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

News

World Cup 2026: As we reach the quarter-finals, what do the odds say? Ben Boland The 2026 World Cup has delivered one of the most thrilling tournaments in living memory, with the expanded 48-team format widely being praised for the competitive nature of the underdogs — particularly those like Cape Verde making their debut in the competition. July 8 is the first rest day in what has been a breathless opening four weeks, so it is an ideal opportunity to assess the remaining eight teams ...

Kick

Is Adin Ross really retiring from streaming? Khizar Mundia Despite being just 25-years-old, Adin Ross is one of the most recognizable and successful streamers in the world. His recent comments have suggested that he may have reached the peak of the industry and is ready to retire already. During a stream, Clover Boyz creator Nick “Lacy” Fosco asked Adin Ross about retiring from streaming, and the Kick streamer’s reply has led to lots of speculation. Rumors about Adin Ross ...

Slots

These are our favourite Plane Gambling games and how to play them Ian John Plane Gambling games are probably better known by their more ubiquitous tag of Crash games. Their heady mix of instantly understandable gameplay, the chance to potentially win big money in a few seconds and variable features have made them hugely popular for players and streamers alike. There are now several different Plane Gambling games available to play online at a variety of crypto casinos, and in this post we will ...

Twitch

FIFA starts investigation into alleged racist abuse directed at iShowSpeed Khizar Mundia Darren “iShowSpeed” Watkins Jr. was allegedly targeted with racist abuse in the Argentina vs Cape Verde World Cup 2026 match, leading to FIFA opening an investigation into the incident. iShowSpeed has been on a busy IRL tour during the ongoing World Cup, primarily to support his hero Cristiano Ronaldo. However, the legendary striker's tournament came to an end in the loss against Spain, leading to an emotional outburst from Speed ...

Twitch

Nikita Bier targets MrBeast over X post Khizar Mundia X’s Head of Product, Nikita Bier, is known to not mince his words, and he has now called out Jimmy “MrBeast” Donaldson for allegedly engaging in financial baiting on X. Nikita Bier came into the spotlight in the streaming space when he took a dig at Darren “iShowSpeed” Watkins Jr., enraging the streamer’s fans. Since then, Bier has been promoting the use of livestreaming on X but has managed to ...

Dota 2

Dota 2 at the EWC 2026 preview, details, predictions, and more Michael Hassall A titanic 24 teams are set to compete in Dota 2 at the Esports World Cup 2025 in one of the largest events of the competitive season. These two dozen organizations are set to take over the Paris Convention Center, filling it with top-tier competitive Dota 2 action. With a $2,000,000 USD prize pool, the largest on the Dota 2 calendar, there’s everything to play for in the final major ...

Twitch

Kai Cenat hits 1 million concurrent viewers for the second time, apologizes to ex-girlfriend GiGi Khizar Mundia It has been a busy few weeks for the hugely popular content creator Kai Cenat. First he announced his return to streaming, crossing 1 million concurrent viewers for the second time in his career, and he has also confirmed participants of the Streamer University 2026. The American has also discussed details of his personal life and the drama involving his ex-girlfriend Gabrielle “GiGi” Alayah. The Twitch star's return came after ...