OfferPromotions for existing customers
LicenceNT Racing and Wagering Commission
Debit cardPOLiPayIDPayPal
Best bookmakers in Australia
Australia has one of the most mature online betting markets in the world and one of the strangest rules in it: in-play bets on sport cannot be placed online, only by telephone. Operators are licensed mostly in the Northern Territory, pay point-of-consumption taxes in every state, and since 2024 cannot take credit cards. Winnings are tax-free. Here are the three that scored best in our tests with an Australian account.
How betting works in Australia
The Interactive Gambling Act of 2001 permits online sports and racing betting with an Australian licence and bans online casino games and online in-play betting; the Northern Territory Racing and Wagering Commission licenses almost every online bookmaker, and each state charges a point-of-consumption tax on bets placed by its residents. Live betting exists, but the bet must be placed by phone; the apps show live prices and offer a call button. Offshore sites are blocked by the media regulator, ACMA, which maintains a list and orders providers to enforce it.
The consumer rules are strict and recent: BetStop, the national self-exclusion register, opened in 2023; credit cards were banned for online betting in 2024; verification must be completed before the first bet; and advertising during sport is restricted. Winnings are not taxed for recreational bettors, and the operators’ taxes are priced into the odds, which are wider than the UK on the same events.
Payments are debit cards, POLi and PayID bank payments, PayPal, BPAY and cash at the TAB counter. Withdrawals to a bank account arrived within a day in our tests at all three top sites.
The three best betting sites in Australia
Ranked by our test score. All three hold Australian licences and apply the in-play and credit-card rules.
OfferPromotions for existing customers
LicenceNT Racing and Wagering Commission
Debit cardPOLiPayIDPayPal
OfferPromotions for existing customers
LicenceState licences
Debit cardPayIDBPAYCash at TAB
The three, in short
bet365
bet365 holds a Northern Territory licence and applies the Australian rules: the global menu with AFL, NRL and racing added, streaming, and bank withdrawals within a day in our test; in-play by phone like everyone else.
Sportsbet
The market leader, owned by Flutter, with the most-used app in the country, same-game multis on the AFL and NRL, a huge racing product and bank withdrawals within a day. Prices are standard for the market; the product is the reason for its share.
TAB
The former state totalisators combined, with a retail counter in every pub and club, tote pools for racing that no online bookmaker can offer, and fixed-odds sport priced a little wider than Sportsbet. Cash in and out at any TAB outlet.
Other tested operators licensed in Australia
Betfair runs a licensed Australian exchange from Tasmania. The other operators in our ranking are on the ACMA block list and cannot be used from Australia.
OfferPromotions for existing customers
LicenceTasmanian Liquor and Gaming Commission
Debit cardPOLiPayIDBank
Payment methods that work in Australia
Credit cards are banned; debit cards, PayID and POLi are instant, and withdrawals to a bank arrived within a day.
Debit cardPOLiPayIDPayPalBPAYBank transferCash at TAB
Frequently asked questions
Is online betting legal in Australia?
Sports and racing betting with a licensed operator, yes; online casino and online in-play betting are not permitted.
Why can I not bet live on the app?
The law allows in-play bets only by telephone; the apps offer a call button.
Are winnings taxed?
No, for recreational bettors.
What is BetStop?
The national self-exclusion register; one request excludes you from every licensed operator.
Rankings on this page come from our tests with a real account opened in the country. Some links are affiliate links; sponsored boxes are labelled and never affect the order.