Australia’s best betting sites are changing the game for punters Down Under. The most popular Aussie bookies tend to be based offshore and are committed to providing you with great online sports betting experiences.
Here’s a snapshot of the best Australian bookmakers offering great odds, big bonuses, and a huge choice of betting markets.
- Secure & trusted online Sportsbooks
- Fast & easy deposits and withdrawals
- Several crypto options to choose from
- Great live betting opportunities
- Lightning-fast payouts
- Verified sportsbooks with easy sign-up
- Fast & Easy Sign-Up
- Great Welcome Bonuses & Ongoing Promos
- Events With Leaderboards & Challenges
What We Look For in Australian Betting Sites
We’re meticulous in hand-picking the best betting sites for Aussie sports fans based on five key criteria.
- Market Coverage The best sports betting sites in Australia prioritise deep betting markets throughout the AFL and NRL seasons. They also cover every inch of America’s major sports, the biggest soccer leagues, and daily racing events from around the country.
- Fair Odds: Competitive prices are key if you want to become a winning punter. That’s why we only recommend online bookies in Australia that offer low-margin odds, especially on the horse racing markets.
- Option to Play in AUD: It’s important to us that you can deposit and bet in Australian dollars. The best betting sites in Australia will let you wager in AUD – and you won’t get stung with unnecessary currency conversion fees either.
- Live Betting: We only recommend sites that offer live betting markets. This gives you the freedom to watch on TV or use live streams and bet with your own eyes to find value as the action unfolds.
- Generous Bonuses: We all like getting more than we bargained for, right? The best Australian gambling sites are armed to the teeth with huge welcome bonuses and even more perks and rewards for regular punters.
Popular Bonuses at the Best Australian Gambling Sites
Let’s run through some of the most common promotions you can bag at the top Australian betting sites, both as a newbie and a regular punter.
Multi Cashback
If you’re someone who likes the thrill of a big multi payday from a small stake, it’s worth prioritising online bookies that offer multi cashback. This promotion refunds your stake – usually in free bets – if one leg of your multi lets you down.
Build a qualifying multi with your chosen betting site.
Make sure it meets the minimum leg and odds requirements.
Place your multi bet.
If only one leg of your multi loses, your stake will be refunded in free bet credits.
Welcome Bonus
Online betting regulations stop bookies licensed in Australia from offering welcome bonus incentives to new customers.
Fortunately, the best Aussie-friendly betting sites licensed offshore fill the void with generous deposit-match offers. These typically match a percentage of your first AUD deposit in bonus funds.
Open and verify your new account.
Pick your preferred deposit method and make your first deposit.
Ensure that your deposit meets the minimum deposit requirements for the welcome bonus.
Your bonus is credited to your “bonus balance” until wagering requirements are met.
Free Bets
It’s common for Australian betting sites to offer free bet promotions.
These are awarded either as part of a welcome bonus, in addition to a deposit-match offer, or as ad-hoc promotions to incentivise you to bet on upcoming high-profile events like the Melbourne Cup, the Australian Open, or the AFL Grand Final.
Open a new account and make a qualifying deposit (if attached to a welcome bonus).
Wait for your bookie to unveil free bet promotions surrounding high-profile sports events.
Use your available free bet credits on eligible markets at qualifying odds before expiry.
Odds Boosts
Similar to free bet promotions, the best bookies often roll out odds boosts for high-profile sports events.
You’ll get enhanced odds on specific markets, giving you better value on a team, athlete, or horse before the off.
The best sportsbooks in Australia use this as an incentive to get you punting, but it’s also a chance to get bigger returns from sure-fire bets.
Head over to the eligible market where the odds boost is available.
Add the eligible selection to your betslip and the boost is often applied automatically.
Set your stake size and submit.
The Most Popular Sports at Australian Betting Sites
The best betting sites in Australia excel in providing competitive betting odds and deep markets across all the biggest sports that Aussies know and love.
Here’s a rundown of the most popular sports to bet on among Australian punters at our top-rated bookmakers.
Whether you plan to bet on the Melbourne Cup, The Everest, or even further afield at the Cheltenham Festival or Royal Ascot, you can rely on the best Australian gambling sites to cover all bases in thoroughbred racing. Many of the best online betting sites in Australia will also offer live streams of daily race meetings, as well as the premier meetings.
The most popular horse racing bet that Aussies like to place is a straight-up win bet, although place (each-way) bets are also common.
The AFL is always a focus if you plan to become a serious sports bettor. Aussie Rules football draws millions of viewers and bets for the regular season, but especially during the finals and Grand Final.
Head-to-head and futures bets are most popular during the early part of the AFL season. Line betting becomes more attractive midway through, as you’ve got access to more statistics and trends to decide if a points handicap offers value.
The NRL is especially popular to bet on among punters in New South Wales and Queensland. Alongside the AFL and horse racing, Australia’s National Rugby League completes the trio of sports that attract the most wagers.
