Live betting in New Zealand in 2026: who is allowed to take your in-play bet, and what that costs you

Updated October 2026

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Current as of 27 October 2026, checked against the Racing Industry Act 2020 as amended, the Gambling Act 2003 and the Department of Internal Affairs’ published position on the online betting prohibition.

New Zealand is the rare market where the answer to “who takes my live bet” has one name, written into statute. Since 28 June 2025, section 74AAA of the Racing Industry Act 2020 has named TAB New Zealand as the only provider allowed to take online sports and racing bets from a person in New Zealand. The two online brands under that licence are TAB and Betcha. Every other sportsbook that turns up in an internet search — and there are several pages of them — operates outside that frame. What follows is what that means for in-play betting specifically: how live odds actually move, what tools a New Zealand bettor can use to manage play, which of the offshore brands marketed to Kiwis do not even have a New Zealand licence, and how a $10 punt at decimal odds 3.50 pays back when it lands.

The shape of the New Zealand live betting market

The New Zealand market is not a market in the usual sense. It is a regulated channel with one wholesale provider. TAB NZ runs the pool (tote) betting on racing and the fixed-odds book on both racing and sports; Betcha is its online sister brand, aimed at a younger demographic and built around the multi bet. Both sit inside the same legal envelope, both are run under a long-term operating agreement with Entain, and both answer to the same harm-minimisation rules. There is no competitor to shop against. There is no odds war on All Blacks matches. There is no second price for the Melbourne Cup.

The thing that does change is the event calendar. Live betting in New Zealand runs on the sports New Zealanders actually watch — Super Rugby Pacific, the All Blacks in July–November windows, NRL across the Tasman, Black Caps tours, the A-League when Wellington Phoenix are at home, and a deep racing calendar across thoroughbred, harness and greyhound codes. Greyhound racing closes in stages from 1 August 2026, so the racing menu shrinks further from that date. For most of the year the live console lights up around the four- and five-fixture Saturday rugby windows, the midweek NRL slate, and the racing nights across the three codes.

For a bettor comparing what is on offer, the interesting question is not “which bookie” — there is only one channel — but “which brand, which market, and which tools”. TAB leans into form, racing analytics, the Blackbook tool and Jockey Challenge. Betcha leans into Multi Builder, trending multis and Same Game Multis on team sports. The two brands share a wallet and a harm-minimisation framework but the live products feel different, because the underlying product is different.

A $10 bet at decimal odds of 3.50 returns $35 if it lands — that is the stake returned plus $25 of profit. A multi of three legs at the same price on each returns $10 × 3.50 × 3.50 × 3.50 = $428.75 if all three legs win, the stake included. The arithmetic is the same in every market; the difficulty is doing it on prices that keep moving.

What the law actually says, and what it does not

The law that matters for in-play betting in New Zealand is the Racing Industry Act 2020, specifically section 74AAA inserted by the Racing Industry Amendment Act 2025 and in force from 28 June 2025. The section is short and absolute: no person other than TAB NZ may offer racing betting, sports betting or other racing or sports betting to a person in New Zealand, regardless of where that person is resident or incorporated. The Department of Internal Affairs told unlicensed providers to withdraw with immediate effect. There is no licence to apply for and no licence register for betting, because there is only one lawful provider.

What the law does not do is just as important. It does not block offshore websites at the network level. New Zealand does not geo-block bookmaker sites the way some regulators do. It does not create a per-bet cap, an in-play restriction, a stake ceiling or a market-closure rule. It does not say what may be bet on beyond racing and sport in general terms — TAB NZ’s own published betting rules define Win, Place, Each Way, Quinella, Exacta, Trifecta, First Four, Double, Treble, Daily Double, Running Double, Quaddie and Big6, plus Multis and Same Game Multis, and the live console fills out the rest. There is no statutory rule that says “no in-play on rugby league” or “no live bets in the course of a race meeting”. The menu you see in the TAB or Betcha app is the menu determined by TAB NZ’s own risk team.

A second piece of law often gets conflated with this one. The Online Casino Gambling Act 2026 licences online casino gambling and creates a casino register. It does not extend or alter the sports-betting monopoly. The two regimes are run on separate permits, and the betting monopoly survives it. TAB NZ’s right to apply for an online casino licence under that Act is a casino fact, not a betting fact.

