It goes without saying, sports betting in Australia is massive. But with so many sports betting sites around, it can be hard to know which site is the best one to try out first. That’s why we’ve put together our shortlist of the best sports betting sites in 2020 – so that you can find the best bets, best odds and best bonuses, all in one place.
Australian betting fans enjoy gambling on a huge variety of sports, but there are some that always prove to be more popular than others.
A-League Soccer Betting
Aussie Rules Football Betting
Cricket Betting
Horse Racing Betting
Rugby Betting
A-League Soccer Betting
The best betting sites will have great markets for A-league soccer. This hugely popular event lasts from October through to April and attracts lots of attention every year. Betting is open throughout the season, with the finals being especially popular.
Aussie Rules Football Betting
When it comes to Aussie rules football, AFL betting takes the crown. With 18 teams to choose from, finding the right AFL odds for you is essential – especially when it comes to the much-anticipated Grand Final.
Cricket Betting
With cricket betting, it’s all about the Ashes. Played between England and Australia, this historic event has been a draw to real money bettors for centuries. Fiercely competitive, today it remains a top favourite for Australian bettors.
Horse Racing Betting
The Melbourne Cup is the pinnacle of the horse racing season in Australia. Dubbed ‘the race that stops the nation’, the event hosts 10 races throughout the day with varying prizes and racing distances.
Rugby Betting
Whether it’s league or union, rugby has always been one of Australia’s most popular sports to bet on. In particular, NRL betting attracts millions of dollars each year along with the intercontinental Super Rugby competition.
Online or Offline Sports Betting?
Nowadays, everything is done online – and that includes betting. More and more Australians are opting to bet online rather than at a traditional offline betting shop. Here’s just a sample of what you can expect when betting online, and a few advantages you’ll come across:
A great range of competitive sign-up offers
The chance to be offered an early cash out
Ability to deposit and withdraw winnings, anytime and anywhere
The chance to easily switch between different providers
With more and more sports betting sites appearing in 2020, we want to help you find the one that’s right for you. Our step-by-step process makes sure that every site we feature is worthy of your time – as well as your money. Take a look below to see exactly how we review each site and how we decide who makes the top list.
1
Range of Sports, Markets and Bet Types
First and foremost, any great betting site will offer a wide range of sports. From Aussie rules and soccer, to rugby and cricket – we’re looking for a site that’s loaded with options. For our stamp of approval, each site we recommended will also have a wide range of bet types. We’ll expect to see anything from accumulators and system bets, to engaging in-play features.
2
Competitive Odds and Extra Features
With so many betting sites out there, we’ll be assessing to see how generous a site’s odds are compared to their competitors. This is so you’re safe in the knowledge that you’re getting the best value for your bet. We’ll be looking out for anything extra that the site offers too like live streaming, early cash out options, as well as statistics on each sports event.
3
Bonuses & Promotions
To compete amongst the top-tier, generous promotions and bonuses are a must. Whether that’s an attractive welcome offer, weekly bonuses or even a VIP scheme for the most loyal customers – any leading site should feature something substantial. We’ll also be inspecting the quality of each site’s offer when matched up against their T&C’s.
4
Security, Safety & Customer Support
We only recommend sites that offer the highest banking and security standards. For each review we’ll carry out an extensive background check that covers the site’s licence, certification and auditing process. Then, we’ll look at the encryption of their site as well as how genuinely useful their customer support is.
5
Banking & Payouts
During each online review, we’ll explore the range of deposit and withdrawal methods on offer. Typically, we’d expect to see a variety of credit and debit cards, e-wallet and bank transfer options. Then, we’ll be looking to see how fast the payout times are – so that no bettor is left waiting for their winnings.
6
Mobile & Apps
It goes without saying, a huge number of bettors prefer to use a mobile device. That’s why we’ll be looking out for how well a site is optimised for touch-screen devices. Bonus points goes to the sports betting sites that also have an up-to-date, fully functioning app.
Rating the Site
If a site manages to live up to our rating system, it’ll be ranked amongst our shortlist of the best sports betting sites in Australia. Our expert team of reviewers make sure they check and update our reviews as necessary so that you can make the best betting decision.
Betting odds are traditionally expressed in Australia as decimals, but it’s always good to be aware of how prices look elsewhere. With gambling on sports being a global phenomenon, you may sometimes encounter fractions or the American moneyline style of odds. It's best to be on the ball with all types of odds in the industry.
Decimal Odds
For Australia, you’re most likely to see sports betting odds in decimal form. They’re represented as straight numbers to two decimal places and are multiplied with your stake. This means that if you bet $10 on odds at 1.65, you’d receive a payout of $16.50 Evens, a traditional way of saying you double your money on a bet, is expressed as 2 or 2.00.
