Australian bookmakers will be bracing themselves now that one of the world’s largest bookmakers, bet365, has expanded into Australia. Employing over 1,900 people, bet365 boasts over 7 million customers in 200 countries. bet365′s sportsbook products for Australian customers are now licensed and regulated by the Northern Territory Racing Commission as opposed to the UK Gambling Commission. bet365’s Australian office is in North Sydney.
As part of bet365’s move into Australia, local customers can now deposit using BPAY and POLi (stand-alone as well as through Skrill). bet365 have improved their offerings for Australian sports such as the NRL and AFL. Australian racing is also now well catered for.
Due to bet365’s Australian licence, it cannot offer in-play (aka live, or in the run) betting online. Australian customers must phone in to bet live. Anyone who is interested in online in-play wagering should check out our survey of online in-play betting providers.
bet365 is not the first overseas bookmaker to obtain a presence in Australia. Irish bookmaker Paddy Power purchased Sportsbet, which itself owns IASbet, in 2010. Sportingbet plc, headquartered in London, operates in Australia through its Sportingbet Australia and Centrebet brands.
As a result of the changes to bet365’s service in Australia we have updated our bet365 review in the betting agencies section. Below is our conclusion:
bet365’s expansion into Australia will be a major headache for local bookmakers. bet365 has always been our pick of the international services. It offers an extensive range of features and a top of the line, Flash-driven interface. Usage of the service from Australia is more convenient than ever. Australian dollar accounts have been accepted for years, but a wider range of deposit options are offered now that bet365 is licensed in Australia. The betting selections for the NRL and AFL have also improved, as has the selection for Australian racing. The provision of frequent live video feeds and in-depth team statistics is fantastic, and with a minimum bet of $0.25, bet365 will appeal to small-time punters. bet365’s live betting service is the best we’ve seen. It’s just a shame Australian customers can only bet live over the phone. Overall, bet365 is a fantastic service. If the Australian Government lifts the ban on live online betting, then bet365 will become the benchmark for in-play wagering in Australia.
Bet365 is very ordinary. I was betting predominantly $100-$500 on horse racing and when I had a good run, they placed betting restrictions on me. For instance, the was a race I could only bet $15 on a horse paying $10. They also stopped any use of phone betting, and when their online betting wasn’t working properly (taking too long to confirm a bet), I was unable to get a bet on given I couldn’t use phone betting.
Apart from this, I have found that it generally takes too long to place a bet compared to other sites. Too many stages just to get a bet on, and each time it takes some time to register and then confirm. If in the interim the odds alter (both for and against you), you need to begin the process all over again. Basically impossible to get a bet on just before horses jump.