legitimacy while imposing minimal integrity or reporting obligations’. And their offerings are attractive, with ‘fixed-odds and derivative products on New Zealand races that do not exist domestically’, sign-up inducements and bonuses ‘with rollover requirements no longer legal in regulated domestic markets’. ‘Alongside the large crypto-enabled sportsbooks, New Zealand races are also offered on illegal betting exchanges, crypto casinos and sport prediction markets, alongside political events and esports’. Forbes calls this ‘a fundamentally parasitic model’ as it extracts ‘value from NZ and other jurisdictions’ racing product while contributing nothing to the integrity systems or financial framework that sustain the sport’. Among the top 100 crypto sportsbook operators analyzed by the RIB, the majority had licenses in Curaçao and Anjouan, with four of the top five being listed in the jurisdictions. Work to be done The RIB is now doubling down to map offshore coverage of New Zealand racing, ‘monitoring key markets and mapping the crypto-deposit activity of major operators’. It is also fighting for greater transparency with operators that are lawful in their home jurisdictions, noting ‘operators who profit from NZ racing should contribute to the sport by protecting the product they use’. In regards to policy development, the group aims to ‘provide informed support to broader domestic policy work including consideration of tools such as payment interdiction and the targeted disruption of illegal marketing’. The focus is also on increased cooperation between policy bodies, financial intelligence units, enforcement agencies, racing and sporting codes and licensed wagering operators’. This accompanies more information sharing with international parties, including the IFHA – both for intelligence exchange and to ‘raise specific concerns about suspicious activity or operators’. In summation of the environment it faces, the RIB Chief Executive highlights that ‘the task ahead requires more sophisticated automated online monitoring, sharper intelligence, deeper cooperation and fresh strategies’, assuring that the RIB ‘will continue working with policy-makers, sporting bodies, regulators and government agencies to ensure our collective capability keeps pace with the environment’. The post NZ Racing Integrity Board shifting into high gear ahead of new Online Casino Gambling Act appeared first on Racing Integrity Board. View the full article Quote
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