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38 best sports betting sites in New Zealand ✔️ top bookmakers 2024 NZ bookies

PlayUP
Rating:
🎁 bonus Australian owned
Go to site 18+ | Northern Territory Racing Commission
N1bet
Rating:
🎁 bonus NZ$2000 welcome bonus
Go to site 18+ | Curaçao no. 8048/JAZ2020-013
JooSports
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🎁 bonus Welcome package 3,000 NZD + 200 Free Spins
Go to site 18+ | Curacao 8048 / JAZ
Table of contents
    Meet our author
    Betting specialist Elizabeth Winnie

    Through a ranking system and serious and consolidated standards, we make a point of evaluating the best authorized betting sites in New Zealand. This information will not only allow you to have access to the best bonuses, but also to the best conditions to make the best sports bets online.

    Updated: 2024-04-08

    You have come here to learn all there is to know about sports betting in New Zealand. This is a great choice, and with our help, you will be able to find out all about what you need to know about the best bookmakers out there. There are many online sports betting sites out there that would like you to have a look at what they have to offer. However, we make sure that we bring you a complete list of the best brands that currently operate on the market.

    To do so, we have created our own rating, which we use to measure each individual website and what it really can offer sports fans. We have made it our goal to remain helpful and offer a lot back to players who are keen on finding not just the best NZ betting sites but also understand how the industry operates a little better.

    As a result of our extensive commitment, you will be able to place the most valuable bets at those betting sites that naturally offer you the highest added value. New Zealanders are passionate about many great sports out there, and we know this. Here is a quick list of the top ten bookmakers in the country that we endorse and recommend.

    Top 10 betting sites in New Zealand:

    • Bet365 - is simply New Zealanders’ favourite international sportsbook. It offers in-play and live streaming options and some great odds.
    • 888 - is a great all-rounder and offers spot-on odds when it comes to events. It’s considered the top place for soccer and US odds.
    • Betway - is legendary for its daily odds boosts, accumulators and quick cashout function. It’s a great place for in-play betting.
    • LeoVegas - builds a great user-friendly interface along with fantastic functionality that is baked into the sportsbook. Some awesome NZ odds here.
    • 22Bet - comes with a big welcome bonus which will be enough to get many players involved. This is precisely what is happening here.
    • Fansbet - will allow you to access numerous bonuses out there, many of which are quite substantial. The sportsbook also donates a lot to charity.
    • Rabona - This is a fast and well-designed website that allows you to play in both NZ dollars but also cryptocurrency, making for a unique betting experience.
    • Mr Play - is a new website that means better odds, slightly better bonuses and very competitive overall markets.
    • Royal Panda - offers 24/7 customer support, and it has thousands of betting markets which is a great way to enjoy betting in NZ.
    • Ladbrokes - will provide you with quick and flexible banking. The bookmaker also accepts PayPal, and it’s considered one of the best for Australian and NZ sports.

    The upshot is that sports fans and bettors will seek to place a bet on many excellent sports. New Zealand fans love rugby league and rugby union. This is hardly all, though, as the nation loves soccer but also American football.

    You will find out that the nation has a soft spot for horse racing as well as basketball, motorsports, and many others. New Zealand is also home to many popular sports franchises, including the Crusaders and the Warriors. We will help you discover all there is to know about bookies in NZ and where the best betting sites for football and other sports are!

    The Legality of Sports Betting in New Zealand

    Naturally, you must all be asking – what’s the status of sport betting in New Zealand. Is it okay for a sports fan to simply go online and place a free sports bet, or are there some specific conditions that must be fulfilled beforehand? Well, if you live in New Zealand, you are in luck because sports betting, racing and lotteries are explicitly legal under the current regulation in the country.

    This means that online sports betting is a preferred pastime for many fans out there and a good one at that. Now, for bookies to be able to legally provide you with betting opportunities, they would still have to comply with some strict mandates. For starters, they must be licensed by the Totalisator Agency Board, which is the gambling regulator in the country.

