The New Zealand TAB, backed by international wagering giant Entain, has created a second betting platform in a bid to attract a younger audience.
Following a soft launch on Wednesday, the TAB is offering customers a digital-only option called betcha.
Its arrival marks the first time a new wagering brand has been established in New Zealand since the TAB opened in 1950.
New Zealand does not licence corporate bookmakers as Australia does.
Entain, the owner of Ladbrokes and Neds, says the release of betcha is aimed at providing customers with a point of difference to its traditional TAB offerings.
With that in mind, the betcha app has been designed to appeal to a younger demographic, hoping to stem the flow of wagering turnover to overseas bookmakers.
“In the three months to the end of June 2024, New Zealanders’ spending with offshore betting operators grew by 30 per cent, continuing a trend over the last three or more years,” Entain’s New Zealand managing director Cameron Rodger said.
“Offshore spending is now estimated to be over $NZ180 million per annum, and this is led by the growth in offshore spending doubling in the 18 to 29-year-old age band in the last five years.
“Their betting activity provides little to no benefit for the New Zealand racing and sports industries, and these offshore operators are under no obligation to provide the same level of harm minimisation support and account management tools that betcha will make available for Kiwis.”
Bren O’Brien
Unlike the TAB, betcha will not have a retail presence and it will be limited to a fixed-odds service.
It will offer a suite of interactive products with a social emphasis, and sports popular with a younger generation will be the platform's linchpin.
"This new brand will emphasise the social and competitive value of sports and racing and introduce New Zealanders to the next generation of betting,” Entain’s chief marketing officer, Mel Kenneday said.
“This means we’ll be focusing on some of those events and sports that the newer generation have really shown interest in, like football, basketball, and UFC, with betcha confirmed as New Zealand’s official wagering partner for UFC.”
Entain signed a 25-year strategic partnership with the New Zealand TAB last year, fending off bids from Tabcorp and Sportsbet to clinch the deal.
The company’s move into the New Zealand wagering landscape has given the country’s racing industry renewed optimism. The inaugural $NZ4.5 million NZB Kiwi in 2025 is just one example of Entain’s impact.
Entain launched a new TAB betting platform in April, and there was some growth in the 18-29-year-old demographic. However, it says it is clear that New Zealand punters want a point of difference.
Jessica Owers
The launch of betcha follows Australian firm Tabcorp’s move into the social wagering space.
In 2022, the ASX-listed Tabcorp purchased a 20 per cent equity interest in Dabble for $33 million in an effort to increase its younger wagering customer base.
Tabcorp had previously ventured into a corporate bookmaking role when it launched Luxbet in 2008.
But when Tabcorp completed an $11 million merger with Tatts Group, Luxbet, which operated as an online platform, was closed in 2017.
