Key facts
- Boxing results can be priced three ways: either boxer or a draw. A $1.50, $21.00 and $2.75 market adds up to 107.79%.
- Under the TAB's Victorian rules, a fight postponed by 24 hours or more, or a boxer replaced by a substitute, is treated as abandoned and all bets are refunded.
- The same rules void all bets if the scheduled number of rounds is changed.
- If a boxer fails to answer the bell for the next round, the fight is deemed to have ended in the previous round, which settles round bets.
- Fractional odds of 4/6 are decimal $1.67 (60% implied); 7/4 is $2.75 (36.36%).
Boxing betting basics
Boxing betting is fixed odds betting on a professional bout with a licensed Australian bookmaker. You can back a boxer to win, back the draw, pick how and when the fight ends, or bet on whether it goes the distance. Boxing has its own section in the TAB's published Victorian sports betting rules, covering substitutes, changed rounds and stoppages, and this guide uses those rules as the worked reference. Other bookmakers publish their own boxing rules.
Boxing markets
| Market | What you pick | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Fight result (three-way) | Boxer A, Boxer B or the draw | A draw is a result, not a refund |
| Head to head (two-way) | Boxer A or Boxer B | Check what a draw does to it |
| Method of victory | KO/TKO, decision, disqualification | Each method is a separate price |
| Round betting | A boxer to win in an exact round | The "answer the bell" rule |
| Group round betting | A boxer to win within rounds, such as 1 to 6 | Wider window, shorter price |
| Total rounds | Over or under a number of rounds | Void if the rounds are changed |
| Goes the distance | Yes or no | Decided by whether the judges score it |
Boxing odds explained
Australian bookmakers show decimal odds. UK sources often quote fractional odds and US sources American odds, so it pays to read all three.
| Fractional | Decimal | American | Implied chance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1/3 | $1.33 | -300 | 75.00% |
| 4/6 | $1.67 | -150 | 60.00% |
| 7/4 | $2.75 | +175 | 36.36% |
| 20/1 | $21.00 | +2000 | 4.76% |
The conversions: decimal = 1 + fractional, so 7/4 is 1 + 1.75 = $2.75. Implied chance = 1 / decimal. Our odds converter handles any price in any format.
The three-way market and the draw
Many boxing markets price the draw separately. Here is an example:
| Selection | Price | Implied chance | Fair price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boxer A | $1.50 | 66.67% | $1.62 |
| Draw | $21.00 | 4.76% | $22.64 |
| Boxer B | $2.75 | 36.36% | $2.96 |
| Total | 107.79% |
In our calculation a balanced book keeps 7.23%. The draw is the difference from a two-way head to head bet: it is a third outcome that can beat both boxers. If you back Boxer A at $1.50 and the judges score it a draw, the bet loses. The draw price is long, but it is a real outcome and it is part of the margin. The implied probability calculator adds up any market like this one.
Round betting and the bell rule
Round betting asks you to pick the round a boxer wins in. Group betting widens the window: Boxer A to win by stoppage in rounds 1 to 6 at $4.50 implies 22.22%. Both are prop bets, and the rules about when a fight "ends" matter.
Under the TAB's Victorian boxing rules:
- If a boxer fails to answer the bell for the next round, the contest is deemed to have ended in the previous round.
- If a points decision is awarded before the full number of rounds is completed, bets are settled on the round in which the fight was stopped.
Worked example: you back Boxer A to win in round 7. At the end of round 7, Boxer B's corner retires him and he does not come out for round 8. Under rule 1, the fight ended in round 7, so your bet wins. A punter who backed "Boxer A in round 8" loses, even though the result was announced during the break before round 8.
