PalmerBet New Zealand Review - Is PalmerBet legal in NZ?

PalmerBet has become a well-known bookmaker within the Australian regulated market.  With several Australian sporting partnerships past and present, people in New Zealand should certainly be familiar with the brand, especially fans of the NRL, that have likely noted several recent sponsorship deals, where the PalmerBet logo adorns various club uniforms. It should come as no surprise that PalmerBet did indeed serve customers based in New Zealand for a time. However, from mid-2025, new laws have forced all Australia-based bookies to shut their doors to Kiwis. 

But was PalmerBet actually a good option for New Zealanders?  In our opinion, the answer unfortunately, was 'no.'  Like all operators based within the Australian regime, sports bettors that are based in New Zealand ended up with access to platforms that are heavily limited on what is available, versus providers based outside Australia.  We'll get into those details later, but the foremost reason that Kiwis should have looked to avoid PalmerBet, is your available betting account currencies with them. Now, regardless, from mid-2025, the only legal online betting options in New Zealand are TAB and Betcha.

Did PalmerBet have New Zealand Dollar accounts?

Like all online sportsbooks in the Australian regime, PalmerBet only offers AUD accounts. They did not offer NZD accounts, so at PalmerBet and every other operator in Australia that allowed Kiwis to register and play before the 2025 legal change, they force bettors with NZD base funding sources to pay exorbitant exchange fees on all deposits and withdrawals.  Why would you as a New Zealander submit to this constant increase in costs to deposit, or the constant devaluation of your withdrawals, when there were top-tier betting sites that supported direct NZD betting accounts?  This was the benefit of all that Aussie-based marketing, for the Aussie bookies. People in New Zealand became familiar with a brand, but they are short on the details, so they simply play at a familiar name until they realize they are being hit with these fees, after-the-fact. 

Was Online Live, In-Play Betting Available at PalmerBet for New Zealand?

No, PalmerBet operates solely within the Australian gaming jurisdiction, where online live, in-play sports betting is prohibited (though some in-play markets may be available via phone). As a result, PalmerBet only provides online pre-match betting markets to its players. Contrast this with all of our recommended betting sites for New Zealand players prior to the 2025 law changes, which are based outside of the restrictive Australian regime. Therefore, you could bet online, live and in-play at all of our listed providers without the need to phone in your wager. That's now changed with the New Zealand market shift.

Did PalmerBet Offer New Player Bonuses for New Zealand?

No, PalmerBet is banned from offering new player bonuses due to Australian regulations, which prohibit such promotions. Therefore, if you were looking to start your betting journey with a bonus alongside your deposited bankroll, you would not have found it at PalmerBet from New Zealand. However, all our recommended betting sites prior to the 2025 market shift are based outside of Australia, in other gaming jurisdictions, allowing them to list open account betting offers for new players in New Zealand. Those offers are now off the table.

Did PalmerBet in New Zealand Provide Casino Games or Poker?

No, PalmerBet does not offer online or live dealer casino games, nor do they provide an online poker room. Operators within the Australian regime are prohibited from offering these gaming verticals on their platforms. Fortunately, Kiwis have the option to explore brands based in other jurisdictions that do allow for these games. All of our recommended operators offer NZD casino sites, and our top-ranked provider also allows access to their premier online poker room.

PalmerBet New Zealand payment methods

PalmerBet supported payments from New Zealand via Visa & Mastercard credit & debit cards, PayPal and bank transfers toward their AUD betting accounts. Note that these providers were likely the ones that set your NZD to AUD exchange rate for deposits, not PalmerBet itself. Even though PayPal is very convenient, their exchange rate would have been near 5%, which is very expensive. This is why NZD sportsbooks were likely your preferred option prior to the 2025 market shift. Furthermore, if you use a credit card, note that excessive cash advance fees and interest will also likely be charged by your card provider.  To save on fees at any gaming site from New Zealand, use debit or transfer solutions, rather than credit cards.

PalmerBet New Zealand in summary

For individuals based in New Zealand, PalmerBet is no longer available, but they were never an ideal choice. Access to live, in-play betting was limited due to the platform's Australian jurisdiction. Additionally, PalmerBet lacked other forms of gaming, new customer offers, and most important, it did not offer accounts in NZD. Even if you only cared about pre-match sports betting, and were not put off by the various limitations that we have outlined, unless you had funding sources in AUD readily available, we could recommend PalmerBet to sports bettors in New Zealand.  There were just too many drawbacks compared to top-tier alternatives. Now from the mid-2025 market shift, you now have just two legal options anyway: TAB NZ and Betcha.