This page provides a one-stop reference for betting agencies that are suitable for Australians. The agencies listed here all offer Australian dollar accounts. Agencies fall into two categories: bookmakers and exchanges. Bookmakers are agencies that set the odds and you bet against the agency. With exchanges, the odds are determined by fellow users within a marketplace, so you bet against fellow users. Bookmakers are recommended for beginners, while an exchange membership is a must have for serious enthusiasts, because it enables you to play the role of the bookmaker and bet against outcomes.
Some useful features and articles:
- The Bookmaker Reviews section features comprehensive reviews of the top betting agencies that are available to Australians.
- Bookmaker Ownership Structure in Australia outlines which companies own which bookmakers and which bookmakers are locally or foreign owned.
- The 2021 bookmaker margin survey covers both bookmaker odds and the number of markets per fixture.
If you’re in a hurry…
If you don’t wish to spend too much time choosing a bookmaker, below are our picks for the best in the following categories:
- Best for promotions and competitions – Sportsbet
- Quick to post odds for upcoming fixtures – Sportsbet, bet365
- Best for live (phone) betting – bet365
- Best betting selection – bet365, Sportsbet, Unibet
- Best racing fixed odds – bet365
- Best sports odds – bet365, Unibet
- Best for beginners – >BlueBet, PlayUp
- Best for fantasy sports – Draftstars
Frequently asked questions
- Q: I’m a beginner, should I go with a bookmaker or an exchange?
A: Go with a bookmaker - Q: How many memberships do I need?
A: Just one if you’re a casual punter. If you’re looking for additional memberships for the benefit of odds shopping, view our latest bookmaker margin survey.
If margins are what drive you
The margin is a measure of the bookmaker’s profit for an event and can be regarded as a hidden transaction fee for punters. From a betting perspective, the lower the margin, the better.
The table displays the results from the latest bookmaker margins and markets survey.
bet365 had the lowest margins for fixed odds racing, while bet365 and Unibet shared top honours for the lowest sports margins.
Unibet came out on top for the number of markets per fixture.
Despite the higher margins, Sportsbet performed well when it came to frequency of offering the best odds on particular outcomes. This highlights the fact that operating with higher margins doesn’t preclude a bookmaker from offering the best odds for certain selections.
Bookmakers that are suitable for Australians
Below is a list of Australian-licensed betting agencies.
- Name: bet365
- Owner: Bet 365 Group Limited
- Owner HQ: Stoke-on-Trent, England
- Licence: Northern Territory, Australia
- Type: Bookmaker
- Live (in-play) betting: Phone
- Average margin: 5.0%
- Key deposit methods: Credit card, Skrill, Neteller, bank transfer, POLi, BPAY, Paypal
- Positives: Competitive odds, great betting selection. Live video feeds.
- Negatives: Limits accounts of successful punters
- Visit website
- View our full review
- Name: BlueBet
- Owner: BlueBet Pty Ltd
- Owner HQ: Randwick Racecourse, NSW
- Licence: Northern Territory, Australia
- Type: Bookmaker
- Live (in-play) betting: none
- Average margin: 5.5%
- Key deposit methods: Credit card, bank transfer, POLi, BPAY
- Positives: clean interface, founded by former Sportingbet & Centerbet CEO Michael Sullivan
- Negatives: no live betting, no online identify verification
- Visit website
- View our full review
- Name: Draftstars
- Owner: PlayUp Interactive Pty Ltd
- Owner HQ: Victoria, Australia
- Licence: Northern Territory, Australia
- Type: Daily fantasy sports
- Live (in-play) betting: none
- Average margin: N/A
- Key deposit methods: Credit card, POLi
- Positives: leading daily fantasy sports provider in Australia
- Negatives: 15% rake is higher than fees charged by Sportschamps
- Visit website
- View our full review
- Name: PlayUp
- Owner: PlayUp Interactive Pty Ltd
- Owner HQ: NSW, Australia
- Licence: Northern Territory, Australia
- Type: Bookmaker
- Live (in-play) betting: Phone
- Average margin: 5.6%
- Key deposit methods: Credit card, bank transfer, POLi, BPAY
- Positives: Australian owned
- Negatives: fixed odds typically only provided on the day of weekday races
- Visit website
- View our full review
- Name: Sportsbet
- Owner: Flutter Entertainment
- Owner HQ: Dublin, Ireland
- Licence: Northern Territory
- Type: Bookmaker
- Live (in-play) betting: Phone
- Average margin: 5.6%
- Key deposit methods: Credit card, Skrill, bank transfer, POLi, BPAY, Paypal
- Positives: Frequent promotions. Easy to use interface. Good betting selection.
- Negatives: New member bonus based on first bet, not first deposit
- Visit website
- View our full review
- Name: Unibet
- Owner: Unibet Group plc
- Owner HQ: Malta
- Licence: Northern Territory, Australia
- Type: Bookmaker
- Live (in-play) betting: Phone
- Average margin: 5.0%
- Key deposit methods: Credit card, bank transfer, POLi, BPAY
- Positives: competitive odds and excellent betting selection
- Negatives: Fewer deposit options than leading competitors
- Visit website
- View our full review
- Name: WinnersBet
- Owner: WinnersBet Pty Ltd
- Owner HQ: Melbourne
- Licence: Victoria, Australia
- Type: Bookmaker
- Live (in-play) betting: none
- Average margin: 7.4%
- Key deposit methods: Credit card, bank transfer, POLi
- Positives: Australian-owned and fast interface
- Negatives: narrow range of sports markets and higher margins
- Visit website
- View our full review
Notes and explanations of terms
- Live betting – due to the Interactive Gambling Act, bookmakers licensed in Australia cannot offer live online betting to Australian residents. Australian customers must phone in to bet live.
- Key deposit methods – other deposit methods such as cheques and Ukcash may be available, but only popular methods have been listed.
- POLi – enables you to make online bank transfers that are acknowledged immediately by the bookmaker. This feature is only available for Australian bank accounts.