Best Bookies in Australia
Australians are one of the most gambling nations in the world with a rich betting experience. Worth mentioning is the fact that over 70 Australian betting sites operate simultaneously on a small continent, offering customers countless types of bets on rugby, horse racing, Australian football, etc., as well as first class consumer and business services.
Surprisingly, the vast majority of these Australian bookmakers are licensed by just three regulatory agencies: Northern Territory, Liquor & Gaming NSW or Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission.
It's always important to do your research before signing up to any of the sports betting agencies to make sure that you're getting the best possible deal. Our team of experts have reviewed the best sports betting sites in Australia to help you find the one that suits you best.
Best Sporting Betting Sites in Australia
The position of the bookmaker in this list is determined on a commercial basis. The ratings on Match.Center are compiled as honestly and objectively as possible, so we indicate "Not for sale" to make it clear which are based on merit.
This page contains the best bookmakers chosen by us based on the experience of our Match.Center authors. We are a global project. We evaluate the legal betting businesses of various countries based on best practices . We take into account all the finer details including how they adhere to legislation as well as their day to day business practices. The evaluation criteria doesn’t change regardless of whether a betting company is our partner or not.
How We Put Together Our Top Australian Betting Sites
Match.Center recommends the readers to bet online only on legal betting sites. Preparing this review we have carefully studied all licensed Australian online bookmakers and compiled a list of the best betting sites in Australia, as well as of their apps and other features, a comparative table of features and determined the best sporting betting sites, that have been operating since 2017.
When compiling the rankings, we relied on several most important bookmaker parameters, among them the following:
In addition, we will tell you which companies have live streaming, where you can quickly and easily view statistics on the latest performances of the participants in the selected competition, as well as which of the betting sites came to Australia from Europe, and which were created here and impose their struggle to the world giants.
In other respects, this review will give you full information about the best Australian websites.
The Best Australian Bookmakers - Detailed Overview
PlayUp — Best Australian Betting Site
PlayUp is a new online bookmaker formed in 2019. The betting agency has already gained a good reputation. PlayUp also happens to be one of the only wholly Australian owned and operated online bookmakers. PlayUp offers sports betting with a wide range of sports - over 28, as well as betting online on political events.
Of course, there are all types of Australian sports racing - horses, greyhounds, harness.
As for other disciplines, the range of sports betting markets presented is not bad. For example, you will find over 150 markets for AFL games on the day of the game and over 100 if you plan to bet earlier.
NFL matches are posted very early: you can bet on the September matches in June, with over 40 markets offered.
PlayUp Main
PlayUp Support
PlayUp's main feature is a special betting site for fantasy sports. It's called DraftStars. Fantasy sports are gaining popularity, and on DraftStars you'll find four modes of play and several sports.
Like PlayUp, DraftStars has a mobile betting app for iOS and Android.
The bookmaker's support team is available 24/7. It can be contacted by phone, e-mail and live chat.
TopSport — 2nd Best Bets Book
TopSport is an Australian sports betting site that has been operating since 1998. Although TopSport is a small bookmaker by the standards of Ladbrokes and Unibet, the betting site still offers its customers a wide range of sports betting markets with a big variety of upcoming matches. However, the choice of markets for each event is limited.
TopSport Main
Sports at TopSport
If you want to bet via your smartphone, however, TopSport won't disappoint you. Download the bookmaker's own mobile betting app for iOS or Android and bet anywhere, anytime.
Bet365
Bet365 is a British bookmaker founded in 2000 and well known throughout the online betting world. The betting site is available in 20 languages and offers 19 currencies. The company has repeatedly been voted the best bookmaker in the world.
Bet365 sports
Bet365 has been in the Australian sports market since 2012, having obtained a gambling licence in the Northern Territory region.
Unibet
Unibet is one of the oldest and most trusted online bookmakers in the world, it has been operating since 1997. In 2012 Unibet Australia bought Betchoice, a betting site, licensed in the Northern Territory region, and made a rebranding. Unibet offers users a solid range of markets. You'll have no trouble with sports betting since the company offers bets on sports such as football, golf, basketball, American football, rugby and cricket.
Unibet Main
Soccer at Unibet
Special mention should be made of betting on horse races. Unibet offers bets on multiple local and world events including the Kentucky Derby, Royal Ascot, Dubai World Cup, Melbourne Cup and the Arc de Triomphe.
