Aussies love sport as much as they love their beer, and they love betting on sport almost as much! True, betting regulations in Oz are stricter than many other jurisdictions – for instance operators cannot advertise welcome bonuses or free bets. But the important thing is that pumping Aussie dollars via your Visa card into any the best betting sites listed here and then placing a punt on the Melbourne Cup or The Big Bash is perfectly legal!
And by legal we mean betting at ACT licensed online bookies that are safe and secure. At Safe Betting Sites Australia we’ve unearthed a host of new Australian betting sites with popular payment methods like Poli and Paypal, and great promotions like early pay out and racing refunds. Read on to find out more!
Best Bookie for beginners
Top-notch betting odds
Specialises in political & entertainment markets
Best Tote On All Australian Gallops & Protest Payout
Offers Live streaming of local races
A trusted & local bookie
Superb customer service
Lowest minimum wagers
Designed for Android & iOS
Fast withdrawals
Huge selection of local & global sports
A great place to punt & chat
Specialises in horse racing
Pick your own odds
Offers protest payouts
Extensive live streaming choices
Top Fantasy Sports Bookie
Right-o, so you now know which are the best Australian betting sites according to our research, but even a top 100 list is pretty useless if you don’t know why the sites towards the top of our list have been assigned the podium places. What makes them the best, better than all the rest? Why should you wager your dinkum dollars at the online bookies on our say so?
Well, we stand by our selections but just so you know why we think the top sites on our list deserve to be there, we are going to go into a little extra depth about what we think makes them special, so very special. Here is a dingo’s whisker of info about the top six sites that sit proundly atop our list, and some pretty pictures too.
Australian legislation around gambling and sports betting can be complex and many companies are put off by some unique rules, such as the ban on advertising welcome bonuses and free bets, plus the complete ban on online live betting. Lots of offshore companies offers the sports betting experience, more than Oz-based brands. One successful Aussie-based brand though is PlayUp, created by entrepreneur Daniel Simic.
PlayUp was formed in 2019 by the merger of two other sportsbooks, ClassicBet and Mad Bookie, and in 2020 absorbed another online bookie – TopBetta. As well as being a succesful Australian-based sports book, PlayUp is the ideal online bookie to use if you are new to sports betting. This is mainly because of the minimalist interface and the concentration upon the major sports markets of the sports betting universe.
What we like:
What we don’t:
Bet365 is one of the world’s best-known bookmakers and launched in Australia in 2012. It offers one of the greatest selection of sports and markets, combined with several features such as in-play stats and live streaming. Ever since it was founded, horse racing has always featured prominently and continues to do so to this day. In addition, punters in Australia can benefit from access to AFL and NRL betting markets and live events.
One area where Bet365 stands out from other online bookmakers in Australia is in its range of live stat tracking and live streaming availability. This feature complements the user-friendly website which is accessible via computer and portable digital devices. However, if you enjoy betting on the go, then the Bet365 mobile apps provide the convenience and functionality you seek.
Horse racing is the third-most attended sport in Australia, behind Aussie rules and rugby league. As many as two million people per annum attend races at one of the country’s 300+ official racecourse every year. Betting on horses is extremely popular too, generating AU$7 million in revenue. Plenty of Australian sports books have dedicated horse racing sections, and we consider Sportsbet to be the best.
Just head to the Sportsbet site whenever you need to place a horse racing bet and you’ll immediately find the meeting you want to bet on. As an added betting sites bonus, the site will tell you where the leading meetings are being televised. It’s not just horse racing at Sportsbet though, and there are plenty of other sports from Aussie rules to US sports that have countless market options available.
Betfair is a sports betting global leader when it comes to a betting exchange. Exchange betting is where your successful betting profits come from the people who were betting on the opposite outcome of the event you were betting on. As Betfair relies upon commission as opposed to punters making losing bets, you often get more the best betting odds when compared to fixed odds betting.
