Keep reading to learn which Australian betting sites are legal and to find out what Australia's gambling laws actually say.
Answer: Yes - The use of licensed online sports betting sites is legal in Australia as per the Gambling Regulation Act 2003.
In fact, Australians spend around $240 billion on racing and sports betting every year, with much of this betting being done at online betting sites.
Per capita, Australian's bet on sports more than any other country
Under Australian gambling law, all online sports betting sites that offer their products to Australian residents must have a gambling licence from the state gambling authority in the state that they are located.
With this gambling licence comes a multitude of restrictions and checks to ensure that betting sites promote responsible gambling, accurately report their winnings and losses and provide a safe, fair service to their customers.
In addition, all Australian residents that use licensed betting sites are protected under the Interactive Gambling Act 2001.
Want more information? On this page, you'll learn why you should use legal betting sites and you'll also find:
↳ Australia's gambling laws explained
↳ The best Aussie owned betting sites
↳ The top legal international betting sites
Got a question about anything on this page? Contact us and we'd be happy to help!
| Website: playup.com.au | Founded: 2019 |
| Owner: PlayUp Interactive Pty Ltd | Headquarters: Sydney |
PlayUp is one of Australia's newest betting sites (launched 2019) and is quickly making a name for itself as one of the best - especially among professional punters. You can expect fast and simple betting apps, a really helpful customer support team, plenty of generous extras, a top fantasy betting platform in Draftstars, Same Game Multis, Best Tote odds, and most importantly - the best fixed odds offerings in Australia. Overall, PlayUp is a great choice for both serious and casual punters - especially if you're looking for high odds without all of the gimmicky features of other bookies.
Read full review
| Website: winnersbet.com.au | Founded: 2020 |
| Owner: Da He | Headquarters: Melbourne |
WinnersBet may not have the fanciness and features of some of Australia's biggest corporate bookmakers but when it comes to no-nonsense betting with high odds and a simple betting platform, WinnersBet takes the cake. WinnersBet offers a range of sports odds but they excel for horse racing with Best Tote odds on all Aussie races, Best of the Best odds, a protest payout, and high fixed odds.
Read full review| Website: neds.com.au | Founded: 2017 |
| Owner: Entain plc | Headquarters: Bowen Hills, Queensland |
Neds only launched in 2017 but it has quickly become one of Australia's most recognisable bookies. We reckon that Neds is Australia's best horse racing betting site because they offer punters a huge variety of markets, features, race day statistics and price information, and, of course, great odds. We also like that Ned's support team is available 24/7, that their app for Apple and Android phones is fast and packed with features, and that they accept PayPal and many other instant deposit methods.
Read full review| Website: bet365.com.au | Founded: 2012 |
| Owner: Hillside (Australia New Media) Pty Limited | Headquarters: Darwin |
Bet365 is the biggest betting site in the world - and for good reason. Bet365 Australia has everything - the most markets to choose from, the most deposit and withdrawal methods, the best live streaming and live betting services, and some of the best odds. While the old-spreadsheet design might put some punters off, it's hard to look past the sheer range of markets and features offered by Bet365 Australia.
Read full review| Website: palmerbet.com | Founded: 2013 |
| Owner: Palmer Bookmaking Pty Ltd | Headquarters: Sydney |
As one of the few truly competitive Aussie-owned bookies, Palmerbet has become a popular choice for both serious and casual punters alike thanks to their quality betting apps, aggressive odds & high limits. Since 2013, Palmerbet has offered 100+ markets for popular sports, fixed odds and Best Tote odds for racing, as well as plenty of stats, previews, live streaming and predictions for all Aussies trying to get a bet on. As a well-rounded, transparent, and fun betting site, Palmerbet is a great choice.
| Website: boombet.com.au | Founded: 2021 (1998 as sportsbetting.com.au) |
| Owner: Sportsbetting.com.au Pty Ltd | Headquarters: Melbourne |
Rebranded from Sportsbetting.com.au in 2021 after a lawsuit from the corporate fat cats at Sportsbet - BoomBet is a contemporary Aussie bookie specialising in high racing fixed odds and a simple, easy-to-use platform. Like a few of our other favourite small betting sites, BoomBet doesn't offer every feature, payment option, and sports market but they do have great support, intuitive apps, and popular racing products like Best of the Best and Top Fluc odds.