Ladbrokes
Ladbrokes is an old British bookmaker with an excellent reputation. This bookmaker was founded in 1886. It has been operating in Australian sports betting market since 2013. At Ladbrokes you can find the traditional for Australian betting sites excellent range of markets for all types of horse, greyhounds and harness racing.
There are over 25 sports available at Landbrokes. Political events and celebrity awards like the Logie Awards are also available for betting.
Racing at Ladbrokes
Sports at Ladbrokes
Ladbrokes Support
The support team can be contacted by phone, live chat and via email.
One of the best features of this bookmaker is the very detailed statistics on horse races.
The betting website is almost identical to that of the new Australian bookmaker Neds, which was founded in 2017. Ladbrokes bought it in 2018, and they are now pretty much one and the same bookmaker. Nevertheless, they are both good.
Payment methods accepted at Ladbrokes are: Visa/Mastercard, PayPal, POLi, BPAY, Flexepin, PayID.
Neds
Neds is an Australian owned online sports betting company. It emerged not so long ago, in 2017. It quickly gained popularity, and in 2018 it was acquired by the big British bookmaker Ladbrokes. The betting sites of both firms now look pretty much the same, apart from the colour scheme.
Consequently, Neds has the same advantages and disadvantages as Ladbrokes. But there is a slight difference - the horse racing and sports statistics on Ladbrokes is more detailed.
Neds Main
Neds Card
Neds Card opportunities
And Neds also has a very cool feature that sets it apart from most online betting sites: you can pay at shops with the money you have won without withdrawing it from your account. The Neds Card has been invented for this purpose. It's essentially an ordinary payment Mastercard, but it operates with the money held in your Neds account. Thus, the holder of this card does not have to order a withdrawal - you can simply go to the shop and pay with it. You can also use the card to make purchases online.
Payment methods accepted by Neds are: Visa/Mastercard, PayPal, POLi, BPAY, Flexepin, PayID.
BlueBet
BlueBet was founded in 2015 by former CEO of William Hill Australia Michael Sullivan. It is a classic Australian bookmaker with an emphasis on horse racing. You'll find everything you need in this segment, including the same racing multis.
BlueBet Main
BlueBet Racing
BlueBet AFL
BlueBet offers several methods of making a deposit: Credit/Debit Card, POLi, EFT/Bank Transfer, BPAY, Cheque, Cash.
Other sports are represented moderately: just over 20 sports, no Esports and no live streaming. At the same time, here you can bet on political events.
BlueBet has apps for iOS and Android. You can contact its support team by phone and e-mail.
Betfair
Betfair is the world's largest betting exchange with the best odds. Australian Bookmaker Reviews Betfair has been operating in Australia since 2006. A distinctive feature of Betfair is that users place bets against one another rather than against the bookmaker. In doing so, they can set their own betting terms. Therefore, odds for events can often be quite different to those of other Australian sports betting online bookmakers.
Betfair
Sports at Betfair
Betfair does not include its own margin into odds, making a profit on commission on a winning bet.
Best Betting Site in Australia of a Month
New Best Australian Sports Betting Sites 2023
As of 2023, there are dozens of betting sites in Australia. Many of them have been in the market for a long time. There are even bookmaker's dynasties like Waterhouses. There aren't many new betting site to speak of. We draw a relative line at 2017 and categorise as young those companies that were established or entered the legal Australian sports betting market in that year or later.
Of course, new Australian online bookmakers, like the old ones, are more likely to focus on horse and dog racing. Nevertheless, they have something to surprise their customers with.
For example, PickleBet, founded in 2017, is a unique bookmaker not only in Australia, but by the world standards. It has focused on the growing popularity of Esports, abandoning even horse racing betting for the sake of it. Real sports are also available, but they're not the main course on the PickleBet's menu. The number of games and markets will pleasantly surprise Esports fans. It's hardly possible to find a more diverse offering in the Esports sphere.
BetDeluxe generally sticks to the traditional model, focusing on horse racing and largely ignoring other sports. But here you will find a feature which is rare for Australian companies - regular newsfeeds with announcements of upcoming events and horse racing experts' opinions on the chances of one or the other participant in the upcoming race.
