Updated Updated: May 2, 2022

Sports Betting in NZ | The Ultimate Guide

This page you are now will give you a quick overview of just some of the online sports betting sites in NZ we can help you with, so read on to get your first insight into the services we provide. Read More

At Betpal, we keep a close eye on the market to find the most promising NZ sports betting sites and best odds out there. Our goal is to provide you with all the information you need so that you can find the best online sports betting sites for you.

✅Looking for free bets? Here is a list of the free bets offers available in NZ.

✅Find out where to bet with our NZ betting sites list 

✅Watch free sports streaming and follow your favorite team.

Sports betting sites for NZ players:

Online sports betting for players from New Zealand

men playing sports on a football stadium

There are plenty of betting sites for New Zealanders to choose from. Although most leading betting sites are based in Europe, many of them cater to an international audience. That means New Zealanders can place their bets with some of the world’s most prominent online betting sites.

Sports betting in NZ, overview

The online sports betting market is growing each year. The last decade NZ betting sites have made significant leaps forward, and online betting has started to compete with traditional bookies. These days, there are almost too many betting sites to choose from, and at times you can easily be overwhelmed by the vast selection of betting sites out there.

In a nutshell, we do all the tedious work for you. We scout the most promising betting sites on the market and carefully assess what these sites have to offer. Then we handpick the ones we think stand out and list them here. That way, you can easily compare the sites and pick one that’s tailored to your liking.

What sports can I bet on?

One of the most appealing aspects of betting online is the vast selection of sports and betting markets that online bookies offer. No matter what sport you’re into, you’re quite likely to find plenty of exciting markets to choose from. You’ll find popular sports like football, tennis and rugby, but there are also other alternatives like e-sports, chess and snooker.

Furthermore, most operators have stepped outside the sports world and started offering betting markets on alternative events such as politics and entertainment. You’ll commonly find these odds under Specials, and it’s not uncommon for online betting sites to offer odds on popular tv-series, political elections and even weather forecasts. In other words, you don’t have to bee an avid sports fan to enjoy online betting.

Football betting

betpal dog mascot waving

Although there are plenty of alternative markets these days, football betting remains one of the most popular betting categories. And if you like to bet on football, you’re certainly spoiled for choice. 

Most prominent betting sites offer an incredible selection of football betting markets. In most cases, you’ll find a long list with leagues separated by country, as well as specific categories for European Leagues like La Liga, English Premier League, Serie A and Champions League

When it comes to football, there are almost countless betting markets to choose from. You can bet on match-winner, but there are also other markets such as how many cards will be handed out, how many corners there will be, and in which minute the first goal will be scored. Combined with the fantastic In-Play functions most online bookies offer, these markets make online betting really interesting. 

Horse racing betting

Horse racing has been popular for ages, and it’s no wonder these sports have found their way online too. In this category, you’ll primarily find races held in the UK and Ireland or Australia and New Zealand. There are often plenty of races you can bet on at any one time, and you can also follow the results on the actual site. Usually, if you can bet on horse racing you often can watch in live streaming the race you have a bet on.

Tennis betting

Tennis is another sport that’s extremely popular within online betting. And for that reason, all operators offer an extensive selection of betting markets on tennis. You can bet on all big tournaments, and there are numerous different outcomes you can bet on. Pretty much all online betting sites offer betting markets on ATP and WTP, as well as countless other events.

Rugby Union and League betting

Being from New Zealand, you’ll be pleased to know that all great operators offer plenty of markets on rugby. And just like in football and tennis, there are plenty of betting markets for you to choose from. You can place handicap bets, bet on the correct score or odd and even points, or on the winning margin in the first half. There are too many markets to mention them all – have a look at our recommended betting sites and see for yourself.

Betting on UFC/MMA

With UFC and MMA quickly becoming the world’s most popular combat sport, it’s no surprise most betting sites offer odds on these events. The selection is still quite small in comparison to other sports, as smaller leagues aren’t included. 

In most cases, you’ll find odds on significant bouts in leading leagues like Bellator and the UFC. But, as the sports continues to gain momentum, it won’t be unlikely for us to see operators glancing at smaller organisations like Cage Warriors and Invicta. 

As far as betting markets are concerned, many operators only offer odds on match-winner. There are; however, quite a few operators offering more interesting markets, such as round betting, win by KO/TKO and win by submission.

Betting on boxing

Although MMA’s slowly eclipsing boxing as far as mainstream following is concerned, it’s still in boxing where the big money is. With several leagues and promoters involved, professional boxing generates a lot of money, and the sport has always been popular among punters. The many possible outcomes of the sports, and its unforgiving and unpredictable nature, also makes boxing perfect for in-play betting.

Betting on other sports

Apart from the ones we’ve mentioned here, there are plenty of other sports you can bet on, such as cricket betting or NBA betting which are also hugely popular in New Zealand. Most online betting sites offer around 35 different betting categories, and most of these categories are divided into various subcategories. You’re basically spoiled for choice, and it’s highly unlikely you won’t find what you’re looking for. 

How to find the best sports betting site in NZ

betpal dog mascot showing how to find the best sports betting site in NZ

When you’re looking for a site to place your bets with, there are a few things you should consider. First and foremost, you need to compare the odds and market selection within the sports or events you are interested in. 

From there, you might want to check out what bonus offers the different operators have, to make sure you get as much value for your money as possible. Free bets, Acca bonuses and profit boosts can give you a nice advantage and a head start when you’ve signed up with a new betting site. Other things you might want to consider are the selection of in-play markets and the overall look and feel of the website. 