As Betfair is a global company it offers a staggering range of markets. If you find a sporting contest happening anywhere in the world and no matter how obtuse, there’s the chance that you will be able to wager upon it at Betfair. One thing to note – if you are not sure about the concept of exchange betting and want to stick to traditional fixed odds betting, the Betfair offers fixed odds betting too.
Australians have a ‘vegemite’ feeling about multibetting – they either love it or they don’t have anything to do with it. The positive factor of multibets (or accumulators or parlay bets as they are also known) is that potential winnings are much bigger than with straight-up betting. The negative factor is that all legs of a multibet have to be winning ones, or else the entire bet becomes a loser.
If your love affair with multibets is one you feel positive about, then you really ought to head to PalmerBets. This Aussie-owned site will enhance your multibet life with multiple promotions and countless other benefits. The focus is on horse racing but most other sports can be wagered upon and therefore linked to create multibet mayhem. You might also appreciate the minimalist design concept too.
In all aspects of life someone has to take the top spot and as far as we are concerned the top sports betting site title in Australia needs to be handed to CyberBet. This bewdy of a site has more choice and depth of markets than any other site in Australia we’ve yet come across. Soccer betting, football betting, even eSports betting – it’s all here and in one neat and tidy package.
As soon as you set foot on this site you know you are in good hands. The betting interface is outstanding, and you get more options for each listed wager than the standard ‘1X2’. Another betting sites bonus here – as you might have guessed by the name – is that the site accepts cyber currencies. Bitcoin, Tether and Ethereum are all good here, as are traditional payments too.
Customer support can be something of a thorny issue even at the best online sports books in Australia. There are too many tales of punter protests falling upon deaf ears, and help simply just not being at hand. That is not an issue you are likely to encounter at Ladbrokes, as this site has plaudits coming out of its ears in terms of the levels of customer support available, and at all hours of the day.
To say that Ladbrokes is a reasonably established company is like saying Uluru or Ayers Rock is quite big. As a business, they have been around since 1886 in the UK but really blossomed in the 1960s when off-course bookmaking was legalised by the British government. Ladbrokes have been at the forefront of UK bookmaking ever since and have international concerns all over the gambling globe, including, of course, Australia.
Thanks to our mini reviews you now know about the key aspects available at betting sites in Australia, but which sites have such features, and which do not? Below you’ll find a list of the top sites available to sports bettors in Australia and some key features, and an indication of each as to whether that particular site offers that feature. This should help you with your best online betting sites comparison of Australian online betting sites.
*in-play betting in Australia can only be done via phone, not over the internet. Some sites offer in-play betting but only on the final outcome of in-play matches, not on live elements such as the next goalscorer.
Thanks to a slight relaxing in some Australian gambling regulations, the number of new betting sites available to sports bettors in Australia is increasing month-on-month. Such new betting sites – like PlayUp and Neds – may offer interesting features so that they can get themselves noticed above the more established sites. They may also have an alluring deal or two to add a little extra benefit, so make sure you check out any new betting sites that we alert you to and give them a thorough going over.
All Aussies love betting tips – not so much the inside info on individual events, but betting tips likely to improve the betting experience and the chance of making a steady return. Below we share some of the best betting tips that you can put into practice at sites such as SportsBet and any other of the best betting sites in Australia.
As the saying goes, an expert is someone who knows more and more about less and less. If you can concentrate your sports betting on one particular element that you really like and know plenty about, then you’re more likely to make a success of it. Keep away from sports you know little about – for example, there’s no point betting on baseball if you’ve no idea what abbreviations like ERA, RISP and RBI mean.
Many sports bettors come unstuck because they have zero bankroll management skills. They simply place bets as they feel. Often, a run of losing bets means they increase the size of their bets – known as ‘chasing losses’.
Your bankroll is the amount of available cash you have to bet, per month, and the golden rule is your bets should never be greater than 2 percent of that. So, if you are managing a AU$200 bankroll, that means you cannot place a bet bigger than AU$4.
