Who is the best bookmaker for ... Australian players?

It's a question that I'm asked all the time ... who is the best bookmaker? and the answer is not a simple X/Y answer as it usually dependant on where you live and what you want to bet on.

So today's blog post will cover Who is the best bookmaker for ... Australian players?

Let's start at the begining :

Is Sports Betting legal in Australia?

Yes. Absolutely legal. There are restrictions are placed on the licensing of gambling operators, and usually this means that the operation must be based in Australia.

Basically, the Australian government wants to be able to tax the online bookmaker. This has resulted in a well regulated environment and it is perfectly safe and legal to bet online in Australia.

It is legal for Australian player to bet elsewhere, but those offshore companies are not allowed to specifically advertise or target Australian players.

Who is the best "local" bookmaker ?

There are four good Australian based online options available for Australian bettors, bookmakers Sportsbet, Centrebet, and IASBet and also betting exchange Betfair.

In my opinion the best of the bunch is Centrebet who cover all the major world sports and also all the action at home in Australia. Whether it is in the NRL, Super 14, A-League, AFL Aussie Rules or any major sporting event, Centrebet offer a price early, and keep that action going.

Throw in a 100% matched free bet up to $50 (for Australian players only), and the fact that Centrebet will take bets of AUD$10,000 or more on major games and you have a quality operation.

Forms, Results, and Live Scores are available on either the main sports page or the racing section at Centrebet and you can even get SMS results of your bets if you are using Centrebet's Mobile betting platform.

All-in-all, if you are betting sports in Australia - you should be at Centrebet.

Is Depositing and Withdrawing for Sports Betting easy?

It is very simple. A deposit to create an online sports betting account is as easy as typing in your credit card details.

And these days most online gambling sites allow you to use international e-wallets, which means that the bookmakers never ever get to see your banking details at all.

Popular e-wallets like Moneybookers and Neteller are great for moving money between bookmakers and for getting quick payouts.

What about other worldwide sportsbook options?

Sure, there are other places out there that are as solid and reliable as Centrebet, and some have some better features.

For access to the Best Bonuses then Bet365, or Victor Chandler are very good operations, while the Best Odds are usually found at PinnacleSports (but Pinnacle do not offer any join bonuses).

But these places do not offer as big a range of bets on Australian sports, nor post their prices as early, as the Australian market is not so important to them.

If you are frequently betting on European sports (particularly football) then I do recommend opening at least one other account with an international bookmaker from that list above.

So - Who is the best bookmaker for Australian players?

In my opinion - after 10 years of researching and writing about online gambling - it's pretty straight forward for Australian sports punters.

First, open a betting account at Centrebet and get going. Enjoy it.

Secondly, open an account at Bet365 to give you access to some more "free bets" and also to enable you to compare odds prices on bets - and take the highest offer!

You now have access to two of the best sports betting locations online, and you can shop around for prices and maximise your winnings. Also both of these places offer poker, bingo and casino play as well - all available from the same betting account.

Finally, as you get comfortable with online sports betting, and the concept of shopping around for the best price you should check out our main sportsbook guide on the main site and check out your options.

Good luck and enjoy the action!