A third piece, the Inland Revenue side, is the player tax position. Recreational gambling winnings in New Zealand are generally not taxable for the individual; prize money from TAB horse, dog and trotting races is not taxable. A person who bets as a business is a different matter. Inland Revenue’s guidance is general — for personal situations, consult an accountant rather than the page of a betting guide. On the operator side, TAB NZ pays the Problem Gambling Levy (0.74% of net betting revenue from 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2028). Offshore operators supplying New Zealand residents pay online gambling duty at 12% of profits since 1 July 2024, rising to 16% from 1 January 2027 — a duty that is payable, not a licence that makes the offer lawful.

The point-of-consumption charge on offshore racing and sports bets ceased on 30 June 2026. That ended the period when an offshore operator might have paid a New Zealand charge and accepted that paying it gave them a recognised position here. Paying duty was never a licence, and after 30 June 2026 it is not even a charge.

Where the player sits in all this

A question that comes up at the kitchen table is whether betting with an offshore site is illegal for the player. The honest answer: section 19(4) of the Gambling Act 2003, inserted in 2025, says an individual may not be convicted for placing a bet with an offshore betting operator in breach of section 74AAA. No source states a player penalty. The law targets the operator. The Department of Internal Affairs’ published position is that players are expected to be aware that overseas operators may be in jurisdictions with minimal consumer safeguards, may not return unspent credits and may not pay out large wins. New Zealand harm-minimisation tools, the Gambling Helpline and a complaints route do not reach an offshore operator. That is the practical frame, and it is the one the page uses throughout.

Responsible gambling tools, and who is actually reachable when play goes wrong

The responsible-gambling frame in New Zealand is run at two levels. TAB NZ and Betcha run their own tools inside the app — deposit limits, time-outs and self-exclusion — and an exclusion at one brand applies across both, because they sit on the same account framework. The age for a TAB NZ account is 18; land-based casino gambling runs at 20, and the two are different permits with different rules. TAB NZ accounts need a verified New Zealand address and identity document; that is why an offshore bookmaker can be technically “accessible” from inside New Zealand while a New Zealand player cannot lawfully fund an account through it.

Above the operator sits the public health network. The free Gambling Helpline (0800 654 655) and the text line 8006 are run by Safer Gambling Aotearoa and are reachable regardless of which brand a bettor used. There is no single national online-betting self-exclusion register, because the regime that requires one — the Online Casino Gambling Act 2026 — is a casino law. When a register exists, it will be for online casinos only, not for TAB NZ. For sports and racing, the self-exclusion sits at the operator.

The Problem Gambling Levy (0.74% of net betting revenue at TAB NZ, 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2028) funds treatment services. That is what the levy line on TAB NZ’s financial statements pays for, and that is what the helpline line pays for in turn. Players do not see it on the betting slip, but it is what makes the Gambling Helpline answer at 2am.

How live betting actually works

In-play betting, also called live betting, lets a bettor place new bets while a sporting event is in progress. The console opens with the main markets — head-to-head, line betting, total points — and updates them as the event unfolds. A try in the first ten minutes of an All Blacks test moves the line in seconds. A red card in an NRL match moves the handicap on the next possession. A wet track at Ellerslie changes the place-market dividend on the next race before the barriers open. The price moves because the implied probability of each outcome has just shifted.

Three mechanics make live betting distinct from pre-match. First, the price is moving and the bettor has to take it at the moment. Pre-match betting lets you wait an hour; live betting lets you wait two seconds. Second, the markets are narrower. TAB NZ’s live console on a Super Rugby match typically offers head-to-head, line, total points and a handful of derivative markets; the pre-match console runs to dozens. Third, the suspension pattern matters. The market goes into suspension every time something happens — a try, a sin-bin, a six in the cricket — and stays suspended until the book has re-priced. A bettor who hits the bet button in the course of a suspension is told the market is unavailable, not that the bet lost.

Cash out is the second mechanic every live bettor meets. Cash out lets a bettor take profit early on a winning bet, or recover part of the stake on a losing one, before the event is over. The number on screen is what the book offers right now to close the position, not what the bet is set to pay if it ran to the end. A multi whose first three legs have won and whose fourth leg is live can be cashed out for a fraction of its full potential, and that fraction is the bookmaker’s quoted price, not a guaranteed settlement. The general terms published by some online sportsbooks warn that cash out is unavailable in the course of market suspension and may fail if odds change or a market is suspended in the course of the cash-out delay. TAB NZ’s terms set out when its cash out applies and when it does not; the bettor reads those before relying on the button.