    What this means is that you will only have to play at bookmakers that hold a license from the TAB. If you cannot find the license clearly displayed on a website, this means that you will probably be better off finding a recommended bookie that has its license. But why are licenses important?

    When seeking to participate in online sports betting NZ sites, you are always better off doing so at trusted operators. They are licensed and obligated to protect your personal data and make sure that you are never in harm’s way. We strongly advise you to stick with TAB-regulated bookies.

    One great thing about being a sports bettor in New Zealand remains the fact that you don’t have to ever pay any tax on your winnings. That is correct. Once you have won, you have your winnings, and that is on you - you are free to cash out your winnings right away or let them sit at the bookies to use for future bets.

    New Zealand has wished to form an online sport betting industry that is centred on the player, which has, in turn, allowed the country to become one of the best places to be if you are looking to place legal sports bets. Licensed websites do not need to be accessed with VPNs.

    Therefore, NZ exclusively prefers to stick with betting sites that are regulated in the country – there is just hardly anything that can beat how great the current state of the industry is. The current industry was most recently regulated in 2003, and the legal gambling age for anyone willing to participate is 18 years, which is different from most other nations out there.

    Variety of Betting Events

    The best way to enjoy online sports betting in New Zealand is to make sure that you have access to a variety of markets. This is precisely why we have checked if the available bookmakers in the country will always cover all events that are of interest to players. This includes sports such as Football, Baseball, Basketball, Boxing, Volleyball, UFC, MMA, Formula 1, Cricket, Hockey, Tennis, Table Tennis, Golf, Snooker, Cycling, Darts, Handball, Swimming, Surfing, and Athletics.

    There are other options to explore as well, including Horse Racing, Greyhound Racing, Politics, Rugby League and Rugby Union, Virtual Sports, Weather, TV shows and others. All of these markets will cover numerous selections, including but hardly limited to match winners, accumulators, spreads, future and in-play options. You will get to benefit from unique proposition bets, which are issued on unique individual conditions of each aspect of the game.

    Football and American Football are particularly popular on most New Zealand platforms, along with Rugby Union and Rugby League. That is why you will see a big part of the overall markets focusing on those events, especially when they are played in their respective seasons. We recommend those online betting NZ sites that bring you competitive odds and the opportunity to enjoy these competitions yourself and in full.

    Each of these sports categories will offer you a detailed breakdown of the possible events, leagues, and championships you may bet on. There is a mix of local and international events, and there is virtually no sport featured on NZ’s bookies that is not active around the year. Whether you are betting on the topflight leagues or professional competitions or second-tier events and teams is beyond the point. The good news is that there is always something to try your hand at.

    Besides sports, the bookies in New Zealand focus on other worthwhile experiences such as entertainment and political betting. This means that you can expect to see more action on a variety of TV shows and political races, and sometimes even the weather. Whatever you are looking for, you can rest assured that NZ bookies have it!

    Football Leagues

    By football, New Zealanders mean the one and only game, which Americans still misnomer as “soccer.” Soccer is a popular aspect of the experience at most NZ betting sites, and that is a standard thing. You will discover numerous competitions that you may bet on that are part of the soccer coverage offered to you by NZ bookies, and that is a good thing, too. For example, you can bet on UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League. There is the World Cup to look forward to, and you may bet on a myriad of “smaller” events such as LaLiga, Bundesliga, English Premier League, Ligue 1 and others. The world of soccer is quite busy at NZ bookies, and you will have absolutely no trouble finding those selections that make the most sense to you.

    You may bet on premier competitions or stick with some of the second or lower divisions. There are local events that may not draw as much attention internationally, but you can rest assured that they are a fun and worthwhile part of the soccer betting experience that will be fun for you. For example, some people like betting on Serie A, but others don’t mind betting on the English Football League, which is arguably populated by “weaker” teams.