As for the most popular NRL bet types, multis tend to get plenty of attention during packed schedules and player props are especially common among the biggest NRL fans.
America’s major league sports have struck a chord with Aussie punters for many years, albeit not on the same scale as the AFL and NRL. However, the NFL, NBA, and MLB seasons specifically attract significant betting attention. Things hot up during the postseason and marquee events like the Super Bowl, NBA Finals, and MLB World Series.
Aussies tend to flock to the moneyline (head-to-head) and handicap markets most for US sports, while futures betting is also common on divisional, championship, and finals winners.
There’s no doubt that soccer has a growing stronghold among Australian punters, with the native A-League still developing well. TV and live streaming coverage is also plentiful for the top European domestic leagues in England, Spain, Italy, and Germany.
In terms of betting volume, Aussies tend to flock to betting on the English Premier League and UEFA Champions League, while the A-League has a small but loyal base of punters. The match odds (head-to-head) markets and the Over/Under Goals markets tend to attract the most attention at the best bookies Down Under.
Although Australians live and breathe the game of cricket, you may be surprised to find that it’s by no means a huge betting sport Down Under. The best sportsbooks in Australia still offer ample betting markets for high-profile cricket events though, especially during an Ashes series, the Big Bash League, or the Indian Premier League.
Aussie cricket punters tend to focus on match winners or the run line markets i.e. predicting the total runs in an innings will be over or under a benchmark total.
Esports is one of the fastest-growing betting niches in Australia, appealing to a wide demographic of punters and video gamers. Although betting volumes are typically lower on esports markets than the big sports, there’s serious interest in elite events like The International (Dota 2) and the League of Legends Worlds.
Many of the best Australian betting sites offer live streams of these events, which is why live esports betting has become a popular pastime and may suit you if you understand how these games work.
The coverage of niche sports is what separates the best betting sites in Australia from their run-of-the-mill competitors. You can bet throughout the ATP and WTA tennis tours, including the four Grand Slams, punt on pay-per-view MMA and boxing cards, and even have a flutter on the PDC Pro Tour darts scene.
The most popular betting types for niche sports usually cover the head-to-head markets to keep things fun and straightforward.
Popular Bet Types at Betting Sites in Australia
Betting flexibility is a huge benefit when using the best online betting sites in Australia. They don’t just offer the top-level betting options, but they also let you drill down and get creative with your punting.
Here’s an overview of the most popular bet types and how they each work.
Multis
- How to Win: Combine several individual bets into one multi bet for bigger payouts, with all legs needing to win for a multi to pay out.
- Players It’s Best For: Anyone who enjoys the thrill of landing big returns from modest stakes.
- Aussie Sports It’s Best For: Useful for betting on multiple matches on an AFL, NRL, or Big Bash game week.
Same-Game Multis
- How to Win: Combine multiple wagers on the same game into one multi bet for bigger returns, with all legs needing to win for the same-game multi to pay out.
- Players It’s Best For: If you have expert knowledge of a sport, team, or athlete, you can combine multiple angles in a same-game bet.
- Aussie Sports It’s Best For: Ideal for AFL and NRL e.g. bet on a a player to score a goal or try and their team to win in one bet.
In-Play Betting
- How to Win: Correctly predict outcomes midway through a live sports event.
- Players It’s Best For: Those who can think fast and take value positions based on the action they’re watching.
- Aussie Sports It’s Best For: Fast-paced sports like AFL work brilliantly, as do sports with regular momentum swings like tennis and cricket.
Line Betting
- How to Win: Cover the pre-game points/goals handicap applied by your bookie.
- Players It’s Best For: Perfect if you’re betting on a mismatched game, line betting gives you better odds on a pre-match favourite.
- Aussie Sports It’s Best For: Aussie Rules has its fair share of heavy favourites and underdogs, even if the draft system and salary cap framework try to maintain a level playing field.
Exotic Racing Bets
- How to Win: Predict specific outcomes in horse races e.g. the first and second-place horses.
- Players It’s Best For: Knowledgeable horse racing punters with a thirst for bigger returns from small, speculative bets.
- Aussie Sports It’s Best For: Horse, harness, and greyhound racing.
Quinella
- How to Win: Correctly predict the first and second-place finishers in either order.
- Players It’s Best For: If you want to bet on a horse or greyhound race and get better odds than a win bet.
Trifecta
- How to Win: Correctly predict the first three finishers in order or ‘boxed’ which means they can finish in any order.
- Players It’s Best For: Seasoned horse racing punters with a feel for favourites and likely each-way contenders.
First Four
- How to Win: Correctly predict the first four finishers in order or ‘boxed’ which means they can finish in any order.
- Players It’s Best For: The biggest risk-takers, since it’s very rare to land a First Four win – in a standard 12-horse race, there are 11,880 possible First Four combinations.
Quadrella
- How to Win: Pick the race winners of four consecutive races in the same raceday.
