Australian Bookmaker Reviews

Looking for a new betting site and want to know the lowdown before you sign up? Bets.com.au has been reviewing online bookmakers for quite some time and we provide a comprehensive guide to all wagering sites and rank the best from the rest.

Top 10 Australian Bookie Reviews

1
PuntZone

PuntZone Review

9.9
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PuntZone was launched in October 2024 and is Australia's newest online bookmaker. A 100% Australian-owned betting site, Puntzone offers customers a wide range of markets in racing and sports, along with daily promotions for members as well as the sign up code BET.

Pros
  • Newly launched and a 100% Australian bookie
  • Slick betting site and app
  • Good choice of sports and racing markets
  • Weekly promos for members
Cons
  • No live streaming
  • Promotions only available when logged in
2
dabble

Dabble Review

9.8
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Dabble is a mobile-only bookmaker with a social betting community. Punt on upcoming races and sport events, stream Sky Racing channels live, follow other punters and sports stars with copy bets and have banter with your mates. The code BETSAU can be used on the Dabble app.

Pros
  • Mobile only betting with a dedicated betting app and unique platform
  • Copy Bet feature to follow other punters, Bet Description and Banter button
  • Unique bet types and promos
  • Live Sky Racing streams of all Australian races plus international meetings
Cons
  • No desktop betting site
3
Justbet

JustBet Review

9.6
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JustBet.com.au is a 100% Australian betting site which has established a good reputation since 2013. The product mixes a blend of horse racing and sports betting as well as promotions. The promo code BETSAUS can be used when signing up.

Pros
  • 100% Australian brand establishing a top reputation
  • Solid racing odds and choice of markets
  • Regular promotions for members
Cons
  • No live streaming
  • Sports betting choice could be bigger
4
Topsport

TopSport Review

9.6
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TopSport is run by Lloyd and Tristan Merlehan with the pair being the first on-course bookmakers to offer punters a sports betting service back in the 1990s. Now TopSport is one of the country's favourite betting sites among Aussie punters.

Pros
  • Australian-owned bookmaker run by Lloyd and Tristan Merlehan
  • Great range of promotions for racing & sports for logged in members
  • Larger betting limits than most bookmakers
  • User friendly website and app for a slick betting experience
Cons
  • Novelty betting options not offered
  • No live streaming of racing
5
picklebet

Picklebet Review

9.5
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Picklebet was first launched in 2017 as an Esports specialist betting site but is now a premium racing and sports bookmaker in Australia.

Pros
  • 100% Australian betting site specialising in Esports, sports and racing
  • Exclusive Top 4 Betting and speed maps part of new horse racing product
  • Unique Promotions & Pick'em Games for members
  • Live Streaming of major Esports events
Cons
  • Number of sports covered not as extensive as other bookmakers
  • No futures markets for horse racing punters
6
Unibet Australia

Unibet Australia Reviews

9.3
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Unibet came to Australian shores in 2012 and is part of a global brand with an estimated 14 million members in more than 100 countries. Aussie customers can enjoy one of the best horse racing and sports services and very competitive odds.

Pros
  • 14 million members globally
  • Unique sports and racing live streaming offering at the Australian site
  • Speed maps, form tips and features 
Cons
  • Parent company not Australian
7
PlayUP

PlayUp Review

9.3
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PlayUp was formed from a merger of ClassicBet, MadBookie and TopBetta with the new brand an impressive sportsbook. Bet on more than 65,000+ events every month.

Pros
  • Australian owned with a slick betting app and desktop site
  • Excellent range of sports markets and promotions for members
  • Speed maps and form for racing punters
Cons
  • Could have more sports betting markets available
  • No live streaming
8
Betfocus

Betfocus Review

9.2
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Betfocus is a new recruit to the online wagering space in Australia with a racing focused site and betting app, value odds, the Betfocus tool kit and regular daily promotions for members.

Pros
  • Excellent racing product with slick mobile betting app
  • Betfocus Rewards Toolkit for members to use for punting
  • 4 x withdrawals Daily permitted
Cons
  • Number of sports covered not as extensive as other bookmakers
9
Tradiebet

Tradiebet Review

9.0
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Brand new Australian bookmaker with a unique personality, Tradie Bet celebrates everything about being a tradie with a superb betting offering online and via the betting app.

