How to Bet on Sports and Racing in Australia: A Beginner's Guide

This guide explains, step by step, how to register with a bookmaker, make a deposit, bet on a match, withdraw your winnings and submit your identity documents.

It also covers a few ways to get more enjoyment out of sports betting.

What You Will Learn

• Getting started with a bookmaker follows four steps: register, deposit, bet and withdraw.
• You need three things to begin: a smartphone, a payment method and identity documents.

This article takes about 8 minutes to read.

What You Need to Get Started with a Bookmaker

To get started with a bookmaker, you need the following three things.

• A smartphone, PC or tablet
• A payment method for deposits and withdrawals
• Documents for identity verification

First, you need a device with internet access, since online bookmakers operate through a website or app. If you are reading this page on your own smartphone or PC, you already have what you need.

A payment method for deposits and withdrawals is any way of moving money into and out of your account. Debit cards and bank transfers are common ways to pay. Since 11 June 2024, online and phone wagering providers cannot accept credit cards, credit-related products or cryptocurrency as payment for bets. Fees and processing times vary by method.

Finally, many bookmakers ask you to verify your identity before you can withdraw, so have the documents ready. Preparing all three before you move on to the next step will make the process smoother.

Register with a Bookmaker

To bet on sports, you first need to open an account with a bookmaker. You must be 18 or over to gamble in Australia. Choose a bookmaker licensed in an Australian state or territory; the ACMA publishes a register of licensed interactive wagering services that anyone can check.

Signing up is much the same as creating an account on an online shopping site, and if you have done that before, it takes only a few minutes. The registration steps are as follows.

1. Go to the website of a bookmaker licensed in an Australian state or territory
2. Enter the required information, such as your email address, home address, full name and phone number
3. Tap the confirmation link sent to the email address you entered

Make a Deposit

Once your registration is complete, the next step is to make a deposit. The deposit process is much the same on every site.

1. Tap the “Deposit” button on the home page or on your wallet page
2. Choose a payment method
3. Enter the deposit amount and your card or bank details
4. Tap the “Deposit” or “Confirm” button
5. The deposit is complete once the funds appear in your wallet balance

Payment methods vary by bookmaker, but debit cards and bank transfers are the most common. As noted above, credit cards and cryptocurrency cannot be used. A bank transfer works well if you want one method for both deposits and withdrawals.

Set Deposit Limits Before You Start

Before you make your first deposit, decide how much you can afford to lose. Treat this amount as the cost of entertainment, not as money you expect to get back.

Where your bookmaker offers deposit limit tools, use them to set a daily, weekly or monthly limit that matches your budget. When you reach your limit, stop betting rather than depositing more.

How Much Money Do You Need to Start with a Bookmaker?

If you are betting for fun, you do not need a large amount of money. You might bet on the team you support, or on an unfamiliar sport, and simply enjoy watching the match. As a guideline, a first deposit of around A$30–50 is a good place to start.

If you want to keep playing over a longer period, though, a larger bankroll helps. Your balance rises and falls with each match, and a run of losses can quickly use up a small deposit. With around $100, a few losses in a row will not use up your balance as quickly. In either case, deposit only an amount you can afford to lose.

How to Bet on Sports: From Choosing a Match to Placing a Bet

Once you have made a deposit, you can place your first bet on a sporting event.

The selection depends on the bookmaker, but dozens of sports are usually available, including Australian rules football, rugby league, cricket, horse racing, soccer, tennis, basketball, baseball and esports, with competitions such as the AFL, the NRL, the Big Bash, the A-League, the Premier League and the Australian Open.

Australian competitions are covered alongside overseas leagues. During major international events such as the World Cup and the Olympics, you can bet on those events as well.

1. Choose a sport
2. Choose the match you want to bet on
3. Choose a bet type
4. Enter your stake
5. Tap the “Place Bet” button to finish

Bookmakers offer many bet types, such as line bets and over/under (totals) bets. For first-time punters, the easiest to understand are head-to-head (H2H) bets (called moneyline bets in the US), in which you simply pick the winner, and, in racing, a win bet. In soccer, the match result (1X2) bet, in which you choose between a home win, a draw and an away win, is also simple. Betting on the team you support also makes watching the match more exciting.

Related Article

Types of Bets: Multis, Line, Each Way, Quinella and Trifecta

Bookmakers offer many different ways to bet. Beyond simply betting on which side will win, they offer a wide range of markets, from the result once a…

2026.11.13

What Are Bookmaker Odds?

