The sports betting market in Australia is one of the fastest-growing industries in the world. With the growing number of safe and attractive online betting sites in Australia, it is said that approximately 80% of Australian citizens participate in some form of gambling. And in the last decade, sports betting is fast becoming a favorite due to not only its attractiveness, odds of winning, but also because of the sheer number of committed sports fans in Australia.
Players in the Land Down Under have the choice between placing their bets at locally regulated bookmakers and betting establishments, or at one of the well-regulated internet gaming sites, of which there are many. Players feel safe, have a fantastic variety of gaming options, and can experience the top-of-the-line, modern technological user interfaces offered around the world.
Read on to find out more about sports betting in Australia for 2023.
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Is Online Sports Betting Legal in Australia?
Australian gambling companies must comply with a rigid set of regulations. Only conventional sports betting and lottery jackpot games are allowed for Australians at this time. Live sports betting and casino games like video poker are not allowed. There are no regulations that prohibit Australians from accessing foreign websites as these are outside the authority of the Australian Government.
It was in 2001 that Australia became one of the first countries to openly address the legality of online gambling. With the passage of the Interactive Gambling Act 2001, laws were enacted to regulate and govern the practice of online gambling in Australia. Today, Australia is the land with the most valuable betting market per capita in the world. Many iconic sports betting and esports platforms want to enter the Australian gambling market and benefit from that value.
There is a close concentration of sports bettors in the country, but gamers as well. Esports as an industry is becoming more popular in the nation. By 2025 interactive sports and gaming is expected to reach revenue in Australia around $5 billion growing at a healthy CAGR of around 7.5%. In 2021, it was revealed that over 2.3 million Australians regularly voted to watch esports tournaments. That’s just under 10% of the country’s total population. After all, the COVID-19 pandemic is causing a spike in the popularity of gaming and esports across Australia, and it’s an upward trend that just keeps growing.
Over time, more investment opportunities will emerge in and around Australia’s sports scenes, and of course, that includes eSports betting. While eSports is still growing, sports betting is a popular source of entertainment for punters in Australia. With a multitude of sporting events occurring annually and smart technology, which is constantly being refined and implemented within online sports betting environments to provide punters in Australia with premium sports betting entertainment.
One such advancement in technology is live streaming which has spawned live or in-play betting options for almost every sports betting market. Live betting has a number of features that are more exciting than standard betting and allow for a dynamic flow of betting. Unfortunately for Australian people, the government is beginning to slowly move towards a more frequently and rigorously monitored system for all online sports betting establishments and online casinos. The following overview of the new live betting laws will help punters in Australia understand the current confusion surrounding the state of live betting in Australia.
Live betting is different from standard betting options, live betting gives punters the opportunity to bet on sporting events while they are in session, hence the term in-play betting. Standard online sports betting allows punters to place a variety of sports bets on a sporting event. Gamblers from Australia who are familiar with online sports betting platforms will already know that in standard sports betting options, a player places a bet on the sporting event before the actual event takes place and once it starts, no further bets are placed.
Until now, the Australian government had declared all live and in-play sports betting completely legal. Punters in Australia could enjoy live sports betting options with complete peace of mind with a variety of online sports betting providers catering to a variety of markets and sporting disciplines.
But, the new live betting laws in Australia ban all live betting in the country. This is part of a long-term plan in which the government aims to crack down on online sports betting establishments and online casinos in the country. The Interactive Gaming Amendment Bill 2016 bans live poker and betting in Australia. With Australia’s new live betting laws, it is now illegal to participate in or offer live sports betting in Australia.
The bill was passed as a result of illegal offshore gambling in 2015. The new law serves to close the loopholes surrounding all illegal gambling and the government insists the bill was passed to keep people safe abroad.
Although Australia’s new live betting laws have banned poker and live betting from Australian society, bettors interested in live betting can rest assured that there are more than enough substitutes available, even with Australia’s new live betting laws coming into force.
