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Live betting in New Zealand for 2025

Written by
Checked by Dasha G.

Discover the ins and outs of live betting in New Zealand. Our comprehensive page has everything you need to know, including expert guides and tips.

We even delve into the top sites for in play betting, carefully vetted based on strict criteria such as markets, odds, features and usability.

Sportsbook logo Rating Bonus Go-to-sportsbook button Show more T&Cs
1
22bet
22Bet sportsbook review
90/100 Expert rating by Elena I. 88% Playscore based on 100% up to NZ$200
Play now

Good to know

  • Over 37 sports
  • Speedy withdrawals
  • Top-notch betting app

15 payment methods

Visa
Mastercard
Paysafecard
Skrill
Neteller
ecoPayz
MuchBetter
Crypto
Bitcoin
AirTM
Perfect Money
STICPAY
AstroPay
Jeton
PayEER
2
Playzilla
PlayZilla sportsbook review
88/100 Expert rating by Elena I. 82% Playscore based on 100% up to NZ$150
Play now

Good to know

  • Offers 35+ sports
  • Multiple bonus offers
  • Diverse payments range

13 payment methods

Visa
Mastercard
Paysafecard
Neosurf
Skrill
Neteller
ecoPayz
Flexepin
MuchBetter
Bitcoin Cash
Bitcoin
Crypto
Bank Transfer
3
Winz.io
Winz.io sportsbook review
87/100 Expert rating by Elena I. 88% Playscore based on Up to NZ$500 in free bets
Play now

Good to know

  • 38 sports covered
  • Crypto deposits
  • User-friendly site design

10 payment methods

Neosurf
ecoPayz
MiFinity
Paysafecard
Skrill
Visa
Maestro
Mastercard
Bitcoin
Bank Transfer
4
Leovegas
LeoVegas sportsbook review
86/100 Expert rating by Elena I. 89% Playscore based on Up to NZ$50 in free bets
Play now

Good to know

  • Superb mobile app
  • Huge selection of bets
  • Navigable interface

7 payment methods

Visa
Mastercard
Skrill
Neteller
Paysafecard
Apple Pay
ecoPayz
5
Excitewin
Excitewin sportsbook review
86/100 Expert rating by Elena I. 82% Playscore based on 100% up to NZ$200
Play now

Good to know

  • 18 payment methods
  • Competitive odds
  • Excellent bonuses

13 payment methods

Paysafecard
Neosurf
Skrill
Visa
Mastercard
Neteller
ecoPayz
Flexepin
MuchBetter
Bitcoin Cash
Bitcoin
Crypto
Bank Transfer
6
Wallacebet
Wallacebet sportsbook review
85/100 Expert rating by Elena I. 82% Playscore based on 120% up to NZ$200
Play now

Good to know

  • Excellent for football
  • Great bonus offers
  • High security measures

9 payment methods

Visa
Mastercard
Neteller
ecoPayz
Skrill
Rapid Transfer
Paysafecard
Neosurf
Bank Transfer
7
Stake
Stake sportsbook review
84/100 Expert rating by Elena I. 94% Playscore based on 200% up to NZ$500
Play now

Good to know

  • Great for esports betting
  • User-friendly platform
  • Excellent live odds

6 payment methods

Crypto
Samsung Pay
Google Pay
Apple Pay
Mastercard
Visa
8
Bc Game
BC.Game sportsbook review
79/100 Expert rating by Elena I. 86% Playscore based on Up to 1,080% in deposit bonuses
Play now

Good to know

  • 35+ sports markets
  • Live streaming and betting offered
  • Superb customer support

8 payment methods

Bitcoin
Bitcoin Cash
Litecoin
Ethereum
AstroPay
Tether
Crypto
Ripple

Editor's note

This overview is a work in progress based on the current offer in New Zealand. There are other licensed sportsbooks in the country, and our expert analysts are working on bringing you more in-depth and unbiased reviews.

Please note that our rankings may change as we expand our coverage of the developing market.

#1. 22bet— best site for in play betting

For sports betting in play, look no further than 22bet. This site has it all and offers all the main in play betting features you can think of in one easy place. Not only is the site desktop compatible, but it also has a strong app as well.

The standout features here include being able to enjoy live streaming a large number of different sports. And this can be done in-app as well. The site offers some of the best odds in NZ, too, as well as being a favourite among players in the country as a whole.

Live betting sites: the runners up

As experts in the industry, we understand the importance of choosing the right live betting site that aligns with your preferences. To simplify the process, we’ve carefully analyzed and compared the top in play betting sites in the market, highlighting their unique strengths and key differences.

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#2. Stake sportsbook — Great live odds

Landing high on the best live betting site list is Stake sportsbook. It just misses out on the top spot but offers an excellent platform. It offers plenty of live betting features, including excellent live bonuses and in-depth statistics. Stake is also home to some incredibly competitive odds across the board. There are good in play betting markets here, too, so you’re not limited to just a few sports for live betting. Unfortunately, there’s no live streaming provided, but it compensates for this with the graphics displaying the latest action.

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#3. Royal Panda — Best live betting features

Impressively, this sportsbook makes it high on the list. Royal Panda has a wealth of different live betting options available. The layout is simple and intuitive, allowing you to easily find everything you need. As one of the best live betting sites, it is no surprise that this site has some of the highest odds out there. Not only that, but you can enjoy early cashout and some incredibly fast markets to boot. Finally, live streaming is an option here too.

Best live betting sites by category

In addition to listing the general top live betting site, we also make sure that we categorise sites by other features too. And this is because we know everyone is looking for something slightly different when betting online.

If you want quick withdrawals, look at our fastest payouts category. Check out the most secure live betting site for those where safety is a priority. Alternatively, you might want the best odds or the site with the most live sports. You can also find the best live site with the most bonuses or simply the newest one on the block!

CategoryOur winner
Best live betting experienceLeoVegas sportsbook
Best live betting featuresExciteWin sportsbook
Best for live mobile bettingBC.game sportsbook
Best live oddsStake sportsbook
Most live sports22bet sportsbook
Best for live streamingWinz.io sportsbook

Choosing the best site for sports betting in play

Picking the best in play betting sites in NZ can be hard. To help you out, we take the time to rate and review each live sports betting site based on specific criteria. Here, we outline these criteria so you know how we do it. You can use these to rate and review sites for yourself too.

Sports and markets available

When looking at the top in play betting sites, one of the important criteria we look at is the live betting markets. Ideally, we want to see at least 15 different live sports available for this betting type. This means that you’ve got a lot of options to choose from. We want to see rugby, cricket, football, basketball and many more if we’re to give a good score. However, if there are only around 6 or 7 different live sports betting options, then we’re really not going to give this a good rating. This is because the online sportsbook is not giving you much in the way of choice. Within each live sport, we also expect to see a variety of events from around the world too. If this is limited, then the rating also goes down.

Odds Restrictions

Live betting odds

As live odds are constantly fluctuating, we want to make sure that you’re getting the best odds possible at online sports betting sites. This means that we check to ensure the payout percentages are good. For live betting odds, we always accept that these are lower than traditional odds, so we account for that in our ratings — just be aware that you’re not looking at 95% here as you would be otherwise. A good set of live betting odds will produce a payout percentage of around 93.5% and garner a good mark from us. If you do find live odds with payout percentages higher than this, then this is absolutely excellent. Any live odds with a payout percentage less than 91% are deemed poor by us, and we don’t recommend that you play on that live sports betting site at all. Find somewhere else.

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Bonuses

Boosting your online betting with bonuses is a great way to play. Because of this, we take a look at what bonuses are on offer from each online sportsbook. The best sites will have live bonuses as part of their welcome offer. And, they will continue to provide good promotions to players who stick around long term, offering free bets, odds boosts, parlay profit boosts and a lot more besides. To get the best marks, the bonus must be a lucrative one and have clear terms and conditions attached. Ideally, we want to see wagering requirements no higher than 2x. If there are only small bonuses, then we will give a lower score. And, if there are complex or unfair terms and conditions attached, wagering requirements over 10x and so on, we’re going to dock marks resulting in a low score.

