But there are a small percentage of punters who take betting more seriously.
They like to invest more and have the disposal income to do so, and there are plenty of racehorse owners who want to back their own horse for more than the restricted amounts which is an important lure of actually owning a horse.
These punters, should they win even semi regularly, are often inhibited by restrictions that are incredibly frustrating and make them fume at the TAB.
Of course the TAB isn't alone in restricting winning punters, it is standard practice in the bookmaking industry worldwide, and while the ethics of letting people lose as much as they want but only win set amounts are questionable, because most punters don't win over an extended period the restrictions don't affect them.
But the punters it does affect tend to be the bigger, more regular punters and the TAB restrictions here, which reached farcical levels as the new website and betting framework were bedding in, have now been relaxed.
The $2000 minimum fixed odds win limit, with the option to bet again at the readjusted price, is up with the best in the world, especially considering the smaller size of the New Zealand gaming market and the TAB should be congratulated for make the change of their own accord.
It is a good thing. A very good thing.
One of the key reasons it has been implemented is to address the leakage of punters to overseas bookmaking firms in the hope of better odds and less restrictions.
The latter tends to be Fool's Gold because if you win with almost any offshore corporate bookmaker (there are some exceptions with smaller firms) then they will quickly restrict your bet amounts.
Any punter who tells you almost any major overseas betting firm consistently lets them on to win four-figure sums is a punter who over the course of a year loses. That is a cold, hard economic fact.
But Punters Promise isn't just about giving New Zealand punters a fair deal it is laying the foundation for what may be the TAB's biggest ever power play and something that could inject tens of millions back into the racing industry and even aid New Zealand sporting organisation.
The dream for TAB bosses is overseas betting operators being blocked to New Zealand punters to stop what is estimated to be between $400million and staggering $600million in punting dollars heading offshore every year.
Overseas bookmakers now pay New Zealand racing a percentage of that turnover, usually around 3 per cent, but that is a far smaller percentage than what the New Zealand TAB returns to New Zealand racing.
The New Zealand TAB, while not commenting on it publicly yet, would love to stop that leakage by geo-blocking overseas bookmakers meaning all New Zealand punters can only bet here. Which is only with the TAB.
That may not sound fair but the Australian government did just that three years ago and so too do many other countries with New Zealand's internet gambling laws some of the loosest in the world.
The TAB will ultimately approach Racing Minister Grant Robertson and ask for the geo-blocking and they can now do so flying the flag of Punters Promise, suggesting they are giving punters here the fairest of fair goes and they can be trusted with a monopoly.
Had the TAB not guaranteed Punters Promise, restricting overseas betting operators could have simply ended betting for many winning punters, who wouldn't have been able to bet off-shore, were restricted here and have no interest in betting into dwindling tote pools.
Governments tend to look down on monopolies and the TAB is still a fair way off convincing Robertson and the Department of Internal Affairs geo-blocking is the right thing to do by New Zealand punters, even if it is the right thing to do for New Zealand racing and sport.
But Punters Promise has at least laid the foundation for the conversation and for now New Zealand punters, particularly those lucky or smart enough to win, are for the first time in years getting a fair deal.