Pros
  • Unique look and feel putting tradies at the heart of the punting site
  • 100% Australian with a focus on racing and domestic sports action
  • Promotions include Same Race Multis, Quickbet and Racing Form
Cons
  • No live streaming of racing or sports
  • Not the most dynamic site available
10
Elitebet

Elitebet Review

9.0
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EliteBet is a 100% Australian operator owned and licensed by Daniel Paolini and based in New South Wales. The brand has emerged as one of Australia's top new online bookmakers.

Pros
  • 100% Australian betting with a growing reputation
  • Excellent range of horse racing markets and a solid selection of sports betting 
  • Hot Bets feature updated daily plus Same Game and Same Race Multis features
Cons
  • No live streaming of racing or sports events
  • Could have more sports betting markets

Bookmaker Verdict & Ratings

Choosing a bookmaker shouldn't be a split second decision. You should take a considered approach to finding the right betting site for your own wagering needs. 

From horse racing specialists to betting sites offering regular promotions, whatever you like to get out of your betting experience...choosing the right bookmaker is key.

Bets.com.au helps you make an informed choice. We dig deep into what each betting sites offers from the odds available to payment methods and customer service to live streaming. 

When it comes to choosing new betting sites to bet with, you can trust our honest verdict on each bookmakers available in your country.

Our star rating system for each bookmakers allows you to quickly see just how well each ranked during our review, which takes into account every step of the way from registering an account to placing a bet and withdrawing any winnings.

We assess every aspect of the betting sites, the betting apps and the brands to help you make an informed decision of which bookmaker to join.

As mentioned, we provide a rating from 1-5 five stars (5 being the best) for all bookmakers. You can see the latest rating for each bookmaker in the table above.

We take a whole host of factors into consideration when assessing just how good all of the betting sites Australia has to offer. 

That includes how competitive the odds are, how many markets are available, whether or not there is live streaming, the way in which you can deposit, the helpfulness of customer services.

Having stress-tested each of the betting sites, we compile a list of pros and cons related to each bookmaker, offer our honest verdict on just how good (or bad) they are and give our rating out of five on whether we recommend betting with the top bookmakers.

Bookmaker Odds and Markets

Finding a bookmaker with a good range of markets is key. We all like to bet on something different - from today's horse racing tips to a punt on Friday night footy - so a good betting site will cater for a wide spectrum of customers.

Not only is the variety of markets a good way to judge a bookmaker by, the odds they offer is equally important. We all want value for our betting our hard-earned, and finding a reliable bookmaker which offers good, competitive odds is high on the list of priorities. 

You don't want to be betting regularly and getting lower odds than those offered by another betting site elsewhere. 

Our reviews help steer you to bookmakers where you will find prices are competitive, whether that is in head-to-head markets, line betting or on the next horse race to jump.

Where there are opportunities to get price pumps or enhanced odds specials on selections, the Bets.com.au will point you to the offers. They are listed weekly in our promotions and specials section here.

Horse Racing

You can bet on all forms of racing in Australia - thoroughbred, harness and greyhounds. In fact, the action is non-stop from the jump in to the opening race of the day in the east through the final race of the day in the west. 

Bookmakers offer markets for every single race happening each day, from Flemington horse racing to Cannington dogs. 

Bets.com.au's expert tipsters have their finger of the button when it comes to horse racing tips, providing you with their bet of the day, daily selections for the key meetings, our blackbook tips and horses to follow, and previews and analysis of all Group 1 races throughout the year as well as many more feature races.

Horse racing isn't just limited to Australia. We regularly have previews for New Zealand races, Hong Kong racing and for international racing in the United Kingdom, Ireland, United States, Germany, France, South Africa, Dubai and Singapore.

We also cast an eye over the big harness racing events throughout the year to provide you with tips for the trots, as well as have greyhound racing tips for the big Group 1 features. 

Sports Betting

Sports betting is huge. While racing markets might dominate in terms of the money wagered with bookmakers, punters are spreading the wings into many of the sports betting markets available online.

