New Zealand lawsuit expands to include betting and casino firms bet365 and Super Group as country prepares for iGaming market overhaul

(AsiaGameHub) –   Reports from multiple media sources indicate that a legal case in New Zealand targeting SkyCity has now broadened its scope to name bet365 and Super Group. This expansion poses a significant challenge to the nation’s recently established iGaming regulations.

Business Desk, a New Zealand business publication, reports that the legal action includes bet365’s co-founder and co-CEO, Denise Coates, as well as Super Group’s CEO, Neal Menashe, as defendants alongside the companies.

An unidentified plaintiff initiated the legal filing, alleging that bet365, Super Group, and SkyCity are offering unauthorized online gaming services within New Zealand. The case originally began targeting SkyCity the previous month.

Headquartered in Auckland, SkyCity Entertainment Group manages five casino venues in both Australia and New Zealand. Additionally, it holds an international interest known as SkyCity Online, a digital gaming platform run by the Maltese company Silvereye Entertainment, which falls under the Gaming Innovation Group (GiG) umbrella.

The litigation initiated in March focuses on this digital venture and has since been widened to implicate bet365 and Super Group. Super Group is listed on the NYSE and operates the Betway sportsbook and Spin online casino.

In a statement released at the beginning of March, SkyCity characterized the lawsuit as an attempt to challenge the legality of the online gaming activities conducted by Silvereye for a SkyCity subsidiary located abroad.

New Zealand’s regulatory shift

This legal action unfolds as New Zealand undertakes a comprehensive reform of its gambling legislation.

The market in New Zealand is still heavily regulated, especially when contrasted with Oceania’s biggest player, Australia. Australia hosts major operators such as bet365, Entain’s Ladbrokes and Neds, Flutter Entertainment‘s Sportsbet, the leading firm Tabcorp, Betfair (run by Crown Resorts), PointsBet, and emerging challengers like betr.

Conversely, in New Zealand, exclusive rights to offer both physical and online wagering belong to the state-run TAB NZ. Entain has held this role since May 2023 under a 25-year agreement, a position that received additional legal safeguards through June 2025 modifications to the Racing Industry Act 2020.

This legislation effectively prohibits offshore online betting firms from operating within New Zealand. Consequently, some entities, including Betfair Australia and NZ—operated in Oceania by Crown Resorts rather than Flutter as in Europe—promptly withdrew from the market.

Meanwhile, online casinos continue to operate outside the law. While the Gambling Act 2003 permits certain gambling activities, there is currently no regulatory structure for online casinos. However, changes are forthcoming, with a regulated market featuring 15 licenses scheduled to open on July 1, 2027.

Reports suggest that both bet365 and Super Group’s Betway are keen on obtaining licenses in this upcoming market. However, the anonymous plaintiffs in the broadened lawsuit appear to object to any current market involvement by these two companies.