Fractional Odds
You may on occasion encounter fractional odds, but they are far more popular in the UK and Republic of Ireland. A $5 bet at odds of 4/1, for example, means for every $1 you stake you will receive $4 in profit. Thus, the total returns of the bet are $25 - meaning $20 of profit, plus the original stake.
Moneyline Odds (American Odds)
If you delve into US sports like American football with the NFL, baseball with MLB, or basketball with the NBA, then you may encounter moneyline prices. The odds are listed as either positive or negative numbers. Like fractions, a moneyline bet shows you what profit is linked to your wager, so it’s important you add your stakes when calculating total returns.
The Main Betting Types and Markets
Before you start betting for real money, it’s good familiarize yourself with the main bet types and markets in Australia. These are all pretty essential to know before you make a wager – we’re going to run you through some of the most popular punts you might come across.
Betting Types
Single Bet
Accumulator
In-Play
System Bet
Single Bet
If you’re just getting started placing wagers, then a single bet could suit you best. This is where you’re betting on one outcome or selection, for example a certain horse to win a race or a team to win a match. The principle is simple: a single bet will win or lose according to the outcome of what you’re wagering on.
Accumulator
An accumulator bet is one that combines three legs or more into a single wager, and that gains a return when all parts win. Sometimes referred to as an ‘acca’, this bet is most popular when a team plays a round of matches like in A-League soccer. All of the predicted outcomes must happen for an accumulator to pay out as a winner.
In-Play
In-play or live betting is tailor-made for the likes of soccer, cricket, rugby and tennis. This type of bet means you get to make a real-time wager while the action unfolds, giving you the chance to react to what happens during a live event. The key advantage of this bet type is that it gives you the chance to change your mind – or put on another bet to redeem the situation.
System Bet
Systems bets are comprised of a combination of single bets. With this type of bet, you have a chance of winning even if not all of your picks are successful – only one outcome needs to win in order for you to get a return. The risk is a little lower than an accumulator, but a system bet is popular when a game is looking risky.
Markets
Match Result Betting
Line Betting
Totals
Match Specials
Match Result Betting
The match results market has gained popularity in the last few years and are often the first you might come across. In simple terms, these markets are where you can place a bet on the outcome of your chosen game. The most popular to wager on is which team you think will win at the end of the match, known as the Full Time Result.
Line Betting
Line betting is where the bookmaker handicaps a team by a set margin, known as the line. This will make both betting outcomes equal and so is only possible for events where there are two possible outcomes. The line bet is usually for Team A to win by more than a certain number of points, or for Team B to win the match or lose by less than the same number.
Totals
A total bet is a single wager on whether the total points or goals scored by both teams will go over or under the bookmaker’s proposal. Sometimes known as over/under betting, this is a pretty common wager for most sports including soccer, rugby and Aussie rules football. This is a good market for bettors that don’t want to pledge an allegiance to one team, as the only aspect of the game you’re concerned with is the total score.
Match Specials
For bigger games, bookmakers will tempt customers with unique, one-off bets. These are usually hard to find elsewhere and might tie a match bet with a certain player. For example, you might see a special for Australia to win a match as well as a certain player to be their top run scorer.
Australian Sports Betting Facts
Sports betting in Australia is thriving. For an idea of how lively Australian bettors are, get your head around some of the statistics we’ve found below.
Around
80%
of Australian adults gamble
Australians aged
50-54
are the most likely to bet
In 2019, over
81,000
racegoers watched the Melbourne Cup
Legal Gambling Age:
18
How to Calculate Your Winnings from a Wager
When it comes to betting, the end goal is always to make a profit. So, it might be useful to know exactly how to work out your winnings. Using decimals to find your return is much easier than it looks, try to get your head around the numbers below for a brief introduction:
Single Wager
To calculate the betting pay out for a single wager, you simply multiply your stake by your chosen odds. So, if you placed a $10 bet with 2.3 odds, then you’d receive $23 back in winnings. This total would include your original stake, which is represented in odds as 1.
Your bet
$10
Odds
2.3
Winnings
$23
Double Wager
Working out the winnings for a double wager is pretty similar. Here you’d start by calculating your first wager, then multiply your winnings by the second bet’s odds. So, if you placed a $10 bet with odds of 2.5 and 2, then the total return would be $50. If your bet goes beyond a double, it can get tricky to work out – most good sportsbooks will work out your return for you.
