Australia's best betting sites

Are offshore betting sites legal?

WITH burgeoning growth in Australia’s sports betting market making it easier than ever to place a bet on your favourite sporting event or other novelty, punters are still sending their dollars offshore.

Why is it happening?

One of the reasons zeroes in on big punters who don’t want their wagers recorded.

Offshore bookmakers often offer larger limits for big punters, due to the fact they are not restricted by Australian rules, laws and regulations.

Offshore bookmakers also do not pay product fees on Australian sporting events, short changing our leagues and competitions in the process.

Unregulated offshore bookmakers — whose companies are registered in jurisdictions like Manila, Curacao and the Isle of Man — are estimated to take more than two-thirds of all money bet on sport worldwide.

Australians provide offshore bookmakers with nearly $580 million in revenue, according to a submission to the recent government Review of the Impact of Illegal Offshore Wagering.

It is an offence punishable by a maximum fine of up to $1.8 million a day for offshore bookmakers to offer bets to Australians.

Offshore bookies are not only a risk to punters, they also hurt our beloved sporting codes. Each and every one, from soccer, to netball, to cricket to the AFL and NRL, none are spared.

And racing has taken a strong stance on the issue, making it illegal for any of its licensed or registered person – including racing officials and trainers – to bet on races with any bookie not approved by Racing Victoria.

That’s right, those in the racing industry can get into trouble for punting with an offshore illegal bookmaker if it has not been approved by the southern state’s racing regulator.

The penalties are severe, with the harshest being career ending.

But you have to ask yourself why anyone – whether they are involved with racing or otherwise – would bet with an illegal bookie when Racing Victoria has approved some 230 bookies to offer markets on racing.

If you can’t find a market to punt with on the races, then you’re doing something wrong.

The AFL has also decried the use of offshore bookmakers.

“In line with other professional sporting codes in Australia, the AFL has product fee and information sharing agreements with Australian betting agencies to ensure we have transparency regarding bets placed on our sport,” The AFL’s general counsel Andrew Dillon said.

“Only by working with the agencies are we able to protect the integrity of our sport.

“Offshore betting by Australian punters is a real concern for sport integrity because the betting cannot be scrutinised.

“The best way to counter the use of offshore illegal betting by Australians is to allow Australian registered and regulated agencies the right to compete fully with the offshore agencies, and that includes by permitting in-play betting online.”

Globally, the illegal offshore wagering market is growing and wagering represents the largest sector of the global internet gambling market. It is thought that 80 percent of these bets on global sport are illegal, based on where the consumer is making the bet – A staggering figure.

The difference between Australian and offshore betting sites


BetOnline.ag
BetOnline is one of many offshore bookies catering to Aussies.
The bright lights and functional interfaces are there, but there is one key difference between Australian licensed bookmakers and their illegal offshore counterparts.

Almost none will have anti-gambling messages or mentions of gambling codes of conduct.

It takes some digging and you can easily be fooled, but it is also key to read up on the bookmaker before you try to open an account with them.

You want to know where they are licensed. If it’s not in Australia – usually Northern Territory – you’re cruising for a bruising.

As an aside, some of these offshore bookmakers are actually regulated in some jurisdictions, with varying levels of veracity.

Our recommended legal Australian online bookmakers

It’s very easy to do things the right way. Don’t be tempted by the lure of an unregulated offshore bookmaker. Especially when there are a number of bookmakers licensed in Australia who do the right thing, follow the laws and can be held to account by the Australian Government if they decide not to toe the line. We have done the work for you in sifting through the online offerings of our bookmakers and found six of the best who offer competitive odds, plenty of promotions and

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If you’ve opened accounts with the above mentioned bookmakers, you can be assured that they are governed by Australian law and are bound to follow regulations in Australia that protect punters.

Is offshore betting legal?

While it is an offence for a gambling operator to offer these games to Australians, it is not an offence for Australians to participate in these games.