If you have bet on horse racing, the idea may already be familiar: bookmakers set a price for each outcome, called the odds. Odds show how much a winning bet pays: a winning bet returns your stake multiplied by the odds. Odds are lower for outcomes considered more likely, so the less likely a bet is to win, the higher its odds and the larger its payout. In Australia, odds are shown as decimals. At 6.00, a $10 bet returns $60 including your stake, so the profit is $50; at 2.00 you double your money.

Sports betting odds are set in advance by the bookmaker and then move in response to betting activity. The odds a bookmaker offers also have the bookmaker’s cut, called the margin, built in. The inverses of the odds for all possible outcomes add up to slightly more than 100%. The inverse of that total is the payout percentage (the share of all stakes paid back to punters), and 100% minus the payout percentage is the margin. As with any form of gambling, betting at random will therefore lose money over the long run.

The main difference from tote betting is that the odds are fixed the moment you place your bet.

In tote (pari-mutuel) betting, such as the TAB tote for horse racing, the odds change with the amounts bet by all punters and become final only when betting closes. With fixed odds, your bet is settled at the odds available when you place it, so even if the odds move afterwards, the payout on your bet does not change. Being able to choose when to bet and which odds to take is a defining feature of bookmakers. Fixed odds do not, however, give you an edge in themselves.

Make a Withdrawal

Once you have won money betting on sports, the last step is to withdraw it from the bookmaker to your bank account or another payment method. As with deposits, the process is broadly the same on every site.

1. Tap the “Withdraw” or “Withdrawal” button on the home page or on your wallet page
2. Choose a withdrawal method
3. Enter the withdrawal amount
4. Tap the “Withdraw” or “Request Withdrawal” button
5. The withdrawal is complete once the funds arrive in your bank account

You cannot choose any withdrawal method you like. Withdrawals usually go to a bank account in your name, and bookmakers may require it to match the account or card you deposited from.

Identity Verification (KYC) Must Be Complete Before You Can Withdraw

Many bookmakers require identity verification, known as KYC (know your customer), before you can withdraw. Verification confirms that the details you entered when you registered, such as your name and address, are correct. The bookmaker may ask you to provide your ID and proof of address.

The documents usually required are listed below, although some bookmakers ask for different ones.

• Proof of identity: a passport or driver’s licence (photo ID)
• Proof of address: a recent utility bill or bank statement
• Payment documents: proof that the bank account or debit card is in your name

At bookmakers that require verification, you cannot withdraw until the process is complete.

3 Ways to Get More Out of Sports Betting

Betting on your favourite team and cheering it on is enjoyable enough, but sports betting offers many other ways to play.

Use Tipping and Analysis Sites When Choosing Matches

For every major sports league there are many websites, not just those run by bookmakers, that analyse and predict match results.

Popular competitions such as the AFL, the NRL, the Big Bash and the major European soccer leagues are covered by many analysis sites. These sites are useful for gathering information, but the track records they publish cannot be independently verified. Treat them as only one factor in your decision, and be cautious with paid tipping services.

If you are confident in your analysis of a sport, you can try other bet types beyond simply picking the winner, such as line bets or correct-score bets. As explained above, bets that are less likely to win have higher odds, but that does not give you an edge.

Try Betting on a Different Sport Now and Then

Besides professional leagues in popular sports such as AFL, NRL, cricket, soccer and basketball, bookmakers let you bet on individual sports such as tennis and golf, indoor games such as darts and snooker, less widely followed sports such as squash and lawn bowls, and esports.

Some bookmakers also have a “Specials” or “Novelty” category with bets on events outside sports, such as who will win the Logies or which party will win the next Australian federal election.

Following the same league is enjoyable, but betting on a different sport now and then can add variety. Try a small bet on an unfamiliar sport, then watch the match. You may discover what makes that sport appealing and gain another competition to follow.

Watch Big Events and Set Limits

Big events such as the Melbourne Cup, the AFL Grand Final, the NRL Grand Final and State of Origin bring more markets and more attention than an ordinary race or round. They are a good time to enjoy watching with friends and family.

Because there is so much on offer, it is easy to bet more than you planned. Enjoy these events, but set a budget and a time limit before they start, and stick to them.

Summary: Register, Deposit, Bet and Withdraw in Four Steps

Getting started with a bookmaker is simple. Choose a bookmaker licensed in Australia after comparing the sports and markets it offers, and once you have registered (you must be 18 or over), you can start betting right away.

Next, make a deposit, choose the sport and match you want to bet on, and place your bet. If your bet wins, you can withdraw your winnings after you complete identity verification.

Enjoy sports betting in whatever way suits you, whether it adds to the excitement of watching a match or gives you a way to use your in-depth knowledge of a sport. If gambling stops being fun, BetStop (the National Self-Exclusion Register) and the National Gambling Helpline (1800 858 858) can help.