eSports Betting Sites in 2024

New Zealand online sports bettors have been accustomed to wagering on more physical sports such as rugby and football. However, there seems to be a new contender on the scene that’s been taking the world by storm: eSports wagering.

Here, as opposed to physically playing in an open field, competitors fight for supremacy, but on a digital background, where skill, timing, and split-second decisions can make a huge difference for players.

LOL wagering, Dota 2, and CS: go betting are currently leading when it comes to the world of eSports, and over the last few years, we’ve witnessed a bigger growth in this industry than most other sports. In New Zealand, eSports betting seems to be gaining popularity with each day that passes.

With the power of the internet, eSports betting in New Zealand is now made possible at any time of the year. And thanks to plenty of tournaments that take place annually, there’s never a need for players to wait for a new game to start so that players can bet.

Are you a Kiwi bettor looking to dip your feet in eSports betting in New Zealand? If so, you are in the right place. In this article, you’ll get to learn much about online eSports betting in New Zealand. Let’s dive in!

Best eSports betting sites in New Zealand

How does New Zealand’s eSports betting scene look like?

Sports betting or gambling in New Zealand isn’t a new thing. People have been wagering on sports for quite a long time and today, there’s very little that the government can do to restrict betting on sports. Lately, though, eSports betting in New Zealand seems to be on the rise and the country could prove to be an eSports betting hub soon.

There’s no clear indication on how many Kiwis partake eSports betting on a daily basis, but what’s known is that eSports betting fans spend quite a lot of their money on their gambling habits annually. In 2017 and 2018, for example, New Zealanders spent close to NZ$2 billion on gambling. A significant chunk of that money is expected to be eSports wagers.

One thing that we can say for sure is that matters to do with eSports in New Zealand is a hot topic. They are one of the few jurisdictions that have gone ahead to form a national eSports Federation, a body that directs the entire tournaments that are held locally and internationally.

According to the same Federation, close to 64% of Kiwis play video games on a daily basis, with the average player being 34 years. It means that more than 2.5 million individuals are potential customers and a further half of them are of legal age to place eSports wagers in New Zealand.

The legal framework

New Zealand’s eGambling arena is still in its nascent stage, yet players can wager on the largest video games leagues across the globe. Within a very short span of time, the industry has managed to build a massive infrastructure around eSports wagering.

In New Zealand, gaming is regulated by the Department of Internal Affairs, and this includes all forms of betting, eSports included. There’s no ban on offshore bookies which allow players to wager on any website that’s licensed.

While the legal aspect in NZ is wonderfully lenient, on the other hand, though, the Gaming Act prohibits operators from providing “remote interactive gambling” services or any other product that may allow off-site wagering by use of communication devices such as smartphones and computers.

What games should you wager on in New Zealand?

Every bettor would want to choose a game that’s popular with the local community, and the reason for this is quite simple: it helps to track your national teams easier while deducing their chances at success at a much higher rate. For this reason, you need to be aware of the games that Kiwi eSports professionals do specialize in. Currently, the following are the games that have teams:

• League of Legends
• Overwatch
• CS: GO
• FIFA
• Call of Duty
• Hearthstone

Almost the entire games on the list are industry favorites, meaning that finding a game to wager on will be easy. Something that you need to consider, though, are the odds.

Some games, such as CS: GO tend to have high odds than others. Some, such as Hearthstone tend to come with low odds due to its low risk too.

Recommended payment methods for eSports wagering in New Zealand

If you’are about to commit to opening an account on a New Zealand eSports wagering website, among other things, you need to be aware of the available payment methods at your disposal. Luckily, enough, most operators in New Zealand support plenty of safe and convenient banking options such as:

• MasterCard
• Visa
• Maestro Card
• Skrill
• Neteller
• Bitcoin
• Bank Transfer
• PayPal
• Paysafe

The more the options, the better it is for players since they have several ways to diversify their deposit habits. It’s best to go with options that don’t involve banks, since most of them are fast and secure.

How to choose an eSports wagering site in New Zealand

There are plenty of eSports betting sites serving many eSports betting fans in New Zealand. All of them claim to be the best in business, but that’s not necessarily the case.

So, how do you go about choosing the best eSports wagering site in New Zealand? First, you may want to consider whether they are licensed or not. The good thing is that almost all eSports betting sites in New Zealand are licensed. Betting at a legit site means that your winnings are guaranteed.

You may also want to consider the available banking options that they support. Are they safe and convenient for you? You need to have several payment options to choose from when you want to fund your account or cash out your winnings.

What about their game portfolio? Are they massive or limited? The best eSports betting sites in New Zealand are those with an impressive range of eSports to choose from.

You may also want to factor in matters to do with site security and reliability. When choosing an eSports site in New Zealand, make sure that you bet with one where your personal and financial information is safe at all times.

All the sites we mention here are legit, safe and secure. Only bet on sites that won’t share your information with third party groups or marketers for that matter.

The Bottom Line

eSports is growing in New Zealand at a faster rate, especially now that it’s legal to wager on such sports. Now, Kiwis who fancy wagering on eSports have an abundance of such sites at their disposal. Even though betting on eSports in New Zealand got off to quite a slow start, today, eSports has a multitude of loyal Kiwi fans.