Australian sports betting site PlayUp will offer you a much wider selection than most Australian betting sites - over 28 sports. And a range of markets is quite wide. For example, the punter can choose from over 150 markets for AFL matches. PlayUp also promotes fantasy sports betting on a separate DraftStars website.
Neds, founded in 2017, quickly gained popularity. The young company was soon bought by UK-based Ladbrokes, and they became very similar to each other. However, Neds is still highly regarded by Aussie punters with the huge betting experience. In addition, this Australian betting site provides its customers with an opportunity to get a plastic card – it's not unique, but still rare. With the Neds Card you can make purchases by paying with money from your betting balance. You do not need to request a withdrawal and wait for it to be processed and credited to your card. The money is available at any time.
PointsBet gives users an option to place individual bets. The feature is called Name a Bet. The company also offers a wide range of markets for various sporting events.
On the betting site of Bet Right you can find a unique thing - the community of bookmaker's customers on Discord. This makes it easy to share experience with other users and is also an additional easy method of contacting the support team. Another rare feature among online betting sites that Bet Right has is a specific colour scheme in the style of a teenage girl's room. Not everyone will like it, but if pink is your colour, enjoy it.
List of New Best Australian Bookies
Horse Racing Best Betting Sites in Australia
There are many different race events in Australian horse racing industry. The main racing competitions are:
Australian online bookmakers actively cover these national tournaments and many others. On almost any betting site you can bet on a variety of international horse and harness racing, as well as greyhound racing, which is an important discipline for the online bookmakers in Australia too.
The sport is very intense, so you can bet on dozens of horse racing events any day at any time. Australian horse racing bookmakers offer a wide range of betting markets on all the major racing events, including win, place, quinella, trifecta, each-way, and many others. You can also choose to place a multiple bet that covers two or more races. Streaming is available for many competitions on websites and in mobile apps.
Punters can also take advantage of the many horse racing offers and promotions that online bookmakers run. These offers can give you extra value when betting on horse races, and they are well worth taking advantage of. Check out our ranking of betting sites with the best horse racing bets and promotions.
Top 5 Horse Racing Betting Sites in Australia
Best AFL Australian Bookmakers
The Australian Football League (AFL) is the Top level of the sport of Aussie rules football. The AFL was founded in 1896 as the Victorian Football League (VFL), and is the second oldest professional sports league in Australia after cricket's Sheffield Shield. The season currently consists of a pre-season competition (AAMI Community Series). It is followed by a 23-round regular season (with a one bye week, so that is 22 matches in general), which runs from March to September.
The Top eight teams then play off in a four-round finals series, culminating in the AFL Grand Final, which is held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground each year. The winning team in the Grand Final is termed the «Premiers», and is awarded a premiership cup and a premiership flag. All Australian punters in the winning team receive a gold premiership medallion.
There are also two individual awards at the end of the season:
AFL betting has some special features:
Despite the popularity of sports, not all online betting sites offer quality service. We've compiled a list of the best betting sites in Australia for you to enjoy AFL betting to the full.
Best AFL Bookmakers
NRL Australian Bookmakers
The National Rugby League (NRL) is a professional rugby league football competition in Australia. It is the country's primary competition for the sport. The NRL competition is contested by sixteen teams (until 2023): fifteen of which are based in Australia with one based in New Zealand (New Zealand Warriors). Redcliffe Dolphins from Australian Queensland enter the league in season 2023. Each team plays 24 matches in the regular stage from March to October. The season culminates with the NRL Grand Final, held at Sydney's ANZ Stadium.
The most popular types of bets on National Rugby League are:
Most NRL markets are pre-match but there are also some live betting options available. You can bet on things like the next team to score, the margin of victory and even which player will be sent off.
The NRL is a great competitions to bet on and there are plenty of markets available to bettors. With so many games played every week, there is always a bet to be placed on the NRL.
Interested in the best deals for NRL betting? Check out the list compiled by Match.Center experts.
Top 5 NRL Online Bookmakers
Best Bookies Australia for Multi Betting
A multi bet (or combo, or accumulator) is a bet that combines two or more individual bets into one bet. The advantage of multi bets is that it offers a potential for greater payouts than a single bet, as the odds of all the individual bets are multiplied together. However, this type of bets is also riskier than single bets, as all the bets in a combo must be successful to order to receive a payout.