Another major downfall with failed sports bettors is that they bet with their hearts, and not their heads. You should never bet because you have a ‘gut feeling’ – it might just be indigestion after eating too may ribs at last night’s barbie, after all.
Do your homework, analyse in depth and only make bets that make logical sense. Remember, no matter the odds, the better team wins a sporting match-up around 70 percent of the time.
Sports betting is not for everyone. You may find the idea of winning bucks via your love of rugby enticing, but if you maintain a steady loss over a period of weeks, then you’re going to have to face facts that you just ain’t got what it takes. It’s better to walk away than to have to explain to the missus that you’ve spent that month’s mortgage payment on North Melbourne winning the AFL.
When it comes to bookmakers, Australian punters don’t have quite the same level of choice as their pommie pals in the UK. The cupboard isn’t exactly bare, though. There are still plenty of good Australian betting sites out there, and we’ve curated 20 of the very best in the table above.
These selections weren’t simply made at random. Like everything else we do at Safe Betting Sites, they were the result of extensive research and fair, balanced analysis. To give you a little more insight, here’s a look at the most important factors we based our rankings on.
The sports betting odds are what make any bet. The odds determine the ratio between risk and return. If a side is 1/100 to win, is there any point wagering AU$100 to win a single buck, especially if an upset could be on the cards?
Here’s how to determine whether you’re getting decent sport betting odds for your wagers.
Fixed odds are sports betting odds that are determined by the bookmaker. They are what the bookie is willing to risk to pay out if punters want to take a punt. Odds may change as an event draws close, but you retain the odds at which you placed your bet. PalmerBet has some of the fairest fixed odds available in Australia.
Exchange betting is different to fixed odds betting as the odds are determined by the punters, and not the sports book. The odds are the ratio of punters backing each competitor. For example, if seven people think Team A will win, and four think team B will win, then the odds are 11/7 for Team A and 11/4 for Team B (although in reality it’s a little more complicated than that). Betfair is Australia’s number one exchange betting platform.
In the dim past horse racing odds were set by online bookmakers at the course where the races were being run. Now, risk analysis experts set the odds, and with little variation across different bookies. You can still get favourable thoroughbred, harness and greyhound racing odds at many sites, such as Sportsbet.
The AFL is the most popular team participation sporting competition for sporting betting in Oz, and if you are interested in betting on the AFL, then we recommened that you get the best odds available. We’d like to recommend CyperBet to you for the best AFL betting odds.
In terms of oddly-shaped balls, the NRL is the second most popular ‘bet upon’ league in Australia, even though more people play and watch rugby league than football. Again, getting the best odds for your NRL bets is important, and we suggest you head to PlayUp for decent NRL betting odds.
Aussies won’t admit it, but the dominance of the Australian cricket team over the cricketing world is definitely a thing of the past. That doesn’t stop punters from placing bets on the jaffer-tossing game, and we think BetPat is a decent site for good cricket odds.
Once you have opened your new sports book account at one of our recommended sites, it’s time for you to place your first bet. Just in case this process is new to you, we’re going to be bonzer and walk you through it. Here – as an example – is how to place your first sports betting wager at CyberBet.
Clicking the price will add the bet to your betslip. You can then set the amount you wish to wager. You can repeat the process for as many bets as you want to place, or you can just confirm the bet then and there. Once you’ve completed what you want to do, click ‘Place Bet’. This will confirm your wager – be careful because once your bet is accepted, you cannot withdraw it if you change your mind.
Of all the many innovations in online sports betting over the past couple of decades, live betting might be the most important of the bunch. It has been an absolute game-changer, giving punters an unprecedented range of new betting options.
We’re pleased to say that Australian punters can also benefit from this excellent feature – in a certain way. Live betting over the internet is actually illegal in the country, much to the annoyance of both sports betting fans and the Australian sports betting sites themselves. If you are in Oz and you want to enjoy the kind of live betting experience you’ve encountered in other jurisdictions, then … tough …
Some sites, such as PlayUp, do offer a way around the legislation, and a perfectly legal one too. You can place live bets in Australia, but not over the internet – you can do it over the phone. Head to any site that offers live betting and you’ll see the relevant phone number. Give them a call with your live bet information to place your in-play punt.