Substitutes, postponements and changed rounds
When a boxing card changes, the TAB's boxing rules are stricter than its general rules:
| What changes | Rule | What happens to your bet |
|---|---|---|
| Fight postponed by 24 hours or more | Treated as abandoned | Refunded |
| A boxer is replaced by a substitute | Treated as abandoned | Refunded |
| Scheduled number of rounds changed | All bets on the contest void | Refunded |
| Fight goes ahead as scheduled | Normal settlement | Win or lose |
For comparison, most other sports in the same rules allow a 72-hour postponement before bets are refunded. Boxing's limit is 24 hours.
An Australian rule worth knowing
The TAB's Victorian rules list the events it may take bets on after they have started, subject to the Interactive Gambling Act. Boxing is on the list with a condition: a contest taking place in Australia needs separate individual approval unless it is an officially sanctioned national or international title fight. Even where a fight is approved, the Commonwealth ban on online in-play betting means you cannot bet on it through an app or website once it starts. Phone betting is the only in-play route, and only where the selection, type, amount and confirmation are given wholly by phone.
Boxing betting and the law
Bet only with a bookmaker licensed in an Australian state or territory. ACMA lists betting services not licensed in Australia among the illegal online services, and warns that illegal sites can be blocked. Since 11 June 2024, licensed online and phone wagering providers cannot accept credit cards, credit-related products or digital currencies.
Pundit tip: if a fight has a late change of opponent, do not assume your bet carried over. Under the TAB's boxing rules a substitute voids the bet, so check your account and re-price the new fight from scratch.
A boxing bet checklist
- Check whether the market is three-way (with the draw) or two-way.
- Convert fractional or American prices to decimal and to a chance.
- For round bets, know how the bell rule settles a corner retirement.
- Expect a refund if the opponent changes or the rounds change.
- Bet before the first bell, and only what you can afford to lose.
MMA settles draws and method bets under different rules; see our UFC betting guide. For decimal prices from the beginning, read how to read odds, and our bet types guide covers everything else.
Frequently asked questions
How do boxing odds work?
In Australia you will see decimal odds, which include your stake: $2.75 returns $27.50 from $10. Fractional odds such as 7/4 show profit against stake, so 7/4 means $7 profit for every $4, the same as decimal $2.75.
What happens to a boxing bet if the fight is a draw?
If the market offered a draw price, bets on either boxer lose and the draw wins. If no draw was offered, the bookmaker's tie rule applies. Check whether you are betting a three-way market or a two-way one.
What happens to my bet if a boxer is replaced?
Under the TAB's Victorian sports rules, if a contestant is replaced by a substitute or the fight is postponed by 24 hours or more, the contest is treated as abandoned and every bet on it is refunded.
What is round betting in boxing?
A bet on a boxer to win in a particular round, or within a group of rounds such as 1 to 6. If a boxer does not answer the bell for the next round, the TAB's rules treat the fight as ending in the round before.
Can you bet on a boxing match while it is on?
Not online. Online in-play sports betting is banned in Australia under the Interactive Gambling Act; a bet placed wholly by phone is the only exception.
Related reading
Betting NRL betting An evergreen guide to rugby league markets: what each one asks, how the prices add up, why a two-way and a three-way result can settle differently when a game goes to golden point, and what in-play rules mean for you. Read more 
Betting Soccer betting In soccer, the bet you placed usually ends at 90 minutes plus stoppage time, even if the match goes to extra time and penalties. Here is how each market settles, with worked prices and the A-League season dates. Read more 
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 Origin betting Origin is three games and a shield, and each layer settles differently: a game bet on golden point, a three-way bet without it, and a series bet that has twice been decided by a draw. Here are the markets and the maths. Read more 
Betting Dead heat rules When two or more runners, players or teams tie, your payout is split. The formula is simple, but at short prices it can hand back less than you staked. Here is how it works, with every number shown. Read more 
Betting Flexi betting Flexi lets you bet any amount on an exotic and collect the same share of the dividend. Here is how the percentage is set, the TAB's minimums, and the one number that tells you whether a flexi bet can make money. Read more Sources
Official pages we relied on. If anything here has changed, tell us via the contact page and we fix it.