Entain is widely expected to be one of the leaders in New Zealand’s regulated online casino space when the market launches, and the company is looking to dominate in all aspects.
Chief Executive Officer Stella David stated earlier this year that the operator is seeking out three of the up to 15 licences that will be up for auction, while former Chief Financial Officer Rob Wood noted that around £300m of the approximately £600m marketplace value estimation of New Zealand iGaming is expected to be achieved.
Entain’s partnership with TAB NZ for online sports betting in New Zealand means that ambition is certainly achievable. Its TAB and betcha brands operating online sports betting in the country currently hold less than a £200m market share, leaving room for expansion.
Up to half of the approximate £600m estimated marketplace value would be quite a hefty slice of the Kiwi pie, but Entain’s high expectations for iGaming in New Zealand go beyond that.
All in for a regulated market
Entain has warned that a chunk of the Kiwi market is already playing with unlicensed operators, and it aims to bring the grey market into the regulated space, which sets a high standard for player safety.
A robust licensing system has been called for by the operator, as it looks to set a high standard for a sustainable, long-term gambling market in New Zealand.
Entain recently told iGaming Expert that it expects the New Zealand government’s Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) to be focused on the compliance capability, responsible gambling credentials and long-term investment aspirations of parties interested in a licence.
An Entain spokesperson said: “Entain is invested in New Zealand through our 25-year strategic partnership with TAB NZ, and we welcome the move toward regulating online casino and reducing illegal market activity for Kiwis already gambling with offshore operators.
“We have delivered more than 50% growth in funding for racing and sport, while demonstrating our commitment to innovation and customer protection to regulators and communities right across New Zealand all through the commitment of our 400 colleagues across six cities.
“We expect the licensing process will be highly competitive and regulators to be rightly focused on compliance capability, responsible gambling credentials and long-term investment in New Zealand. A regulated market creates an opportunity to better protect customers, reduces illegal operations and ensures economic benefits flow back into New Zealand communities.
“International experience suggests there can be some crossover between sports betting and online casino products, although the customer segments are generally different, which is why strong safer gambling standards across the entire online gambling environment will be important.”
Entain has, however, faced its own compliance challenges in the region in recent times.
500-plus self-exclusion breaches
Last month, the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) revealed that an investigation discovered more than 500 breaches of national self-exclusion rules in Australia by Entain Australia & New Zealand.
As a result, the Ladbrokes and Neds operator entered into a court-enforceable undertaking.
The ACMA found that Entain had:
- Opened accounts and provided wagering to people registered with BetStop.
- Opened new accounts for individuals registered with BetStop.
- Failed to adequately promote BetStop in customer texts and emails.
The ACMA accepted a comprehensive 18-month court-enforceable undertaking from Entain, as the company will commit to an independent review of its compliance systems and processes and implement any recommended improvements.
According to ACMA Member Carolyn Lidgerwood, several contraventions related to Entain customers holding multiple accounts across the Ladbrokes and Neds services.
Entain said that it engaged with the ACMA throughout, providing detailed submissions and working in good faith to address issues. The operator stated that the BetStop system and processes were still evolving at the time and that it had made significant investment into its compliance framework, governance and culture, with improvements already made.
The operator added that the enforceable undertaking, rather than a fine, reflects the nature of the breaches and the confidence in the operator and its ability to remediate.
However, the ACMA has stated that it ‘did not issue Entain with an infringement notice as that enforcement option was not available in these circumstances’ and that ‘failure to comply with an enforceable undertaking can result in court-ordered financial penalties’.
AUSTRAC court case
Court dates are still on the agenda for Entain, though, as the operator is also continuing its preparations for its case in the Federal Court of Australia with Australian financial crime regulator AUSTRAC over anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing (AML/CTF) compliance.
Justice Moore is set to hear the case on 30 November 2026, with the operator having to submit its evidence for the case by 6 August. AUSTRAC had to have its case in order by 10 April, but the case could also be settled before then.
A December 2024 investigation into Entain’s Ladbrokes and Neds brands resulted in AUSTRAC alleging that the operator permitted 17 high-risk customers to spend AUS $152m (approximately €93.6m) without adequate checks. Specifically, the operator is accused of allowing one customer, who had strong ties to drug trafficking, to launder more than $20m through its platform.
“We followed expert advice at the time but, looking back, we recognise the old program missed the mark.”
Andrew Vouris, CEO of Entain Australia & New Zealand
In October last year, Entain admitted to shortcomings in its previous AML/CTF compliance program between December 2018 and August 2024, but disputed several allegations and interpretations made by AUSTRAC, saying its AML/CTF compliance had been substantially upgraded and was compliant with the regulator’s frameworks as of August 2024.
The operator also highlighted changes made to improve operations in the past two years and that it has “fully cooperated with AUSTRAC and continues to engage constructively and in good faith”.
What’s next?
Outside of compliance with the ACMA and AUSTRAC, Entain will be waiting for New Zealand to kick off its auction for the licences.
The Online Casino Gambling Regulations 2026 framework is set to open on 3 July 2026, with the expression of interest stage of the licensing process set to begin in the second half of next month, followed by the market’s scheduled launch on 1 December. Only operators that hold a licence will be permitted to operate from 1 June 2027.
From its statement, it’s clear that Entain wants to show the DIA that compliance is at the top of its mind when entering the New Zealand iGaming market, despite its past issues in neighbouring Australia.
This is echoed by Andrew Vouris, CEO of Entain Australia & New Zealand, when he spoke about the AUSTRAC situation in October last year.
Vouris said at the time: “We sincerely regret that our old program didn’t meet expectations. We followed expert advice at the time but, looking back, we recognise the old program missed the mark.
“We’ve acknowledged our shortcomings, taken responsibility, and spent the last two years learning from them and fixing them. Entain has fundamentally transformed its approach to compliance and now operates a market-leading program, underpinned by a compliance-first culture – to win, but not at all costs.”
Compliance and player safety are clearly at the top of mind for Entain, as it seeks to take the lessons learned from Australia into its New Zealand future, in the hope that it will carve out a significant slice of the iGaming market share pie.