You can bet on the winner of three different football matches or the winner of a few horse races. You can also mix bets on different sports and markets: one multibet can include total goals over 5.5 in hockey and an AFL match winner. The conditions for such a bet to win remain the same — all selections must be a win.
A combo can be created from bets on one match. For example, you can bet on a home team win, a total of more than 2.5, a specific player to score, etc. Some sports betting sites offer bet builder mechanics that allow you to comfortably combine multiple bets from the markets of one match. Note that some selections are mutually exclusive and cannot be combined in one multi bet.
Though betting sites have different cashout rules, it is often available for accumulators, but almost never for various system type bets (for example, trixie, yankee or lucky in horse racing betting). Of course, it is difficult to expect a big payout, as the cashout depends on many choices. Nevertheless, it's a useful mechanic we'd like to see at any betting site.
Some promotions are specific to combos. Sports betting sites offer great odds, battery insurance and other bonuses.
Here are a few sports betting sites who offer the best conditions for combos:
Sports Available for Multibets
Almost all sports are available for multi betting. Here are some disciplines and leagues, which combos are mostly used for:
Fantasy Sports Betting Sites Australia
Aussies love sport. And who doesn't? It's no surprise then, that fantasy sports are also popular in Australian online bookmakers. Fantasy sports offers users to create their own teams of real-life players and compete against other Australian punters based on the statistics of those real-life players. For example, in the AFL fantasy, users would create their team of AFL players and then score points based on how those AFL guys performed in real life. The popularity of fantasy sports in Australia has grown in recent years, with a lot of people among the fans. There are even some major tournaments with big cash prizes. So if you're looking for a new way to enjoy your favourite sport, why not try a fantasy one?
The fantasy sports game is structured similarly to poker tournament betting. Online bookmakers hold a competition tied to a particular sporting event. For example, a cricket match between Australia and Sri Lanka. Placing a bet, players cannot choose how much to bet on to the penny, but they can pick a tournament with a stakes level that they can afford: $1, $15, $200.
There can be a large number or a limited number of participants in tournaments – right up to head-to-head game. In games with a large number of possible participants the company usually offers a guaranteed prize. For example, $5,000 with an entry fee of $15. In this way the organiser manages to attract more users to the event. If, for instance, a tournament has only 20 registered users, the money they contribute will be $300, but the company will still draw $5,000 between them. Accordingly, the users who make it to the prize pool will get more money.
But don't get too exited here. The prize amount is calculated by the organiser on the basis of the average attendance, and you will rarely find yourself in a situation where the prize pool exceeds the one created by the users' fees. It won't get any smaller, though. Not counting the standard commission to the company, the rest of the money contributed by the users will be played out in full. Consequently, the more users in the tournament, the greater the prizes.
The prize money does not go to one customer, it is distributed among several users. And the more participants there are, the more prize places there will be.
In tournaments with a limited number of users there will not be many prizes. In a one-on-one game the winner takes it all.
The organiser can hold some tournaments without an entry fee, as a promotion. All registered users can participate in such games. The only negative thing about free tournaments is that the prize money is usually ridiculously low. Only the first 2-3 places get more or less noticeable payouts. With a huge number of participants attracted to free competition, it is very difficult to take them.
TOP Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) Betting Sites Australia
Daily fantasy sports mean that you can take part in a tournament based on a single match in real sports or in a single championship round. It's faster than a full season's worth of contests and that of course attracts users. There aren't many sites in Australia that offer betting on fantasy sports. The best known is DraftStars. This betting site was founded in 2016. It doesn't have the usual sports betting, only fantasy competitions.
There are several sports available to users. On DraftStars you will find horse racing, AFL and NRL competitions, as well as golf, baseball and cricket, NBA and NHL. After selecting the competition you are interested in, you make a deposit and create a team. It needs to be fully staffed before the first (or only) match included in the competition begins. You will learn all the necessary details in the tournament lobby.
There are some interesting features in the fantasy. For instance, in some games your team will have a salary cap, in others not. The main disadvantage of this kind of betting is that you can make bets on a certain league only during the actual season. For example, if you are into the NBA, you will, like real athletes, have to take a break for the summer off-season. Fortunately for many Australians, horse racing is a permanent thing, and fans of the sport can make bets whenever they want.
