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Best Sports to Bet on in New Zealand and Where to Find Them

If natural beauty, fantastic weather, and amazing people are something to buy, it’s hard to beat New Zealand. Thousands of tourists visit this island

If natural beauty, fantastic weather, and amazing people are something to buy, it’s hard to beat New Zealand. Thousands of tourists visit this island nation every year from across the world. The infamous Maori culture is also a Kiwi descendant. 

But there’s another thing New Zealand is known for. Gambling. Well, online gambling, to be precise. But there are some twists for this jurisdiction. And if you’re hunting for NZ betting sites, we’ve got that too! In this Get News 360 post, we will discuss these twists.

Let’s start with the legal gambling situation in New Zealand and move on to other essential areas. 

Get News 360: Is Online Gambling Legal in New Zealand?

New Zealand’s gambling legislation is quite interesting, in our opinion. Kiwis can get services both online and offline. There are state-based establishments like the NZ Lottery and the TAB. 

However, all other forms of gambling are pretty much illegal. It simply comes down to the legislation the country follows to regulate gambling. It’s the Gambling Act 2003. It prohibits any domestic operator from offering gambling services. To know more – discover this video:

 

As you can see on the date, this gambling act is outdated. The internet was a thing back then, but it wasn’t developed for a government to consider it. Hence, online gambling was skipped entirely in the 2003 Gambling Act. 

But we believe it’s a blessing in disguise. We wouldn’t be writing this post if online gambling were mentioned and made illegal. And you wouldn’t be reading it. The fact that no mention of online gambling is there in the legislation makes it “unregulated”. 

And if you’ve been following Get News 360 guides, you know it’s pretty much legal in unregulated jurisdictions. The only catch is that the betting sites must be offshore. In this case, areas that are based outside New Zealand. 

Popular Acts of Betting in New Zealand

If we’re sure about something, every punter is different. A lot of things, including the local culture, influence these decisions. It means you can notice patterns in gambling behavior all over the world. But the ways are different. 

So, what are the popular types of betting in New Zealand? What sports do they prefer? Let’s find out. 

Rugby Betting

It should be no surprise that Kiwis love rugby. For this reason, rugby betting brings the most volume in terms of betting. The National Rugby League is the biggest showdown of rugby in the country. Then you have the New Zealand Rugby League, Auckland Rugby League, and Rugby League World Cup. The national team has been consistently doing very well in the Rugby World Cup. 

The betting sites accepting customers from NZ also know this. As a result, they all offer mainstream rugby tournaments for the bettors. You can expect to find your preferred tournament any time during the year. 

Cricket Betting

Cricket is another trendy sport in the country. According to the ICC rankings, the NZ cricket team is considered one of the best. Legends like Ross Taylor, Shane Bond, Martin Guptill, and Anton Devcich have taken the team to a different height. 

Domestic cricket leagues within the country include 

  1. Auckland Aces 
  2. Canterbury 
  3. Central Stags 
  4. Northern Districts

All of these are available across online betting sites. Along with these, you can also expect international tournaments from the ICC roster for betting! 

Football Betting

While the national team is not very popular globally, football is still a prevalent sport among bettors in New Zealand. But we can say that for any country in the world. It’s simply because football is one of the most global sports in the world. 

For this reason, you can find thousands of markets at any time during the year for betting. Everything is fair game in the Kiwi betting scene, from the English Premier League to La Liga top Ligue 1 to Serie A. 

And how can we forget international tournaments like the FIFA World Cup, Copa America, Euro Cup, and so on? 

Horse Racing Betting 

Being one of Australia’s neighbors, New Zealand loves horse races. Many of the elite racehorses in history have been bred on Kiwi soil! And when it comes to horse races, betting opportunities are just inevitable. 

So, all the online betting sites offering their services to NZ players have a section for horse racing. Whether it’s the historical Kentucky Derby or the Grand National, you can expect markets for all participating horses and jockeys. 

And, of course, you get local options like the NZ Derby, Karaka Millions 2YO, NZ Oaks, the Wellington Cup, etc. tournaments too. 

Basketball Betting

The last sport we want to discuss is basketball. It’s one of the more Americanized games, and the biggest tournaments also occur in North America. But it doesn’t mean people in New Zealand don’t like basketball. They do. A lot.

The NBA is, of course, the biggest league of the year worldwide. Thousands of bettors wait yearly to bet real money on the biggest NBA stars. As for local options, we can think of NZBL right now. 

How to Choose the Best NZ Betting Sites for Yourself

Here’s the thing about anything “best”. The definition varies from person to person. Just because someone else believes an online sportsbook is the “best” doesn’t mean you have to agree. It’s always best to figure it out for yourself. And we can help by listing the most important criteria to check before you sign up. 

  • Offshore License: The first thing you need to do is look for an offshore license. Malta Gaming Authority, Curacao Gaming, Alderney Gambling Control Commission, Gibraltar Gambling Commission, etc., are valid licenses in New Zealand. Without a permit, you can’t trust an online bookmaker’s odds and payment methods. 
  • Sports Betting Markets: You should evaluate the sports section before committing real money. You need to know whether the site offers your preferred sports or not. While you’re at it, check the live betting section as well. For the better, of course! In many cases, top-tier live betting sites can change your perspective on online gambling.
  • Common Payment Methods: To deposit money into your account and withdraw it out of your account, you’ll need a reliable online payment method. New Zealand has all the major players present, so it shouldn’t be trouble to figure this out. Ensure you’re not using a technique you’ve never heard of before. If that’s the case, do some background research before signing up. Don’t forget to align your limits too. 
  • NZD Acceptance: As all the betting sites in NZ are offshore, you must ensure you can deposit and withdraw using New Zealand dollars. Otherwise, you’re looking for hefty fees for currency conversions. If you can find a betting site with crypto, you don’t have to worry about this criterion. 

Responsible Gambling: Gambling is one of those things that you can’t take a chance with (!). You may not even realize that you’ve developed a gambling problem. The best way to avoid such scenarios is to read the responsible gambling page and see what tools you can use. Deposit limits, session limits, bet limits, etc., work exceptionally well as preventative measures.

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