Best Legal Betting Sites in Australia for 2026

What the law allows Australian punters

Australia takes a very particular approach. Online sports betting is legal in every state and territory, but only with a bookmaker licensed by an Australian state or territory regulator, most often the Northern Territory. The federal Interactive Gambling Act bans online casino games outright and also bans placing in-play bets online, so once a match has started you can only bet by phone or in person. ACMA enforces these rules and blocks offshore sites that ignore them.

Since 11 June 2024, licensed bookmakers cannot accept credit cards or crypto. You must be 18 or over, and recreational punters pay no tax on winnings.

Why Unibet is the only bookmaker we list in Australia

Australia has dozens of licensed wagering services, yet our ranking currently shows just one: Unibet, licensed by the Northern Territory Racing and Wagering Commission. That reflects how far our own reviews have reached rather than the size of the market. We only publish a sportsbook in a country once we have reviewed it there and matched it to the regulator’s register, and so far Unibet is the only Australian licensee we have completed.

We also want to be clear about Unibet’s record. It scores 8.7 overall, with strong ratings for odds, markets and its app, but it was fined by ACMA over BetStop compliance, and its responsible gambling rating of 7.8 reflects that. We think you should know that before you sign up.

Footy, racing and how to fund your account

AFL and NRL dominate the winter, the Melbourne Cup and the spring racing carnival are national events, and cricket, A-League football and the NBA keep the calendar full year-round. Unibet covers football and racing in depth, and it offers live streaming, which helps to make up for the online in-play ban.

Unibet accepts debit Visa and Mastercard, Apple Pay, PayPal and bank transfer, with a $10 minimum deposit, and in our checks withdrawals via PayID and PayPal arrived within hours.

We do not promote sign-up offers for Australia. New national reforms passed in 2026 limit wagering inducements and advertising around live sport, and we would rather you chose a bookmaker on its odds and its safety tools.

BetStop and support

BetStop is the National Self-Exclusion Register, and every licensed Australian wagering provider must take part. Registering takes a few minutes and blocks you from all of them for anywhere from three months to life.

• Self-exclude: betstop.gov.au
• Free, confidential support 24/7: Gambling Help Online on 1800 858 858
• Before signing up anywhere, search the bookmaker on ACMA’s register of licensed interactive wagering services