Skip to content
Gambling-trends — Finance — Spin & Win — Football

Entain's New Zealand gambling expansion overshadowed by unpunished ad breach

A regulatory blind spot lets Entain thrive in New Zealand—even after breaking ad laws. How did a 25% market share overshadow a compliance failure?

,   and  Administrator
1 min read
The image shows an old map of New Zealand and New Zealand on a piece of paper. The map is detailed...
The image shows an old map of New Zealand and New Zealand on a piece of paper. The map is detailed and shows the various geographical features of the country, such as rivers, mountains, and cities. The paper also contains text, likely providing additional information about the map.

Entain's New Zealand gambling expansion overshadowed by unpunished ad breach

New Zealand's gambling sector has faced regulatory scrutiny after an offshore subsidiary of Entain broke local advertising rules in 2023. The incident involved an unsolicited promotional email sent to a New Zealand bettor, violating strict gambling marketing laws. Despite the breach, no public enforcement action has been taken by authorities over two years later. In June 2023, Entain took over day-to-day operations of TAB NZ, New Zealand's state-backed betting operator. The move followed Entain's acquisition of Sportsbet.io, which significantly boosted its presence in the country. By early 2026, Entain's market share in online sports betting had grown to 25–30%, up from under 10% before the deal. This surge outpaced rivals like Bet365 (18%) and Flutter Entertainment (15%), partly due to Entain's localised marketing and challenges faced by competitors in integrating with TAB NZ.

The same year, an Entain subsidiary sent a promotional email to a New Zealand customer, breaching advertising restrictions. Entain admitted the mistake and blocked New Zealand access to some offshore brands. Gambling harm advocates criticised the company for flouting regulations, but no penalties were imposed.

Meanwhile, the government expanded TAB NZ's exclusivity in 2025 to cover online sports and racing betting. The changes aimed to protect TAB's revenue, improve consumer safeguards, and fund domestic racing and sports. Separately, officials are developing a regulated online casino licensing system, independent of TAB NZ's monopoly. Entain continues operating in New Zealand's regulated betting market through its TAB NZ partnership. The 2023 compliance issue remains unresolved, with no enforcement action announced. The government's new licensing regime and TAB's expanded exclusivity will shape the future of online gambling in the country.

Read also:

Related

Latest