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Bonus Bets Australia 2023

Today, Australian online bookmakers are actively trying to attract and retain customers with their bonus bets, which can be difficult given the legal restrictions. This page is about Australian sports betting bonuses, how they work and where you can get them.

We'll show you some examples of how bonuses can be used in the best way to increase your bankroll. We'll also give you an insight into the Australian gambling restrictions and reasons for them.

Does this text violate the law? Not even close. The legislation prohibits public advertising of gambling, but existing clients can get notices via email or learn about promotions on the bookmaker's website. Online sports betting is legal in every Australian state; only the advertisement of bonuses is forbidden.

You can bet via any approved Australian site. In addition, each bookmaker's website is required to conform with federal regulations. Namely:

Demands the bettors to verify their identities.
Avoid advertising any forms of bets or bonuses publicly.
Does not encourage betting.
Deposits should be limited. The amount of bonuses provided to the active bettors is supposed to be limited, too.

Australian players must meet the following requirements:

Over18 years old.
Possess an Australian residency or be registered in one of the permitted countries (for example, in New Zealand).
Provide a photo and a copy of an ID document.

Account verification to confirm the identity can take up to fourteen days, but it is typically much quicker.

All sites without a valid Australian license are deemed illegal and are supposed to be blocked. In fact, however, it is impossible to block access to an offshore bookmaker's website. Typically, Australian gamblers use a fake residence address when registering.

Match.Center promotes only the websites of legal bookmakers who adhere to local legislation and follow the rules set by the Australian regulator. If you have any issues with offshore websites, Australian law can’t protect you. If you use unauthorized sports betting services, you can unwillingly provide your personal and financial information to frauds. In addition, an Australian bank can prohibit any withdrawals from illicit sites, preventing you from accessing your winnings.

You can check the availability of legitimate bookmaker licenses on the Australian government's website.

What Types Of Bonus Bets Are Prohibited?

Examples of bonus bets that are illegal in advertising:

Deposit bonuses
Bonuses that are equal to the first bet
Cashback and discounts
Refer a friend bonus
Refunded bet

Nationwide, such sports betting bonuses are prohibited from being advertised.

Nonetheless, it is vital to note the two most important Australian states for betting: New South Wales and Victoria. The local law of both states permits the advertising of the enhanced odds offer. Even commercials for reload bonuses are common in the state of Victoria.

Despite the marketing limitations, bookmakers' advertising strategies have not improved significantly, particularly in New South Wales. The Sydney Morning Herald reports that many betting platforms, including the largest one, Sportsbet, do not take the federal and local government's ban seriously. They continue to promote sports betting via outdoor advertising, on social networks, at the stadiums, and even via emailings to inactive clients.

One reason is the low fines for breaking the law. It is cheaper for companies to pay fines than to give up this promising method of attracting new customers.

In case of fraud on the part of a gambler (for example, multi accounting), the company has the right to block the account.

The most important thing after successfully wagering the bonus is: how to withdraw money? You will probably need to deposit a minimum amount of funds to your sports betting account in order for the bookmaker to link your payment method account details to it.

Live Betting Banned in Australia

Many gamblers in other countries may be surprised to learn that in-play betting (advertising and the very bet types of this kind) is strictly illegal in Australia. The Australian Game Play Gambling Act of 2001 prohibits real-time wagering.

When the bill was drafted and passed, it was intended to put a stop to bettors from engaging in games that are clearly not games of skill and yet involve quick gameplay: the likes of roulette, blackjack and digital scratchcards. But then lawmakers felt that the term "Interactive Gambling" also encompassed online live betting.

Since 2016, local authorities have begun to actively fight methods of circumventing this law, such as bookmakers' mobile apps that have a "Click-to-call" feature. This feature allows customers to place bets by activating the microphone of their devices and contacting the operators of the betting provider, who handles a particular bet. It can only be placed if the customer confirms the bet placement. Technically, this does not take place on the website or in the app, so the legal requirements are met. However, we all realise that this is simply replacing the 'Place a Bet' button with a call.

Free Bets For Existing Customers

A free bet refers to a bet offered to a gambler in the form of a virtual sum in exchange for placing a wager. If the client wins, the bonus is converted into real cash and becomes withdrawable. Numerous methods exist for obtaining free bets.