The third mechanic is the bet builder. Betcha’s Multi Builder lets a bettor build a multi bet from outcomes on one event — a Same Game Multi — and add legs from other events to make a wider multi. The product pages describe trending multis that other bettors are backing and live-leg tracking that updates each leg as it settles. A Same Game Multi on an All Blacks test might combine head-to-head, first try-scorer, total points and a player performance market; the legs multiply into one price and the bet is one bet on the slip, not four separate wagers.

Reading a live price, and what it really tells you

A decimal price of 3.50 says the bookmaker rates the implied probability of that outcome at 1 ÷ 3.50 = 28.6%. A decimal price of $1.40 says 71.4%. A bookmaker’s margin sits inside every price on the console, and the sum of implied probabilities across all outcomes of a market is always above 100% — the difference is the margin. A 1X2 market with two equal teams might show 1.91 / 1.91 / 1.91 (10% margin) or 1.85 / 1.85 / 1.85 (about 8% margin). The marginal is the bookmaker’s take on every dollar bet on that market. A live market that has been suspended for ten seconds and re-priced at a tighter margin is one where the book wants the action; a market that has been suspended and re-priced at a wider margin is one where the book wants less of it. The bettor reading the console is reading the book’s appetite as much as the event.

A live bookmaker’s price in the course of a stoppage is also a tell. After a try in the opening ten minutes, a bookmaker that moves the favourite from 1.50 to 1.35 has shaved 7% from the backer’s price; a bookmaker that moves to 1.42 has shaved 4%. Both prices are “live”; the second bookmaker is the one that wants more action on the favourite.

How TAB and Betcha split the live product

TAB is the racing-first brand. The TAB NZ app covers horse and harness racing, rugby union and rugby league and other sports, pre-match and live, with Trackside live race streaming and in-app betting, racing form, the Blackbook tool, Jockey Challenge and a simplified wallet for deposits and withdrawals. Live betting in the TAB app lives alongside the racing form; the console is built for someone who follows racing form and uses the in-play markets to back or lay a runner mid-event. The 17+ App Store age rating reflects the content mix, while the listed age to bet is 18.

Betcha is the sports-and-multi brand. The product pages describe a Multi Builder, trending multis a bettor can copy, live-leg tracking and a multi-grid for Same Game Multis. The live console lives inside a multi builder rather than alongside form. A bettor whose main business is a Saturday multi on Super Rugby and NRL finds the workflow shorter at Betcha; a bettor whose main business is a Wednesday night harness meeting finds the workflow shorter at TAB. Both share the same wallet, the same deposit methods and the same harm-minimisation framework, so the choice is product-led, not safety-led.

The partnership behind both brands is the same. TAB NZ’s partner Entain runs the TAB business under a 25-year agreement signed in 2023 that gives Entain a 50/50 share of gross profits, with at least NZ$150 million a year going to TAB NZ for the first five years, and Entain pledged a one-off NZ$100 million payment to the racing sector. The deal is what funds the racing industry through TAB NZ’s distributions and is the reason the betting monopoly is structured the way it is.

What an offshore site gives a New Zealand bettor, and what it does not

The other nine brands on the page’s shortlist are not licensed in New Zealand. Each names an offshore licence — Anjouan and Tobique, Curaçao, the Tobique Gaming Commission e-gaming licence — but none of those licences gives a right to take bets from a person in New Zealand. The licences are real, in the jurisdictions that issued them; they are simply not a New Zealand licence. Some of the brands accept New Zealand dollars; some accept cryptocurrency; most run an English-language console that looks identical to a New Zealand player’s eye. What none of them offer is the New Zealand harm-minimisation framework, a New Zealand complaints route, the gambling helpline referral, or recourse when a withdrawal stalls.

