There’s a new player on the Kiwi betting landscape for the first time in 74 years

Wednesday, 7 August 2024

Entain says the younger demographic are already betting and are safer doing it with a New Zealand company who have harm minimisation practices.

Entain, who operate the New Zealand TAB, have launched a second betting platform.

Betcha, is targeting a younger demographic, who Entain claim are already betting big with overseas agencies.

PGF services say targeting a market as young as teenagers is ‘very concerning’.

International wagering operator Entain, which operates the New Zealand TAB, has launched a new platform to attract a younger audience and minimise the damage being done by offshore betting operators.

There are concerns around the targeted advertising of the new platform towards young adults.

Until the launch of betcha on Wednesday, the only New Zealand-based option to bet on racing and sports, legally, in the previous 74 years has been with the TAB.

An online platform, betcha will not have a retail front or self-service machines and will run alongside the existing TAB but as a different entity. Account holders will use betcha through a website, similar to the new TAB layout, and an app.

Already signed as New Zealand’s official betting partner to the UFC, betcha will have a strong focus on sports such as football and basketball that are popular with the younger generation, but Entain says it will hold a prominent racing footprint.

Entain, who took over the running of the NZ TAB midway through last year, says its reason for targeting the younger market was because that is the age bracket that is doing the most betting with offshore operators, taking money away from New Zealand sports and racing bodies.

Given the demographic, betcha will have a strong social media presence and be more visible to potential punters, as young as teenagers.

But PGF Services (formerly Problem Gambling Foundation) can see the move causing damage of a different kind and say a new platform targeting young adults is “very concerning”, claiming it will put young adults at serious risk of overreaching their limits.

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“I think it’s really concerning, it’s clearly targeting 18 to 29-year-old’s and that is really problematic,” PGF services spokesperson Andree Froude said.

“Haven’t we learned anything from alcohol and tobacco?

“That they can come out with a brand that’s blatantly targeting young people is really, really concerning.”

“Young people and risk taking, we know for many things that can be problematic,” Froude said.

Entain says it can create a safer avenue for the younger demographic to bet legally and in an environment that has harm minimisation protections, something offshore agencies largely don’t provide.

Betcha is already signed as New Zealand’s official betting partner to the UFC.

Back in April, the TAB launched a new betting platform and website but Cameron Rodger, Entain Australia and New Zealand’s managing director, said while that had provided some growth in the the 18-29 demographic, there was clearly a demand for a point of difference in the market.

“Offshore spending is now estimated to be over $180m per annum, and this is led by the growth in offshore spending doubling in the 18-29-year-old age band in the last five years,” Rodger said.

“In the three months to the end of June 2024, New Zealanders’ spending with offshore betting operators grew by 30%, continuing a trend over the last three or more 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,” Rodger said.

Froude said aside from the concerns around targeting youth, another player in the wagering industry would expose at risk gamblers, of all ages, to more marketing and enticements to bet.

Forde said advertising, enticements and promotions offered by betting agencies, including the TAB, can make betting seem not risky or having no harm associated with it.

“And they are harmful products,” she said.

The view of PGF, who see the damage problem gambling does on a daily basis, was that gambling advertising should not be prohibited at all.

“It is so normalised,” Froude said.

“You cannot watch sport now without hearing about odds.”

Entain’s chief marketing officer, Mel Kenneday, said betcha would introduce New Zealanders to the next generation of betting, where punters could create syndicates and bet with mates.

Betcha will offer more personalised options and flexibility to its online customers than the more traditional TAB service.

Like the TAB website, the betcha app and website will have free live streaming of Trackside Racing channels and some sports for account holders.

TAB account holders wanting to join betcha will need to sign up to a separate account.

Froude said said PGF wanted to see mandatory limits and accounts and should not be able to be topped up by credit cards as minimum requirements.