For example, such betting offers from a bookmaker as Bet $10 Get $20 indicate that the bookmaker offers a $20 bonus for a $10 qualifying bet.

Australia is one of the countries where the bookmaker is willing to give bonus bets not only to new players, but also to existing players. Here are the reasons for that:

Reload (deposits)
A long pause in activity (attempt to bring the client back)
Birthday
Bonus money for betting activity.

Why Has Free Bets Advertisement Become Illegal in Australia?

Yes, free bets ads are strictly prohibited. The gambling problem in Australia is severe. Over 170,000 local gamblers lose hundreds of millions of dollars annually as a result of their casino and sports betting practices. Consequently, legislative efforts have been made to decrease gambling addiction.

As part of the imposed limits, bookmakers were prohibited from advertising free bets and other incentives that required office registration and subsequent wagering.

How Do I Find Bookmaker Promotions?

Before the restrictive measures, information about bonus bets and other betting promotions was easy to find anywhere. Customers were inundated with bonus offers on television, at the stadiums, on the internet and via outdoor ads.

Today, however, bettors have to register on online bookmakers' websites to find bonus bets and other bonuses. This is time-consuming, so bettors have become more careful in choosing an online bookmaker for the best betting experience.

Signing up to Australian betting sites is the only safe approach to determine what bonuses an online bookmaker offers to new and existing customers. After that, the gambler will have access to all offers automatically.

Attention! When signing up, you may also choose to receive marketing offers through email to be informed about any bonus bet promotions offered by the bookmaker. This is not illegal under Australian law. And we strongly suggest doing so for a better betting experience.

Such a tough policy has some advantages. If a client does not discover anything appealing after registering, he or she will quit the site and may never return. To avoid this scenario, the best betting sites have devoted all of their resources to developing fresh enticing promotions.

Types of Bonus Betting in Australia

Various bonus programs are an important tool for Australian bookmakers to attract new and retain existing bettors. Let's take a look at what types of betting bonuses can be found on betting sites in Australia.

If you then want to find betting bonuses particular company's, be sure to read the terms and conditions beforehand to see if you can use it and what the wagering requirements they imply.

Deposit Bonus

The most popular sports betting bonus around the globe is the bookmaker's bonus for the client's initial deposit. The Match.Center team's experience indicates that such a bonus is more prevalent in countries with low client acquisition costs.

The initial deposit bonus often corresponds to a deposit amount of 100%. This means that the player gets the full deposit back in the form of bonus bets. Sometimes the deposit bonus is awarded at twice the amount of the deposit (200%), but in this case it is especially important to take your time and evaluate the wagering requirements.

The minimum and maximum bonus amounts are limited. If the maximum bonus is $100, then depositing $120 will still only get you a $100 bonus.

What other restrictions apply to promotions of this type:

Wagering. That is, you must place a wager on the required amount in order to be eligible for the bonus.
For instance, the bookmaker offers a $10 free bonus bet with an x5 wager. This means the player must place bets totaling $50 (10 x 5). If the bets win, the bonus money will be converted into real funds. Cash bonuses frequently include online wagering requirements, which can be larger than those for free bets.
Payment methods. Funding your account is restricted to specific payment methods (eg Visa, MasterCard, Skrill, Neteller, etc.). Typically deposits via bank cards qualify for promotions. Skrill and Neteller deposits are usually excluded. If you use this type of payment, you should explain the situation to the support staff.
Odds & markets. The bonus bets could be restricted to specific sports betting markets (football, horse racing markets, rugby, etc.) or bet types.

Bonus With No Deposit Required

To get the non-deposit bonus, all you have to do is register on the betting site and verify your account. There is no need to make a deposit. If you meet the conditions of betting promotions there is a chance to turn virtual funds into your own money without investing a cent.

No deposit bonuses are the best kind of the betting site bonuses as they are 100% risk-free for the customer. Generally, on Australian betting sites, information on the availability of such a bonus can be found in the "Offers" or "Promotions" sections. Promotions of this type are rare, and if you only plan to go after them, be prepared that 9 out of 10 bookmakers where you sign up will not offer such a sign up bonus.

