Jump to content
The Race Place

Betcha


Hesi

Recommended Posts

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

Mat Kermeen

Mat Kermeen

August 07, 2024  06:32pm

Share

 
E6E361EB50DC41758D1757BB74C14F8D

Entain says the younger demographic are already betting and are safer doing it with a New Zealand company who have harm minimisation practices.
John Davidson / www.photosport.n / John Davidson / www.photosport.nz

FAST FACTS
  • 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.

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.

DF30EE0EFF384ABF9B1578703BDC8BE6

There are concerns around the targeted advertising of the new platform towards young adults.
BRUCE MACKAY / BRUCE MACKAY / STUFF

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.

 

“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.

9Tzi8ywRz924XE3uHaD6DZ3Ef+IdbOiYlvIROR5v
 
Play Video
Horse trainers Stephen and Bridget Gray and have returned to NZ
VIDEO CREDIT: Adele Rycroft/Stuff

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.

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.

E109A6E8A12544EB864FADA791BBA04B

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

 
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.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

55 minutes ago, BarryB said:

The concept is a winner for them in Aus, it’s targeted at the guys who want to bet with there mates & see who’s got the biggest dick.

A comp you couldn’t win Hesi.

We have a syndicate of a few mates who use sports bet for the bet with mates. Be nice to have the option to do it in NZ. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 hours ago, Tonkatime said:

One thing that always gets me is everytime offshore betting numbers are mention a different figure is seemingly plucked out of thin air and added to the article. 

I've asked Entain for the source of those figures. Will report back.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, curious said:

To me Betcha looks exactly the same as the TAB site. What's the difference? Is it just how it will be marketed?

Agree. I can't see any differences.

Tried to sign up for the hell of it and the ID capture process is a complete dog. Just couldn't be bothered going any further.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The world is changing all the time and it is adapt or die.  Happy to accept that also an old fool and that they are tapping into a new market that the TAB could never do because of its 'old' branding.

Analogy in the news.  In our day the 6pm news was a focus, now the new generations get all their news through their phones on social media.  How many would actually watch the news at 6

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, BarryB said:

Its not designed for old fools like you & Curious, it is a duplicate of the TAB site, below is the whole purpose of it.

https://www.betcha.co.nz/playbook/video/how-to-bet-social/

Old fool indeed you ageist prick 🤣 

I managed to get verified which they paid me $25 for and then got a $100 deposit bonus out of them.

This old fool will take the free $125.

  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, pete said:

Old fool indeed you ageist prick 🤣 

I managed to get verified which they paid me $25 for and then got a $100 deposit bonus out of them.

This old fool will take the free $125.

When I go to sign up I am only getting offered a deposit bonus of $50.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 minutes ago, Tonkatime said:

When I go to sign up I am only getting offered a deposit bonus of $50.

I think it's 200% on a $25 deposit ($50) or $100 matched.

Mind you I had to call them to get it applied as it didn't appear.

I think if you defer the ID verification like I did they try to lure you in by offering $25.

Just my experience.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 minutes ago, pete said:

I think it's 200% on a $25 deposit ($50) or $100 matched.

Mind you I had to call them to get it applied as it didn't appear.

I think if you defer the ID verification like I did they try to lure you in by offering $25.

Just my experience.

Well I got the hundy bonus but still can't verify after phoning twice now. Code not coming through to phone. I'll give it one more crack.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 minutes ago, curious said:

Well I got the hundy bonus but still can't verify after phoning twice now. Code not coming through to phone. I'll give it one more crack.

 

Hmm I didn't verify that way. I used the automatic photo thing. Which was bloody frustrating.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

13 minutes ago, curious said:

oh. How do you get straight to that?

Go to My Account/Verification Centre.

Just realised you need to be on a mobile to do what I did because you need the camera.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

45 minutes ago, pete said:

Go to My Account/Verification Centre.

Just realised you need to be on a mobile to do what I did because you need the camera.

Yep. 3rd time they got me to try on my phone. That worked.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

14 hours ago, curious said:

I've asked Entain for the source of those figures. Will report back.

Those figures are based on the method we use to track customer spend with offshore operators which is a combination of:

 

 

  • Web traffic data;
  • Personal (anonymised) credit card spend data;

 

 

Which we then compare against some publicly available financial data (to assess market share position) + information from offshore rights arrangements (in place with offshore operators) to validate.

Hopefully helpful – for completeness we have always held the view that some of the potential figures that are cited in official documents dramatically under-state the volume of activity across multiple gambling classes. A view shared by others who have used similar methodology to arrive at estimates as we have.

 

 

Edited by curious
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...