The TAB Platform Migration Project

Since June 1, 2023, when Entain and TAB NZ began a strategic partnering arrangement, the TAB brand has seen several changes. From the opportunity to sponsor key New Zealand Racing Industry events to the announcement of the TAB Racing Club, we've shown stakeholders Entain's commitment to the success of the brand and the resulting benefits to the industry at large.

Our core product has remained the operation of the wagering business, and even with a 70-year legacy, we've always shown innovation and improvements for customers. Moving the TAB platform to the tech stack of other Entain brands Ladbrokes and Neds, was a crucial step following the partnership to provide more products, more markets, and more features to our NZ customers.

We kept the things NZ punters knew and loved, like the world-leading No Deductions promotion, Punters Promise and tote while introducing a modern edge. By migrating the TAB tech platform to the platform that Ladbrokes and Neds are on, we can stop being as heavily reliant on third-party resources and provide the most consistent and improved betting experience for our customers.

On Tuesday, March 26, we presented the new TAB logo to the industry at Ellerslie Racecourse. This was the first time the new look had been presented externally.

On 30 April, we were excited to welcome customers to the new-look TAB website and app.

Liz Hiteshue, Entain's Chief Transformation and Operations Officer said:

“We were extremely ambitious in our time and resources for this project, and I'm very happy to say it paid off.

“A huge amount of work across the business was what enabled us to get here, and everyone had a role to play in that process. The goal was always to enhance our TAB customer experience and continue to build upon that experience with new products and improvements. There's always more to come and we're already hard at work for what's next.”

Since the new TAB App and website was launched on 30 April, we've been asking for feedback. We've encouraged our Kiwi customers to tell us what they think, good or bad, and have been eagerly watching the information pour in.

Of the thousands of pieces of feedback supplied by customers, stakeholders, staff and industry, the Entain team have already addressed and fixed the majority of issues raised since the platform went live.

This is the perfect example of why it was so important for the TAB brand to join the Entain platform. Eighty-five issues, primarily punter-preference or visual appearance related, were logged in the first week, with 65% of those resolved and released into production immediately.

Having the in-house capability to adapt quickly thanks to our Tech, Product and Data teams, we have been able to test and develop solutions to some customers’ bugbears, and quickly reintroduce those changes to the latest app versions and online.

Each and every suggestion has its level of merit, so we are being strategic as to which pieces of feedback enact change, and which we're storing in our back pockets for later.

The key here is that we put our best foot forward in the launch, but we're always looking for chances to make improvements and ensure the TAB platform delivers everything we say it will.

“A new era of TAB is here - both the brand and an exciting new betting experience. This is a big milestone for TAB and the Entain Australia and New Zealand business. It has been a long journey to get to this point, but we are all excited about what this will mean for the experience for our TAB customers moving forward,” said Entain NZ Managing Director Cameron Rodger.

“I am extremely proud of the teams involved in this migration. Across the business and the Tasman, I saw incredible dedication and commitment to the delivery of this project to ensure NZ customers experienced the benefits of the Entain tech stack and the array of products and features we deliver.”

While some customers' feedback started off a bit unsure, which we can expect given the amount of change we delivered overnight, the tone quickly turned. Now that they've had time to explore the Promotions, Features, Products and Design, we're seeing them come back to us to tell us what they now love.

We’re always looking for ways to deliver great experiences. Our customers are at the heart of everything we do. The launch of the new TAB platform is just the start of what we have in store, and we can't wait for what's to come.