So should you sign up with BoomBet?
Yes, if you bet on the races or the most popular sports markets you should take advantage of BoomBet's modern app & competitive prices. However, if you're into features like live betting or same game/race multis then this is not the bookie for you.
| Website: unibet.com.au | Founded: 1997 |
| Owner: Kindred Group | Headquarters: Sydney |
Unibet is a well-rounded international betting site with something for every Australian punter. With a top-notch live betting interface, Apple Pay, PayPal, Neteller & Skrill payment options, and some of the best Australian racing and sports odds in the country you’ll definitely have a quality betting experience at Unibet. Unibet Australia is also a top betting site for horse racing and live streaming and the Unibet blog is a great place to find tips and predictions from betting experts.
Read full review| Website: ladbrokes.com.au | Founded: 1886 |
| Owner: Entain plc | Headquarters: Brisbane |
Founded in 1886 in the UK, Ladbrokes moved to Australia in 2013 where it has since made a name for itself as one of Australia's most popular betting sites. Ladbrokes Australia acquired Neds in 2018, so you will find similarly great racing markets and features on the two bookies including full-form guides, racing and betting stats, and price fluctuations. With fast deposits, a range of top sporting markets, consistently high odds, and simple, secure betting functionality, Ladbrokes definitely deserves its status as one of Australia's best bookmakers.
Read full review| Website: realbookie.com.au | Founded: 2020 |
| Owner: RealBookie | Headquarters: Melbourne |
RealBookie is brought to us by Mark Sampieri and Chris Lester - two veterans of the Victorian bookmaking scene. This Aussie-owned operation is on a mission to challenge the corporate giants and does this by providing attentive, helpful customer support, 5,000 plus weekly racing markets, and other features like live streaming and same game multis. While you can expect fewer sports betting options and payment methods from RealBookie, you can count on at least a couple of horses and teams to have the best odds in every market.
So, should you sign up with RealBookie?
Yes, if you're sick of corporate bookmakers and want to support a small local betting site then you'll find great prices on RealBookie but you will have to forgo many of the smaller prop, special and alternative markets found on other bookmakers.
| Website: picklebet.com | Founded: 2017 |
| Owner: Damon Oudejans and Nick Heaney | Headquarters: Newstead, QLD |
One of the smallest Australian-owned bookies with a strong cult following, Picklebet is Australia's premier esports betting site. Not only does Picklebet offer great esports odds for a massive range of titles, but they also offer a decent sports selection on over 20 traditional sports and recently added racing across all three codes, domestically and internationally. Picklebet now offer same game multis, and are continually to be one of the fastest-growing bookies in Australia.
Read full review| Website: www.betdogs.com.au | Founded: 2019 |
| Owner: Merlehan Bookmaking Pty. Ltd | Headquarters: Tweed Heads, NSW |
BetDogs is undoubtedly Australia's premier greyhound betting site, offering market-leading fixed odds and the highest betting limits for all Australian meets (and for a range of NZ and UK races). Also expect Best Tote & SP odds for selected events, special markets like favourite vs field and box challenges, as well as Jump Style, Early Speed, and Racing Line info for every domestic race. Granted, BetDogs has no sports or racing odds, but if you're one for betting on the dishlickers then this honest Aussie-owned bookie is your best bet.
Read full review| Website: www.draftstars.com.au | Founded: 2015 |
| Owner: Playup Interactive Pty Limited | Headquarters: Sydney |
Hands down, Draftstars is Australia's best fantasy betting site. There are no season-long commitments, entry fees range from $0 to hundreds of dollars and Draftstars has Australia's biggest fantasy betting prizes. AFL, NRL, EPL, NBA, NFL, Racing, Golf, and heaps of other sports are available on Draftstars' easy-to-use website and apps. With head-to-head challenges, free fantasy games, private matches, and public leagues there's something to suit every Australian fantasy player. Draftstars is not a good choice for traditional betting though.
