Entain Soft-Launches BlackRush Casino Brand Ahead of New Zealand iGaming Launch

^{Entain has soft-launched a new online casino brand, BlackRush, ahead of New Zealand's regulated iGaming market opening in 2027. (Photo: Ingolfson / Wikimedia Commons)}

Entain has soft-launched a new online casino brand for New Zealand, BlackRush, ahead of the country's regulated iGaming market opening in 2027. The move gives the group a second iGaming-focused brand in the market before licensing formally begins.

BlackRush runs on Entain's ElectraWorks Gibraltar licence and currently requires a VPN to access from New Zealand, according to NEXT.io, which first reported the launch. It operates on a platform separate from Entain's global systems, which it shares with FoxySpins, an existing brand already targeting New Zealand players. Neither brand is yet licensed under New Zealand's incoming domestic regime.

Entain Wants All Three of Its Licences to Cross-Sell

New Zealand's regulated online casino licensing process, due to open fully in 2027 will issue 15 licences, with each operator allowed to hold up to three and each licence covering a single brand.

"I think the opportunity for us is significant because we'll be the only player who will be able to do cross-sell." — Stella David, Entain chief executive, on an earnings call reported by NEXT.io.

David estimated the New Zealand market is worth around £600m a year in total, with Entain currently making about £200m of that through its existing sports betting partnership with TAB NZ. The new casino brands could push that figure past £300m, she said, once online casino licences take effect alongside the group's existing sportsbook revenue.

A Dedicated New Zealand Team

Entain has created a dedicated New Zealand managing director role, held by Chris Haigh, to oversee the licensing transition. Haigh and Australia managing director Chris Ward both report to Entain Australia and New Zealand chief executive Andrew Vouris, who NEXT.io reported has been "leaning into" the market and engaging local partners.

Entain is currently the only licensed operator allowed to run sports betting in New Zealand through its TAB NZ partnership. Other operators reported to have filed an expression of interest in a New Zealand online casino licence include SkyCity, which is reviewing options for its wider casino business, Super Group, DigiPlus, Stake and Dabble, which would compete directly with BlackRush and FoxySpins once the market opens.

New Zealand currently has no licensed framework for online casino gambling, which has left the market served largely by offshore operators outside local regulatory oversight. The government's move to licence up to 15 brands from 2027 is intended to bring that activity onshore and under local consumer-protection rules.

A soft launch ahead of formal licensing lets Entain test branding, platform performance and local marketing in a market it already knows well through TAB NZ, rather than building a casino presence from a standing start once licences are issued. BlackRush is distinct from FoxySpins, though the two brands share underlying platform infrastructure outside Entain's main global systems.