If you play a lot on mobile, it might be wise to opt for an operator that has a decent app. Most online betting sites are, of course, optimized for mobile devices, and you rarely encounter any difficulties when playing through the browser on your phone. However, a sleek app that’s been tailored to your smartphone can definitely enhance the user experience. Furthermore, some operators also offer exclusive deals when you play on mobile.

Lastly, you should always pay attention to how the customer support works and what payment offers are available. Most operators tend to have customer support 24/7 and offer more or less the same payment methods. There can, however, be differences in processing times and fees, so it’s always good to have a look beforehand.

how to bet on sports banner

5 steps to start betting:

  • Choose one of the sportsbook available in NZ
  • Create your account online
  • Deposit how much you willing to bet
  • Place your bet on the sports event you want
  • Watch your game and wait for the results

Top sports betting sites in NZ

RankBetting siteBest forVisit the bookie
1stBetwayBiggest markets rangeGo to Betway
2ndLeovegasBest on mobile devicesGo to Leovegas
3rd888 SportsThe oldest in the industryGo to 888Sport
4thBethardEasiest to useGo to Bethard
5thRoyal PandaFunniest themeGo to Royal Panda

Online Sports betting bonuses in NZ

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Let’s grab the bull by its horns and speak about one of the most important aspects of online sports betting – the bonuses. After all, this is one of the main differentiating factors between betting online a filling out a bet slip at the local bookie’s. 

Furthermore, many times, the bonus offers are what draws players to a specific operator. If two betting sites have similar betting markets and odds, the bonus might be the determining factor.

So, what is a sports betting bonus? If all this is new to you, you’ll be pleased to know that most betting sites give you free money when you sign up. This is a way of giving you an incentive to play and get you started.


Why sportsbooks are offering betting bonuses?

  • To let you try the bookmaker without depositing
  • To maximize your betting amount
  • To promote some events

Best sports betting bonus in the NZ – June

Free and risk-free bets

Most sports betting bonuses are so-called free bets. The term is rather self-explanatory – we’re obviously talking about a bet which you don’t pay for. It could either be a free sports bet with no deposit needed or a bet where your stake will be refunded if the bet loses. Either way, you have nothing to lose.

Profit boosts

betpal dog mascot with thumbs up

Other common online sports betting bonuses are so-called profit boosts. Again, the name sums up this promo quite well. When an online betting site gives you a profit boost, it means the operator boosts your winnings if your bet wins. 

Usually, the boost is a certain percentage up to a specified amount. For instance, you might come across operators giving you a profit boost of 100% up to $100. This means the operator will double your winnings up to a maximum amount of $100.

When we talk about bonuses, we must mention wagering requirements and the bonus terms that always come along with them. In most cases, any winnings you get with free bets are subject to wagering requirements. This means you must wager the bonus money a certain number of times to convert it to real cash that you can withdraw. When it comes to sports betting bonuses, the wagering requirements tend to lie somewhere around x5 the given amount, and in most cases, you must bet on specific odds to wager the bonus. 

Make sure you always check the bonus terms properly before you claim a bonus – that way, you avoid unnecessary disappointments further down the road.

Acca bets

betpal dog mascot showing acca bets

It’s no secret that big winnings often come from combining bets and creating multiples, or Accas as they’re often called. 

Acca is an abbreviation for Accumulators, and these are essentially bets made up of several smaller bets. The winnings from one prediction carry onto to the next prediction, and therefore you can win much more than you would if you placed a series of single bets on the same matches.

You’ll most commonly find Acca bets on football or horse racing, and for an Acca bet to win each prediction within your selection must be correct. This can be a hard thing to do, but if you get it right, Acca bets can become an incredibly lucrative affair.

That’s why many betting sites offer promotions on Acca bets. For instance, it’s not uncommon for you to get a refund if only one of your predictions loses. In other words, operators are giving you a risk-free bet with far more lucrative prospects than a regular single bet can offer.

Ready to bet? Take a look at the offers available in NZ

In-play and live streaming

In-play has become mandatory in the industry. You hardly ever come across an online betting site that does not offer In-Play markets. 

In many ways, live betting has revolutionized sports betting and given players a world of new possibilities. The thought of placing bets while a match is ongoing is, of course, exciting. And with today’s smartphones allowing us to follow the events wherever we go, in-play is a no-brainer for punters looking to advance their betting strategies and get more excitement out of the experience. 

In conjunction with their live markets, some online betting sites also offer live streaming. This is still a quite rare function, and the operators that do offer live streaming often have a rather small selection of live-streamed events.

What most betting sites do offer, however, is a real-time match simulator showing you what’s happening in the match. You’ll see a visual representation of the match next to your bet slip, sort of like an online feed keeping you updated with what’s happening in the game. 

In a football match, for instance, you’ll be able to see where on the pitch the ball is, and which player has the ball. You’ll also see live statistics that are continuously updated during the game.

FAQ

If you play with our selected operators, you have nothing to worry about. All betting sites on our site are licensed by recognised authorities and use encryption software to keep your information protected.

First and foremost, you need to keep in mind that betting has to do with luck. With that being said, you can earn money on sports betting if you’re very knowledgeable within a particular sport. In a nutshell, it’s all about making the correct predictions.

There are several ways to live stream matches. To start with, try finding an online betting site that has live streaming.

Offers come and go, and it’s not uncommon for betting sites tom change their offers. Keep a close eye on this page to find the best sports betting bonuses right now.

As a NZ player you have several choice of online bookies offering odds on sports. There are the most famous ones:

The top 3 betting sports are definitely

  1. Football (soccer)
  2. Horse Racing
  3. Tennis

You will always find plenty of markets when looking at the online bookmakers. As these sports are the most famous among punters.

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