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Biggest bookmakers in Australia βœ”οΈ best leading betting sites in 2024

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Table of contents
    Meet our author
    Betting expert Elizabeth Winnie

    Through a ranking system and serious and consolidated standards, we make a point of evaluating the best authorized betting sites in Australia. This information will not only allow you to have access to the best bonuses, but also to the best conditions to make the best sports bets online.

    Updated: 2024-04-10

    Because betting on sports has in general become mostly an online endeavour, the biggest bookmakers in Australia today are most consistent of the biggest global operators in the industry. But, there is also a selection of domestic operators who may not have as big of a range but have special offers that Aussies can find more appealing.

    Thankfully, this opens the possibilities for the bettors, as there are always bonuses, free games, and even special prizes that come with every operator of the most popular betting sites. And, it would be smart to use all of them if you can.

    Best and biggest bookmakers in Australia

    While we can rank bookmakers by size simply by measuring the number of players and the size of the bets, picking out the best bookmakers in Australia is not as easy. There are many features that might seem trivial to some and would be a deal-breaker or a deal-maker to others.

    Top 10 biggest Australian bookmakers:

    1. Bet365
    2. Sportsbet
    3. Neds
    4. Palmerbet
    5. Ladbrokes
    6. TopBetta
    7. PlayUp
    8. Unibet
    9. Betfair

    All of these operators offer good platforms and a quick and easy experience when placing bets. But, they are different when it comes to specifics as to their ranges of games, bonuses, and betting options can vary significantly.

    Generally speaking, those who are more interested in international games like the Premier League or the NBA will find better luck with the most popular betting sites from international operators who will have more specialised odds and options with those games.

    But, if you are more interested in the domestic league, then you should go with local Australian brand new bookies. This is especially the case for sports like netball and cricket that draw less international attention.

    All of the cited betting operators in Australia are licensed and have a good selection of banking options. That makes the final choice more of a personal affinity than any technical solution.

    The tradition of sports betting in Australia

    Betting and gambling in the modern sense have probably been popular in Australia ever since Arthur Philip brought the convicts to the continent. And, with the indigenous Australians games and competitions have been popular even sooner.

    The first organised gambling event in Australia was also the first sports betting event, as Aussies were able to bet on horses in 1810 in Hyde Park, Sydney. But, for those races bets would need to be placed directly with the track and in person. The first bookmakers in Australia only started in 1930.

    At the turn of the millennia, in 2001, the Interactive Gambling Act 2001 (IGA) passed and online gambling became legal in all states. This started an influx of global operators coming into the market and offering even more benefits to the players, as well as options to bet at games all around the world.

    Online betting in Australia didn't start growing immediately, with people still preferring placing bets in brick-and-mortar buildings two decades ago. But, for the last five years, this market is in a huge expansion, with hundreds of thousands joining every year.

    Is betting on sports legal in Australia?

    Betting on sports in general has been legal in Australia for almost a century. Starting with the race tracks and expanding to other sports fairly quickly. With the Interactive Gambling Act (IGA) this rule also started to apply to online gambling and sports betting.

    Unlike most places, there are only two rules to be able to bet on sports in Australia:

    • Be at least 18 years of age
    • Provide reasonable proof of identity

    Experienced betting jetsetters will notice that being an Australian citizen or even resident is not necessary under the act, meaning that anyone can technically bet on games on these platforms.

    The proof of identity is relatively easy to provide for most people. Any government-issued ID would work, including a personal ID, a driver's licence, or a passport. It isn't necessary for the identification to be issued by Australian authorities, but they should be clearly legible.

    Thankfully, most passports have inscriptions in English as well, which should work.

    Deposit and limits with the biggest sports bookmakers

    Legally, there is no bookmaker's limit to how much you can deposit with a bookmaker. Theoretically, you can sink in any legal funds you have without any issues. But, all betting houses will have a soft limit on both the size of the deposit and the size of the bet, depending on your habits.

    • For Bet365, for instance, which is arguably the biggest betting platform in Australia at the moment, the maximum is AUD$30.000 and the platform will not allow you to deposit more than that, pushing everything else back to your credit card
    • Additionally, there is a maximum of bet sizes per day. Usually, there will be a limit of 1.000 AUD per month, which may be expanded on your demand. Barely any bookie will take a bet over $2000 for any individual game.

    All of this is to prevent predatory practices, as well as prevent too much damage from identity theft. Because most popular betting sites have multiple withdrawal methods, depositing rather than withdrawing used to be a popular method of draining money via identity theft and fraud, which is no longer possible.

    • On the other hand, the minimum deposit is only 10 AUD with virtually any platform. This might not sound a lot, but if you take into account that the minimum bet with William Hill is just 2c and that for any bookie it doesn't go over $2 this can last for quite a while, especially if you are playing systems.

