“Money won is twice as sweet as money earned,” Paul Newman famously said in the 1986 Martin Scorcese pool hustling flick The Color of Money.
And since this isn’t 1986 anymore, you don’t have to be a 9-ball stakehorse placing bets on pool games in one-horse towns to win some sweet money.
All you need is to download a betting app and you can have a punt on pretty much every game and sport being played in any corner of the globe. From NBA in the US to greyhound racing derbys in England and everything in between – if it’s got a market, you can bet on it.
Modern betting apps have low entry barriers, provide a host of options for withdrawals and deposits and allow access to a wide range of betting markets including esports.
However, with so many of them around now, choosing the best betting app can be a little like trying to find a goose in a snowstorm.
To help you out, we present below our definitive list of the 14 best betting apps in Australia for the modern betting man.
14 Top Betting Apps
- bet365
- Ladbrokes
- Bossbet
- Sportsbet
- BetNation
- Picklebet
- Dabble
- TAB
- Palmerbet
- Neds
- Bluebet
- Pointsbet
- Unibet
- Buddybet
1. bet365
bet365 is a UK-based online betting company specialising in sports betting and casino games. Founded by the billionaire businesswoman Denise Coates, bet365 has consistently been ranked among the world’s best internet gaming portals.
With infographics and detailed statistics, it’s hardly surprising that bet365 is one of the most popular betting apps in Australia.
bet365 has a low barrier to entry, with very reasonable minimum bet and deposit amounts. For example, punters can deposit as little as $1 using Flexepin prepaid vouchers or $5 using POLi. The app’s minimum bet of $1 means less experienced betters can get their feet wet with very little risk.
The app’s interface is one of the easiest to use on the market, with the company offering a wide range of features such as personalised pre-match bets, live-streamed events, and real-time bet monitoring.
bet365 also has a comprehensive suite of horse racing features, such as form insights on every horse race as well as a favourites feature that allows you to track the events of horses you choose to follow.
bet365 has an awesome app, but there is one downside to using the bookie. While new customers receive attractive bonuses when they join up, specials are pretty thin on the ground thereafter.
2. Ladbrokes
Ladbrokes is one of the oldest betting houses still in existence. Founded in England in 1886 as commission agents for betting on racehorses, Ladbrokes is now synonymous with sports betting in general. The UK’s most popular betting app set up operations in Australia in 2013, quickly becoming a leading player in the Australian betting market.
It offers odds on an extremely wide range of sports, including AFL, NRL, EPL, NBA, NBL, NFL, MLB, and many more.
Ladbrokes is a legacy player in the betting industry that has adapted well to the online shift of the industry. In 2018, Ladbrokes Australia acquired the Australian betting platform Neds to further consolidate its hold on the Australian betting scene.
The app offers a number of customisation options, including the ability to pick promotions to apply to a fixed win bet on certain Australian and New Zealand races. Punters are also able to create bet multipliers in both horse and greyhound racing as well as in a range of other major sports.
One potential drawback is that Ladbrokes’ live-streaming options are somewhat limited.
3. BossBet
BossBet is one of the newest arrivals on the Australian betting apps scene, having just launched in 2022. Brett Schraa, the former owner of Sportsbet and BetEasy, is the force behind BossBet.
For a company so young, it’s got a lot of things right so far. First off, the branding is fresh and a lot of fun. There are no gaudy or flashy colours to make you feel like you’re in a Vegas strip club instead of sitting in your living room having a cheeky punt on the weekend gallops. The interface, both for the website and the app, is slick, smooth, and easy to use, with a clear chat function and instant customer service.
There’s a wide selection of sports and games to bet on and everything is easy to locate. There’s a Trending Bets section to show you where everybody else is putting their money and an Upcoming Games section so you know what’s in store.
The minimum deposit amount is $10 and the minimum bet is $0.50, making it easy to get started. Deposit options include credit cards, debit cards, and POLi whereas withdrawal options are limited to bank transfers but are processed 7 days a week.
BossBet runs weekly Same Game Multi promotions across AFL, NRL, NFL, and NBA, as well as exciting exotics and Same Race Multi promos for racing fans. Currently, their biggest drawback remains a limited choice of betting markets. They only have around 34 markets compared to larger operators such as Ladbrokes, which offer access to close to 150 markets. We’re hoping that as Bossbet matures, it’ll offer customers more options.
Bossbet is 100% Australian-owned and operated – a fact it prominently displays on its website and app, along with big, hard-to-miss remarks about betting safely and staying in control “like a real boss.” We find both quite endearing.