- Players It’s Best For: Ideal for data-driven thoroughbred horse racing punters, with an eye for form and value.
Prop Bets
- How to Win: Correctly predict specific mid-game outcomes on a player or team.
- Players It’s Best For: Ideal for data-led sports bettors who track player and/or team performance like a hawk.
- Aussie Sports It’s Best For: AFL, NRL, cricket, US sports, soccer, tennis.
Head-to-Head
- How to Win: Correctly predict a team or athlete to win against their next opponent (also known as moneyline or match odds betting)
- Players It’s Best For: Casual punters and novices looking to place fun, easy bets without complex rules.
- Aussie Sports It’s Best For: AFL, NRL, cricket, soccer, US sports, tennis, esports, MMA, boxing.
Payment Options at Online Betting Sites in Australia
Gone are the days of being restricted to depositing and withdrawing money from Australian betting sites using only your bank card.
The best online betting sites for Aussies now let you fund your accounts your way. Here’s a snapshot of the main payment methods available.
Credit/Debit Cards Although many of the best betting sites in Australia have widened their payment option nets, Visa and Mastercard deposits and payouts remain a gold standard method. Payments are fee-free, but it’s still possible for payouts to take between one and three business days to clear.
PayID Many of the leading Australian banks now support PayID. This service connects your bank account to a unique ID, such as a mobile phone number or an email address, to make fast and secure payments.
Crypto Some of the best betting sites down under now accept cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH). Crypto is fast, secure, and borderless, which is ideal if you choose to play at any of the sites we recommend that are licensed offshore. In some cases, the best Australian gambling sites are crypto-exclusive, but they make it easy for you to buy crypto in AUD.
Bank Transfer If cryptocurrency is at one end of the payment spectrum, bank wire transfers are surely at the other. Although they are highly secure and useful for moving large sums of AUD, they are a considerably slower option. Deposits take up to three business days to arrive, and payouts can take up to five business days.
eWallets As an alternative to PayID, the best betting sites in Australia also support eWallet payments. You can use your bank account to fund an eWallet account like Skrill or Neteller, while keeping your personal bank details shielded from your chosen sportsbooks.
Tips for Betting at Australian Bookmakers
If you’re betting on sports online in Australia for the first time or you’re a casual punter that’s keen to take it more seriously, these three tips can add an extra dimension to your sports betting.
- Take Advantage of Bonuses: Online betting sites licensed in any Australian state or territory cannot dish out welcome bonuses when you open a new account. This is a major flaw and one of the main reasons why we suggest taking advantage of the generous sign-up offers at Aussie-friendly bookies licensed offshore.
- Bet In-Play: It’s a similar story for in-play sports betting. Online sportsbooks licensed Down Under are banned from offering live betting markets online. Telephone betting is permitted in-play, but this feels like a backward step for the Aussie sports betting industry. The best Australian betting sites licensed offshore are free to offer in-play odds. Better still, most will let you live stream high-profile events with a funded account.
- Use Multi Cashout & Refund Offers: If multis are your thing, be sure to take advantage of Aussie-friendly sportsbooks online that let you cashout on multis as well as single bets in-play. If four legs of your five-leg multi take the lead early in-play, you may be able to lock in a percentage of your profit and avoid the risk of your fifth pick letting you down.
Legality of Online Betting Sites in Australia
While there are several online bookies licensed in Australia, there are increasing regulatory restrictions on these sites. Primarily, welcome bonuses aren’t available as a marketing tool, while live sports betting is no longer allowed online and can only be done via telephone, which is clunky at best.
On the flip side, no government laws prevent you from depositing and betting with Aussie-friendly online betting sites licensed offshore.
In our view, these are the best online betting sites Australia has to offer, since you can snag generous bonuses, get low-margin odds, and bet in-play accompanied by high-quality live streams.
FAQs
Which Australian betting sites are best?
The best sports betting sites in Australia are those licensed and regulated offshore. They have the regulatory framework to offer competitive odds and bonuses, as well as fast and secure platforms to place and manage your sports bets at home or on the go.
Which betting apps pay out the fastest in Australia?
In most cases, the Australian betting apps with the quickest payouts are those that support cryptocurrency transactions. That’s because crypto withdrawals in Bitcoin (BTC) and stablecoins like USDT/USDC can be processed and cleared on their respective blockchains back into your crypto wallets in less than an hour.
Do offshore betting apps take bets in AUD?
Yes, many Aussie-friendly betting sites licensed offshore accept deposits and wagers in AUD. Alternatively, some may only accept cryptocurrency, but they make it easy to purchase crypto using AUD to fund your account and start punting.
Can you bet on Australian racing at offshore sites?
Yes, we only recommend offshore-licensed online sportsbooks in Australia that offer markets on daily racecards Down Under. These cover thoroughbred, harness, and greyhound race meetings across AUS, including high-profile events like the Melbourne Cup, the Golden Slipper Stakes, and The Everest.
