Online Sports Betting in Australia

Online and sports betting in Australia is huge. It is estimated that 80% of Australians have placed a bet, which is the highest population percentage on the planet. It is also estimated that half a million adults bet regularly, spending around $1,000 each over the year.

Aussie's love for sports betting originates in their love for sport. The country is sports mad, over achieving for their population size in a wide range of events including Track and Field, Rugby, Cricket, Field Hockey - the list goes on. Even, in the lesser played sports such as soccer, they have still produced one of the best teams in the Asia and Oceanic region. A recent study showed that Australian Rules Football (AFL) and cricket were the most popular sports amongst Aussies.

It is estimated that 80% of Australians have placed a bet, which is the highest population percentage on the planet.

Online betting sites in Australia can be split into two groups. First, the large international online betting sites who have an Australian service and secondly, Australian based online betting sites, that focus on Australian sports. Our goal at Bookiesbonuses, is to provide you with the tools necessary to find the best online Australian betting sites.

Below, we have ranked five of our favourite online betting sites that operate in Australia.

Online Sports Betting Sites for Australian Customers

Ladbrokes Australia

Bet £5 Get £20 in Free Bets

Ladbrokes is one of the best-known betting brands in the world. It is a British site with a focus on horse racing. Their Australian online betting website has the same focus, and although horse racing might not be the most popular sport to watch, it is one of Australia's most popular sports to attend as well as bet on. Ladbrokes Australia offers a wide selection of sports to choose from including Australian Rules, tennis and rugby. Ladbrokes also offer some unusual betting categories like surfing and politics.

Betstar, the Aussie online betting site is also owned by Ladbrokes. They use the same format as Ladbrokes and offer a similar experience.

Claim £20 offer

18+ New UK+IRE Customers only. Certain deposit methods & bet types excl. Min first 5 bet within 14 days of account reg at min odds 1/2 = 4x 5 free bets. Free bets valid for 7 days, stake not returned. No cashout, restrictions + T&Cs apply.


Bet365 Australia

Bet £10 Get £30 in Free Bets

Bet365 offers one of the best selections of sports betting in the world. We feel this suits the Australian punter as it provides a wide variety of sports bets. Like Ladbrokes, Bet365 offers an extensive selection of bets when it comes to Australian Rules, tennis and rugby.

Claim £30 offer

Min deposit requirement. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits and are available for use upon settlement of qualifying bets. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Registration required. T&Cs, time limits and exclusions apply.


Betfair Exchange Australia

Bet £5 Get £20 in Free Bets

Betfair offers Australia's only online betting exchanges and thus makes it onto our list. With Betfair Exchange, customers bet against each other rather than against the bookmaker. The odds are instead decided by the customers, with bookmaker taking a certain percent of your winnings.

An online betting exchange works by allowing users to bet against each other on an event. For example, one user could bet that team A will beat team B (called 'backing' a bet), while another user will bet that Team A will not beat team B (called 'laying' a bet).

We think this works well in the Australian market. Not only do the Aussie's have an incredible knowledge of sports but they are also online betting mad which makes for the perfect combination when it comes to exchange betting. If you play the exchange right, you can find some of the very best odds in the market.

Claim £20 offer

New Customer offer. Place a min £5 bet on the Sportsbook on odds of min 1/2 (1.5), get £20 in Free Bets. Rewards valid for 30 days. SMS verification required. Only deposits via cards will qualify. T&Cs apply. Please Gamble Responsibly


William Hill Australia

Bet £10 Get £30 in Free Bets

William Hill is one of the most respected betting sites in the market. They have a dedicated online betting website for Australian customers and their service like their European one is excellent. William Hill always offers great odds, but it's their range of products that secured them a spot in our top 5. They offer a brilliant selection of live streaming as well as seamless live betting and cash out functions.

Claim £30 offer

18+. Play Safe. From 00:01 on 13.04.2022. £30 bonus. New customers only. Minimum £10 stake on odds of 1/2 (1.5) or greater on sportsbook. Further terms apply. #ad


Sportsbet Australia

Sportsbet is an Aussie betting site that is owned by the Paddy Power Betfair group. This is a site completely optimised for the Aussie market. Here you will get some of the best odds, selection of bets and promotions for NRL and AFL games. If you want a good, reliable Aussie site that is focused on just Aussie sports then this is the one for you.

Neds Betting Australia

Neds Betting is a home-grown Australian betting site registered in the Northern Territory. It prides itself on it's slick easy-to-use digital offering as well as their excellent customer service.

You'll probably recognize them from their TV ads, which we can't show here due to licensing restrictions.

CrownBet Australia

CrownBet is licensed in the Northern Territory of Australia and is owned by The Stars Group. This group also own major brands such as PokerStars and BetStars.

They might not be as digitally slick as Neds Betting but they are just as optimised for the Australian sports betting market and just as trustworthy.

New online betting sites Australia

There are of course new betting sites that pop up every now and then. Some of these include Neds or TopBetta. There has also been a surge of international, mostly British, bookies establishing themselves on the Australian online betting market in the last few years.