A New Zealand player using an offshore site sits under that site’s own house rules. The site may impose its own deposit limits, its own minimum odds, its own payment-method restrictions, its own KYC, its own withdrawal time. None of those protections are guaranteed by a New Zealand regulator. The Department of Internal Affairs’ published position is that overseas operators may be in jurisdictions with minimal consumer safeguards, may not return unspent credits and may not pay out large wins. The honest framing is exactly that: TAB NZ and Betcha are the only lawful option with the New Zealand safeguards; offshore brands are not that, and the reader decides what to do with that.

The ten operators, side by side

The table lists the ten brands with TAB and Betcha first, followed by the eight offshore brands a New Zealand bettor is likely to meet in an internet search. The first column is the brand; the second is the New Zealand status as it stands; the third is what the operator’s own product terms and pages say about live betting and its surrounding tools.

What the table shows is the gap in the New Zealand column. Two brands carry a lawful New Zealand position; eight do not. What the operator’s own pages show is that the eight offshore brands do run live betting — some on a deep menu, some on a shallow one — but the New Zealand frame does not extend to them.

TAB, in detail

TAB is the older of the two TAB NZ online brands. The TAB NZ app lists racing codes (thoroughbred, harness and greyhound until the greyhound code closes from 1 August 2026) and a sports menu that puts rugby codes and team sports first. Live betting sits inside the app on a console that updates as events unfold, with Trackside live race streaming and in-app betting on racing and a sports console that covers the codes Kiwis bet on. The Blackbook tool and Jockey Challenge are racing-form features that other markets might call a tipster or a model; they are baked into the product. The wallet is simplified for deposits and withdrawals, and the age requirement is 18.

For a New Zealand bettor whose week is built around Saturday rugby and Wednesday night trots, TAB is the natural fit. The live console reads fast, the racing form is in the same app as the bet slip, and the same wallet funds both. The 17+ App Store rating sits below the 18+ to bet, because the App Store rating covers the app’s content mix rather than the betting age. The bank of markets is narrower than a deep offshore book on football — TAB’s coverage of European football leagues is solid, but the derivative markets (Asian handicaps, player props, combo markets) are thinner than what a Curaçao-licensed sportsbook on the same match might offer. That is a product trade-off, not a quality judgement.

The verdict: TAB is the right choice for a New Zealand bettor whose betting calendar is built around New Zealand and Australian racing and the rugby codes, and who wants the live product on the same app as the form. The offshore brands are richer on niche football markets; TAB is more useful on the calendar a New Zealand bettor actually watches.

Betcha, in detail

Betcha is the younger TAB NZ brand, aimed at the sports-multi punter. The Multi Builder is the headline feature: a bettor picks legs from one event (Same Game Multi) or from a slate of events, watches the price multiply, and tracks each leg as it settles. Trending multis let a bettor back what other Betcha users are backing; live-leg tracking updates each leg of an open multi as the matches unfold. The multi-grid lays the Same Game Multi out visually so a bettor can see the legs at a glance. The sports menu is built around the codes New Zealand bettors actually multi on — Super Rugby, NRL, the A-League when Phoenix are home, the Premier League, the NBA, the NFL in season, the Champions League.

For a bettor whose main wager is a Saturday five-leg multi across Super Rugby and NRL, Betcha is the shorter path. The Multi Builder is the live product in a way that TAB’s racing-first console is not. For a bettor who also bets on racing, Betcha runs racing markets too, but the racing form depth is TAB’s, not Betcha’s.

The verdict: Betcha is the right choice for a New Zealand bettor whose main bet is a multi on team sports and who wants the live workflow built around the multi. For racing-led punters, TAB is the better fit; the two brands share a wallet, so the choice does not have to be permanent.

Winz, in detail

Winz is licensed in Anjouan and Tobique. Its home page lists a sportsbook and live betting alongside a casino. The licence is real in its jurisdiction; it gives no right to take bets from a person in New Zealand. A New Zealand bettor reaching the site sees an English-language console that does not require a New Zealand address to load; the account opening and the deposit flow sit outside the New Zealand framework. The harm-minimisation tools the site offers — if it offers them — are the site’s own tools, not the Gambling Helpline, not Safer Gambling Aotearoa, not the Problem Gambling Levy network.

For a New Zealand bettor the trade-off is breadth against frame. An offshore bookmaker can offer a deeper football menu, more player props, and a wider range of esports markets. The frame it cannot offer is the New Zealand one. A withdrawal dispute, a complaint about a settled bet, a stake that the operator decides to limit — none of these routes through the New Zealand regulator.

