New Zealand’s Favorite Sports Betting Markets: Beyond Rugby

Edna Boykin
December 24, 2024

New Zealand feasts all its sports fans and lovers with many games, some unique to the island country. Sports betting in New Zealand has been quite a restricted activity since, well forever. However, the new legal framework has relaxed the betting laws in the island country.

Sports betting for Kiwis has long been about rugby, but the industry has expanded beyond that to include other sports like cricket, esports, and basketball. We have conducted our study to find the popular markets for sports betting in NZ and the emerging sports that are gaining major traction in the NZ betting world.

Popular Sports Markets For Kiwi Bettors

The most popular sports betting market for Kiwi bettors is given below:

Cricket:

If you ask any Kiwi about their favorite sports, the most common answer you will get is Cricket. Cricket has many international tournaments and domestic leagues taking place throughout the year. When a sport is popular, it naturally becomes popular for betting. Cricket betting NZ therefore, is also a common activity which includes predicting the match winner, the number of wickets taken, or the number of runs scored. Betting on this sport or market comes with in-play live betting opportunities where players can simply wager on individual balls and overs during a match in real time. Whether you are a Kiwi betting on cricket from NZ or a visitor there, there are three different formats that you will find to place your bets on: the One Day International, Test matches, and Twenty20 games.

Esports:

The largest market for betting in New Zealand so far is the esport betting market in New Zealand, which is expected to have an $11.2 million market volume by the end of 2024. FIFA and other esports simulations are rising with technological advances shaping its growth. Initiatives like the NZ Esports Hyperfibre League have made this market quite strong, with huge investments pouring in, leading to more than 73% of the NZ bettors participating in esport betting. However, specific legal challenges remain in the country, restricting the growth of the esport betting market to some extent. Without the challenges, the industry would have been leading, but the future still seems to be a favorable time with the relaxation of betting restrictions and proper regulatory framework to mitigate the risks of esport betting.

Basketball:

Just after cricket, the second most popular sport for betting in the island country is basketball, which the Kiwis befriended back in 1908, and since then, the NZ national team has won many honors. Participation and viewership have grown manifolds, particularly for the NBL and NBA games, among other international competitions. The growth of the NBA betting NZ market has caught the attention of many bettors around the world. NZ bettors popularly bet on the following betting markets – player performance, total points, points spread, and match outcomes.

New NZ Sports Betting Markets

Some of the latest sports betting markets in New Zealand are given below:

Tennis:

New Zealanders have started to bet on tennis during the Grand Slam tournaments like the US Open and Wimbledon. Tennis betting NZ includes predicting the match winner, the number of aces served, or the number of sets played. You can place your bets on individual games and even points through in-play betting during a tennis match. Tennis is popular in New Zealand for many surprises and upsets, with unseeded bettors causing a major down-trend during tournaments. But the main reason behind the growth of the tennis betting industry is live betting.

Horse Racing:

A traditional favorite, horse racing among New Zealanders has held firm for many years, leading to the growth of the horse racing NZ betting markets. Betting on horse racing has many betting opportunities, from winner prediction of the race to betting on the tricast, forecast, and even place. But what is more unique about horse racing in New Zealand is the culture of dedicated fans and enthusiasts. Thousands of bettors follow the sport and create specialist knowledge. If you are interested in horse race betting, know the popular tournaments and events are the Melbourne Cup in Australia and the Grand National in the UK.

Soccer:

Soccer or football, without any denying or surprise, is the most heavily wagered game in New Zealand. Soccer betting NZ is so popular among the Kiwis that the sport is facilitated by different bookmakers, both offline and online. The market has specially tailored features for bettors, with specialist soccer betting sites catering to beginners and professional punters. The sport has a global appeal, with competitions like La Liga and EPL attracting maximum wagers in New Zealand.

Choosing the Best Sports Betting Sites in NZ

Most Kiwis are interested in the best New Zealand sports betting sites, which offer dozens of features to make gaming experiences more exciting and fun.

If you wish to enjoy safe betting, look out for licensed betting platforms in NZ that promise a quick registration process before registering on any online sportsbook. This ensures that everything is legal and easy for the punters.

The next important feature you want to ensure that every NZ sportsbook has is a full support and security setup. This is because betting on any kind of sport will require some form of investment. So, it helps if the platform complies with the regulatory and security standards of the authority and has 24×7 customer support for online sports betting.

FAQs

Which sports are most popular for betting in New Zealand beyond rugby?

The New Zealand sports betting market has expanded beyond rugby to offer cricket, esports, tennis, and soccer betting.

Are there New Zealand betting sites that specialize in esports?

Yes, many betting sites in New Zealand specialize in sports betting.

How can I find trustworthy sports betting sites in New Zealand?

To enjoy safe and secure betting in New Zealand, you only have to check the licensing information on the official website and make sure that the platform is regulated under a proper licensing body.