Does Unibet offer sports betting in New Zealand? - Unibet Review

Unibet, a major online sportsbook brand in the Australian regulated market, is now owned by Groupe FDJ, a major online gaming conglomerate. It holds significant sponsorship deals with prominent Australian sporting leagues such as the NRL, AFL and various national sporting bodies within football and cricket.  These marketing arrangements while meant for Australia, of course allow the brand to enjoy visibility in New Zealand, given a shared sporting interest, making it a well-recognized brand among Kiwi sports enthusiasts.

However, is Unibet's sportsbook accessible in New Zealand? No, not anymore. Recent developments in New Zealand mean that there will be a regulated online casino market, but sportsbooks don't fall under this. Thus, offshore brands that want to enter the regulated NZ casino market have taken steps to shutter their "offshore" sportsbooks now, in anticipation of entry into the casino-only market.

Despite its visibility, Unibet is no longer a sports betting option for Kiwis. Below, we outline the key reasons why Unibet and most other betting sites operating out of Australia did not offer the best experience for New Zealanders - even when they would accept players in the past. It begins with the choice of currency for your betting account.

Did Unibet's sportsbook have New Zealand Dollar accounts?

No, Unibet exclusively offered AUD accounts on its platform meant for Australia and New Zealand, since it is regulated in the former. NZD was not available as the base account currency at Unibet.com.au. This limitation is one of the primary reasons why we could not recommend Unibet or any other AUD-based operators to our New Zealand readers when there were several available choices that supported NZD accounts. Without NZD accounts, playing at Unibet from New Zealand would have resulted in a 2% to 5% devaluation on your deposits and withdrawals due to currency exchange via your e-wallet, bank, or card provider. These fees are incurred through the exchange rate itself, which is often unnoticed by players.

For instance, if you deposited $100 AUD, you would actually purchase this amount with your NZD funds. The rate offered would be at a premium compared to the rate you would receive when selling your $100 AUD to withdraw funds and convert back to NZD. In essence, players in New Zealand experienced significant value loss in both directions. There was no need for Kiwis to endure such value destruction before even placing a bet. Now, with the new regulations and so many offshore sportsbooks closing to Kiwis, the situation is different. If you want an alternative to TAB, playing in other currencies is now far more likely, with far fewer NZD options than before.

Did Unibet for New Zealand have new player offers?

No, Unibet could never offer new player bonuses either. Due to Australian regulations, new player bonuses are prohibited. Therefore, if you're looking to kick off your betting experience with an added incentive at your chosen sportsbook, Unibet could not provide it for New Zealanders. However, since all our recommended betting sites are based outside of Australia, in different gaming jurisdictions, they all have the flexibility to offer new player sign-up bonuses for New Zealand.

Unibet.com.au payment methods

Toward a Unibet Australia betting account, which will be based in AUD, customers in New Zealand were able to use Visa and Mastercard credit and debit cards, PayPal and Apple Pay. Your NZD funding method would have been used to buy a balance in AUD, which came with significant costs. This currency conversion is why we did not recommend operators based in Australia for Kiwi players, where there was a decent amount of choice in NZD providers.  Also, note that the use of credit cards to any gambling site from New Zealand will likely be treated as "cash advances", which come with high fees and interest rates from your bank or card company from the moment of the transaction. If you wish to bet online, you would be well-advised to avoid the use of credit cards given these costs. Use more cost-effective methods like debit or or bank transfer methods. (Happily, the new online casino regime in New Zealand will ban operators from accepting credit cards.)

Unibet for New Zealand in summary

Unibet is a renowned sports betting brand in Australia's regulated market, but if you're in New Zealand, it is no longer an option for you.