Bookmaking on horse racing events was made illegal in New Zealand in 1911. Until 1949, the only legal form of betting was on-course at race meetings. When off-course betting was legalised in 1949, consistent with the statist approach of the time, a single national agency, the Totalisator Agency Board, was established to regulate and control betting in New Zealand.
Like most aged, monopolistic government agencies, it has struggled to keep up with the times, including the growth of on-line, offshore betting on sporting events other than just horse racing; on-line casinos; and other forms of gaming, like Lotto. The TAB’s ongoing financial viability has been an issue for some years now.