Read full reviewThe most common questions we get from Aussies about Australian betting laws, betting regulations and licensed betting sites.
Yes, it is legal for Australian's to place sports bets, whether this is online at a betting site or with a physical bookmaker.
Sports betting agencies must hold a gambling licence from an Australian state or territory to offer sports betting services to Australian residents. All betting companies must also obtain reasonable proof that their customers are Australian residents and that they are over 18.
There are many different Australian sports betting laws but most are either outlined in the Interactive Gambling Act 2001 or the Gambling Regulation Act 2003.
Sports betting is legal in every Australian state and territory.
While sports betting laws differ between states and territories, Australian residents can bet with any licensed betting site even if the site is not located in the same state as they are.
Australian betting sites must adhere to federal betting regulations as well as to state-specific betting regulations. Federal regulations include things like obtaining ID proof, not offering online in-play betting and not advertising sign-up bonuses. State-specific betting regulations usually relate to deposit limits and the size of deposit bonuses that can be awarded.
Yes, online sports betting sites are legal in Australia as long as the betting site has an office in Australia and is licensed by a gambling authority in at least one Australian state.
We only list sports betting sites that are fully licensed and legal for Australian residents to use.
The Interactive Gambling Act 2001 outlines the laws that govern Australian betting sites. As well as needing a licence, Australian betting sites must verify the identity of their users and not "offer or advertise 'real money' online interactive gambling services" such as online casino, online poker or in-play online betting.
Yes, horse racing betting is 100% legal in Australia. Just like sports betting, horse racing betting is legal under the Interactive Gambling Act 2001 and the Gambling Regulation Act 2003 provided that the bookmaker or betting site is licensed in Australia.
All betting sites without an Australian licence are essentially illegal.
We say 'essentially' because it is illegal for unlicensed betting sites to provide online wagering services to Australian residents located in Australia, and to advertise their services to Australian residents, however, it is technically not illegal for Australian's to find and use unlicensed betting sites. Plus, it is almost impossible to stop an Australian resident from accessing an offshore betting site if they sign up with a fake address etc.
However, we strongly advise against using unlicensed betting sites because you will not be protected under Australian law should something go wrong. When using unlicensed betting sites you risk handing over important information about your identity and bank account. Also, your bank may block any withdrawals from illegal betting sites meaning that you may not even be able to access your winnings.
We only list licensed betting sites on this website.
Yes, all licensed betting sites on this page are 100% safe to use.
We say this because all of the betting sites with Australian licenses have:
They also must:
The Interactive Gambling Act 2001 (IGA) outlines many of the Australian laws that relate to online sports betting in Australia. Laws detailed in the IGA are enforced by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA).
The IGA does not prohibit:
The IGA does prohibit:
More specifically, the IGA states that:
(a) a prohibited interactive gambling service must not be provided to customers in Australia;
(b) unlicensed regulated interactive gambling services must not be provided to customers in Australia;
(c) an Australian‑based prohibited interactive gambling service must not be provided to customers in designated countries;
(ca) credit must not be provided to customers of certain interactive wagering services;
(d) prohibited interactive gambling services must not be advertised;
(e) unlicensed regulated interactive gambling services must not be advertised;
(f) the offer of any credit, voucher, reward or another benefit as an incentive to open an account or to refer another person to open an account must not be advertised.
Yes and no.
Live online betting (i.e. in-play betting that is done online) is illegal as outlined in Australia's Interactive Gambling Act 2001 which states that it is illegal to "offer, interactive real money gambling services - including in-play sports betting - to players in Australia."
However, live phone betting is not considered an "interactive gambling service" and thus it is legal to place live phone bets in Australia.
