How many betting agencies are there in Australia?
The short answer is 150. Simply put, there were 150 licensed betting agencies in Australia at the time of this article. Actually, answering this question is easier than you might think, because all betting companies that want to provide service in Australia must obtain a licence. These licences are tracked and publicly shared at local and federal levels. In other words, if you want to know how many licensed betting operators are in Australia at any given time, all you have to do is check official government websites.
You can do this in two ways. Each state publishes a list of betting companies that are legally authorised to provide services within that state's licensing authority website. For example, by visiting the website of the Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission, you can see all betting companies that operate within the borders of this region.
However, this is not a practical approach because it means you have to visit around a dozen sites. Instead, you can simply visit a federal site that lists all betting operators in all states. The Australian government's ACMA (Australian Communications and Media Authority) website can be used for exactly this purpose. All licensed interactive betting agencies in Australia are listed on this site, and the list is updated regularly.
There are two types of bookmakers in this official list of Australian betting agencies: first, TABs, betting exchanges, and corporate bookmakers. Above, we explained what these mean separately, and for practical purposes, you can think of them as online betting operators. The second is on-course bookmakers. As we mentioned above, these mean bookies that do not offer their services online.
The main difference between both lists is that you can only see corporate names in the first one, while you can also see personal names in the second one. This is due to the simpler conditions required for on-course bookmaking. So, anyone can get a permit to offer betting services in a small booth at a racetrack: such a permit can be obtained from the local government.
Such small businesses do not need to be owned by a company. Below, we will give some examples from this list, and you will better understand what we mean. Note, however, that this list will not include all Australian betting agencies (because it is too long), is subject to change, and does not include the best betting operators. It simply shows the official betting agencies in Australia, it doesn't give an idea as to whether these sites are good (or bad). You can always find the most up-to-date version of the list on the ACMA bookmakers website.
Licensed online betting companies in Australia
The number of betting companies that also offer their services online is 52. These include corporate bookmakers, betting exchanges, and TABs, as explained above. Below you can see some of the betting operators on this list, but keep in mind that each of them is licensed in a different state. So, for example, bet365, as a Northern Territory licensed bookmaker, can only offer its services to bettors in this state. So don't assume you can join any of the websites on this list: you will need to choose a bookie that is currently licensed in your state. For your convenience, we have included the licence information they hold next to the names of betting operators.
- bet365 - Northern Territory Racing Commission
- BetEasy - Northern Territory Racing Commission
- Betfair - Northern Territory Racing Commission
- Bet Nation - Liquor & Gaming NSW
- Bossbet - Liquor & Gaming NSW
- Buddybet - Northern Territory Racing Commission
- DraftKings - Northern Territory Racing Commission
- Draftstars - Northern Territory Racing Commission
- Swift Bet - Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission
- Tabcorp ACT - ACT Gambling & Racing Commission
- Tabcorp Wagering - Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission
- UBET Qld - Queensland Office of Liquor & Gaming Regulation
- UBET SA - South Australia - Consumer and Business Services
- UBET Tas - Tasmanian Liquor and Gaming Commission
Licensed on-course betting operators in Australia
Not surprisingly, there are 98 names on the list of on-course betting operators. In other words, the number of on-course betting agencies in Australia is much bigger than online bookies. This is due to the fact that on-course betting licences can be obtained more easily and given to individuals, as we have mentioned before. Once again, we share some of the names on the list below, but this time we do not provide licensing authority information, because you need to go to the booths in the state they are in to benefit from the services of these betting companies.
- Actionbet (Adrian Dowdle) - NSW Liquor & Gaming NSW
- Alati, Mark - NSW Liquor & Gaming NSW
- Hess, Russell - Queensland Racing Integrity Commission
- Joyce, Damien - Queensland Racing Integrity Commission
- Barrington, Warren - South Australia - Consumer and Business Services
- Beazabet - Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission
- Windle, Mike - WA Department of Local Government, Sport & Cultural Industries
- Awesome Bet - Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission