TAB NZ

History and Legal Basis

The TAB brand was officially established on 19 October 1950, with the first off-course agencies opening in 1951. For decades the organisation operated as the New Zealand Racing Board (NZRB) under the Racing Act 2003, charged with operating the TAB and promoting the racing industry. The Racing Industry Act 2020 created TAB New Zealand as a new statutory body, absorbing the functions of the earlier NZRB and the Racing Industry Transition Agency (RITA). This Act also gave TAB NZ the authority to delegate its operational functions, leading to the 2023 strategic partnership with Entain.

Products and Platforms

TAB NZ offers a comprehensive range of betting products through multiple channels: on-course betting at racetracks, approximately 675 retail outlets and social venues nationwide, online and mobile via the TAB website and native apps, telephone services (Phonebet and Touch Tone), self-service terminals in venues, and two dedicated television channels (Trackside 1 and 2) broadcasting racing and sports content. Betting products include totalisator bets (win, place, each way, poker, all‑up, Easybet, percentage betting) and fixed‑odds sports betting across 31 sporting codes. The brand betcha is also operated under the TAB NZ umbrella as an alternative digital platform. Through the Super TAB agreement, customers can bet on commingled pools from Australian, American, English, Hong Kong, Japanese, French and Singaporean racing.

Strategic Partnership with Entain

In June 2023, TAB NZ signed a 25‑year deal with UK‑based Entain Plc, delegating all betting, retail and broadcasting operations to its New Zealand subsidiary, Entain NZ. Under the agreement, Entain guarantees TAB NZ a minimum of NZ$150 million per year for the first five years (to 2028) plus a one‑off upfront payment. In 2025, following a legislative amendment, an additional one‑off payment of NZ$100 million was received. The partnership has modernised the betting experience for Kiwi punters and delivered world‑class player safety tools.

Regulatory and Financial Impact

TAB NZ is the sole legal operator of betting in New Zealand, with the 2025 legislative change closing the offshore online loophole. Funding to the three racing codes (thoroughbred, harness, greyhound) and to national sporting organisations has increased substantially. In the 2023/24 financial year, TAB NZ distributed over NZ$225 million to racing and NZ$26.5 million to sport, plus NZ$11.1 million in Government levies and taxes. The pre‑partnership (2022/23) IER report valued the racing industry’s economic contribution at NZ$1.9 billion and 13,500 jobs.

Organisational Structure

TAB NZ is governed by a board of directors appointed by the Minister for Racing. The board oversees a management team led by a Chief Executive Officer. Day‑to‑day betting operations are entirely managed by Entain NZ under the delegation agreement, while TAB NZ retains compliance and regulatory functions.