DraftStars could be confused with DraftKings, an American betting site that also offers bets on fantasy sports. It is popular worldwide, but unlike DraftStars, at the time of publication of this review Kings does not accept users from Australia. The company's website states they are trying to expand their horizons, but for now, Australians can't bet there. So look for the fantasy on DraftStars, a 100% Australian company focused on sports popular in the country.
Another service that offers Aussies a chance to play the fantasy is called PlayOn. They have a lot of sports on offer here, too. You can either play for real money or for free.
PlayOn
Play On Game manual
Best Sports Betting Apps & Mobile Betting Sites in Australia
With the advent of mobile sports betting, it has never been easier to have a flutter. Whether you're at the beach, in the pub, or just at home on the couch, all you need is a smartphone or tablet and an internet connection. Mobile betting offers plenty of advantages over traditional forms of gambling. For starters, you can place bets anytime, anywhere. If you're worried about security, most mobile betting apps use the same encryption technology as online banks. So whether you're looking to take a punt on the races or have a flutter on your favourite team, mobile betting is the way to go.
Of course, mobile betting has its disadvantages too. Not every mobile site or betting app has all the same features as the bookmaker's website. Also, if the company offers live streaming, they will be more comfortable to watch on a large computer screen or TV than on your phone.
However, modern mobile apps offer all the things you need for betting, including statistics and all the betting features provided by the bookie.
In Australia almost all the leading sports betting sites we've mentioned in the Top 10 above have phone betting. They make you free you from having to open tabs in your browser every time. The betting apps also have a simplified sign up most of the time, which saves time and makes your betting more comfortable.
Here are the best Australian sports betting sites with the mobile apps.
Top 5 Mobile Betting Apps
Banking Options of Australian Betting Sites
Let's take a closer look at the main deposit methods used by local punters at Australian betting companies.
VISA
VISA is an international payment system that is working actively with almost all Australian sports betting sites. Get a bank card (credit/debit card) with VISA support from any local bank and make deposits by entering the card details on the betting site.
Mastercard
Mastercard does not differ from Visa in terms of functionality. The American payment system is also accepted as a deposit method by most betting sites. The main difference between VISA and Mastercard is only that VISA makes financial transactions primarily in dollars and Mastercard in euros. However, in the case of Australia, there is no difference for the user. You can get a Mastercard and make a deposit successfully at the betting site.
POLi
POLi is a payment service that allows you to make payments via online banking in Australia and New Zealand. Before you can use the service you will need to register and fund your account with POLi. In Australia local banks such as ANZ, Bank of Melbourne, BankSA, Bankwest, Bendigo Bank, Citibank, Commonwealth Bank, IMB Building Society, ING Direct, NAB, Newcastle Permanent, St George Bank, Suncorp and Westpac work with POLi. You won't be able to make deposits via other banks' cards.
As for betting sites, transfers from POLi are accepted by Palmerbet, Bet365, RealBookie and numerous other Australian sports betting sites.
BPAY
It is a payment system that can be used as an online payment method and to purchase goods online. The service has a strong reputation in the Australian betting market. By opening a BPAY account, you can make instant transfers to betting companies. What is more, you can download and install the service's mobile app on your smartphone for quick access to your BPAY wallet. Available for iOS and Android.
Bank Transfers
Another popular deposit method amongst Australians is the conventional bank transfer. Many local punters choose this form of payment because it is usually the safest and most secure. Moreover, bank wire transfers are accepted by most sports betting sites in the market. However, there is one major disadvantage with this method - it takes 1-3 business days for the money to reach the betting account.
Withdrawing Money from Online Betting Sites in Australia
The main ways to withdraw money from Australian betting sites include:
What to look out for when choosing a particular cashout method:
List of payment systems available for withdrawal. Each bookmaker will have a different list, as not every betting company cooperates with all payment services.
Minimal withdrawal amount. It may be as much as 5 AUF or 15 AUF for the same payment service on different sports betting sites.
Transaction processing speed. Some sports betting websites claim that the transfer of funds does not exceed 24 hours. It may take 1-3 working days on some other betting sites.
Withdrawal fees. As a rule, payment charges themselves do not include a cashout fee. However, some of the Top Australian websites may do so.
Before you become a customer of any best Australian betting site, you should first find out whether the betting provider is legal in Australia or not. The Australian Government's dedicated communications management website ACMA can help you in this regard: https://www.acma.gov.au/check-if-gambling-operator-legal.