    Esports

    Esports will be duly covered across NZ bookmakers. This is done to ensure that there is a variety of experiences you get. Players and sports fans may bet on competitive video gaming options such as Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Dota 2 and League of Legends. Apart from these competitive gaming titles, there are other options that are well worth exploring, and they include popular video games such as Valorant and Overwatch, to name a few more. All the big esports events are covered, and many of the seasonal competitions are also part of the experience.

    Registration and Verification Process

    The registration and verification process at most online betting NZ sites is quite simple. The process itself requires very little effort on the part of players. What you need to do here is press the Sign-Up button. Each sports betting site will have it located differently, but it’s for the most part in the upper right corner.

    Once there, the bookie will ask for specific information. This will include your legal name, address, mobile number, email address, a security question, a name and a password so that you may access sport betting freely. Why is this information necessary? That is a great question.

    There are two main reasons. First is that you will need to create a real profile so that you may track your amount spent and your winnings and losing bets. For the bookmaker, it matters because all betting sites in New Zealand must comply with strict laws. This means that they cannot offer betting products to people who are not of the legal age. They also must comply with AML processes. Once you register, you will have to submit government-issued documents such as a national ID or a passport and a utility bill to prove your identity. This is an important part of the process.

    Bonuses for Newbies and Established Players

    There are different types of bonuses you may benefit from, and New Zealand tends to have bookies that are generous. To get a better idea, we have decided to list all possible bonuses that you may encounter and explain why they may be of interest to you. Players are very welcome to do their own exploration and pick the bonuses that make the most sense to them personally.

    • First is the welcome bonus. This one is great for new players, and you will have no trouble enjoying yourself. The bonus is usually matched at 100% up to a given sum, possibly $100.
    • There are free bets as well. These free bets are allocated to you upon registering, and you can use them right away. They are a great way to introduce you to the available sports bet types and options at most bookies in New Zealand.
    • Apart from them, you will also get to enjoy risk-free bets. What’s different here is that you will have to make a deposit yourself, but once you do, if you lose your bet, you will be returned your money and given a shot to try betting again.
    • There are also odds boosters they aren’t exact promotions, but you may get a better payout if you decide to participate in an odds booster selection.
    • Other than that, there are loyalty bonuses that allow you to use free bets and even offer you some cashback. They change quite often and will be different for different account holders and depending on the bookie you are registered at.
    • Loyalty programs are another form of sports betting bonuses accessible to punters in New Zealand. Such programs are introduced at the discretion of operators and are individual to each brand.

    Participation in loyalty programs is usually automatic. This means that every time you place a bet, the website will calculate a percentage of this bet into “loyalty points.” Different betting sites may have different names for these points, for example, “comp points.” You may then use the points to advance higher up the loyalty levels and gain access to different perks, including cashbacks, private tickets, exclusive bonuses and more. Once again, each platform is free to set the rules for its own loyalty program.

    Live Betting

    Live betting is part of the sports betting experience in New Zealand, and it’s one of the best experiences you can possibly ask for. Why? Well, it’s very simple. Players are invited to not just watch the sports and games they enjoy but also be an active part of them. Live betting is also called in-play, and it’s offered by many bookies in NZ. The fact you can bet online and without going to a physical venue is a huge plus for many players out there.

    It's not just that. In-play bets are awesome, that is a given, but there are also the live streaming options that you can explore in full. What this means is that you will be able to watch your favourite sports events directly at any TAB-licensed bookmaker. Well, not all may have this feature, so we recommend that you first double-check if live streaming is available before committing to it.

    Live betting is, in fact, the most popular form of betting among sports fans in New Zealand, and there is a growing number of people opting out of pre-match bets to enjoy the thrill of the chase as they call it when it comes to in-play selections.

    Platform Usability

    One big part of the experience is how easy it is to use and navigate a bookie website. That is why one of the biggest things we look for in a brand is the user interface and overall navigation. After all, many sports bettors are keen on having access to advanced betting platforms, and this is only possible if the underpinning software is done well.

