New Zealand Racing Integrity Board Steps Up Online Gambling Focus

New Zealand’s Racing Integrity Board is stepping up its focus on online gambling integrity as the country moves into a new regulated era for online casinos.

The RIB published comments in March 2026 warning that the rise of online casino regulation, offshore betting, crypto-enabled operators, and international gambling platforms is creating new risks for racing integrity. 

The issue is not only about casinos. According to RIB Chief Executive Dr Eliot Forbes,

there is a close relationship between online gaming and racebook offerings, meaning casino-style operators and betting platforms can overlap in ways that create integrity concerns.

Offshore betting remains a concern

TAB NZ currently holds the exclusive right to offer betting to New Zealand residents. Legislation enacted in June 2025 means Kiwis cannot place race and sports bets with anyone other than TAB NZ, including on overseas racing and sports events. 

However, the RIB says the wider betting environment is becoming harder to monitor. Forbes noted that integrity work now extends beyond domestic borders into an international, multi-jurisdictional market.

That matters because New Zealand racing can still be offered by overseas betting operators, even when those operators are not contributing to the local racing system or sharing useful integrity data.

Crypto operators add another layer

One of the RIB’s biggest concerns is the role of crypto-enabled gambling brands. Forbes said more than 50 crypto-enabled brands now accept bets on New Zealand racing.

The RIB says these operators may not pay product fees, may not share integrity data, may offer limited consumer protections, and may be unlikely to follow anti-money laundering obligations to the standard expected in regulated markets. 

The board’s analysis found that many operators rely on grey-market licensing regimes, including Curaçao, Anjouan, and Costa Rica. The concern is that these licences can make a platform appear legitimate while offering limited integrity or reporting obligations.

Why this matters for racing

For the racing industry, the issue goes beyond player protection. Betting markets can affect how suspicious activity is detected, how racing products are monitored, and how money flows back into the sport.

The RIB said offshore operators can offer fixed-odds and derivative products on New Zealand races that do not exist domestically. Some may also use bonuses or rollover requirements that would no longer be legal in regulated domestic markets. 

Forbes described this type of model as harmful because it extracts value from racing products without contributing to the integrity systems or financial structures that support the sport.

More monitoring ahead

The RIB says it is now working to map offshore coverage of New Zealand racing, monitor key markets, and track crypto-deposit activity among major operators.

The timing is important. New Zealand’s new Online Casino Gambling Act creates a regulated pathway for online casino operators, but it also highlights how complex the broader gambling environment has become.