Punting can seem simple, but you probably heard that from the horse’s mouth. While learning only seems necessary when the Melbourne Cup comes around, we bet our site will make it that little bit easier for you to learn, so you can bet any time of the year.
How to bet online in Australia
A massive difference between informed gamblers and punters in training is the latter tend to lean towards betting on funny names or lucky numbers. While most types of bets are based on luck, it also involves strategy too. Our advice isn’t foolproof – you won’t be rolling in it once you have placed a few bets, but its always best to be open to different betting advice when punting with real money.
Whether it be placing a bet on a team in NRL, or putting a punt on a horse, you should always ensure you read up on their background. It’s all well and good to place a bet on your favourite sports team, but at the end of the day you need to ask yourself what the odds are that they could win; for example, if they lost the last few times they played.
Additionally, taking a look at the odds provided by a bookmaker is also a good indication of who will win. The lowest payout is more likely to win, though it isn’t guaranteed.
There are multiple types of betting involved with horse racing, greyhound racing and harness racing, as well as in sports gambling and the first thing a gambler – whether they are a pro offline or not – should do when playing on the Internet is pick a reliable and trustworthy bookmaker.
There are two types of betting services available, but the best type for amateur gamblers are bookmakers. For the other service, known as exchanges, you bet against other people instead of betting against the bookmaker. So when betting with bookmakers you are betting for a determined result, but when you are betting with an exchange you can bet against that outcome from winning.
For example, if the Newcastle Knights were versing Melbourne Storm, with a bookmaker you could only bet on who you believed would win, also known as a back bet, while with an exchange service you could bet against who you thought wasn’t going to win. This is called a lay bet.
The reason betting through a bookmaker is easier to learn is because when you are working out how much you have won you need to factor in commission. This commission is known as vig or a bookmakers margin. This is already factored in when you use a bookmaker; however, you cannot bet against results.
You can bet on sports, racing, and even on novelties, such as who could win the hottest 100 each year. Additionally, even the most informed gambler can blow the bank, so always know when to stop. You may be on a hot streak but this doesn’t mean you are invincible to losing it all. Never bet more than you can afford or you will ultimately pay the price.
Is online betting in Australia legal?
Placing a punt online with a bookmaker can seem vague in terms of legality. However, under the Interactive Gaming Act 2001 (IGA) Aussie players can bet stress free. The betting does need to take place before an event, as Australian legislation states that ‘live betting’ online is illegal due to its interactive nature.
This means that the only way you can place a punt in the middle of a live game broadcast on television is by making a bet over the phone or heading to your local pub. But there is another way. You could go international and use a bookmaker that is situated somewhere other than Australia as it is not illegal for individual punters, rather it is the bookmaker’s responsibility.
However, if you prefer to stick to home grown bookmakers, you will have to make do without the requirement of live betting. Many bookmakers are trying to fight this legislation with some of the market turning to international betting agencies, but there has been no significant change thus far.
Best online bookmakers for Australians
When choosing a bookmaker, we need to decide what we want out of our betting experience. Some online bookmakers are more suited to experienced gamblers and lack a healthy help section, while others provide great support for the beginner. Always evaluate what you believe will make you have a good time, albeit winning or losing.
Additionally, you may only be able to access sign up promotions if you live in a certain part of Australia, due to individual State Government regulations, but you can still access other great bonuses once you are a member.
Sportsbet
This sporting agency has been suggested as the best for beginners due to its easy navigation interface and in-depth help section found at the bottom of the page. It features a separate betting lobby where you can place all bets on sport, racing and other novelty categories, a blog, a news page to keep punters updated, and a live chat option.
Joining is simple and quick, while odds are clearly outlined and the bet slip easy to fill out.
It’s one of the most favoured bookmakers, and we like it for its extensive range of sports to bet on including NRL, AFL, soccer, tennis, horse and greyhound racing, and even sports from around the globe including NFL and Baseball.
William Hill
William Hill has decided to rebrand its Australian betting agencies, scrapping their titles and replacing them with the parent brand name. Sportingbet, Centrebet and Tom Waterhouse are all getting the new name despite the excessive amount of dollars that have gone into marketing. So while they all feature the ‘powered by William Hill’ slogan, they will now feature the William Hill name.
Waterhouse is still remaining the CEO of the rebranded Waterhouse organisation, however, we will see less of him, which is great for our televisions.
Rebranding has been determined to give Australians a better edge in the market worldwide, meaning we will have more access to a larger amount of sports and racing while using a reputable name. Another thing to remember is they will still offer AUD cash deposits and bets so there is no need to convert money to suit exchange rates.
Guts
For an overseas betting agency, Guts is based in Malta and governed by independent auditing companies which ensure all betting is fair. It also isn’t governed by Australian law so you can bet live.
The downside is that the focus is on sports overseas, rather than Aussie matches but you can still bet on soccer, rugby, cricket, golf, volleyball and more.
There are an array of other online bookmakers on offer including Crownbet, Ladbrokes, Betfair, Bookmaker, Unibet, and Bet365, and more which we cover on our more comprehensive review pages on the site, but be sure to research and review to enjoy gambling responsibly.
Depositing & withdrawing at bookmakers
If you want to place a bet you will need funds in your account. To do this you will have to sign up to your preferred bookmaker. Most Internet bookies accept major credit cards, such as Visa and Mastercard, e-wallets such as Neteller and Skrill, and POLi and Paypal.
To determine which method is best, you need to be sure you trust using your credit or debit card directly at the betting agency. The ones we have mentioned are extremely secure and handle your information seriously. E-wallets are also a great secure alternative which work the same way as you would use your own physical wallet, they’re just digital. They’re especially good for withdrawals, which can sometimes take a while, but with Skrill these are usually processed with 24 hours.
Sportsbet has a great help section on how to deposit and withdrawal if you run into any problems. Additionally, you may also need to complete an i.D verification to make deposits and withdrawals but this process doesn’t take long.
Mobile sports betting apps
If you would prefer to learn how to place a bet on your smartphone or tablet due to their flexible nature then download your preferred bookmakers app as it is still completely legal. Unlike online casinos, bookmakers are allowed to produce native apps which can be installed onto our home screen, just like a photo editing app downloaded to edit your selfies. This means we can access our own personal bookie on the run. Crownbet and Sportsbet both offer great mobile apps to download for both iOS and Android featuring racing and sports betting.
Latest bonuses at Aussie bookies
As mentioned above, sign up promotions which offer free bets aren’t available in some areas, however this doesn’t mean we can’t get access to weekly or monthly bonuses once we have signed up. These bonuses do expire however they are constantly updated.
About the team at AussieBookies
The team at AussieBookies are well-versed in writing and researching, so we only offer the facts. We pride ourselves on covering many topics in the gaming realm including racing and sports betting. We also monitor Australian legislation so you don’t find yourself gambling off the beaten track.
We combine informed gamblers with experienced writers to produce content that caters to many walks of gamblers. All of our team members enjoy a punt so we understand what gamblers want and offer highly regarded recommendations for you to try out.
All of our team have used these sites and know, through the use of gambling with real money, just what they have to offer.