All Australian betting sites offer live phone betting and we recommend Bet365 and Unibet for in-play betting because of their wide range of in-play markets.
No, sign-up bonuses are illegal in Australia. However, bonuses are not illegal for Australian's who are already customers at a betting site.
Australia's betting laws state that it is illegal for Australian betting websites to offer "any credit, voucher, reward or another benefit as an incentive to open an account or to refer another person to open an account.”
You can read more about getting sign up bonuses here.
No, just like in-play betting, online casino is considered an interactive gambling activity and thus it is outlawed by Australia's Interactive Gambling Act 2001.
"It's illegal to provide some interactive gambling activities, such as 'online casinos', to someone in Australia. Examples include roulette, poker, craps, online 'pokies' and blackjack. Any game of chance, including games of mixed chance and skill played over the internet, is prohibited under the Interactive Gambling Act 2001 (IGA) if it's provided to someone who is physically in Australia."
- Australian Government, Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications
Betting sites are considered legal if they have an Australian Gambling Licence.
Individual Australian states and territories have their own betting laws but to be able to offer sports betting services to Australians, betting sites only have to have one Australian gambling licence from one state gambling authority.
All legal betting sites are listed on the Australian Communications and Media Authority website.
Betting sites are considered illegal if they do not have an Australian Gambling Licence.
To be able to offer sports betting services to Australian residents, betting sites must hold an Australian gambling licence issued by an Australian state gambling authority. If a betting site has no gambling license it can be issued a fine up to $1.1 million per day.
All illegal betting sites will not be listed on the Australian Communications and Media Authority website.
✔ Licensed betting sites must follow Australian betting laws
✔ You will have access to a customer support team based in Australia
✔ Most banks and other financial institutions will accept deposits and withdrawals from licensed betting sites
✔ You will be protected under Australian law should a betting site not pay your winnings or some unforeseen event occur
✔ Australian betting sites employ hundreds of Australian residents
✔ Betting sites with licences have to pay taxes in Australia meaning that some of your money goes to supporting the Australian economy
✔ Licensed Australian betting sites have an obligation to promote responsible gambling and restrict the accounts of problem gamblers.
We only list licensed Australian betting sites
✘ There are no regulations governing unlicensed betting sites
✘ There is no guarantee that you will receive your winnings
✘ There is no guarantee that you will be able to contact an unlicensed site should something go wrong
✘ Your bank may block withdrawals from an unlicensed betting site meaning that you can't access your winnings
✘ You have no legal protection when using unlicensed betting sites
✘ Unlicensed betting sites prey on underage Australians or people with gambling problems
✘ Unlicensed betting sites generally function worse than licensed ones so your betting experience will be worse
We don't list any unlicensed Australian betting sites
The following betting sites are all legal for Australian residents to use. Each holds an Australian gambling licence from an Australian state gambling authority and each offers its customers a range of Australian betting payment methods using Australian Dollars.
Many of these betting sites can also legally accept New Zealanders.
We're no legal experts, and if we know what's good for us we should probably say that none of the information on this page is legal advice.
However, after working in the industry for yonks, and doing a little bit of extra research, we have summarized some of the most important Australian betting laws from the Interactive Gambling Act 2001 and the Gambling Regulation Act 2003 so you can better understand Australia's tough betting regulations.
Online betting sites are 100% legal provided they have an Australian gambling licence.
In order to use an Australian betting site, you must be aged 18 years or older. You must also come from Australia, or from an approved country outside of Australia (like New Zealand). It is up to betting sites to verify your age and identity which they will do after you have signed up. You will be required to enter your Australian (or other) residential address and you may also need to provide a photo or copy of an ID document. Betting sites have 14 days to verify your identity before they must suspend your account pending successful verification.
In order to operate legally, all online betting sites in Australia need to have an interactive gambling licence from an Australian state or territory. Every Australian betting site with a gambling licence is listed on the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) website. The maximum fine for operating a sports betting company without a licence is $1.1 million per day.