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Live betting apps

It’s great to be able to access all the features of a live sports betting site on the go. This means we’re looking for good apps as well. For high scores, the app must have all the same features and functions as the desktop site. This needs to include live streaming and the same live betting markets. If it doesn’t, then we will give the app a much lower score. Additionally, the app needs to function well as a whole. We want the navigation to be clear, offer a good UX, load well and so on. If the site is slow to load, has many glitches or isn’t even available for some operating systems, then we are going to give the app a low score. Or, if there’s no app, but a strong mobile browser site with live streaming, then an average score is awarded.

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Usability

No matter what platform you’re using to access the sports betting site, the usability of it should be top-notch. Essentially, we want to see that everything is laid out clearly and intuitively. On top of that, we like to see a good search bar alongside excellent sports filters so that we can find the exact sport and event very quickly and easily. If all this is present, a good score is given. However, if the site is cluttered making it hard to navigate around, then we’re going to give a much lower score. Additionally, we find that the aesthetics do come into play here a little bit. If there is a dark mode version of the site, this definitely brings the score up, putting it above sites with vast white spaces that are hard on the eyes in both desktop and app forms.

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Overall offer

Finally, we also get an overview of all aspects of the live betting site before we give our final score. For instance, we make sure that there is a licence in place. If there is no licence, we won’t recommend you play there. We also want to see at least three support options, and one must be a 24/7 live chat if the betting site is to get a top score. Additionally, we check out the site’s banking section giving high scores to those offering ten or more payment methods. Low scores are awarded if the choice is less than four. Finally, we also take a look at what players are saying. These can be very useful as it gives an overall feel for the site and what the main issues might be. If there are numerous unresolved complaints, we take this seriously.

Pros and cons of betting in play

There’s a lot of fun to be had when live sports betting. This is because you have the chance to scoop bigger wins if you place your bet at just the right moment. The key is to wait for the best live betting odds possible before placing your bet or potentially cashing it out early. However, it’s not all fun and games. There are a lot of pros and cons, which we outline below.

  • Live analysis gives you better insight
  • Good value betting available
  • Many different betting opportunities
  • Can place pre-match bets
  • Limited time period to place your bet
  • Too many live bets can ruin your winning chances

Live sports betting for beginners

If you’re new to joining in play betting sites, then we’re here to help you out. As you get started with learning how to bet in play, you’ll need to know exactly how this type of betting works. In the following sections, we’re going to get you set up with betting live.

How does live betting work?

So, how does a live bet actually work? Well, it means that you can place bets on live events. This means that you get to experience constantly changing competitive live betting odds as the event plays on. Theoretically, this means you can make live bets that will not only maximise your chances of winning, but also the size of the payout. You can wait for the live betting odds to increase.

Types of live bets

Just as with traditional online betting, live sports betting has a wealth of different live bets available to you. In fact, most of these bet types are actually the same, the difference is all in the live betting odds and the time you place the bet. To help you with timing your bet, watching live streams or checking out the live stats is very helpful. Check out some of the best bets below.

  • Deposits

    Point spread bets

    This is a bet placed on the number of points a team will win by and is one of the more popular live bets.

  • Deposits

    Moneyline

    A simple bet on which team or player will win, lose or draw the game.

  • Deposits

    Totals

    A bet to guess how many points in total both teams will get combined in the game.

The best sports for live betting

So, now you’ve got an idea of which live sports betting sites to use, it’s time to take a look at some of the top sports you can bet on. In New Zealand, there are a ton of in play betting options and of course, a lot of this comes down to which sports you actually like watching.

In this section, we’re going to cover some of the top live sports out there and the type of bets you can place. Remember, if you can play somewhere that offers live streaming of these events too, your betting experience will be even better. So, let’s take a look at the top options.

  • Soccer ball

    Live betting football

    Football is one of the more popular sports to bet on in play and offers a wealth of different live options. You can place in play bets at any time during the game. And there are tons of fun prop bets to place as the game can change quickly with a sudden goal, red card, penalty or subs.

  • Cricket paddle and ball

    Live cricket betting

    A very popular option in NZ, you can bet on anything cricket-related, from the ICC World Cup to one-day games and T20s. Within each game, you can bet on wickets, overs, who will bat a six and so on.

  • Rugby

    Live rugby betting

    There’s a lot going on in rugby, which makes it ideal for betting live. The game constantly has something going on, whether it’s a try, a tackle, cards, penalty kicks, running metres, etc. You can bet on all of these as well as predict points difference and totals as you watch live streaming of the games.