While Australian betting sites lag behind their global counterparts in certain areas, we’re pleased to say that the typical number of markets available isn’t one of them. The selection of betting markets might be slightly smaller, but all the big hitters tend to be present and correct.
At our top Australian betting sites – like Ladbrokes, CyberBet, and Unibet – these include:
Most, if not all of these will also be available at our lesser-known recommended betting websites. Not only are these sports present, but both the breadth and depth of their markets tend to be excellent too.
In addition to the most prestigious competitions – the Champions League (UCL) and Premier League (EPL) for soccer, the Big Bash for cricket, and so on – you’ll also find a good selection of ‘lower league’ markets. Just as importantly, the range of betting types also tends to be impressive. Rarely will you be limited to simply ‘1X2’ wagers on these sportsbooks. Instead, you should be able to make pretty specific predictions, whether they’re score bets, player props, and so on.
Last, but by no means least, we have horse racing. Australian betting sites tend to be massively geared towards racing (thoroughbred racing, harness racing and greyhounds). Some – like SportsBet – even seem to be horse racing online betting sites Australia, rather than general sportsbooks! Racing will tend to be the focus of both promotions and special features, with ‘Same-Race Multi’ being a common example. The top bookies will cover not just every race in Australia and New Zealand, but also the major contests from countries like the UK, France, the US, and South Africa.
As noted above, you do have a respectable range of options when it comes to choosing between Australian betting sites. The hard part, of course, is actually picking one. We’ve already made life a little easier for you here, by narrowing your options down to 20, but that’s as far as we can go. Only you can decide on which Australian bookmakers are best-suited to your own personal needs.
That said, we can offer you a little more advice on getting to this stage. These are four of the most important things you should look at when making your choice.
Any respectable sportsbook review will touch on that platform’s interface. It’s impossible to know whether that interface will actually be right for you, however, without trying it yourself.
Fortunately, doing so is extremely easy. You can head to a sportsbook’s website and browse the layout for yourself whenever you like, without needing to actually register with that brand. Try PalmerBet for a simple, easy-to-use layout.
It’s all well and good for a bookie to have thousands of markets on offer. If they don’t include the markets you actually want to bet on, though, then what’s the point?!
There are two things you should check here. Firstly, are the sports and specific competitions you want to bet on in place? Secondly, does the sportsbook support the bet types you like to use?
If you prefer on-the-go betting to using a computer, mobile betting features will obviously be crucially important for you. Most Australian betting sites will let you try both their app and the mobile device version of the main website without needing to register.
You should test not only the interface, but also gauge the general speed and reliability of that app or mobile site. Betfair is an excellent example of a site with one of Australia’s best betting apps of 2021 for iOS and Android phones and tablets.
As with betting markets, it doesn’t necessarily matter how many payment methods a bookmaker has. What matters is that they have the methods you want to use.
If you’re content to simply use a debit card, this shouldn’t be a problem. If you want to use something like PayPal though, be sure to find a site which supports eWallets too.
Let’s make something clear up front. As in other countries, there is significant variety in the number of payment methods you’ll be offered between different Australian online betting sites. The biggest names around will offer you plenty of choice, for both depositing and withdrawing. Below we outline some of the most commonly accepted payment methods.
Most sites will accept payments by debit and credit cards … at the moment. Many other jurisdictions have now banned the use of credit cards at gambling sites, and it’s likely that Australia will eventually follow suit. You can use your plastic freely for the moment, and it’s unlikely that payment by debit card will ever be outlawed.
Most Aussies will be familiar with POLi, as it’s used in most walks of life in the online realm. POLi is of course a simple interface that links your banking acccount to an online merchant. There are similiar services – Trustly, iDeal and Sofort for example – available in other countries across the globe.