Bets.com.au is home to value sports betting tips across all of the key events with our best bets for AFL, NRL, Soccer, Rugby Union, Cricket, Basketball, Tennis and so many more.

The sports world never stops and we are there every step of the way with selections for the live events as they happen. 

Live Streaming

Live streaming is a key part of what many bookmakers now offer. A great additional feature, you get the chance to what live sport or live horse racing within the betting site or betting app - giving you a much more rounded experience. 

Live streams mean you don't necessarily need to pay subscriptions for sports or racing channels. Instead you can watch and bet on a wide range of sports from anywhere you like from your PC, smartphone or tablet.

The picture quality is excellent, with a huge variety of bookmakers have some sort of live streaming service available, broadcasting coverage of worldwide horse racing, major soccer leagues, ATP and WTA Tour tennis, NBA basketball, NHL ice hockey, MLB baseball and a whole lot more too.

We review bookmakers offering live streaming and assess how could the service is, what sports and racing you can expect to be able to watch and bet on. Some betting sites offer more streams than others, so we help you make an informed choice if you are considering signing up for a new account to be able to watch sport online.

As a general rule, live streaming on betting sites comes free of charge, although some events will require you to have place a small bet to access the stream. 

You may also find some restrictions based on where you are in the world (betting sites tend to use your IP address to present the events available to you, and television rights mean certain events are not broadcast in certain countries).

To give you an idea of what events are being live streamed on bookmaker sites, check out our live stream calendar for upcoming broadcasts as well as our guides on how to watch online.

Betting Apps

No longer does online betting require you to be sat at a computer to place your bets. Now, the majority on betting online is done via mobile betting sites or bookmaker betting apps, which make for a much simpler and quicker process when using a smartphone or tablet.

All bookmakers have dedicated mobile sites, while the vast majority have their own apps available to download for Apple and Android devices. 

They make for a much better experience if you are betting online from a phone. In our reviews, we have tested just how each performs when it comes to mobile betting apps.

How to Find a Reliable Bookmaker

As we've discussed for much of the article, there are so many factors to consider when choosing a betting site. What you want is to find a bookmaker with the right blend of features and value, but importantly one who is reliable too.

You want to ensure you are betting with a reputable bookmaker, one who has a solid technology base and doesn't crash while you are trying to place a bet, and one who is fully licenced and legit when it comes to getting hold of your winnings when you win big. That is only right.

Our reviews are aimed at helping you make the smart choice when it comes to choosing new betting sites to bet with. 

As well as reviewing sports, odds and markets, our team will also tell you about each bookmaker too. Are they trustworthy? Can you contact them easily? Is it easy to sign up? Do you need a promo code during the registration process? All of the important questions have been answered.

Bookmaker Customer Service

All bookmakers have customer service teams available to chat to, or email, to discuss queries. That could be about a settled bet, about a deposit you've made or about something you've spotted that isn't right on the betting site.

You want to able to speak to customer services at the moment and can offer avail of live chat, a telephone conversation or an email thread of responses. You may also be able to discuss your query with bookmakers via Twitter where they have a dedicated customer service representative. But not all betting sites offer a 24/7 service and our reviews provide you with the details of how and when you can talk to each individual bookmaker.

Latest News From Australian Betting Sites

Bookmaker Reviews FAQs

How to join a bookmaker...

There are different sign up processes for each bookmaker. But most follow a simple step-by-step process of adding your details, creating a username and providing necessary documents to fulfil the approval stage. Once you have been approved and your account confirmed, you can make a first deposit and start betting.

How many bookmakers are there in Australia?

Australia is home to more than 20 online bookmakers. Ladbrokes and Bet365 are among the bigger names that have been around for much of the online wagering landscape, while newer brands such as Neds, PlayUp and TopSport have joined the sector. The number of bookmakers trading means you have a good choice when it comes to selecting a new bookmaker.

When did online wagering start in Australia?

Online wagering in Australia is relatively new, compared to some other countries across the world. The Interactive Gambling Act (2001) was passed by the Australian Commonwealth Parliament on 28 June, 2001, and passed two weeks later.