Match Bonus On Betting

Numerous Australian bookmakers effectively provide all new players with a sign up bonus equal to the amount of their first bet placed. For example, when a $100 wager is placed, the bookmaker will offer a $100 bonus.

It must be wagered, and the online wagering requirements differ based on whether you received a free bet or cash.

Free bets are not withdrawable from the account: you only use them to place bets. And if the bet is successful, you may withdraw the money.

Note: When placing a free bet, do not use the cashout option; instead, wait until the final. The terms of numerous promos indicate that the bonus bet would expire following a cashout.

After successful wagering, cash can be withdrawn from the account. Please be aware that identical wagers may function differently. For example, x10. The first option is that the bonus can be credited to the account in full: $1000 in wagers resulted in a $100 bonus. The second option is payments made in installments. Each $100 in bets (10 per cent of the total wager) resulted in a $10 account credit (10 per cent bonus).

Top-up Bonus (Reload Bonus)

This offer is pretty similar to bonus bets provided after the first deposit. The only distinction is that the Reload Bonuses are meant for those who already have a betting site account.

Typically, bookmakers provide this type of sports betting bonus bets to people who have not placed a bet in a long time. To re-activate a player, the bookmaker is willing to credit bonus points or cash back to the customer's account. In this context, activation typically refers to the expenditure of bets that the player has already lost. And because of this, the bonus's conditions can be rather good.

Sometimes the Reload Bonus is offered for everyone. But in that case, the conditions will be stricter. For example, there are often restrictions on the range of bets for which the bonus funds can be used: only on a certain event or only for parlays.

Anyway, the bookmaker will not permit you to withdraw these virtual dollars instantly; they may only be used for wagering.

Odds Boosts

Boosted odds is one of the popular bonus bet promotions of Australian bookmakers. The essence of the bonus is that the bookie increases the odds for certain events to pay players more in potential winnings.

Simply select an event for betting to obtain enhanced odds. And if the Boost Up icon displays next to this option, you can improve the odds!

Betting margin is the commission included in the best fixed odds of a market. Most commonly, a bookmaker will enhance the odds by reducing the margin.

Here is an easy way to understand this. If two outcomes are equally probable in an event, the mathematical odds for each team to win should be 2.00. (50 per cent). However, in reality, the bookmaker places 1.85 or 1.90 odds on the likelihood of each team to win. As a result, he gives around 90% of the money collected in bets. The difference represents the bookmaker's profit, which he will get in the long term period.

Bonus Back Offers

This is a risk free bet. In other words, the bookmaker offers the player a free wager if a client’s bet has nearly won but ultimately lost.

Horse and greyhound racing are the most recent sports in Australia where this form of bonus is used. If a horse finishes 2nd or 3rd, the customer who placed a wager on the victory receives free bonus bets in the form of a whole or partial refund of the wager.

If the free bet bonus was not awarded in the form of a cashback, the virtual amount must be wagered before making a withdrawal from the bookmaker.

Other sports for which a bookmaker in Australia may provide money back:

Football. This is where a risk-free bet comes in if you bet on a particular team to win and the match ends in a draw or goes into extra time.
Athletics. You bet on an athlete to win, who eventually finishes in 2nd or 3rd place or is disqualified at the end of the race.

Bet Back

The Bet Back is a bonus promotion that allows the player to settle the wager prior to the event's conclusion. Thus, the bookmaker permits the customer to partially save own money and lose less.

Best Odds

The bonus program offers the opportunity to use the most lucrative fixed odds on the market for the selected market. There are two ways of how this works:

Zero margins. This indicates that the bookie does not set a fee for bets placed on a specific market. This nearly always indicates that rivals (who charge a commission) provide lower odds. To take advantage of the promotion, no extra actions are required. Locate matches marked with the icon and bet as usual. The promotion as a whole may be permanent, but single matches with zero margin are daily events. This activity is advantageous for the bookmaker that earns nothing from a single wager, but people visit the website or application daily.
Best odds guaranteed (BOG). This is a longer-term promotion. The bookmaker claims that it will give the best odds among legal bookmakers for a particular competition or sport. Typically, we speak of niche events. For instance, Australian Baseball League games or Australian horse racing. The odds are not always really high. However, if you find a better offer from a competitor, the bookmaker will counter it by providing you with a custom deal. To accomplish this, please contact support. Obviously, this takes time. If you intend to wager a substantial sum, though, this strategy becomes acceptable. Include this in your pre-match analysis.