  • Basketball

    Live basketball betting

    Another common live sport, basketball, offers fast-paced live betting action. It’s great for betting live as there are four short quarters enabling you to make a different bet per quarter. Popular bets here include predicting which team will reach a specific points total first, but you have to be quick!

Tips for in play betting

So, at this point, it’s safe to assume you’re looking to start in play sports betting. To give you a boost, we’re going to go through a few in play betting tips that might give you a leg up when you start live sports betting. Take a look at these handy tips and use them when placing your in play bets in order to maximise your wins at in play betting sites.

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Set a budget and stick to it

This is important to make sure that you don’t overspend. Only bet what you can afford to lose, as you should never chase losses.

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Don't place numerous in play bets at the same time

Make just one or two live bets and focus on those. Take your time with them, too, as you check the live sports betting odds so that you place your bet when the odds are in your favour. The same works for when you want to cashout early.

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Watch the game you're betting on live

While many in play betting sites will have live stats, the best way to get a good idea of what is going on is via live streaming. Choose a site that offers live streaming so that you can stay up-to-date with the state of play.

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Research the sport you want to live bet on

For example, many teams in rugby will score a lot in the first half and then ease off in the second. Other teams will do it the other way around. Know your teams and their current form to make the best bets.

FAQs

What are the best live betting sites?

The best live sports betting site is one that holds a licence and allows NZ players to join. We have a list of the top live betting bookmakers right here for you to look through. In addition to this, the best live betting sites must also have different sports available for live in play betting. Better still, they will offer a live stream as well, so that you can watch the event unfold. Live betting apps should also be available, with any live streaming features not being limited to the desktop version of the site.

Is in play betting profitable?

In play bettors can enjoy profitable in play bets if they are careful gamblers. However, we must remind you that you should always gamble responsibly and play for fun. That being said, if you are playing on live betting sites that offer early cashouts, then yes, in play betting can be profitable. This is because you can cashout before the end of the game, potentially scoring a win before the game takes a turn and your in play bet loses.

How do you use live betting sites?

To start wagering in play, you first need to sign up to an in play sports betting site. Then, head to the in play section to see what live bets are on offer. Top sportsbooks should clearly display all the live events and different sports available for in play betting. Simply click on the live bet you want to place, type in the amount you want to wager and confirm in your bet slip. If the site has live streams for the event you’ve bet on, you can enjoy watching the game unfold in real time.

Are live bets worth placing?

Yes, live bets can be worth it. And this is both in terms of profitability and entertainment. As in play betting means you are placing bets while the game is underway, it’s a lot of fun to be able to change them on the spur of the moment. It means that you can adjust a bet if the initial one looks like it won’t go your way. Just remember, in play bets do have lower odds than traditional bets because of this reason.

What is football live betting?

Football live betting means being able to place a bet on a football match when the game is already underway. As you place a bet in play, you will get lower odds than if you placed the same bet before the game started. However, you can change it or even cash out early, and this is where the perks of a live bet come into play. Live betting odds are also constantly changing as the game progresses as the sportsbook changes, which they think is likely to win.

Sources

  1. https://www.forbes.com/betting/guide/in-game/

Ranking methodology

Our approach to evaluating live betting sportsbooks is both comprehensive and transparent. We initiate thorough research to ensure compliance with relevant regulations. Our team of experts utilizes a predefined scoring system to assess crucial factors, ensuring a fair and consistent evaluation. These factors include the variety of sports and markets available, live betting odds, bonuses, live betting apps, and usability.

Sportsbook that we monitor

1xBet sportsbook, 20Bet sportsbook, 22Bet sportsbook, 888sport sportsbook, BC.Game sportsbook, Bet365 sportsbook, BetVictor sportsbook, Betway sportsbook, BitWin sportsbook, Casumo sportsbook, Excitewin sportsbook, Fansbet sportsbook, Ladbrokes sportsbook, LeoVegas sportsbook, MyBookie sportsbook, Neds sportsbook, PlayUp sportsbook, PlayZilla sportsbook, Royal Panda sportsbook, Sportsbet sportsbook, Stake sportsbook, TAB sportsbook, Wallacebet sportsbook, William Hill sportsbook, Winz.io sportsbook

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