It is against the law for sports betting websites in Australia to "offer, interactive real money gambling services - including in-play sports betting - to players in Australia." There is however a loophole in this law that allows betting sites to offer live betting by phone, provided punters talk with a real person and not a robot answering machine. Therefore live betting online is illegal, but live betting on the phone is legal.
It is against the law for Australian betting websites to offer "any credit, voucher, reward or another benefit as an incentive to open an account or to refer another person to open an account.” This means that no Australian betting website, or betting site comparator like My Betting Sites Australia, can advertise betting site sign-up bonuses.
Sports betting websites that do not have Australian gambling licences cannot promote their services to Australian residents. If Australian residents find and use the services of offshore betting sites without licences it is likely that neither party will be punished, however, we strongly recommend sticking with licensed operators as you will be protected by Australian law if you do. Australian betting sites also cannot advertise illegal betting products like online in-play betting, online casino games and sign-up bonuses.
Australia's different states and territories each have their own gambling laws that relate to operators and players located within their borders. For more information about your state's gambling laws, visit the website of your state gambling commission. Otherwise, you should know that whatever state you are in you can use a licensed Australian betting site even if they are based in a state that is not your own.
It's illegal to provide interactive gambling activities, such as 'online casinos', to someone in Australia. Banned online casino games include roulette, poker, craps, online 'pokies' and blackjack.
Unibet is one of our favourite legal sports betting sites in Australia
Because betting sites that operate in Australia need to have an Australian gambling licence, many of the top international bookies are not available for Australian punters. This has left the door open for Australian owned and operated betting sites to control much of Australia's betting industry.
This means that as an Aussie punter, you have tons of great local betting sites to choose from if you want to support Australian business and bet with Aussie bookies.
There are no real legal benefits to using Aussie betting sites but there are a few reasons why punters prefer Australian operators to international betting sites.
As one of Australia's newest betting sites PlayUp entered the Australian betting scene with a clear focus on providing top odds and a great user experience. In line with this, PlayUp has our favourite Australian-owned betting app and also Australia's best-fixed odds for horse racing and sports betting. PlayUp is looking to change the betting game forever and has announced plans to offer the world’s first fully-integrated, blockchain-enabled sports community with their PlayChip currency.
The PlayUp app is our favourite legal betting app in Australia - it's easy to use, fast and packed with great odds
Picklebet has been active in Australia since 2017, first operating as Skrilla, then rebranding as Picklebet in 2020. Picklebet began as an esports-focused betting site but has since added sports betting options in 2021. Today, Picklebet remains the best choice for esports betting with great odds, many bets, daily tips, and live streaming but is also a great choice if you want to bet on sports with a local operator.
WinnersBet launched in the middle of 2020 making it a very new legal betting site. WinnersBet is run by veteran Melbourne bookmaker Da He and as you would expect it has a strong focus on Aussie and international horse racing. WinnersBet offers best tote odds for all Australian gallops plus a protest payout on Aussie races. Although WinnersBet excels for racing, WinnersBet also has a number of different sports betting options
WinnersBet is a no-nonsense betting site proud to be Australian-owned and competing with the bigger internationally owned corporate bookies
Bought to us courtesy of brothers Grant and Andrew Palmer (no relation to Clive Palmer!), Palmerbet is one of the most competitive and feature-packed Australian-owned legal bookmakers. Launched in 2013, Palmerbet has tons of special racing and sports betting markets like futures, props, and penalty markets. You'll also find everything from Best of the Best odds to special $1.95 lines on Palmerbet. Other things that set Palmerbet apart are higher than average betting limits, the ability to save leagues and markets for faster navigation, and tons of previews, stats, and tips for all sorts of popular betting events.
If you're looking for unique futures and proposition betting markets with competitive odds then Palmerbet is great a choice
While BoomBet launched in 2021, it's actually been around for over two decades operating under the name sportsbetting.com.au. Since re-launching, BoomBet has built on this experience and today offers a simple, comprehensive betting experience - especially for racing-minded punters. BoomBet consistently has the best fixed odds prices for a couple of runners in each Australian race, as well as Best Tote, SP, and Top Fluc odds. While sports betting options are somewhat limited, BoomBet has fast apps and payouts.