Make The Most of a Sign Up Bonus Bet

Today, Australian bookies provide excellent customer service to retain players. One of their strategies is to offer bonus programs that are not offered by other bookmakers.

To use the best betting promotions, you should have more than one betting site account signing up with many bookmakers and meet the wagering requirements. If not, you do not qualify for promotional offers. If you're a gambler with multiple betting accounts at various bookmakers, you'll be able to compare event probabilities and spot the most competitive odds on the market.

Important: do not register more than one account with the same bookmaker. This can result in the blocking of your betting account and the seizure of all the funds on your account.

How To Wager and Withdraw Bonuses

If the bonus is not credited as cashback, the bettor cannot withdraw the money deposited to the account immediately. To make this possible, you must first place a bet. If the bet is successful, the client will have quick access to the winnings.

But before requesting a withdrawal, you must ensure that you've met all of the promotion's requirements. If you have not done so, not only will you be unable to withdraw funds, you may also forfeit bonus funds.

Consider, for instance, the wagering requirements for the qualifying bet welcome bonus of Bet365. Under the terms of the promotion, new customers receive a 100% bonus on their first sports bets up to $300.

What you should do to receive this bonus:

Sign up with the Australian version of Bet365.
Verify your betting account.
Deposit up to $300.
Place a whole bonus amount in a single bet or multiple wagers.

The bonus will be credited to the client's account within 24 hours after the bet is settled. The incentive is applicable for seven days after the initial deposit.

Important! Before making a deposit and placing a bet, you must verify your identity. This is a requirement and you cannot participate in the campaign before your identity is checked. Thus, the company verifies that the customer is at least 18 years old and decreases the danger of fraud.

What Are The Terms of Deposit Bonuses, No Deposit Bonuses, and Free Bets?

Deposit Bonuses

A deposit bonus is a virtual sum of money given to a player in exchange for topping up the betting account. Typically, the welcome bonus is equal to the first deposit amount.

Before you may withdraw the obtained funds, you must meet the promotion's requirements to wager the bonus. For example, you may need to build a five-event accumulator with min odds at 1.50. If the wager is successful, the bonus profits will be converted into cash. The bonus will thus be wagered. Frequently, the wagering requirements are excessively complicated and convoluted.

No Deposit Bonuses

Typically, to earn a non-deposit bonus, it is sufficient to create and verify an account on a betting site. The bookmaker will then credit a bonus to the customer's account. Then you must wager the amount in accordance with the bookmaker's terms. If the bonus is successfully wagered, the money can be withdrawn.

A wagering example for a non-deposit bonus:

Select one of the betting sites and register.
Attach all the required documents, photographs, and other information to complete the identification procedure. Wait for security authorization.
After fulfilling all the requirements, you will receive a no deposit bonus.

To wager it, you must place a single wager. Check the field in the bet slip indicating that you want to use the free bet. The variety of events to bet on may be limited. For instance, one of the wagering requirements for using the bonus could be wagering the full bonus amount on horse racing betting.

If the bet loses, the client loses only the bonus. And if you win, you can withdraw the net amount of your winnings from the bookmaker. No-deposit betting site bonuses are very popular among gamblers. But this type of bonus is not particularly advantageous for bookies due to the simplicity of wagering and the absence of follow-up requirements.

Free bets

Free bonus bet offers refer to a bookmaker's no-risk welcome incentive. If the bet loses, the free bets expire. Alternatively, if your team wins, the winnings from sports bets are credited back to the player's account and are accessible for future wagers or cashout.

The only way to receive free bet offers is by making a deposit into your account. The amount of bonus bets depends on the bookmaker and the terms of the promotion.

Attention! In Australia, it is common practice to offer active players free bonus bets. Please, visit betting sites where you are already registered for additional information about this type of a free bet. Maybe that is your bookmaker that provides such a bonus.

Bonus Bets FAQ

The following are solutions to frequent questions a beginner may have.

How To Get Bonus Bets?