4. Sportsbet
Sportsbet launched in 1993 and is now the second biggest bookmaker in the country, trailing only TAB.
The company was a relatively small operation for the first 12 years of its life before Matthew Tripp bought it for $250,000 in 2005 and turned it into a company worth $338 million just six years later.
The biggest Sportsbet win was a 20-leg golf multi, where the client bet $1 and walked away with $679,894.
One really cool Sportsbet feature is that you can start a group with your mates that allow you to see each other’s bets and react with emojis.
Sportsbet not only allows players to make multis from 2 to 20 legs and cash in their bets at selected Australian newsagents, but it comes with a streamlined Multi Builder that speeds up the process.
The app also allows you to watch Australian and New Zealand thoroughbred, greyhound, and harness races live on Sky Racing Channels.
Sportsbet, however, has drawn some ire from the betting community for its below-average customer service. Some fans have even accused the site of banning players that are too successful. Moreover, the bookie doesn’t offer the best odds on the market.
5. BetNation
Launched in mid-2022, BetNation is another all-Australian betting platform. It famously enlisted former AFL forward Brendan Fevola and one-time Aussie speed demon Mitchell Johnson in their marketing campaigns, creating a good amount of buzz prior to launch to go with their slogan that it’s a “betting agency for the people, of the people.”
While BetNation has extensive coverage of international racing markets, the app also offers some interesting betting options outside of sports such as reality TV winners.
As with many other options on the market, BetNation also provides same race multis on greyhound and horse races as well as same game multis for a wide range of sports.
It’s a small gripe, but given that live online betting isn’t an option it would be nice to have seen some phone betting options.
6. Picklebet
Look, esports may not be everybody’s cup of tea, but it’s impossible to ignore their surging popularity. With the rise of professional esports teams, it was only a matter of time before formal betting would become a thing.
Picklebet was originally launched in 2017 by esports fans Damon Oudejans and Nick Heaney under the brand Skrilla. It’s an esports betting app with fantasy esports options.
While Picklebet added sports betting in 2021, there is still no horse racing. Picklebet is based in Queensland and operates under a Northern Territory license.
Picklebet CEO Nick Heaney has said esports is the core of Picklebet’s business and the company is striving to offer next-generation esports betting to fans across the board.
Picklebet features some amazing promotional offers and has daily fantasy esports options. Its platform is fast to load and navigate and enables live streaming and multi-betting. The company is fully Australian-owned and operated.
Payment options are still fairly limited, however, and its bank transfer single withdrawal option can take two days to go through. Also, the Picklebet app is only available on iOS, so Android users need to look elsewhere.
7. Dabble
We know it sounds like a cliche, but Dabble really is a betting app with a difference. To put it simply, Dabble is Discord meets online betting.
We’re impressed with how they’ve studied the Australian online betting market and identified a major user pain point – online betting can be too isolated.
And to fix it, they’ve come up with a simple and fun solution – make online betting a community thing, sharing bets, wins, and the excitement of having a punt with your mates.
The Dabble app allows you to not just find and place bets, but also follow other punters as they make their moves, and chat with them to find out more about their reasoning. The app’s interface is neat, uncluttered, and user-friendly. This is clearly an app aimed to please the next generation of Aussie punters and has obviously struck a chord with its original approach, recently receiving a $33 million investment from Tabcorp.
There’s a wide range of markets and sports to choose from, and their customer service is fast and effective. There’s a lot to love from this unique offering.
8. TAB
Tabcorp is by far Australia’s largest betting and wagering platform. It is also one of the oldest homegrown betting companies, having been founded in 1964.
Originally run as a state government agency, TAB was listed on the Australian Securities Exchange in 1994.
Although the state TABs are now all owned by Tabcorp except, in Western Australia, three separate totalisator pools continue to exist in Australia, running mostly along historic operator lines:
- SuperTAB (later S-TAB) for Victoria, the Australian Capital Territory, and Western Australia (and previously Tasmania before its acquisition by Tatts Group)
- UTAB, for the Tabcorp-acquired markets previously owned by UBET, in Queensland, South Australia, the Northern Territory and Tasmania
- a separate New South Wales-only pool.
Although some physical TAB venues still exist, the number is dwindling because of TAB services offered in clubs and hotels and online betting apps.
The platform enables totalisator betting on thoroughbred, harness and greyhound racing, as well as coverage of major Australian sports.
TAB has been around for so long that it has almost become a symbol of sports betting in Australia.