As an alternative to POLi, some banks will allow you to make direct payments from your account to the sportsbook you are wagering at. This varies from site to site, but the banks that allow you to do this via SportsBet include ANZ, Commonwealth Bank, Westpac, NAB, BankSA, BankWest, Bank of Queensland, Bendigo Bank, CUA, People’s Choice Credit Union, St. George Bank, Suncorp Bank, Newcastle Permanent, Bank of Melbourne, IMB, Citibank and ME Bank.
The use of eWallets at Aussie sports books is a little lacking when compared to other jurisdictions, but Oz online bookies are catching up. PayPal is the number one accepted eWallet across the betting board, with Skrill and Neteller also available at a reasonable number of sites.
If security and privacy are primary concerns when it comes to your sports betting then you ought to consider operating an cryptocurrency account. Our number one wagering pick CyberBet accepts a number of such non-fiat currencies, including Bitcoin, Ethereum and Tether.
In most countries where betting is legal, welcome offers are incredibly important. They’re one of the main reasons why punters pick one bookie over another, and form the foundation of several popular wagering strategies, including risk-free matched betting.
Unfortunately, Australian punters are dealt a bad hand here. In 2019, the government actually banned sportsbooks from providing welcome offers for new customers. The intentions behind this policy were admirable. It was done to avoid tempting those with potential gambling problems. For those without such issues though, it’s obviously a major blow.
Aside from that, there aren’t too many legal restrictions on sports betting. Naturally the sector is regulated – in this case by the Australian Communications and Media Authority – but wagering is allowed to carry on as normal. This also includes fantasy sports betting (the type which you find on sites like DraftKings, or – in Australia – Draftstars).
Australia actually has much tougher laws on other forms of gambling. Online casino games like roulette and video slots, have been outlawed since 2001. In fact, even online poker is currently banned, although this may change in the near future.
Online gambling in New South Wales is overseen by the Office of Liquor, Gaming and Racing (OLGR), and the Electronic Betting Agency (EBA). Sites that wish to operate in NSW must apply for a separate Racing NSW licence for all forms of horse racing. Just like all of Australia, sports books in NSW are banned from advertising welcome bonuses and other sign-up incentives.
In Victoria online gambling is controlled by the Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation. Online casinos, casino-style games, pokies (slots), in-play sports betting, scratch cards (scratchies) and lottery betting are all banned in Victoria. Legal sports betting sites Aus in Victoria must have a recognised Australian licence.
Even the best Australian sports betting sites aren’t able to create welcome offers for legal reasons. This doesn’t mean that they’re completely unable to provide any deals whatsoever, though. In fact, there are quite a few ongoing promotions available for existing customers, particularly from the bigger brands. Do note, however, that you won’t be able to see these when simply browsing online sports betting sites in Australia. You’ll only be able to do so after you’ve registered and logged in to your account.
Legal restrictions also limit the types of betting sites Aus bonus you can get in the country, with bookies’ hands being tied in this respect. There are still a few you can take advantage of though, with these being some of the most common forms.
As noted, horse racing is the most popular sport among the top betting sites in Australia. It’s no surprise, therefore, that racing also gets the most special offers.
Perhaps the most common is ‘Racing Refund’, sometimes referred to as ‘Money Back’, ‘Bonus Back’, or similar. To qualify for these offers, you must place a winner bet on an eligible horse race. If your chosen runner fails to win the race, but finishes within a certain range (usually second or third), your entire stake will be refunded, typically as a free bet. SportsBet often offers racing refund promos.
Here we have another example of a common horse racing offer on top betting sites in Australia. Again, it will only apply to certain meets, with this particular promotion usually reserved for prestigious races at courses like Randwick and Flemington.