    Banking and withdrawals at biggest bookmakers in Australia

    In brick-and-mortar betting houses across Australia, the standard for payment options to this day is cash. While most sports bars that have betting stations will accept cards, getting funny looks is to be expected.

    Online, the situation is completely reversed with debit cards being the most welcomed option with the fewest restriction and fastest processing, followed by credit cards. There are also options for large payment processors like PayPal.

    For most operators, these online options will be the fastest, transferring the funds in and out of your gaming account virtually instantly. But, they also can garner some fees that cards wouldn't have.

    The slowest withdrawal and deposit method, by far, is a direct bank transfer. Depending on your bank, and if it's a domestic or international transfer, it can take anything from a few days to two weeks to see money in your account.

    Thankfully, most people have other options. And, there is always the possibility to use a card issued by the platform and deposit and withdraw in physical locations if you wish.

    Bookmakers fees and taxes

    Unlike many other countries, all winnings from betting in Australia are not taxed at all and don't fall under income for your income taxes either. Such winnings are not considered a product of work but rather good luck. In a sense, it is the same as finding money on the street.

    Identically, there is no way to mark betting losses as expenses in any way. The Aussie government views the activity as a hobby or entertainment, meaning that you don't get any tax benefits when betting.

    And, unlike online gambling platforms that might take up to 5% off your winnings, especially those focused on poker, sports betting bookmakers in Australia usually don't charge anything. You get everything that is said you get on the betting slip.

    Rather, the betting operator is financed by their spread and the quality of their prognosis and odds. They get 100% of the bets you don't make, especially those playing football systems that are more common than not.

    Responsible betting and practices

    Sports are very entertaining to watch and betting is a great way to spice up that viewing. But, same as sports it should be viewed as entertainment. Regretfully, the lure of getting a lot of money through betting is significant and we should be aware of it at all times.

    All biggest betting operators in Australia have significant measures in place to prevent pitfalls and abstain from predatory practices. This is why there are limits to how much you can bet, and the operator will keep track of you and even contact you if the system shows you might have a problem.

    Still, the best course of action is to not have a problem in the first place. That is why you should always bet on your entertainment budget. Generally, betting anything more than the cost of a six-pack is overspending.

    FAQ

    How to bet with the biggest bookmakers in Australia?

    The greatest advantage of online betting is the fact that it is so accessible. If you have an internet connection and a device to access it, you have a way to bet with the biggest bookmakers in Australia.

    Primarily, there is the platform. You will need to sign up and provide your information to prove that you are of age and eligible to play. Once that is done, you buy in with as much you would like to bet with and select your games. All platforms are accessible on all browsing apps such as Chrome, Safari, Mozilla, or Edge.

    Additionally, there are apps for Android and iOS made by each platform that you can use with your smartphone. These are usually lighter and have a design adjusted for smaller screens. Here you can search up your favourite sports and submit a bet in just a few taps.

    The bet will be tied to the last game you have on your betting slip. If the slip is successful the money will appear on your betting account about an hour after the last game.

    Checking the odds

    Making sure that you are getting good odds is always important. This is why it is not a bad idea to compare the odds on several platforms at the time. That way you can always know that you are getting the most from your prognosis.

    A good thing is that online betting has, generally, much better odds than any traditional betting house. This is because operators don't have as much overhead running the online platform and most of the analysis for games is done on the global level.

    And, unlike terrestrial betting houses, you can check multiple options online at the same time, without the need to walk for miles to check out another offer.

    Choosing the right bet

    There are generally two rules that are advised when making the bet, presuming that you have already found the right platform where you want to make it.

    Primarily, you should bet on something you like to watch. The biggest benefit of sports betting is making fun games even more exciting. That is why if you do like watching something already and have it planned, it is best to bet on that.

    Secondly, you should bet on something you know. Knowing the teams, players, as well as news and trivia will make the odds more in your favour. That way, you can even notice when the betting house has made a mistake and favours the wrong team, which is more frequent than many think.

    Using bonuses and benefits

    It used to be unthinkable for a betting house to offer bonuses or free bets as only people who used to bet regularly were ever in the sports bar that offered such a service. But, with online betting and bookmakers fighting to get every customer possible.

    This makes what you can call the player's market where it is up to you where you will play and there is nothing like location tying you down. You can have your signup bonus and play more, using as much of the betting house's money as possible

    If betting is entertainment, it is always a good idea to make your entertainment budget go as far as possible. In that case, taking the sign-up bonuses, free games, and deposit matchups is a great thing.

    And, while you may stay with an operator that you really like, there is nothing wrong with switching them up. Once you drain the bonuses from one platform, just switch platforms and get the bonuses elsewhere again.