Entain shifts focus to online growth in New Zealand
Gambling group Entain has signaled that it is focused on online gaming growth with a particular emphasis on New Zealand’s emerging online casino market.
Entain Chief Executive Andrew Vouris, who took over from long-serving Dean Shannon in August, told Financial Review that several high-profile strategic moves had failed to deliver, including a AU$40 million (US$28 million)1 AUD = 0.7075 USD
2026-02-10Powered by CMG CurrenShift investment in thoroughbred horse ownership and pub-based gambling lounges.
Entain has since made substantial changes to combat this, with Vouris axing 10% of the company’s workforce, divesting its horse-ownership business, and selling its venue-entertainment branch.
“We probably should have pulled out of that strategy sooner. We tried something ambitious, and it didn’t work; it distracted us from our core strengths. What matters is discipline,” Vouris told the publication.
Looking ahead, Vouris said that Entain plans to grow the online market share of its Ladbrokes and Neds brands, which currently sit at about 17%, through a major app overhaul and improved sports betting product.
The company is also looking at New Zealand’s forthcoming regulated online casino market, where up to 15 licenses are expected to be issued by December. Currently, Entain has a monopoly in the New Zealand-regulated market, owning the country’s sole sports betting operator, Tab New Zealand.
Despite its New Zealand division making less money than its Australian counterpart, Vouris adds that it’s growing 28% year-on-year. With online casinos also not permitted in Australia, New Zealand’s upcoming market can also be seen as beneficial for Entain.
Despite this, Entain is awaiting the outcome of an investigation by financial intelligence agency AUSTRAC into historic anti-money laundering breaches, with a potential court date set for November.
Charlotte Capewell brings her passion for storytelling and expertise in writing, researching, and the gambling industry to every article she writes. Her specialties include the US gambling industry, regulator legislation, igaming, and more.
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The Backstory
After the reset, a sharper bet on digital
Entain’s push to double down on online growth in New Zealand did not happen in a vacuum. The company has spent the past year unwinding costly detours and reorienting around core wagering products after strategic misfires in horse ownership and venue entertainment. That pivot accelerated as new leadership took hold in Australia and New Zealand, and as regulators amped up pressure on the industry’s risk controls. The resulting mix of pruning, product overhaul and geographic focus helps explain why New Zealand’s soon-to-regulate online casino market has become a priority lane for Entain.
The company’s near-term playbook centers on defending and expanding share in online sports betting while positioning for adjacent growth where regulation opens a door. In New Zealand, Entain already operates through TAB New Zealand under an exclusive sports betting arrangement. With online casinos still off-limits in Australia, a regulated New Zealand iGaming regime presents one of the few scalable pathways to lift regional growth without adding heavy retail exposure. That logic ties together Entain’s management changes, compliance posture and the policy shifts that have recast New Zealand’s market structure.
Leadership change sets the tone
The strategy reset has unfolded under Andrew Vouris, who moved from interim leader to permanent chief executive of Entain ANZ in late 2025. The appointment followed senior departures and a period of operational soul-searching. In announcing the move, the company emphasized a compliance-led, customer-focused culture and a return to basics in selling bets, signaling discipline after a run of initiatives that diluted focus. The details of Vouris’ elevation are laid out in Entain Australia appoints Andrew Vouris as Chief Executive, which also highlights his track record at Tabcorp and Unikrn.
The leadership turnover extended beyond the corner office. A string of exits in Australia and New Zealand accompanied AUSTRAC’s legal action against the group. Those shifts, including the resignation of Entain Australia’s longtime CFO and the head of the New Zealand unit, are detailed in Entain Australia executive resigns amid money laundering scandal. While changes at the top do not guarantee execution, they marked a clear intent to clean up legacy issues and narrow strategic priorities as regulatory scrutiny intensified.
Compliance cloud narrows but lingers
Entain’s regional strategy remains intertwined with AUSTRAC’s civil case over alleged anti-money laundering failures tied to high-risk customers. In August, the regulator softened some claims, removing contentions tied to “remittance arrangements” after acknowledging conflicts with its own guidance. The trimmed case, however, still carries sizable potential penalties and a long evidentiary tail. The evolution of the litigation is tracked in AUSTRAC drops key allegations in Entain money-laundering case, which notes that a separate ruling against another casino group could influence legal strategy across the sector.
The compliance backdrop complicates growth narratives. On one hand, a more disciplined product focus and investment in digital could streamline oversight and data-driven risk controls. On the other, amplified attention to VIP programs and high-turnover accounts raises the bar for how fast bookmakers can scale without tripping conduct rules. A pending suit that names Entain alongside industry peers underscores that exposure. The filing, brought by a convicted fraudster who alleges operators enabled his excessive gambling and ignored red flags, broadens the lens to responsible-gambling obligations. Details are in Sportsbet, Tabcorp, and Entain sued over responsible gambling failures in Australia. Even if the claims do not translate into direct liability across all fronts, they add urgency to tighten protocols that regulators are already probing.
New Zealand closes offshore leakage
A new legal landscape in New Zealand is central to why Entain is leaning into the market. In June, Wellington banned offshore operators from taking bets from residents, a move designed to stop wagering outflows and buttress TAB New Zealand’s monopoly over local sports and racing. That reform, which also ramps up funding to domestic sport and racing through Entain’s partnership with TAB NZ, is outlined in New Zealand bans offshore sports betting. The law responds to years of offshore activity that diverted tens of millions from local beneficiaries.
The offshore clampdown matters for two reasons. First, it consolidates the existing sports betting base inside the regulated perimeter, giving Entain clearer visibility on customer behavior, risk and product need. Second, it sets a policy tone that favors domestically accountable operators as lawmakers consider frameworks for expanded online gaming. With channelization improving, regulators can weigh new licenses knowing consumer activity is less diffuse and taxation more predictable. For Entain, that means an opportunity to extend wallet share in a market already bolted to its technology and compliance stack.
What the next phase could look like
New Zealand’s contemplation of a regulated online casino sector by year-end is the hinge for Entain’s growth thesis. A system that issues a defined number of licenses and ties them to rigorous standards would reward operators that have already invested in local partnerships, safer gambling tools and data controls. Entain’s incumbency through TAB NZ and its regional technology overhaul put it in the conversation to secure a seat at that table.
The company still faces execution risks. Any licensing round will likely prioritize demonstrable compliance maturity and harm-minimization capability, areas where AUSTRAC’s case heightens scrutiny even across borders. Product differentiation also matters: migrating sports bettors into casino formats requires careful guardrails, targeted cross-sell and responsible marketing to avoid regulatory backlash. But if Entain can thread those needles, New Zealand offers growth that is hard to replicate in Australia, where online casinos remain prohibited and enforcement momentum is strong.
The stakes go beyond one operator. New Zealand’s approach to channelization, licensing and enforcement will serve as a regional test of whether tighter control of offshore leakage can coexist with broader legal online gaming. For policymakers, the calculus is revenue retention and consumer protection; for operators, it is compliance credibility and product readiness. Entain’s recent housecleaning, leadership recalibration and emphasis on core online strengths suggest it is positioning accordingly. The coming months will show whether that preparation converts into share gains in a newly structured market or whether compliance headwinds slow the roll just as the gates open.
