Top 5+ Online Betting Sites in Australia

Is Online Betting Legal in Australia?

While Australia is ahead of USA betting sites when it comes to gambling, they have yet to fully embrace online betting, meaning they are still some way behind their European counterparts. Australian law forbids the marketing of unregulated online forms of gambling. However, it is worth noting that there is no such law that covers the actions of players at gaming sites.

At the time of writing, racing, lotteries and sports betting are the only forms of online gambling that are legal in Australia right now. There are no restrictions on the games available, though, with the likes of online poker, roulette, slots and table games that include cards all legal. However, companies that offer these are not allowed to advertise to residents of Australia. Therefore, no licensed sites are permitted to encourage casino games or poker.

Sports wagers that involve straight-bets, teasers, parlays and futures are also all legal. However, unlike many other countries, in-play betting is prohibited in Australia, an act that came into force through gambling legislation in 2001. This means that punters are only allowed to place bets up until the start of the game itself. Once the game has started, any further betting will not be permitted to take place. As a result, those bettors looking to utilise the best in-play betting sites available to online punters will be left disappointed.

This does not apply to racing events, though, meaning live betting on sports like horse racing is allowed.

While Australian betting may lag behind the likes of what you can access through UK or betting sites in India, there is one major positive: winnings from gambling are not taxed. This is because gambling is not recognised as a profession in Australia, with the general consensus that winnings from gambling are gained through luck, rather than work.

As for the minimum gambling age in Australia, you must be 18 years old to get involved with any form of betting.

Choosing a Betting Site in Australia

Regardless of whether you are looking for Canada betting sites, the best UK betting sites or simply the best India cricket betting sites around, there are a number of factors that you simply must know before making your decision. Below, we have listed the most important to keep in mind.

Competitive Odds

Not every bookmaker will offer competitive odds, despite the fact that most will claim to offer them. Competitive odds refers to when a bookmaker can match or better their competition in terms of their prices, meaning they would provide you with the most value for your bets and potentially increase your winnings.

To find the bookie that offers the best odds, it's a good idea to use an odds comparison matrix. This make searching for the most valuable bets you can place much easier, and will save you a lot of time and hassle.

However, remember to keep an open mind. Just because your bookie of choice does not offer the best odds for rugby union and soccer (for example), does not mean they will also fail in this respect when it comes other sports.

Markets

Any bookmaker worth their salt should offer a good selection of markets to help keep things interesting. It's always better to have more niche betting opportunities available that can offer a lot of value.

Always look out for betting sites which offer a range of markets for smaller, less popular sports, instead of deciding to focus solely on the biggest ones like soccer, cricket and horse racing. If you are looking to bet on table tennis, for instance, and the bookmaker you are looking to sign up with offers few or no relevant markets at all, then it will not be worth your time signing up.

Best betting site in Australia for markets: Unibet

Promotions 

A bookie's promotions are massively important to both new and existing customers. Usually, you'll be granted what is known as a ‘welcome bonus' for creating an account. This can come in the form of free bets, matched deposits, bet credits, deposit bonuses and many more. All of these are aimed at increasing the size of the pot you have to play with. However, you should know that you will usually have to deposit a certain amount of money to unlock these bonuses after signing up, meaning that they are unlikely to be free.

Existing offers are those that a bookie awards their returning customers to thank them for the loyalty and to encourage them to continue using their services. These offers may appear in the form of enhanced odds, acca boosts, acca insurance and more.

If a bookie offers a poor welcome bonus, or decides not to give one at all, then their existing customers offers will likely be just as disappointing.

Best betting site in Australia for promotions: Sportsbet.io

Range of Sports 

If you love all things sports and want to test your betting knowledge on more than just the biggest events, then you should find a bookmaker that offers a wide range of betting options.

On the other hand, if your sole focus lies on a particular sport or event, then you need to be sure any bookie you register with can meet your expectations. For example, if you mostly bet on the Big Bash, then the bookie in question obviously needs to have a good range of relevant betting markets.

Features 

The types of betting features available tend to vary across different bookmakers. While we have listed a number of features below, not all of them will be available on best betting sites in Australia. However, this does not diminish their quality. Indeed, if they offer any particular features that you deem to be the most important, then that should be seen as a major selling point. 