    However, by platform usability, we don’t mean cosmetics purely. The functionality of a bookie is of equal importance to most sports bettors out there in New Zealand, and that is a fact. By this, we mean the speed of banking and variety of payment methods which is often an important consideration when deciding which bookmaker to back to and which one to leave on its own. Popular payment methods include bank cards such as Visa and MasterCard, e-wallets such as PayPal and Neteller, and Bank Transfers. Each sportsbook is free to set the list of payment options available to them. Deposit speeds are usually instant for all payment methods except for the Bank Wire Transfer. Withdrawal speeds will vary from 1-3 days for bank cards to <24 hours for some e-wallets, and possibly up to 7 business days for Bank Wire Transfer.

    Apart from the ease of navigation and convenience, there are other factors as well. For example, is the bookie available on mobile? Many bookmakers in New Zealand will offer you a dedicated mobile version. Most will even extend the experience onto a dedicated sports betting app that can be downloaded directly from the app store, for example, and accessed this way.

    Our team has made sure that we will probe every aspect of an online betting site’s offer so that we can find the best betting sites available for you. As a result, the ones to make our selection list are only those that have taken the pains to build a wholesome platform that is accessible from desktop and mobile offers quick withdrawals and is simple enough to use without any hiccups.

    New Zealand bookies are also available through the use of dedicated Android and iOS mobile apps. They are available for download straight from the betting sites or through the dedicated Google Store or Apple Play pages. These apps allow you to access betting markets, make deposits, cash out your winnings and virtually have full access to your account. A mobile app is not needed to access a sportsbook in NZ in mobile, though, as you can simply use your mobile browser instead.

    One other factor we always look for is whether the Bet Slip works correctly. Since you will be focusing a lot of your time on the bet slip, building accumulators, or placing a live bet, it’s important that this aspect of the site is also up to scratch and works as intended. If it does, you will be happy to know that your betting experience will go smoothly.

    Reliability of Brands

    For those of you who are keen to bet and play at a safe brand, it would help to know that we thoroughly review all brands that are available on our website. This is done so that you will know that every time you open a recommended bookmaker, it will be fully equipped to provide you with the safest overall experience. What does this mean for bookies in NZ?

    For starters, we make sure that multi-accounting isn’t allowed on any of the bookies we visit. This means that you won’t have to worry about bonus hunters. The reason why these two practices are prohibited is that if someone is allowed to engage in them, that will stilt the numbers that bookmakers use in their sports analytics tools to provide the rest of the bettors with the best possible selections.

    Arbitrage betting is not allowed at most NZ bookies, but you can always use betting limits and account restrictions as part of their responsible gambling initiative, which is designed to protect players from coming in the way of betting harm. Each NZ sportsbook allows players to set their own betting or deposit limits. Many of them offer to do as much right at the start, which is why you will find the experience enjoyable and safe.

    Responsible Gambling

    Betting NZ can be quite fun, but it can also be a little too quick. As the pace of betting quickens, so does the danger of you spending a little too much in a hurry. The good news is that there is a way to avoid doing that, and you will have no problem in addressing excessive gambling if you are ever in need of it.

    Let’s start simple. Let’s start with the symptoms that point to the fact that you are not, in fact participating in online sport betting NZ responsibly. You may be spending huge amounts of money or spending too much time online.

    You may even be losing sleep over your betting and active bets. If this is happening, this means that you need help. There are several helplines that will be happy to help you address the issue:

    • gamblinghelpline.co.nz
    • www.pgf.nz

    Both are equipped with the means necessary to help you tackle any form of a gambling problem. But it gets even better. New Zealand requires bookies by law to be there for you and help you manage your gambling habit if you think you are spending way too much time. There are several ways how this may happen. For starters, you may reach out to the bookmaker and explain your problem.