Among them are Paddy Power/Betfair and William Hill, who both have used their own brands, but also aquired a few Australian-based bookmakers.

These brands will be looking to tap into the incredibly profitable online betting market in Australia. The country may not have the largest population but half a million regular bettors, that spend over $1,000 a year is a very attractive potential customer base. The country's banking system is also trusted and with an English speaking population there are much lower barriers to entry.

Betting sites Australia

18+ | begambleaware | Please Gamble Responsibly | Commercial Content | T&Cs Apply

  1. Bet £10 Get £30 in Free Bets

    T&Cs apply. New customers only. Deposit & Place a Bet within 7 days, and settle a £10 minimum bet at odds of 4/5 (1.8) or greater, to be credited with 3x £10 Free Bets: 2 x £10 Horse Racing and 1 x £10 Free Bet Builder. 7 day expiry. Stake not returned. 18+ BeGambleAware.org

  2. Bet £10 Get £30 Surprise Bet

    New customers & 18+ only. Min. deposit of £10. Qualifying real money bet of £10. Min odds greater than or equal to 1.5 required. E/W bets excluded. Offer awarded immediately but could be issued the next working day in exceptional circumstances such as technical fault. Additional T&Cs apply. Please gamble responsibly.

  3. Bet £10 Get £40 in Free Bets

    18+ New customers only. Opt in, bet £10  on any football market at minimum 1/1 odds. No cash out. Get £40 in Free Bets on selected events. Free Bets expire in 7 days. Card payments only. T&Cs apply. begambleaware.org | Please gamble responsibly

  4. Bet £10 Get £20 in Free Bets

    New members. £10 min bet on sportsbook (ex. virtual) 1.5 min odds, settled in 14 days of sign-up. Win part E/W bets. Free Bets: accept in 7 days, valid 7 days on sportsbook (ex. virtual). Stake not returned. T&Cs apply. Click here for full T&Cs

  5. Bet £10 Get £40 in Free Bets

    New customers only. 7 days to place a qualifying bet to receive 6 x Free Bets: 4 x £10 Horse racing, 2 x £10 Acca Free Bets. 7 day expiry. Exclusions apply. Stake not returned. T&Cs apply. 18+ begambleaware.org

Betting legislation in Australia

Online betting is legal in Australia and regulated by the State. Each territory also has its legislation regarding betting.

In 2001 the Interactive Gambling Act was introduced. The act made it an offence to offer 'real-money' online interactive betting to Australians.

A 2008 Australian High Court decision was key in the expansion of sports betting in Australia. It removed restrictions preventing bookmakers licensed in one jurisdiction from advertising in another. This change prompted the entry of corporate bookmakers into the Australian sports betting market to capitalise on Australians' penchant for both gambling and sport.

In 2017 new legislation was introduced which banned betting advertising during sports games.

Betting is considered a hobby, and therefore, until recently, has not been taxed. However, new 'wagering taxes' are set to be introduced in 2018. This doesn't look to impact the availability of online betting, but the introduction of the tax may affect the amount online betting sites can pay out in winnings.

Betting offers for new customers in Australia

Online betting websites are constantly competing against each other to gain and retain customers. This benefits players, as sites will always have offers to get you to play - the majority of these will be in the form of deposit bonuses or free bets. It is always a good idea to review the promotions of sites to find the one that you will get the most out of.

Sign up offer

Normally, a betting site or a bookmaker reward new customers with some kind of bonus offer. This is partly to get you to sign up, but mostly to give you as a customer the opportunity to experience the capabilities of the betting site. A bonus help you try out the different bets and functions, and the bookie banks on you enjoying their product. There are many kinds of welcome offers, but the most common ones are either free bets or a matched bonus of some sort.

Free bets/Bonus Bets

While referred to as Free Bets around the globe, in Australia the same kind of bonus offer is referred to as Bonus Bets. The basic principle is that you as a player get a free stake on a bet of your choice. The stake, however, is not included in the winnings. So, if you place a winning "bonus bet" with $50 at odds 2.00 you would get $50 on your account (50 x 2.00 = 100, minus the stake = 50).

Credit cards for Online Betting

Although the majority of Australian's enjoy betting as a harmless pastime, many suffer from forms of addiction associated with it. To counter this, some banks have prohibited the use of credit cards for this betting purposes. These include CUA, AMEX, Bank of Queensland, Virgin Money, Citi and Suncorp.

FAQ sports betting in Australia

Is online betting legal in Australia?

Yes. There is legislation in place to reduce the level of online betting in the country. However, as a punter the responsibility doesn’t lie with you to adhere to any regulation. If it is a registered online bookie then you are not doing anything illegal by placing a wager.

Do British based online betting sites work in Australia?

Generally they do. However, most will have an Australian version. Using a VPN to access the British site, in order to place a bet or view the live streaming available in the UK, will usually not work.

What is the best online betting website to bet on Aussie Rules with?

Any of the major bookmakers we mentioned above such as William Hill Australia and Betfair Australia. Of course the Australian based bookies, like Neds and CrownBet will provide a great betting service when it comes to such an Australian focused sports. In terms of AFL focused promotions you might find widest selection with the Australian based sites.

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