This offer is pretty simple, and its value is equally clear. You simply bet on a horse to win at fixed odds, and – if it does so – your original winnings will automatically be doubled. These extra winnings will sometimes come as a free bet token, rather than cash. Still, with no additional effort or money required on your part to enter, this is a very attractive promotion either way. Ladbrokes is a great site for double your winnings deals.
This promotion type is a little more flexible, in terms of the sports it applies to. Technically it could be offered on any sport in which you bet on a player or team to win, but in Australia it’s commonly reserved for football or rugby.
To kick things off, you wager on one side as normal. There are actually two ways to win your bet, though. The first is obviously for that side to win the matchup. The second is for them to take a lead of a certain size. In soccer, this might be two goals. In rugby, it might be 30pts at the high end, or as low as 14pts. If your chosen team hits this checkmark, your bet will automatically pay out as a winner, regardless of what happens in the rest of the match. PointsBet is our recommended site for early payout offers.
These are an extremely popular form of betting sites bonus in the UK, and some Australian betting sites have made the smart choice to implement them too. In Australia they might be called ‘Price Boosts’ or even ‘Power Plays’, but they work in the same way. You simply find a bet you like, and add it to your betslip. If you have an Odds Boost available, you then activate it and watch the price increase accordingly.
Different bookies give out Odds Boosts in different ways. In the best cases, you simply get one each day, without needing to fulfill other requirements. Sometimes though, they’ll be given out as rewards for activating other promotions instead. Sportsbet (again) is a good site to check out for odds boosts.
Sports betting isn’t as dominant in Australia as it is in other jurisdictions, with stricter regulations being a big reason for this. With that said, it’s certainly an increasingly successful industry, and – if you’re looking to start betting in Australia yourself – you’ve got a solid selection of options. These are headlined by well-known international brands like Betfair, but also include plenty of home-grown Australian choices.
The only real drawback with betting sites Aus is the lack of welcome offers. Obviously that’s not the fault of the bookies, who are simply obeying the government’s laws, but it’s still frustrating for the bettor. Aside from that though, you’ll find a thoroughly modern betting experience from the Australian betting sites we’ve recommended. There are thousands of live and pre-match betting opportunities waiting for you, housed within thoroughly professional desktop and mobile platforms.
We hope our online betting sites comparison features have introduced you to the best betting sites in Australia. The best sports betting sites Aus are ready for your wagers!
Yes - Australian online betting sites are completely legal, including fantasy sports top betting sites (as offered by DraftKings in other countries). The likes of online poker, casino games, and online slots are currently banned, however.
CyberBet, Ladbrokes and Unibet all have excellent track records elsewhere, and their Australian betting sites are also outstanding. Native brands like Palmerbet, Neds, and Sportsbet are also very good, Draftstars are one of the best sports betting sites for fantasy sports betting, and new Australian betting sites are being launched with some regularity.
The min deposit amount varies, depending on both the sportsbook and the payment method. For the likes of credit card, debit card, and PayPal though, it should be $10 or $20. For bank transfers, it will often be significantly higher.
Horse racing is clearly the dominant betting market among the top Australian betting sites. You’ll also find excellent coverage of cricket, rugby, tennis, and both types of football (Aussie rules and soccer).
There’s a lot of variety from bookie to bookie. That said, the likes of credit or debit cards (like Visa and Mastercard) should always be available. PayPal and bank transfer are other common alternatives, and some of the best sports betting sites let you use prepaid cards - like Paysafecard - to fund your betting account.
For legal reasons both established and new Australian betting sites cannot offer Welcome bonuses to its customers. However the existing customers are spoilt for choice of enticing player promotions such as Odds Boosts, Racing Refunds, Early Payouts and more.
Peter is an experienced iGaming wordsmith who has been working in the industry since 2013. He has written more words on all aspects of iGaming than he cares to remember, and has provided content for many big industry names. When not writing Peter can be found out running or gaming on his Xbox.
SafeBettingSites is a new UK initiative launched in 2020 to protect customers against fraudulent sites.
Our goal is to protect customers against unlicensed operations with user reviews and an online complaints system.