    You will be offered several quick and time-tested solutions. The bookie may ask you to restrict your gameplay in terms of how much you may deposit or how much time you may spend online. Not only that, but you may opt to either block your account or introduce tighter controls on your bankroll.

    All of these are helpful. Of course, there are some good pieces of advice that you can embrace to establish healthy betting habits from the start of your betting. There are numerous ways to achieve this quickly and efficiently, and they will all serve you well.

    • Don’t Worry about Losses One of the big ways to address any potential with your gambling is to learn that losing is a natural part of the game. For better or for worse, we are all going to have a bad beat or lose from time to time. This is no big deal, and you will be far better off once you realise that losing is all part of the experience – don’t lose sleep over it.
    • Keep Your Emotions Under Control It’s easy to start getting angered, but that’s mostly if you haven’t understood that the nature of online sports betting invites a certain amount of risk. Once you learn that risk is part of the experience, you will have fewer things to be angry about. We recommend players remind themselves of this advice when participating at NZ betting sites.
    • Focus on Other Hobbies There is no need to do just sport betting as a hobby. You may have many other hobbies related to sports outside of the bookmakers, and we strongly encourage you to pursue those as well. This way, your mind will always be fresh when you come back to place a bet!
    • Ask Yourself If You Are Having Fun As one program says, if the fun stops, so should you. That is why it’s important to frequently ask yourself if you are having fun. If the answer is in the affirmative, then you are getting things right. If you doubt that the answer is yes, it means that you need to rest up a bit.
    • Reach out for Help If you suspect that you are overdoing it or your habits are getting the better of you, there is an easy way to solve this. Just remind yourself that there are helplines out there that are very eager to make sure that you have the best possible experience, and this is precisely how you are going to enjoy yourself. Make sure to know when to reach out for help if you feel you are gambling too much!

    FAQs

    What is the most reliable bookmaker in the country?

    This is a good question. In general, bet365, Ladbrokes and Betway are considered some of the safest and most trusted bookmakers in New Zealand. This is not to say that the rest of the ones you will find on our top list are not to be trusted. In fact, we will argue that any bookmaker that has been licensed to conduct online sports betting via the Totalisator Agency Board is trustworthy and that you should make sure to place your money with it. There are at least ten highly respected bookmakers currently in the country, and we have featured them all on our page.

    Which bookmaker has the best odds?

    This is arguably bet365. Most sports bettors agree that bet365 gets a small edge over the rest because they have fixed and tote racing odds which is a big plus if you are looking to diversify your experience. They also have a great value on US sports, which is great if you are particularly looking to bet on some of the biggest sport betting action out there. We particularly enjoy bet365 for anything that has to do with the NFL, NBA or college sports in the United States. The site is brilliant for domestic online betting in NZ ass well.

    How many bookmakers are there in the country in total?

    There are at least legal 21 sports betting websites currently in New Zealand. Their number may grow all the time, but this would be subject to the necessary regulatory approvals, which are important to have a clean and secure industry available to all. The number of bookmakers in New Zealand has remained static, which is credited to how well-oiled the industry is.

    Where can I watch live streams of matches?

    There are numerous operators in NZ that will allow you to watch sports live, and this is a great boon to anyone who is looking to have the best possible experience. Live streaming is very popular with most licensed operators, and once again, bet365 stands out from the crowd as one of the leading places to enjoy live sports and bet in-play.

    What do players bet on in New Zealand?

    In New Zealand, the biggest winners are naturally rugby union and rugby league. Players in the country are very passionate about gambling in these sports. There are other popular options, including horse racing, cricket, basketball, American football, and others. There are naturally other sports that punters in NZ enjoy. For example, you will also see the bet on martial sports, such as boxing and UFC. There are various motorsports that are worthwhile, along with big events such as the UEFA World Cup or the NFL Super Bowl.

    Media partners:

    • BBC
    • The New York Times
    • CNN
    • The Daily Telegraph
    • Forbes
    • WSJ
    • The Guardian