TAB provides fixed-odds horse and sports betting with live streaming of Sky Racing video and audio. It has daily promotions, exotic bets and tote odds such as the Big Six where punters need to find the last six winners of the day.
TAB also offers live In-play betting via a phone call, though odds are likely to change by the time you get through.
There are a few downsides to the app, with the most obvious being the removal of tipping competitions with the September 2022 app update. Another niggle is that it doesn’t have a live chat feature in case you need to chat with customer support.
9. Palmerbet
An on-course horse racing app, Palmberbet reflects a three-generation family history of rails bookies, with great track-side coverage. This is highlighted in the app’s Speed Map feature, which provides insight into how fast the track is before placing a bet.
The platform provides a range of markets for Australian and international racing, including thoroughbred racing, harness and greyhound. There are competitive odds on offer, which typically equal their major rivals.
It has a wide range of sports to bet on and pre-match markets available for popular sporting leagues such as NRL, AFL, and tennis.
Palmerbet offers a range of pay-in options as well as the option to place multi-bets. It has great weekly promotions including a highly popular Saturday promotion feature.
It provides access to 100+ sports betting markets while offering above average odds. You can even set betting limits to control your leverage.
That said, Palmerbet only offers a bank transfer single withdrawal option with 1-2 days delay. Also, there is no live chat feature or streaming.
10. Neds
Neds offers international horse racing markets and multi-bet functionality. The company is licenced and regulated by the Northern Territory Racing Commission and was acquired by Ladbrokes in 2017.
Neds not only offers the typical range of sports to bet on – such as cricket, AFL, NRL, and Rugby Union – but also an interesting selection such as motorsports and novelties like bull riding. However, Neds is best known for its horse-racing bets.
Neds has a quick, 60-second sign-up and multiple deposit methods allowing players to be in business in no time. It offers full form odds and has a dedicated loyalty scheme and provides 24/7 customer support.
The app also offers a Filter Form feature which allows punters to filter lists of runners according to whether they won their last start as well as jockey and trainer performance.
It also offers same, blended and split multis.
The Neds platform is very similar to Ladbrokes which is expected since the latter now owns it. Withdrawal options are limited to EFT/Bank Transfer and Neds Card only.
11. Bluebet
The only site in this group where you need to sign-in before you can see the interface. That said, Bluebet comes packed with a boatload of features.
Launched in 2015, and run by veteran bookie Michael Sullivan, BlueBet is an Australian publicly listed company with offices in Darwin and Sydney and which operates under a Northern Territory Gambling Licence.
While Bluebet offers betting on multiple sports, its strength lies in racing. This includes horse and greyhound racing
The Bluebet app has a simple and fast design that offers good fixed odds and low minimum deposits starting at $10. It also has a variety of withdrawal options including Mastercard, Visa and bank transfers.
When it comes to sport variety, Bluebet offers a basket of 18 different sports from darts, to US football to martial arts to bet on.
Bluebet doesn’t offer live streaming and doesn’t have a live betting option.
12. Pointsbet
Pointsbet was among the first Australian bookmakers to offer spread betting in sports.
Spread betting is a form of betting in which the bookmaker offers you a “spread,” and if you bet correctly, your profits multiply by the margin of the spread. By the same logic though, your losses can multiply by the same margin if you lose your bet. These dramatic swings are what make spread betting so exciting.
Headquartered in Melbourne, Pointsbet is also listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX). Unlike most other entries in this list, Pointsbet’s strength does not lie in racing. In fact, its racing portfolio is pretty ordinary fare. Instead, its expertise is in other sports, especially NBA, NRL, and AFL.
Pointsbet is known to offer great customer service and is especially responsive on its social media handles. If you find a market you want to bet and Pointsbet doesn’t have it covered, you can ping its Twitter handle and the team will do their best to price it up for you.
It has all the regular withdrawal and deposit options available including debit cards, credit cards, bank transfers, and POLi. Minimum deposit to get started is $10. Maximum daily payout is capped at $50,000.
13. Unibet
Unibet is a global betting behemoth with roots in Sweden and operations all over the globe. The company acquired the Aussie bookmaker Betchoice in 2012 to break into the lucrative Australian betting market.
Leveraging its cross-market expertise, Unibet spoils punters for choice with access to a wide range of sports and markets. Offering over 180 markets per fixture, Unibet is the leader by a long way when it comes to market coverage. With Unibet fans can bet even on small local leagues. For instance, Unibet offers betting on Australian football leagues other than the A-league.