Your bet
$10
Odds
2.5
Winnings
$25
New Stake
$25
Odds
2.00
Winnings
$50
Free Bets, Bonuses & Promotions
Top sportsbooks will now have plenty of offers for both new and existing customers. As the table below shows, certain promotions are aimed at different types of bettor for a variety of reasons. A welcome bonus differs from a moneyback promotion in that one is designed to attract new business, while the other is about reducing the risk of loss. Let’s look at this side of things in more detail.
Bonus
Bonus Description
Sign-Up Bonus
Also known as a welcome bonus, this is a sign-up offer aimed exclusively at new customers joining a sportsbook. The promotion you receive will have terms and conditions and will likely require a deposit or qualifying bet.
Free Bets
While it’s debatable whether any bet is truly free, these are additional bonus tokens that may be made available to new and existing customers. Again, always check the Ts and Cs.
Cashback/Money Back
In practice, this is protection for an accumulator if one leg lets you down - a popular cashback promotion. This type of offer is all about reducing the impact of a loss.
VIP Clubs
This is a loyalty bonus that rewards you for placing a certain number of qualifying bets within a specific timeframe, usually a week. You receive further bonuses to gamble with.
Samantha Beckett Head of Bonus and
Promo Evaluation
If a sportsbook isn't offering you a welcome bonus upon registration with the site, then it is not worth signing up! Shop around until you find some worthwhile freebies.
Sports Betting Tips
Sports betting is all about finding a strategy that works for you. With the growing popularity of online betting, we’ve put together a few of our best sports betting tips to help you out from the get-go.
Claim a bonus or free bet
Many sportsbooks offer risk-free bets and bonuses to encourage new users to start betting. These can be a great opportunity to try before you buy as well as familiarise yourself with how a particular sportsbook works. Look out for other promotions too such as cashback offers which will help you make the most of your money.
Bet within your budget
When it comes to betting, the key to long-term success is budgeting. You should only ever bet what you can afford to lose and having a pre-set budget can really help. One way to start could be to determine exactly how much you can afford to spend each month for betting, and then stick to it.
Bet early
Sometimes it can pay to bet earlier rather than later. By placing your bet early, your odds won’t be affected by variables like injury, form or any other unforeseen circumstances. The closer you leave it to the event time, the worse off your odds could potentially be.
Find a site that’s right for you
Different sportsbooks offer different experiences – so it’s important to find the one that’s right for you. We think the best strategy is to shop around. If you don’t think you’re getting the best offers or best odds, then register to another until you’re 100% happy.
Sports Betting on Your Mobile
Thanks to apps and mobile sites, you can place a bet anytime and anywhere. Mobile betting is hugely popular in Australia and is usually available at all good sports betting sites. In fact, many providers have their own downloadable app which offers quicker access and a smoother user experience. For those that prefer using a web browser, in each review we’ve looked at which sportsbooks have best optimised their websites for mobile bettors.
The Best Sports Betting Sites in Australia
Now that you’re more familiar with the world of online sports betting, it might be time for you to start placing your bets. Here’s a summary of our highly recommended sports betting sites in Australia, head to any of them today and take advantage of a great welcome offer.
Unibet
Ladbrokes
Bet365
Betfair
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Sports Betting Australia FAQs
Is online betting popular in Australia?
Yes. Sports betting is a very popular pastime in the country, with millions of bettors wagering on every major sporting event in and out of Australia. There is a healthy selection of quality bookmakers online to wager at, and all regularly attract large sports betting audiences from Australia.
How does sports betting work?
Sports betting is as simple as it sounds. Find a sportsbook that you like, then place a bet on a sporting event in a bid to win a set amount of money. If your pick comes in correctly, then you’ll win your payout.
Who sets the odds in betting?
Typically, the bookmaker will set the odds for their own sports betting site. When reviewing, we look at each site’s odds to see how generous they are when compared to their competitors.
What are the best sports to bet on?
There’s no definitive answer to which sports are the best to bet on. However, when it comes to betting, Australia shows a huge interest in soccer, Aussie rules football, rugby and cricket.
Which is the safest sport to bet on?
Each sport is completely different, so there’s no firm answer for this one. We’d suggest you bet on a sport that you have a lot of knowledge about. If you have a lot of context around each team and its players, then you’ll be able to make an informed decision.
How do I get better at sports betting?
The best strategy is to know what you’re betting on. Familiarizing yourself with the game rules and bet types is always a good place to start. Doing your research and betting with your head can make a big difference.
Can I get a bonus?
Each online sports betting site has a sign-up bonus for new customers. Casino.org looks through the Australian market to give you a comprehensive list of the most attractive offers – so you can boost your bankroll.
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