Key facts
- Online sports and racing betting is legal in Australia only with a bookmaker licensed by a state or territory. Most big online brands hold Northern Territory licences.
- The Northern Territory's register lists 50 trading names under 23 companies, such as Entain Group Pty Ltd (Ladbrokes and Neds), but no launch dates, so there is no official list of new betting sites.
- Every licensed online and phone bookmaker is covered by BetStop, must offer deposit limits and must verify you within 3 days.
- Licensed sites cannot take credit cards or crypto (since 11 June 2024) or offer online in-play betting on sport.
- Margins decide long-run cost: a 1.90 and 1.90 market costs you 5% of turnover on average, a 1.95 and 1.95 market 2.5%.
What makes a betting site legal in Australia
A betting site is legal in Australia when the bookmaker holds an Australian state or territory licence. Under the Interactive Gambling Act, sports and racing wagering are allowed online only as licensed services. Anything else, including an overseas bookmaker with no Australian licence, cannot legally take bets from people here; our offshore betting sites Australia guide explains the risks of those.
Most large online bookmakers are licensed in the Northern Territory, under the Racing and Wagering Act 2024. The Northern Territory Racing and Wagering Commission publishes the list. Sportsbet's own footer says it is "Licensed and regulated by the Northern Territory Racing and Wagering Commission."
Licensed betting sites compared
The companies below come from the Northern Territory's register of licensed wagering operators, checked on 8 October 2026. There are no paid placements: we have no bookmaker partners.
| Brand | Licensed company on the register | BetStop | Our review |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sportsbet | Sportsbet Pty Ltd | Covered | Sportsbet review |
| TAB | Ubet NT Pty Ltd (NT, licensed by the Director of Totalisator Licensing and Regulation); other TAB accounts run under the law of the state they are held in | Covered | TAB review |
| Ladbrokes | Entain Group Pty Ltd | Covered | Ladbrokes review |
| Neds | Entain Group Pty Ltd | Covered | Coming later |
| PointsBet | Pointsbet Australia Pty Ltd | Covered | PointsBet review |
| bet365 | Hillside (Australia New Media) Pty Ltd | Covered | bet365 Australia review |
| Unibet | BetChoice Corporation Pty Ltd | Covered | Coming later |
| Dabble | Dabble Sports Pty Ltd | Covered | Coming later |
| PlayUp | Nextbet Pty Ltd | Covered | Coming later |
| BetRight | IRPSX Pty Ltd | Covered | Coming later |
"Covered" means BetStop applies: it covers all licensed Australian online and phone wagering providers, and Sportsbet's footer spells out what that means for an account.
New betting sites: what the register shows
We do not publish a list of new betting sites, because no official source we found records when Australian betting brands launched. The Northern Territory register gives each company, its trading names, a website and a comments column, but no licence grant or launch dates, and we could not confirm launch dates on bookmakers' own sites either. What the register (last modified in June 2026) does show is 50 trading names under 23 companies, and two patterns worth knowing before you open an account with an unfamiliar name.
Many brands, fewer companies. A "new" bookmaker is often an existing licence holder with another logo:
| Licensed company | Trading names on the register |
|---|---|
| Amused Australia Pty Ltd | 10, including Betdeluxe, BetExpress, PulseBet and YesBet |
| MintSports Pty Ltd | 5, including MINTBET AU and RIPPERBET |
| Booki.com.au Pty Ltd | 4: PonyBet, BetIt Online, Knucklebet, Earlycrow |
| Zinger Bookmaking Pty Ltd | 3: NEXT2GO, PuntX, UpYaGo |
| Nextbet Pty Ltd | 3: Nextbet, PlayUp, Draftstars |
| Entain Group Pty Ltd | 2: LADBROKES AU, NEDS AU |
Brands come and go. Ten trading names are marked "not currently trading", including Betr, BoomBet and MyBet. A brand you saw advertised may not be taking bets now.
New or old, a licensed bookmaker works under the national rules below, so a new site cannot offer you a sign-up bonus either.
Rules every licensed betting site must follow
The National Consumer Protection Framework and federal law set the same floor for every licensed online bookmaker:
| Rule | What it means for you |
|---|---|
| Identity checked within 3 days | The maximum verification period was cut from 14 days to 3, before you can bet |
| Deposit limits | Every provider must offer them, and you cannot raise one on the spot |
| Monthly activity statements | Your bets, wins and losses, sent every month |
| No sign-up or referral incentives | Providers cannot offer incentives to open an account or refer a friend (since 26 May 2019; 26 November 2019 in NSW) |
| No credit cards or crypto | Banned since 11 June 2024, including credit cards in digital wallets |
| No online in-play on sport | Bets after the start must be placed wholly by phone |
| BetStop | One registration excludes you from every licensed provider, from 3 months to life |
These are protections an offshore site does not give you.
Deposit methods at licensed sites
The credit ban leaves debit cards and bank-based methods. TAB's help centre, for example, covers deposits by PayID, debit card, Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal and a linked bank account. Its PayID deposits have a $2 minimum, no TAB fee, and a PayID that stays the same for your account. TAB's conditions of use say it will meet withdrawal requests within one business day.
