Stake.com New Zealand Review 2025 - Is Stake.com legal in NZ?

Stake.com made its name as a crypto sportsbook and casino site that has made waves in the world of online gambling through their relatively unique approach to marketing. Since their launch, they have moved to offer some fiat currencies like USD or EUR - but not yet New Zealand Dollars. Like many betting brands that want to reach an international audience, they've struck sponsorship deals with Watford FC and Everton FC within the Premier League of English Football fame and with Team Alfa Romeo within Formula 1.  They also have partnerships with famous athletes like Sergio Aguero and entertainers like Hip Hop icon, Drake, which has given them a high level of visibility. But as to the question at hand, no, Stake.com is not a legal sports betting provider for New Zealand. As of a new law enacted in mid-2025, your only legal NZ betting sites are TAB NZ and Betcha. The rest of our content below may be interesting reading for you

Stake.com is a true crypto betting site & casino, what does that mean?

As a dedicated crypto betting site and casino, Stake.com allowed users to deposit and play in denomications of various cryptocurrencies. While they did support some normal fiat money accounts like USD or EUR, they did not yet facilitate betting in New Zealand Dollars (NZD) at the time of our last review and before the new New Zealand laws came into effect, banning its use by Kiwis. Consequently, players could not deposit NZD, place bets with that currency, and then withdraw potential NZD winnings back to their bank accounts. This limitation made Stake.com less favourable for many individuals in New Zealand.

While the popularity of Bitcoin is rising, the reality is that the majority of New Zealanders do not possess cryptocurrencies. Therefore, those interested in using Stake.com as an online sportsbook would have needed to acquire crypto themselves or utilize NZD payment methods to purchase crypto directly from Stake.com at the prevailing exchange rate.

However, it's important to note that withdrawing funds in NZD directly from Stake.com is not an option. Instead, users had to withdraw crypto to a personal wallet or use a third-party service to convert crypto to cash. Consequently, for those seeking a straightforward betting experience with NZD at a reputable offshote platform, Stake.com was not be suitable due to the complexities associated with cryptocurrencies. It's now moot, as they are not a legal betting provider.

Did Stake.com support New Zealand Dollar accounts?

No. As previously mentioned, Stake.com operated in other fiat currencies, and as a crypto casino and sportsbook. While you could purchase cryptocurrency on their platform using New Zealand dollar-based payment methods, it's crucial to understand that your betting balance would have been held in your chosen cryptocurrency. This fundamental difference is a key factor why Stake.com was not among our preferred options for most New Zealand bettors who seek the simplicity of a reputable online sportsbook with NZD accounts and payment options, akin to those we recommended, prior to the 2025 betting legislation, making all offshore sportsbooks illegal.

Is Stake.com reputable & who owns them?

Founded in 2017, the group behind Stake.com has reportedly ascended to become the 7th-largest gambling conglomerate globally, as per the Financial Times. However, mere size does not inherently signify a commendable reputation. In the same vein, the FT article lists scam betting operator group 1XBET as the 3rd largest gambling entity, a designation we might dispute. The company operating Stake.com, registered in the Curaçao iGaming jurisdiction, bears the name "Medium Rare NV." Nonetheless, a 2021 report by the Sydney Morning Herald disclosed that Stake's parent company is Easygo Gaming, an Australian gaming firm. By and large, Stake.com appears to be a trustworthy operator known for honoring payouts and not imposing limits on winners. While this is a positive aspect, it's crucial to recognize that Stake.com isn't merely a conventional betting platform—it's a cryptocurrency betting site.

How does Stake.com differ from other "crypto betting sites"?

Some "grey market" or "offshore" betting platforms permited New Zealanders to deposit using Bitcoin or Ethereum for eventual conversion to New Zealand dollars, but Stake.com operated differently. It's essential not to conflate them with other types of "crypto betting sites." At Stake.com, you actually placed bets using cryptocurrency itself, rather than using it solely as a funding method for a New Zealand dollar account. So, if you prefered your entire betting experience to revolve around a specific cryptocurrency, Stake.com was an option, although not our recommended choice for various reasons. 

What cryptocurrencies did Stake.com support for betting accounts?

At Stake.com, you had the flexibility to deposit, play with, and withdraw various cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, Tron, Ripple, Dogecoin, Bitcoin Cash, and Tether. While you can view the approximate current value of your balance in FIAT currency within the Stake.com platform, it's essential to note that the values of these cryptocurrencies fluctuate constantly in real-time. If you didn't already have these cryptocurrencies, you could purchase them using Stake.com's available New Zealand dollar payment methods. However, it's crucial to remember that Stake.com did not facilitate withdrawals in NZD; instead, you needed to withdraw the equivalent amount in the chosen cryptocurrency.

Why we did not recommend crypto betting sites like Stake.com for most New Zealanders

The value of cryptocurrencies is known for its extreme volatility, fluctuating dramatically in both directions. For instance, if you were to invest $1,000 in crypto for your Stake.com account on a particular day, the NZD value of that crypto could experience double-digit percentage swings based on market conditions, even before you place any bets. Consider a scenario where you deposit $1,000 converted to Dogecoin, only to see the value of Doge plummet by 10% in a single day due to a celebrity tweet or market sentiment.

For many individuals, this level of volatility and the additional complexity and costs associated with converting NZD to crypto may not have been appealing. Depositing, playing, and withdrawing in New Zealand dollars is generally the simplest and most preferred option for the majority of bettors in New Zealand. With the new law from 2025, your options for this come at TAB NZ and Betcha.

Stake.com odds value & betting market coverage 

Odds value at Stake.com was less competitive than our recommended NZD sportsbooks prior to thenew laws. We found margins for main betting markets usually near 6% to 8% for the main markets on the most popular sports and leagues. Compare this to 5% or better at our recommended NZD brands, which was a big difference. (Remember 7% margin means they keep 40% more as compared to an operator using 5% margins - not 2% more.)  Also, Stake's betting market coverage for essentially all sports did not compare favourably to our recommended NZD operators for New Zealand. In other words, there were more markets available at our recommended sportsbooks at the relevant time.

Does Stake.com have sportsbook bonuses for new New Zealand players?

Stake is no longer legal to use from New Zealand.

Stake.com operates a crypto casino, but is it any good?

If you're fully committed to exclusively using cryptocurrencies and not New Zealand dollars, then Stake.com offers a relatively solid crypto casino experience, although it's not our top recommendation for crypto gambling. Stake.com features live casino games from Pragmatic Play, a renowned live dealer gaming studio. Additionally, they offer RNG slots and games from various studios such as Play'n Go, Relax Gaming, NetEnt, and many more. Interestingly, some of these non-live dealer games can be played for free without the need for registration. Simply click to play for fun if you encounter the option on your chosen game. However, given that we are moving toward a regulated market of New New Zealand casino sites in 2026, with licensed operators, we would not recommend playing at Stake's casino. We do not expect them to apply for a license, given they have no other local licenses. All the companies we recommend as top NZ online casinos, are also expected in our opinion, to apply for licenses in that new market.

Stake.com New Zealand bottom line

Stake is no longer a legal option for online sports betting from New Zealand, and we don't see them entering the legal casino market with a license come 2026, so it's not an option we can recommend to Kiwis in any way.