Starlink Outage Leaves Rural NZ Bettors Offline: What It Means for Punters

July 25, 2025 – New Zealand: A rare global outage of Starlink, Elon Musk’s satellite internet service, left tens of thousands of users disconnected for more than two hours on Thursday, including many in rural New Zealand who rely on the network to place online bets.

The internet outage was caused by a failure in Starlink’s internal software systems hit Friday morning NZT and impacted connectivity in the U.S., Europe, and parts of Oceania. With over 6 million users globally and growing adoption in New Zealand’s rural communities, the outage surprised punters accustomed to Starlink’s usually stable connection.

For Kiwi players who depend on satellite internet to access betting sites—whether for in-play sports wagering, live casino sessions, or time-sensitive promotions—the blackout likely meant missed opportunities and disrupted play.

Social media reports and outage trackers like Downdetector indicated a surge in complaints from Starlink users in New Zealand’s South Island and remote areas of the North Island. Some players noted being locked out of accounts mid-session, while others could not cash out or fund bets during key events.

Even though services have resumed, the event highlights a growing issue for players in regions where Starlink is the only viable high-speed internet option: lack of redundancy. With many betting platforms offering real-time markets and fast-paced features, even a short interruption can impact outcomes.

The incident may prompt some users to explore mobile data backups or reconsider which types of bets to place when internet reliability isn’t guaranteed.

As online betting continues to grow in reach, this outage serves as a reminder: when the internet goes down, so does your wager.