How to pick the best betting site for you
"Best" depends on what you bet. Sign-up bonuses are not part of the comparison, because licensed sites cannot offer incentives to open an account. Compare these instead:
- The margin in the markets you bet. A head-to-head market priced at 1.90 and 1.90 adds up to 105.26% (52.63% + 52.63%), which costs you 1 - 1/1.0526 = 5.0% of turnover on average. At 1.95 and 1.95 it is 102.56%, costing 2.5%. On $1,000 of bets that is $50 against $25. Our bookmaker margin guide shows the method for any market.
- Racing options. Check which tote and fixed odds bets, and which exotics, each site offers on the meetings you follow.
- Withdrawal times and methods.
- The tools. Deposit limits, time-outs and activity statements are required, but how easy they are to use is not.
Settlement rules differ by sport as well as by site. Our guides to cricket, tennis, soccer and esports betting explain how each one settles, and our cash out guide has a three step check for whether an offer is fair. A betting exchange is a different model again: you bet against other punters and pay commission on what you win. Whichever you use, bankroll management decides how long your money lasts.
Pundit tip: keep accounts with two licensed bookmakers and take the better price each time. On $50 a bet, $2.10 instead of $2.00 is $5 more profit on every winner.
How to check a site is really licensed
- Find the licence statement in the footer and the company name.
- Look the company up on the Northern Territory register, or the regulator of the state it names.
- Check the register's comments column: "not currently trading" means the brand is not taking bets.
- Check for BetStop and deposit limit information.
- If it takes credit cards or crypto, or offers online in-play betting on sport, it is not a licensed Australian bookmaker.
In this section
Betting sites Betting apps Every betting app in the Australian app stores has to be run by a licensed bookmaker. Here is what that licence allows in the app, what it rules out, and how to compare apps on more than looks. Read more 
Betting sites Betting bonuses Licensed Australian bookmakers have not been allowed to offer sign-up bonuses since 2019. Here is the rule, what bonus bets for existing customers are, and the maths on what one is really worth. Read more 
Betting sites Crypto betting Every crypto betting site that takes Australians is offshore, because licensed bookmakers have been banned from accepting crypto since 2024. Here is what that means, and why a crypto bet is really two bets at once. Read more 
Betting sites Offshore betting sites Offshore bookmakers can offer things licensed ones cannot, like in-play betting online, crypto and sign-up bonuses. Each of those is a sign the site is outside Australian law. Here is what that means for your money. Read more Frequently asked questions
What betting sites are legal in Australia?
Sites run by a bookmaker licensed in an Australian state or territory. The Northern Territory's register lists licensed online bookmakers such as Sportsbet, Ladbrokes, Neds, bet365, PointsBet, Unibet, Dabble and BetRight, and TAB appears there as Ubet NT, with its other accounts run under the law of the state they are held in.
Which is the best betting site in Australia?
It depends on what you bet. Racing punters care about tote options and racing markets; sports punters about margins and markets. Every licensed site must give the same core protections, so compare prices, payout speed and tools rather than sign-up offers, which licensed sites cannot offer.
Do Australian betting sites accept credit cards?
No. Since 11 June 2024, licensed online and phone wagering providers cannot accept credit cards, funds linked to a credit card including through digital wallets, or crypto. Debit cards, PayID and bank transfers are still accepted.
Can I bet in-play online with an Australian bookmaker?
Not on sport. Online in-play sports betting is prohibited under the Interactive Gambling Act, with an exception for bets placed wholly by phone. Tabcorp paid an ACMA penalty in 2026 for taking illegal in-play bets.
Are all Australian betting sites part of BetStop?
Yes, all licensed online and phone wagering providers are covered by BetStop, the national self-exclusion register. It does not cover illegal offshore sites.
Who owns Ladbrokes and Neds?
Both are listed on the Northern Territory register under the same licensed company, Entain Group Pty Ltd.
What are the new betting sites in Australia?
We cannot confirm which brands are new. The Northern Territory's register of licensed bookmakers shows companies and trading names but not when each was licensed or launched, and many new-looking names belong to existing licence holders. A new licensed site follows the same rules as the rest, including no sign-up bonuses.
Related reading
Betting AFL betting An evergreen guide to the AFL markets on an Australian betting slip: what each one asks, how the prices and the margin work, what happens when a game is drawn, and why you cannot bet in-play online. Read more 
Betting Cricket betting Cricket has more ways to finish than any other sport on a betting slip: a win, a draw, a tie, a super over or a washout. Here is how each one settles, with the maths and the 2026-27 summer dates. Read more 
Betting First goal scorer Scorer markets pay big prices because only one player can score first. Here is how first and anytime markets differ, what the prices imply, and the rules for own goals, penalty tries and extra time. Read more Sources
Official pages we relied on. If anything here has changed, tell us via the contact page and we fix it.
- NT Racing and Wagering Commission: Licensed wagering operators
- Sportsbet (footer licence statement)
- TAB Help: Deposits and withdrawals
- TAB Help: Conditions of use
- Department of Social Services: Gambling reforms (National Consumer Protection Framework)
- ACMA: Credit ban
- ACMA: Tabcorp penalty for illegal in-play sports bets (February 2026)
- BetStop: About