Standard bets provide punters with a multitude of betting options, which have the ability to substitute in-play bets. Bookmakers are always on the cutting edge of technology, with this in mind, players can look forward to a useful new type of sports betting option in foreign sports betting sites, which is not illegal in Australia.
Australian bookmakers must have recognized different means of payment, all in order to have fast and safe payment methods. The more options are available, the better the services. Payment methods such as Visa and MasterCard credit cards, bank transfers, and other electronic payment mechanisms, such as PayPal, Payoneer, Skrill, and Neteller, must be offered by the main Australian bookmakers.Both novice and experienced gamblers may find it difficult to place bets online. This process is actually quite fast and easy, and all you have to do is follow a few simple steps, such as:
When betting online, it is possible to bet from both your mobile or computer. And not only that, you can place bets from any place where there is an Internet connection. You can bet on all kinds of leagues, not just national ones but international ones as well, and in hundreds of sports modalities.
The first step is to choose the sports betting site in Australia that serves your needs the best. A short but important guide has been written above – just find a sports betting site that has everything you need, from good game selections to good odds, markets, mobile apps, and customer support. Of course, it is paramount that the betting site is legal and licensed.
When you have already made a decision about which bookmaker to choose, now is the time to sign up for it. Usually, the steps will be pretty much the same with any bookmaker, and those steps are:
When making the first deposit, keep in mind that many bookmakers require a minimum deposit, so don’t fall short when reading the conditions carefully. In general, in the deposit and withdrawal forms, you can either enter money through credit cards or through alternative methods, such as prepaid cards and virtual wallets such as PayPal, Paysafe, Skrill, etc.
These latter methods are usually the safest and fastest. And remember that in general, the same option you choose to deposit the money should be the same to withdraw money. For example, if you deposit money into a sports betting site through PayPal, when you withdraw the money, it should be credited to your PayPal account automatically.
In the field of online betting in Australia, alternatives are not lacking. The world of sports has an almost inexhaustible mine of resources from which Australian operators can extract options and expand their entertainment offer almost daily.
As Aussies are extremely proficient in sports betting, as well as betting on various sports, it is impossible to put all types of bets that they use. Pretty much every type of bet that exists is played in Australia, probably daily. Instead, only the most popular sports bets will be named below, mainly those that are used for all popular sports in Australia – football, Aussie rules, rugby, tennis, cricket, basketball… These bets include:
A bet placed on a single outcome in a sports event. It is the simplest and most straightforward type of bet.
Also known as accumulator bets, these involve betting on a series of selections. To win, all selections must be correct.
A wager on whether the total number of points or goals scored by both teams will be over or under a specified number set by the bookmaker.
A straightforward bet where you pick the team or individual you think will win a particular event or match. It is one of the most common types of bets.
There are several types of betting bonuses that sports betting sites in Australia and foreign ones as well can offer to players. It is important to understand them better and choose the one that suits us best. Some offers can be quite jaw-dropping in numbers but it matters not if players can’t fulfill the necessary requirements in order to collect them.
There are various ways of collecting bonuses and promotions:
And so we can find other betting bonuses in different modalities since the number of offers is constantly increasing as more operators arrive in Australia every so often.
A bonus provided to new bettors when they first register with a betting site. Typically includes free bets or a matched bet based on their first deposit.
A bonus awarded to new bettors without any initial deposit requirement. This can be in the form of a free bet or bonus credit for betting.
A bonus given to existing bettors when they deposit additional funds. Often takes the form of matched bets or enhanced odds for certain events.
A bonus that returns a percentage of a bettor's losses over a specified timeframe. This helps mitigate some of the risks associated with losing bets.
A bonus that rewards bettors for their consistent betting activity. It can come in the form of free bets, enhanced odds, or exclusive promotions.
A bonus offered to bettors who make large wagers or frequently bet large amounts. This can include better odds, cashback, or exclusive bet offers.
A bonus awarded to bettors who introduce their friends to the betting platform. It can come in the form of free bets, enhanced odds, or a percentage of their friend's first bet.