The verdict: a brand with a real licence in its own jurisdiction, but not in New Zealand. The page does not recommend it; it lists it because a New Zealand bettor meets it.

RTbet, in detail

RTbet runs a Curaçao licence and a sportsbook that covers football, tennis, table tennis, basketball, ice hockey, American football and baseball, with live betting and virtual sports. The console is built around European football, which is where the depth shows. Live betting on a Champions League evening is fuller than TAB’s on the same fixture, because the offshore bookmaker’s risk team is willing to run markets the local monopoly does not.

For a New Zealand bettor whose interest is European football and American leagues, RTbet looks attractive on the menu. The New Zealand frame is absent: no New Zealand licence, no New Zealand complaints route, no local self-exclusion, no local harm-minimisation levy. The site’s own terms set the rules for limits, withdrawals and bonus play, and the player reads those terms before booking a stake.

The verdict: a sportsbook with a deep football menu and a Curaçao licence. Useful for the menu a New Zealand player cannot get at TAB, but the New Zealand frame does not extend to it.

Thunderpick, in detail

Thunderpick is owned by Paloma Media B.V., a Curaçao company, licensed by the Curaçao Gaming Authority under licence OGL/2024/677/0722. The product is built around esports and crypto, with a sportsbook and live betting alongside. For a bettor whose interest is esports, the offering is targeted; for a bettor whose interest is rugby and racing, the menu is thin. The crypto angle is what sets the brand apart, and the offshore frame is the same.

The verdict: a Curaçao-licensed brand built for esports and crypto. Outside the New Zealand frame entirely.

Roobet, in detail

Roobet is Raw Entertainment B.V., Curaçao licence OGL/2024/687/0427. The brand is crypto-led, with a sportsbook and casino. The live console is functional; the brand’s strength is its casino and its crypto rails rather than its sportsbook. A New Zealand bettor reaching the site sees an English-language product with a crypto deposit flow that TAB does not offer. The New Zealand frame is absent.

The verdict: a crypto-led brand with a sportsbook. Outside the New Zealand frame entirely.

FunBet, in detail

FunBet runs a sportsbook on football, ice hockey, American football, basketball, volleyball, tennis, rugby and baseball, with live betting the brand describes as 24/7. The site names no licence that applies in New Zealand. For a New Zealand bettor the depth is in the menu; the absence is in the licence. The 24/7 claim is on the live product, not on the legal frame.

The verdict: a 24/7 live bookmaker with no New Zealand licence. Outside the New Zealand frame entirely.

RoyalistPlay, in detail

RoyalistPlay runs a Tobique Gaming Commission e-gaming licence, holder Novatrix SRL. The sportsbook offers live betting and sports promotions on football, basketball, tennis, handball, ice hockey, volleyball, table tennis and esports, with separate e-sports and Predictions sections. The Tobique licence is an e-gaming licence; it does not extend to taking bets from people in New Zealand.

The verdict: a sportsbook with a Tobique e-gaming licence. Outside the New Zealand frame entirely.

Glorion, in detail

Glorion offers pre-match and live betting, virtual sports, horse racing and esports, with markets grouped into popular, niche, indoor and outdoor sports plus entertainment events such as award shows and elections. The site accepts customers over 18 only and offers live chat and email support. The site names no licence that applies in New Zealand.

The verdict: a sportsbook with entertainment markets and an 18+ age floor, but no New Zealand licence. Outside the New Zealand frame entirely.

BillyBets, in detail

BillyBets runs a casino and a sportsbook under one account. The sportsbook covers football, tennis, table tennis, basketball, ice hockey, American football, baseball, combat sports, esports, virtual sports and live betting. Support is available 24/7 through live chat and a Help Centre, and the site runs on both Android and iOS through a mobile-optimised platform. The site names no licence that applies in New Zealand.

The verdict: a sportsbook-and-casino hybrid with deep menu coverage and 24/7 support, but no New Zealand licence. Outside the New Zealand frame entirely.