Licensing 

Licensing is very important when it comes to online betting in Australia. Ensuring your money is safe is of paramount importance to the bookmaker as it is to you, the bettor; if there is any breach jeopardising your funds, operators know they will lose your custom.

A bookmaker will usually have all of their licensing information at the bottom of their homepage for you to view. If you do not feel too confident checking this on your own, then you can refer to any of the bookmakers listed here, as each one has been fully licensed and regulated.

Payment Options 

We have an entire section dedicated to payment options later on in this guide to online betting in Australia. However, as a quick summary, you need to sign up with a bookmaker that offers at least one or two payment methods that you are comfortable using, and that you already have an account with.

Customer Service 

A helpful and quick customer service team will usually be able to help solve your problems and get you back to betting quickly and efficiently. They should also be available 24/7, allowing you to resolve any issues any time or day (or night).

As standard, most of the best betting sites in Australia will offer round-the-clock customer support. 

Mobile App 

Since most online betting is done via a smartphone or tablet these days, it's becoming increasingly important that the bookmakers in Australia offer mobile cricket betting apps along with their desktop client. Alternatively, many betting sites have also optimised their websites for mobile browsers, allowing their services to be easily viewed and accessed on smaller screens

Payment Options for Bettors in Australia

The ability to safely and securely deposit or withdraw money to and from your betting account is a massive deciding factor for many seasoned bettors. In fact, many players will actually decide against signing up with a bookie if they do not find their preferred payment method available.

Below,  we have listed a few of the most popular betting payment methods for online betting Australia.

Popular Sports to Bet on in Australia

Online betting in Australia has never been more popular. Below, we have listed three of the most popular sports with punters from Oz, although these are by no means the only ones you can sink your teeth into once you sign up for an account.

Cricket

(Source: Unibet)

Much like in the UK and India, cricket has become a very popular sport to watch and bet on in Australia. The Big Bash has been a large reason for this in recent years, with the action-packed Twenty20 format providing fans with the thrills and spills of the shortest format of the game.

Of course, however, the biggest reason behind cricket's success in Australia is the prominence of the national team. Whether they are winning the World Cup or beating England in the Ashes, Australian cricket has always been at the pinnacle of the sport, causing watching and betting on matches or tournaments to skyrocket.

Check out our list of the best India cricket betting sites to get started, or refer to our guide on how to bet on cricket if you're still a rookie.

Rugby Union

(Source: Unibet)

While rugby union itself may have taken a hit in the amount of people that watch it, there still remains a sizeable betting scene for the sport. Australia domestic rugby has always provided some very strong teams, with the likes of New Zealand and England fiery rivals to face off against. Success has not been majorly forthcoming in recent years, but the Australian team – and rugby union in general – still provide a glut of standard and niche betting opportunities.

Soccer

(Source: 1bet)

Soccer has maintained a lot of interest in the Australian betting community, with a vast range of betting opportunities to Aussie punters.

Online Betting Australia FAQs

Which are the best betting sites for online betting in Australia?

Any of the betting sites we have listed above will give you a number of brilliant opportunities to bet with. However, of those, we would recommend Unibet and 1BET as the top two. These three bookies not only offer competitive odds for a range of sports and markets but also fantastic features, a range of payment methods and generous promotions.

Is online gambling legal in Australia?

Gambling is legal in Australia, but there are certain laws you do have to abide by. Racing, lotteries and sports betting are the only forms of online gambling that are legal in Australia, while sports wagers that involve straight-bets, teasers, parlays and futures are all permitted too. However, in-play betting is banned, except on racing events (such as horse racing). 

Are winnings taxed in Australia?

No, winnings are not taxed in Australia. Gambling is not viewed as a profession, as any profit made from gambling is considered to be a result of luck, not work.

CricketBettingAdvice Final Say

The best betting sites in Australia provide bettors with plenty of opportunities for a wide range of sports. Whether you are looking to back the best cricket prediction in the world on the Hobart Hurricanes in the Big Bash, or the upcoming rugby nation clash against New Zealand, you will be met with a selection of betting markets that will keep you very busy.

Cricket Betting Advice

The Cricket Betting Advice team of writers are all defined by one goal: to provide you with the best online cricket betting content on the web.