The online project of on-course bookmakers Mark Sampieri and Chris Lester, RealBookie offers quality local support, live streaming, same game multis, and weekly racing tips. Overall, RealBookie offers over 5,000 racing markets a week, with the best fixed odds prices for some horses in almost every race.
As the world's first, and Australia's only greyhound-focused betting site, BetDogs (which has the same owners as TopSport) is committed to providing the best betting experience to greyhound punters. This includes market-leading odds, Jump Style, Early Speed, and Racing Line information for every runner as well as a 'Winners are Welcome' policy. Also, expect top-notch local customer support service from BetDogs.
Draftstars launched in 2016 as a daily fantasy sports betting platform and was acquired by PlayUp in 2018. Since then they have grown their site to offer fantasy betting to over 300,000 customers and counting. With Australia's biggest fantasy prize pools, daily games with no season-long commitment and a top fantasy betting app, Draftstars is also changing the way Aussies bet on over 15 different sports.
The Draftstars fantasy app is great for fantasy betting when you're on the move
Not all of the betting sites online can be used by Australians, in fact, there is only a small number of international betting sites that have gone through the process of setting up an office in Australia and obtaining and Australian betting licence. This means that you can be sure that all of the international betting sites available to Australian's are serious about offering a great betting experience for Aussies.
All licensed international betting sites have an Australian customer support team and accept Australian dollars.
With over 50 million global customers, Bet365 is the world's biggest betting site and Australia's favourite international bookmaker. There are a number of reasons why this may be but some include Bet365's top live betting and live streaming options, their huge range of competitive odds, and their great multi and bet builder options.
Unibet is one of those betting sites that every punter should have an account with. With 250,000 different sports betting markets and 30,000 different live-streamed events every year, you'll find everything you want on Unibet. With great racing, US sports and election betting, Unibet is one of our favourite international betting sites in Australia.
Unibet is one of Australia's oldest and most trusted legal online bookies
Aussie punters may not know it, but after being acquired by GVC Holdings in 2018, they are no longer Australian owned. Despite this, they still operate independently along with their sister betting sites Ladbrokes, Betstar, and Bookmaker.com.au. Today, Neds is one of the best racing betting sites in Australia with tons of features like Same Race Multis, Speedmaps, and Best Toote odds that can add value to your bets. They also offer Apple Pay and PayPal and we reckon that the Neds website is really easy to use.
Ladbrokes is one of the oldest names in worldwide betting and was founded in 1886. Ladbrokes came to Australia in 2013 and since then has become a top choice for punters in Australia. With simple, secure, betting, great racing odds, and plenty of additional features for racing and sports Ladbrokes is a reliable choice with something for every type of bettor.
Ladbrokes is one of the oldest bookies in the world (founded in 1886) and is trusted by millions around the world
"We know that betting jargon can be confusing and time-consuming to read so we've tried to explain Australia's betting laws as simply as we can. But to be honest, all you really need to know is that all of the betting sites on this website are licensed, legal and 100% safe to use. Any features that you find on licensed betting sites are legal, and if features are missing (like live online betting) it's probably because they have been banned."
- Mason - Aussie Content Writer
"When you've worked in the betting industry for a while you hear horror stories of players losing money and personal information to unlicensed operators. My advice is: stick with the legal betting sites on this page and you'll be absolutely fine. There are pretty of great options to choose from so there's no real reason to use illegal betting websites."
- Ben - Website Manager
Got a question about legal betting sites? Get in touch!
Here's a quick overview of the most important Australian betting laws:
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Pros Choice, Always High Odds
Promos & Same Race Multis
Lightning Fast, Top Tote Always
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Racing Tips, Safety Promos
Daily Bumps, Daily Withdrawals
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Opening Specials, Race Insights
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