A bonus awarded to bettors who participate and perform well in betting tournaments or leaderboards. Rewards might include free bets, exclusive odds, or other special promotions.
A bonus tailored for VIP bettors with unique perks and benefits. Perks might include personal account managers, exclusive betting offers, and faster withdrawal options.
A bonus that offers a certain number of free bets based on various criteria like deposit amount, betting patterns, or promotional offers.
What Is the Best Payment Option for Australian Players?
For domestic betting site transfers, Australian players prefer credit card transfers as it is the easiest way to deposit and withdraw money, with instant deposit times and no fees. Bank transfers are also popular as they offer great service but processing times are slow. When depositing money with international sports betting sites in Australia, eWallets are the best option as they are fast and secure, but may include small fees.
In every online sports betting site in Australia, players are offered a greater or lesser number of payment and withdrawal methods that they can use. Of course, the most common are payments by credit and debit cards, but also payments via so-called e-wallets (internet wallets). In addition to these most popular, there are payments by bank transfer, electronic checks, vouchers, as well as various mobile payment applications. Also, lately, payment with cryptocurrencies has become increasingly popular.
In general, gambling is legal in Australia, but it’s not that simple. Australian laws forbid live gambling, such as live sports betting, live poker, and such. The laws and regulations are constantly changing as well, therefore it would be best to read the law thoroughly before starting a particular type of gambling in Australia.
As gambling is legal in Australia, it is incredibly safe to gamble online. Australia provides some great casinos and sports betting sites that Aussie people can enjoy. Also, a lot of international casinos and bookmakers can provide services in Australia like the 888 Casino. It is important to go with legal and licensed gambling services though.
All forms of online gambling and sports betting are safe in Australia when done at licensed services. Before choosing the preferred betting platform, make sure it is legal and certified before depositing any money.
There are no deposit limits dictated by the state, although some deposit limits may occur depending on a betting site. What’s more, Australia has introduced “self-limits” to promote safe gambling but those are completely voluntary. While it is recommended to go with self-limits due to gambling addictions, they can sometimes hinder the big winnings in the long run.
Australia, as one of the biggest gambling countries in the world, has the luxury of not taxing players for gambling and sports betting. Therefore, there are no taxes to be paid and no winnings to be reported in Australia (unless you are a professional gambler).
Receiving winnings depends entirely on the betting site and banking method of your choice. Some betting sites will take approximately 24 hours to deposit money onto your account, while most will do it immediately after the betting slip has been won. Banking methods also influence this, with eWallets being immediate, credit and debit cards from immediate to a few hours, and bank transfers and cheques taking a few days.
Every player wants something different from the betting site and therefore it is impossible to name one for everything. Some sports betting sites in Australia will offer better odds for football, some will offer more sports to bet on, some will offer great bonuses and promotions, and some will be good but not great with everything. It is up to a player to choose one based on their needs.
Australian betting houses (and those from abroad that are available in Australia) will offer almost all types of sports matches to bet on. It is also a practice to open several betting accounts with different services and therefore get the most offers possible.
Australian players love betting on Aussie Rules the most, but also football, rugby, basketball, cricket, and tennis. The younger generations are betting on eSports with increasing numbers every year.
These days, Australia is using decimal odds more than any other type. The decimal odds are the most popular around the world as they are easiest to understand and calculate. For example, if the odds for Real Madrid winning are 1.50 and you place 100 AUD, your winnings will be 150 AUD if Real Madrid wins the match (1.50 x 100 = 150).
Some Australian sports betting sites will offer free bets as part of bonuses and promotions, although these are not so common.
Sign-up, or Welcome bonuses, are offered to new players that register at a specific betting site. There are usually three ways to claim them – either a player receives it immediately upon registration, sometimes a special code needs to be entered, or a first deposit needs to be made.
There are many ways of seeking help in Australia when it comes to gambling addiction, It is common to visit the Gambling Help Online or call 1800 858 858. Other services include Gambler’s Help and Lifeline Organization.
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