Following baseball should be enjoyable, and for most fans it has nothing to do with betting. For those who do choose to bet, it should stay a form of entertainment and never become a source of worry or money trouble. This page explains what responsible gambling means, which warning signs to look out for, and where to find free and confidential help in New Zealand.
wellingtonbaseball.co.nz is an information site. We do not take bets, sell gambling products or encourage anyone to gamble. Because some of our articles explain how betting on baseball works, we think it matters that anyone who chooses to bet does so safely and with clear information.
Do you or someone close to you need help?
Support is free and confidential. You do not have to deal with it alone.
- Gambling Helpline – free support 24 hours a day, for gamblers and for people worried about someone else’s gambling. Call 0800 654 655 or text 8006. gamblinghelpline.co.nz
- PGF Services (Problem Gambling Foundation) – free, professional counselling for gamblers and others affected. Call 0800 664 262 or text 5819. pgf.nz
- Asian Family Services – support for Asian communities in several languages. Call 0800 862 342. asianfamilyservices.nz
- Mapu Maia – Pasifika gambling support service. Call 0800 21 21 22. mapumaia.nz
The Gambling Helpline also runs dedicated lines: Māori Gambling Helpline 0800 654 656, Pasifika Gambling Helpline 0800 654 657 and Youth Gambling Helpline 0800 654 659. It offers a specialist debt service as well.
If you need to talk to someone straight away about how you are feeling, you can call or text 1737 at any time to reach a trained counsellor. In an emergency, call 111.
Age limit for betting with the TAB in New Zealand: 18.
What does responsible gambling mean?
Responsible gambling is about staying in control and treating a bet as a paid form of entertainment, like a ticket to a game. You pay for the enjoyment, and you do it with money you can afford to lose.
The basic idea is that gambling should never come at the expense of your finances, your relationships or your wellbeing. As long as it is fun and stays inside limits you set yourself, it is under control. When it stops being fun, or when you find yourself betting to win back losses, it is time to stop and take stock.
It also helps to be realistic about sports betting. Knowing the game well does not remove the element of chance, and betting prices are set so that the operator keeps a margin over time. Betting is never a reliable way to earn or save money.
Simple habits for safer gambling
A few habits help keep gambling at a healthy level. They are less about rules and more about awareness:
- Decide in advance how much money and time you are willing to spend, and stick to it.
- Never bet with money meant for rent, bills, food or other essentials.
- Never borrow money to gamble.
- Do not try to win back losses by betting more.
- Treat any win as a one-off, not as income you can count on.
- Avoid betting when you are stressed, upset, tired or have been drinking.
- Balance betting with other interests, so that following sport does not always mean having money on it.
Live sport and in-play betting
Baseball produces a steady stream of results, with games most days of the season and scores updating pitch by pitch. That pace can make it easy to place more bets than you planned. If you bet at all, set your limit before the game starts, not during it, and consider switching off betting notifications on your phone.
Warning signs of gambling harm
Gambling problems often build gradually and can be hard to notice, both for the person gambling and for those around them. Common signs include:
- You bet more money, or for longer, than you meant to.
- You chase losses by betting again.
- You borrow money, or use money set aside for something else, to gamble.
- You hide or lie about how much you gamble.
- Thoughts about betting take up more and more of your day.
- Gambling is affecting your work, study, finances, sleep or relationships.
- You feel guilt, shame or anxiety connected to your gambling.
You may be experiencing harm even if only one of these applies. If you recognise yourself here, reaching out is a sensible step, and it is often the thing that helps most.
Check your own gambling
If you are unsure whether your gambling is a problem, an honest look at your habits is a good starting point. Safer Gambling Aotearoa has practical tips and plain information about how different kinds of gambling work, and the Gambling Helpline can talk it through with you without you having to give your name.
Tools for limiting your gambling
Self-exclusion
Self-exclusion is a formal way of barring yourself from gambling. Under the Gambling Act 2003, you can ask a venue to exclude you from its gambling area, and the venue must then act if you try to return. This applies to pubs and clubs with gaming machines and to casinos, and an exclusion can run for up to two years.
A multi-venue exclusion (MVE) lets you exclude yourself from several venues in one go, so you do not have to visit each one. The TAB also has its own exclusion process. Gambling support services such as PGF Services can help you set any of these up.
Other practical steps
- Use the limit-setting tools on your betting account, if you have one, to cap what you can deposit or spend.
- Ask your bank whether it can block gambling transactions on your cards.
- Remove betting apps and saved payment details from your phone.
- Tell someone you trust what you are trying to do, so you are not doing it alone.
Gambling law in New Zealand in brief
Gambling in New Zealand is governed mainly by the Gambling Act 2003 and is regulated by the Department of Internal Affairs.
For sports betting, the rules are narrow. Since 28 June 2025, the TAB has been the only operator legally allowed to offer online sports and racing betting to people in New Zealand, and overseas operators are prohibited from taking bets from here. Betting with an unlicensed offshore site means doing without the protections that apply to the licensed operator.
For family, whānau and friends
Gambling harm does not only affect the person who gambles. If you are close to someone with a gambling problem, you may feel worried, powerless or stressed. Support is there for you too.
You can contact the Gambling Helpline or PGF Services for yourself, to get advice on how to handle the situation. Common suggestions are to talk openly without blaming, to set clear boundaries around shared money, and to avoid paying off gambling debts, since financial rescue often makes things worse over time. Keep in mind that the person has to choose to get help for themselves.
Age limits
Age limits depend on the type of gambling. You must be 18 or older to bet with the TAB, to play gaming machines in pubs and clubs, and to buy Instant Kiwi tickets. You must be 20 or older to enter the gambling area of a casino.
If you have a question about anything on this page, you can reach us through our contact page.