Dangers of betting with offshore bookies

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Michael Bart
Michael Bart
6 years ago

I READ ONLINE THAT A GREAT % OF THE AUSTRALIAN PUNTING DOLLAR IS BET WITH OVERSEAS BOOKMAKERS. WHY AM I NOT SURPRISED? THE BOOKMAKERS LICENSED IN AUSTRALIA ARE NOT ALLOWED TO GIVE YOU SIGN UP BONUSES UNLESS YOU LIVE IN TASMANIA OR NT. SO AUSTRALIANS WHO CANT GET A SIGN UP BONUS IN AUSTRALIA, CAN ACTUALLY GET A BONUS WITH OVERSEAS BOOKIES. SO ITS VERY SIMPLE WHY A LARGE SUM OF THE AUSSIE DOLLAR IS GOING OVERSEAS…..BUT WE CAN THANK SOME STUPID POLITICIANS WHO MAKE UP LAWS ON THINGS THAT THEY DONT HAVE A CLUE ON. SO GOOD ON YA IDIOT POLITICIANS, KEEP STOPPING AUSTRALIANS FROM GETTING SIGN UP BONUSES IN AUSTRALIA SO THAT PUNTERS CAN JOIN OVERSEAS BOOKIES TO GET THEY EXTRA REWARD FOR JOINING UP. THATS RIGHT, LET AUSSIE MONEY GO OVERSEAS AND DONT COMPLAIN WHEN MILLIONS OF DOLLARS ARE LOST OVERSEAS WITHOUT THE AUSSIE GOV. GETTING A PENNY IN REVENUE.

Charlie Casino
Charlie Casino
6 years ago
Reply to  Michael Bart

Tend to agree with you Michael – the more restrictions the Australian government places on bookies here, the more incentives from overseas are going to look good.

fred
fred
2 years ago
Reply to  Michael Bart

hi i live in the phillipines can you give me a betting site to bet on the nrl;…. seems to be a lot of restrictions,,, my betfair account is inoperable now due to english law,,, i cant top up my account

Robert Ogden
Robert Ogden
1 year ago

Mate do you know what your talking about? the gambling ombudsman has no powers and Betfair is to trade and can cancel your account when ether they want and there is nothing gambling ombudsman can do anything about it !
They have mad my life hell the Australian agency’s they have no idea what there doing
They canceled my account when had matched bets placed to be trade a they stop me so get facts before you comment on Australian gambling agency’s there shit house :

The sooner the government lets you bet on line live the better everyone as when you call to put a bet on it always goes wrong please government change these ridiculous rules only country in the world what joke this country is

Robert Ogden
Robert Ogden
1 year ago

Pour old sports wake up
mate taken the best price or find somewhere I can bet on line live trying to make a living not give the Australian bookmakers my coin there grubs just like the government!

If Australia is serious about responsible gambling they would bring in on line exchange betting live as at the moment all favours are with the Australian bookmaker it’s a disgrace

The people that work for these agencies have no idea about sports makes it hard when you have to call to place a bet it always goes wrong makes life hard when trying to make a living Betfair are the ones you have watch as if your trading they can cancel your account at anytime without you knowing cost heapsnas your trading not gambling don’t trust Betfair Australia

U talk about Australian n/t government lucky lift a finger for you so why telling people that Australian agencies are saver the government has no power over them they have it all
Other the government don’t trust this person as he seems he is clueless like Australian agencies worse in the world

Robert Ogden
Robert Ogden
1 year ago

Who wrote this the government for sure who cares where if your money doesn’t stay in Australia the greedy country how about catching up with the rest off the world what a joke this set up this country has get your act together stop holding the country back that’s the problem guru keeping money in the country who are you

Peter Tagg
Peter Tagg
11 months ago

This article is just funny. Australian bookies can advertise responsible gambling as much as they like – but if you are a problem gambler I guarantee they will still take your bets. I am a winning gambler. I have been restricted by Ladbrokes, Sportsbet, Bet 365, Pointsbet, TAB, Unibet among others. If you are a winning punter for anything except Australian Racing you will be restricted. If minimum bet limits were not in place I’m sure I would be restricted for that too. I make a measly 8k per month from betting. It’s not chicken feed but it’s not exactly going to break the bank of massive corporate bookmakers. They are not bookies, they are backyard accountants with no gumption. It’s a shame that Australia restricts me from opening a betting account with Pinnacle. They are real bookmakers who will take real bets from winning punters. No Australian bookmakers even come close!!

mike
mike
4 months ago
Reply to  Peter Tagg

@PeterTagg are you still doing this? I’d be happy to pay you for your tips

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