How a $10 live bet actually pays back

Take an illustrative single bet: $10 staked at decimal odds of 3.50, an example rather than a quoted price. If the bet wins, the return is the stake multiplied by the odds: $10 × 3.50 = $35. The net profit is the stake multiplied by the odds minus one: $10 × (3.50 − 1) = $25. The stake is returned with the profit. The figure is exact and conditional on the bet winning; nothing about the average pays back, and nothing about a long sequence of bets at the same price pays back. The bookmaker’s margin sits inside the 3.50 and shows up if you compare the price against the implied probability: 1 ÷ 3.50 = 28.6%, which says the bookmaker rated the outcome at 28.6% before the live event unfolded. A live bookmaker’s price in the course of the event is the same arithmetic with a different number.

A multi of three legs at decimal odds of 3.50 on each is one bet at the multiplied price: 3.50 × 3.50 × 3.50 = 42.875. A $10 stake returns $10 × 42.875 = $428.75 if all three legs win, the stake included. The catch is that all three legs must win; one losing leg loses the whole stake. A Same Game Multi on an All Blacks test is the same arithmetic on legs from one event, with the legs priced inside the same event’s risk frame. The Multi Builder on Betcha is the workflow that builds this; the price is the multiplied decimal on the slip.

A cash-out offer is the bookmaker’s quoted price to close the position right now. On a winning bet whose full return is $35, a cash-out offer of $30 is the bookmaker saying: pay me $5 to be done with it. On a losing bet whose full loss is the $10 stake, a cash-out offer of $4 is the bookmaker saying: pay me $6 to be done with it. The cash-out price is a market price; the bettor reads it as such.

Frequently asked questions

How do I bet live on football in New Zealand?

Open the TAB or Betcha app, find the football match in the live console, choose a market (head-to-head, line, total points or a derivative), enter your stake on the bet slip and confirm before the market suspends. Live betting is in-play betting — the bet is placed while the match is in progress, and the price moves with the action. A multi across several live matches can be built at Betcha using the Multi Builder; a Same Game Multi across one match is built the same way. The $10 at 3.50 example above gives a $35 return if the bet wins.

Is live betting better than pre-match betting?

It is different. Live betting lets a bettor react to what has just happened — a try, a red card, a wet track — and read the new price against the new probability. Pre-match betting lets a bettor take a price with time to think and form to weigh. The bookmaker’s margin sits inside both prices; the trade-off is information (live) against time (pre-match). The right answer depends on the bettor’s edge: a bettor who watches the match and reads the live console has an information edge in-play; a bettor who has done the form work has an information edge pre-match.

How does live betting differ from a pre-match bet?

A pre-match bet is placed before the event starts and settled at the end. A live bet is placed in the course of the event, settled at the end of the event or when the bet is cashed out, and the price keeps moving in between. The mechanics of return are the same: stake × odds = return. The mechanics of timing are different. Live bets are vulnerable to market suspension in the course of a stoppage; pre-match bets are vulnerable to team-news shocks. The bettor reads both risks and chooses accordingly.

How is the return on a bet worked out from the stake and the odds?

Return = stake × odds. Net profit = stake × (odds − 1). A $10 bet at 3.50 returns $35; the net profit is $25. A multi returns stake × (leg 1 odds × leg 2 odds × leg 3 odds) — for three legs at 3.50 each, that is $10 × 42.875 = $428.75. The stake is returned with the profit; a free bet’s stake is usually not returned with a win. The numbers are the same on every brand; the prices are different.

Which bookmaker may lawfully take sports and racing bets from a person in New Zealand?

TAB New Zealand, through its two online brands TAB and Betcha, since 28 June 2025 under section 74AAA of the Racing Industry Act 2020. No other operator may lawfully take such bets. The Department of Internal Affairs told unlicensed providers to withdraw with immediate effect. A New Zealand bettor using an offshore site does not break the law as a player, but the operator is breaking New Zealand law and the New Zealand harm-minimisation framework, the Gambling Helpline and the complaints route do not reach an offshore operator.

Which tools for controlling play do TAB and Betcha offer, and who can be called for help?

Deposit limits, time-outs and self-exclusion inside the TAB NZ and Betcha apps, with an exclusion applying across both brands. The free Gambling Helpline is 0800 654 655 and the text line is 8006, run by Safer Gambling Aotearoa. The Problem Gambling Levy funds treatment services. The age for a TAB NZ account is 18; land-based casino gambling is 20. A New Zealand bettor who wants help is one phone call away, regardless of which brand they used.

Written by the editors at Nzsoccerodds.