IS BETTING LEGAL IN AUSTRALIA?

The short version, yes, sports betting is legal in Australia! There are numerous state licensed bookmakers and sportsbooks in operations in Australia today that offer sports betting.

Even though betting is 100% legal in Australia, there are a couple of different things that is illegal. For example, even though online lotteries are legal, the “instant-win” game that many online lotteries are offering, are not.

Also, the Interactive Gambling Act (IGA) which came in 2001, made it an offence for the bookmakers to offer and advertise games like online poker, casinos and ‘in play’ live betting on sport when it’s an interactive gambling service with “real money” on the line.

Yes, you read correctly, it is illegal to offer in-play betting to Australian residents! This is without a doubt the worst betting rule in Australia, and from which very obvious reasons any bookmaker tries to change.

It is however the bookmaker’s responsibility to not offer this, which means that if you play on either in live betting or other illegal games on the interactive gambling services, you can’t be punished!

Other than that, the only other two laws that applies to every Aussie that wants to bet online, is: 1. You must be over 18 years of age, and 2. That every bookmaker or operator you play on must be able to identify and receive reasonable proof from their customers (this law is more directed towards the different bookmakers).

BETTING TAXES IN AUSTRALIA?

The good news about betting taxes in Australia is the fact that there are none. Aussies doesn’t have to pay taxes as it’s only the gambling operators that are charged with gambling taxes.

So that’s a really good thing for Aussies, on the other hand there aren’t many Australian based gambling providers.

Which means that whenever Aussies are betting through foreign betting sites (which they normally do), they might have to pay a transaction fee when depositing or withdrawing money.

This is unless they use Skrill, but when using Skrill you won’t receive any deposit or welcome bonuses for Matched Betting, which we will come back to later.

BEST BOOKMAKERS TO USE?

There is a lot to take into considerations when deciding which bookmaker to use, such as the bookmaker’s margin, the customer service, the welcome bonus and so on.

As an Australian citizen there is a bunch of different bookmakers you can use, send us a chat if you have any questions regarding bookmakers in your country!

Here are 2 of the most popular ones:

Bet365: The biggest of all European bookies and the most visited one. Being the biggest they have a large selection of games from numerous leagues and countries.

They have the biggest selection of niche sports (which Australia has a lot of), so if you’re into Gaelic sports, Darts and Surfing, this is the site for you. The odds are not the best, and if you win a lot, they are unfortunately quick to limit you.

Unibet: Founded in 1997 and as of today, they have over 14 million users, which proves it’s a popular bookmaker. Same as with Bet365, they have a large selection of games from multiple leagues and nations, even though Bet365 is slightly bigger. The website is easy to understand and navigate around, the odds are also quite good, and in many cases better than with Bet365.

BEST WELCOME BONUSES

There are several things you need to consider when choosing a bookmakers bonus for your sports betting adventure.

First of all, the bookmakers you pick all need to be licensed in your country. Secondly, they need to give away amazing welcome bonuses. Finally, they also need to have a website that’s available in your language, which as an Aussie you’re lucky as almost every site is in English.

If you are a bettor from Australia, here are a couple of online bookmakers that match all the criteria discussed previously:

Bet365

Bet365 is one of the biggest sportsbook operators in the world. Not only does it accept players from Australia, but it also gives them a welcome present. It comes in the form of a 100% match deposit bonus up to 150 AUD which you can turn over for free with the help of Oddshero.

Unibet:

Unibet offers new customers a great €50 signup bonus.

Betfair:

Betfair is perhaps the most famous name in sports betting, thanks to their market leading betting exchange, however, they are also one of the best sportsbooks currently in operation.

For Australian punters, they’re offering a $100 signup bonus for new customers. In order to receive the bonus, you have to place a $10 bet to receive a $20 free bet. We can then repeat this process five times to receive the full $100.

HOW POPULAR SPORTS BETTING IS IN AUSTRALIA

Sports betting is extremely popular in Australia, data from 2015 says that 6.8 million adults gambled during the year, that’s 38% of Australian adults.

Not only do Aussies bet often, but on average they spend an estimated $1,272(!) for each gambler over a years period.

Nevertheless, you could say that sports betting in the Australia is extremely popular, so why not make a profit while doing it?

Check out how Value occurs in Sports Betting here.