Similarly, when it comes to racing, Unibet not only covers the big Aussie races – the Melbourne Cup, Caulfield Cup, Turnbull Stakes – but also offers bets on racing events in markets such as South Africa, Ireland and India.
Unibet also offers punters some of the best odds because of the low margins it claims for itself.
Another great thing about Unibet is its low entry barrier. Punters can be in business with deposits as low as $20 and minimum wagers as little as $0.10 for online bets and $10 for bets placed over the phone.
Deposit options include credit card, POLi and Paypal while withdrawals can be made using credit cards, electronic funds transfer, and Paypal.
An excellent in-play betting service and a streamlined, highly functional user interface for mobile versions make Unibet easy to use. Unibet TV (UTV) is free for all Australian punters if they have placed a bet in the previous 24 hours or they have money in their account.
On the flipside, Unibet does not offer 24/7 customer support. Also, live betting is only available over the phone as it is licensed in Australia.
14. Buddybet
Buddybet is a betting app with a difference.
Why? Which other app allows you to bet on whether your buddy Todd will get sunburnt at the beach tomorrow? Or whether the bloke named Scott from work will be able to down his third pizza by lunchtime?
Buddybet does.
Launched in 2021, Buddybet is a peer-to-peer online betting app that blends the functionalities of a betting app with the fun of a social network. Punters can either challenge a mate or mates to a bet for money, or they can place a handshake bet to play for bragging rights.
With Buddybet you can bet on anything! How long that fly will stay on the wall, what a friend will have for lunch, or how many olives grandpa will put on his famous Saturday lunch pizza.
That doesn’t mean that Buddybet is not for serious sports betting. Buddybet allows you to place bets on basketball, cricket, tennis, Australian rules football and rugby league among other sports. It also accepts bets on esports.
BuddyBet is licensed by the Northern Territory Racing Commission.
The minimum betting amount is $5 while the maximum wager has been capped at $250.
Buddybet, however, doesn’t offer live streaming services, and deposits are accepted only via major credit/debit cards.
It’s still early days for peer-to-peer betting in Australia so it’s hard to say whether Buddybet will stand the test of time or need to evolve.
Final Thoughts
You know how they say that nobody ever bet enough on a winning horse? With so many sophisticated mobile betting apps making online betting simple, hassle-free and easily accessible, we suppose that is one old proverb that might be on its way to the graveyard of history.
The Australian horse and sports betting industry clocked a revenue of more than $6.4 billion in 2022. Betting in Australia is booming and apps are leading the cavalry charge.
The apps reviewed in this article are not only feature-packed but also secure and trustworthy so you can bet all you want on that winning horse.
Are betting apps legal in Australia?
Yes, betting apps are legal in Australia for users to download and use. Online betting on sports and racing is legal in Australia under the Interactive Gambling Act, 2001. Exceptions include in-play sports betting, also known as live betting, and betting services not holding an Australian licence. Developers of betting apps may need a gambling licence to develop betting apps.
What is the best app to bet on Australia?
TAB, Ladbrokes and bet365 are the best sports betting apps in Australia. All three are legacy international players that have been around for decades and offer great odds, well-designed apps with smooth UIs and secure payment options. They also offer the widest selection of sports and games to bet on.For those into fantasy sports and esports, Moneyball and Picklebet are good options.
What are the best iPhone betting apps in Australia?
Picklebet, bet365 and TAB are among the best Australian betting apps for iOS. All three have lots of sports to choose from, offer secure, SSL-encrypted online platforms and come backed by good, solid reputations.Each of these three has a rating of 4.4 or above on the App Store.
Can you use Australian betting apps overseas?
Yes you can, though you might need to use a VPN.If you are abroad and want to use Australian bookmakers and your Australian online betting account, a VPN (virtual private network), will help you to sidestep any geo-blocking and regional access issues.Conduct a browser search for suitable VPNs and check reviews. Free versions often have the same functionality as paid versions, however, stability and security may be compromised. Remember, the VPN will track all your activity including that with Australian online bookmakers.
Which betting apps allow you to do odds boosts?
bet365, Unibet, Picklebet and Palmerbet allow you to do odds boostBoosted odds promotions offer a player a better payout for the same amount of risk on certain bets that the company selects. In simple terms, on a particular race or event, the betting company will choose to reduce its commission therefore giving winning players a larger payout.
How do I locate other Australian betting apps and Australian online betting sites?
You can do this in two ways. One is by searching for “betting apps” in the Google Playstore and Apple’s App Store.You can also conduct a browser search for “Australian betting apps” and results should provide you with other options.