To receive a bonus bet, you must open an account with a bookmaker. The list of active bonus bets becomes available when you register. After meeting all of the promotion's requirements, you will instantly get a bonus wager from the bookmaker.

Additionally, how to discover and obtain a bonus bet:

Through unique offers delivered via email, SMS, or the app of the bookmaker.
Bookie awards prizes for free games.

What Betting Apps Give Free Bets?

Due to the legal prohibition on promoting bonus bets in Australia, you can only learn about free bets by registering on Australian betting sites.

The apps of world-leading betting companies, such as Ladbrokes and Betfair, provide free bonus bets in the United Kingdom. These bookmakers are available in Australia, too. However, after enrolling on the Australian version of betting sites, you should clarify the information concerning their free bets.

Pay close attention to new bookies, as they are more likely to provide such promotions. The reason for this is that new Australian betting sites must regain customers from the market leaders. And the application is the most reliable method for this. You can publish targeted pushes, reminders, and promotions and at the same time you’ll be sure that the client will read the message. After all, we always have a smartphone at hand. That's why the new bookmaker will be eager to assist you in installing the application immediately upon registration. Occasionally, it will be an exclusive bonus for installing the apps or for the first bet placed via the application.

How Do Bonus Bets Work?

If a single wager is required to get the bonus, it will appear as follows: instead of actual cash, the player will wager the bonus on the event's outcome. If the bet is successful, you'll get the profit, with the free bet stake excluded.

For instance, you placed a $10 free bet at the odds of 5. The overall win amount is $50, with a net win of $40. This is determined by multiplying the wager by the odds ($10 x 5 = $50) and then deducting the free bet amount ($50 - $10 = $40).

Alternatively, you can display odds in British (fractional) format, that’ll show you a net amount straight away. 1/4 equals $7.5 for every $10 wagered and corresponds to decimal odds of 1.75.

How To Turn Bonus Bets Into Cash?

No bonus money can be withdrawn from the account. However, the requirements for the bonus bets to turn into real money may vary. And if you are asking this question, you have already taken the first step on the right path. It is crucial to realize that the sum listed in the email newsletter or on the advertising banner of the bookmaker's website is not as significant as the promotion's terms.

Any bonus obtained by a player must be used to place a bet; consequently, the bonus's terms are significantly more essential than its quantity. Before using any offer, you must determine whether the bookmaker restricts withdrawals from the initial deposit during the wagering period. A measure of this nature affects not just your bonus earnings but also your funds. Next, you should consider the process for providing bonuses.

Speaking of free bets, we highlight these three main points:

How to get it?
Are there any odds or event restrictions applied?
Then, are there limitations on the use of the winnings?

The wagering requirement is the most crucial barrier to obtain cash bonuses. When you bet the necessary amount, the bonus funds will be transferred from your bonus account to your regular account with no restrictions.

After that, the bonus can be used to place a new bet or to withdraw cash.

Do Bookmakers Offer Free Bets When You Sign Up?

Registering on online betting sites, making a deposit, or placing your first bet with a bookmaker can get you a free bet.

In addition, free bets can be granted in the form of e-mail marketing offers delivered to the client. If during registration, the client checks the box next to the phrase I accept to receive marketing offers from the company, he or she will be added to the mailing list and have access to this option.

How To Make Money From Free Bets?

If a bettor has received free bets, they are typically required to wager the entire bonus amount. If the wager is successful, the client will be able to profit from free bets. With a favourable outcome, the client will be the sole owner of the winnings from virtual funds, which will be converted to real cash.

Attention! If you want to receive various free bets more often, you need to have an account with several bookmakers at the same time and be subscribed to their mailing lists. Active players may receive free bets from Australian bookies. It is vital not to miss up on such opportunities.

Do I Bet At One Bookmaker Or At Several Bookmakers?

We strongly advise Australians to open accounts with multiple bookmakers. Due to the restrictions on sports betting advertising in Australia, you must be an active client of the bookmaker to receive timely information about new promotions, bonuses, and boosted odds for certain games.

Match.Center may provide information about specific promotions in other countries. Unfortunately, we cannot do that in Australia. But we can recommend you to register with multiple bookies if you're interested in bonuses and the best betting conditions. This is the only trustworthy way to be informed and use the advantages.