How big is the esports industry in New Zealand?

William Davis Published 23/01/2023

Esports are taking over the world, but how is New Zealand keeping up with the trend of competitive gaming?

New Zealand isn’t exactly the global capital of gaming competitions. Still, the country has managed to stay relevant thanks to its casual consumption of esports titles and contributions to professional play. In addition, the country’s developed gambling laws have allowed the esports gambling industry to establish a foothold in the region. Here’s what games are most popular in New Zealand, how the country fares competitively, and how betting has influenced the nation’s growth.

The most popular video games in New Zealand

Casual gaming is the gateway to more competitive pursuits, and New Zealand is on par with Europe and the Americas for participation. As of 2020, 67% of New Zealanders said that they play video games in some capacity. In 2019, they spent more than $500 million on gaming devices and software.

As for the most popular video games in the country, casual games like Grand Theft Auto V and Minecraft are the most common. For multiplayer, New Zealanders show a preference for sports simulation titles, with FIFA often topping sales charts. Minecraft is also quite popular, though exact player numbers are difficult to parse. Mobile gaming and gambling also have a presence in the country, though they may be less socially significant than AAA releases.

Despite having less than one-fifth of Australia’s population, New Zealand is an equal player in the domestic and global gaming markets. Several developers, including NinjaKiwi, A44, and Grinding Gear, call the country home. Esports developer Valve’s co-founder and president, Gabe Newell, currently resides in New Zealand and has repeatedly stated his love for the country.

New Zealand pros have earned more than $2 million

In addition to a thriving casual scene, New Zealand also fields representatives in multiple major esports. In terms of earnings, the most successful titles are Fortnite, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, and Rocket League. World of Warcraft is also notable, with several prominent raid-racers and PVP players hailing from the Oceanic nation. There doesn’t appear to be any one particular genre that competitive gamers gather around in New Zealand, which results in a healthy spread of names and faces across dozens of games.

The two highest-earning esports players from New Zealand do an excellent job of demonstrating this diversity. The highest-earning esports pro in the country is Cameron “Kamii” Ingram, who currently plays Rocket League for James Cheese. His fourth-place finish at RLCS Season 6 Finals has greatly contributed to his total prize money earnings of just under $126,000. Sean “Gratisfaction” Kaiwai is the second richest kiwi gamer with estimated career earnings of $123,891. Gratisfaction’s biggest CSGO prize was a surprise podium finish at the 2019 Berlin Major.

How gambling has affected esports in New Zealand

Gambling is extremely well-regulated in New Zealand compared to most of the western world with clear guidelines for sites and protection for players. As a result, the online betting and esports gaming industries have grown in tandem. New Zealand was one of the first countries to legalize online betting with the 2003 Gambling Act formally, and all rules for traditional sports apply to their video game counterparts.

As a result, New Zealand punters enjoy a wide range of betting sites to pick from. These range from dedicated esports sportsbooks to hybrid sites featuring traditional sports offerings and some of the best payout casinos on the market.

With gambling so popular, New Zealand-based companies are more likely to get involved with both sides of the industry. Esports sponsors like E Blacks, Chorus, Hyperfibre, and more have poured money into putting kiwi players and events on the world stage. The country’s government has even gotten involved, setting up regulatory bodies like the New Zealand Esports Federation to keep competition fair. As esports grow even more popular, adjacent industries, from sponsors to sportsbooks, will continue to grow with it.

Read Also

Slots

Here is what to expect from the thrilling upcoming Fury of Anubis slot release Hannan Mundia Pragmatic Play is preparing to launch the brand-new Fury of Anubis slot. It is set to be one of the most ambitious slot releases of 2026, and here’s everything slot enthusiasts can expect when it comes out. While a handful of themes really shine in the online slot world, the Egyptian theme is a standout. Some slots have gone on to become fan-favorites by incorporating this theme, and Pragmatic Play ...

Kick

Rainbet becomes Kick’s first official slot category sponsor Khizar Mundia In what has been a hugely busy few months for the Kick streaming platform — which included starting to test adverts — Rainbet has now been confirmed as a sponsor of the slot vertical. Following an initial backlash over ads, Kick co-founder Eddie Craven called adverts “inevitable” after roughly four years of the platform keeping the user experience clean. The livestreaming platform then saw one of its first ads on ...

News

We played BC.Game’s Crash and this is what we found Conn Mc Gillion Crash has fast become one of the most popular casino games around, with crypto casinos all over offering their version of it. The concept focuses on simplicity, and this is just part of its appeal. BC.Game's Crash is part of their Originals line-up and we recently spent some time playing it to understand exactly why the format works. To go with our BC.Game Crash review, we tried both gaming modes (classic ...

Big Wins

Trainwreckstv breaks record with $50 million win on Coins and Cauldrons Hannan Mundia Trainwreckstv has been streaming online slots for years now, but nothing has been more impressive than his record-breaking $50 million Coins and Cauldrons win. Train proved once again why he’s one of the largest figures by making history. His recent win on Coins and Cauldrons had the streamer break his personal record, as well as a record in the online gambling scene, and it helped that the win was live ...

News

Betting on the World Cup: Top promos & bonus codes to use ahead of kick-off Ian John The 2026 World Cup starts on 11 June and 48 teams will start the biggest World Cup in history with the aim of succeeding Argentina as the newly crowned Champions of the world. As befitting the biggest sporting event of the year, many crypto World Cup betting sites are running a wide range of different promotions and offers especially for the tournament. Here we will be taking a closer look ...

News

Nintendo Direct June 2026: Zelda, Fire Emblem, Pokémon DLC, and more announced Zachary Roberts After months of waiting, a real Nintendo Direct was announced for June 9, accompanied by a Treehouse Live afterward. There hasn't been one since August, which left the Nintendo Switch 2 pretty barren in terms of first-party titles. That changed with this stream. Here's everything that was announced. First up, the initial reveal at the June Nintendo Direct was Rhythm Heaven Groove. This was not a new revelation, as it ...

News

These are three of the best crypto casino apps at the moment Conn Mc Gillion Crypto casinos have never been more popular, with advances in technology ensuring that there are tens of top brands available. We cover them thoroughly all across our site, but the issue is that many of these crypto casinos do not provide a dedicated mobile experiences for their players. In this guide, we're going to outline some of the best crypto casino apps that you can try out for yourself, looking ...