Will NZ's big bet on online gambling pay off?
Sports betting monopoly tightened
This week marked a significant shake-up for the online betting landscape, with new rules cementing the TAB's monopoly over sports betting in Aotearoa. Backed by all parties and driven by racing minister Winston Peters, the law updates the Racing Act to ban overseas operators from taking bets from New Zealanders – an attempt, The Spinoff's Shanti Mathias explains, to protect the $19 billion racing industry and the 13,500 jobs it supports. While some punters fear that a monopoly will mean worse odds, Entain, the UK giant that partners with the TAB in NZ, says its odds will match those of Ladbrokes in the competitive Australian market. The new rules arrive alongside the launch of the Problem Gambling Foundation's Are You Being Played? campaign, aimed at raising awareness of how betting companies hook young men on sports betting.
Online casinos next in line
The government's next frontier is online casino gambling. On Monday, internal affairs minister Brooke van Velden introduced the Online Casino Gambling Bill, which will regulate an area that has long operated in a legal grey zone. Under the legislation, the government will auction up to 15 licences, all requiring operators to supply provide detailed business plans, including for harm minimisation, explains Davina Zimmer for The Detail. Companies like SkyCity and Christchurch Casino, which currently run their online operations out of Malta, are expected to shift their businesses back onshore when the new regime kicks in from February 2026.
The changes are designed to claw back tax revenue and bring gambling into a regulated harm-reduction framework – but they're also expected to unleash a wave of advertising for online casinos, something that has been illegal under current law.
Influencers in the spotlight
For now, it remains illegal to advertise offshore betting sites here, but that hasn't deterred many influencers from taking quick cash to spruik them. Millie Elder-Holmes was fined $5,000 for repeat promotions, nine more influencers have received cease and desist notices, and 27 are on a watch-list, reports Joseph Los'e in the Herald.
Some of the worst offenders appear to be student social media accounts. Sam Smith-Soppet of Critic, the Otago student magazine, recently reported on student influencers pushing Rainbet, an offshore crypto casino, despite clear legal prohibitions. Another audience being heavily targeted by influencer marketing is Māori, who make up 17% of the population but 30% of problem gamblers, Los'e reports. Māori Health Organisation Hāpai Te Hauora's Jason Alexander wants the gambling companies involved to be banned from this country. 'These gambling companies are knowingly using Māori influencers to reach Māori audiences. It's not just harmful – it's calculated, it's manipulative, and it shows they have no regard for the wellbeing of our whānau.'
Legal promotions still pose risks
Not all online gambling promotions are rogue. Under New Zealand law, influencers can legally promote the TAB and its youth-focused subsidiary, Betcha. As Shanti Mathias reported in December, plenty of local influencers are leaning in. 'This is a universe of paid partnerships, sponsored podcasts, exclusive invites for influencers and underneath it all, gambling, all carefully choreographed and reduced to catchy Instagram Reels,' she writes.
While posts usually carry the familiar (and legally required) 'R18, Gamble Responsibly' tagline, the experts Shanti speaks to warn that's far from enough, and say young people, especially young men, are constantly seeing betting normalised on their feeds. With many more local licences on the way, the tension between gambling profits and harm minimisation is only set to grow.
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