Previously Sportsbetting.com.au, BoomBet is one of the oldest online sportsbooks in Australia, so I was curious to see how it measures up. From the surface, it has a nice interface with decent features, but that’s half the story.
In this BoomBet review, I’ll dig deeper to see what lies beneath the surface of this old online sportsbook. From its user interface and experience to its sports coverage and customer service, this review will cover every aspect of BoomBet, allowing prospective users to get an excellent picture of the betting site’s strengths and weaknesses before signing up.
Strikingly Bold Yet Conventional Design
Being one of the leading
betting apps in Australia, you’d naturally expect BoomBet to look and feel decent, and the site doesn’t disappoint. Opening the site for the first time brings you to the guest area, beautifully highlighting the site’s varied colour palette against the bright white background. This is a subjective take, but it’s one of my favourite Australian sportsbook designs, and I’ve used a lot of sportsbooks in Australia.
Jumping around the site feels seamless; you get “Join” and “Login” buttons at the top right to sign up for an account and sign into existing accounts, respectively. The account creation process takes five minutes max, and if you’ve ever created an account on any online casino or sportsbook, you should have a pretty good idea of what the experience should look like.
Like many modern sportsbooks, BoomBet heavily uses sidebars, with the left sidebar serving as a navigation menu to essential parts of the website. The right sidebar, on the other hand, hosts the betslip that shows your active selection and offers the opportunity to place a bet or create an account to lock in your bet after browsing through the available games.
In summary, BoomBet’s user interface is nothing we haven’t seen before. If you’ve looked at competing sites like our
PremiumBet review, for example, you’ll notice it shares many design and usability elements with modern online sportsbooks. However, its expert implementation of these UI features sets it apart from many of its peers, placing it among the better-known sportsbooks in Australia.
Excellent Apps for Both Android and iOS
There’s a BoomBet app for both Android and iOS, but you can also access the online sportsbook through the web-based mobile interface, making it one of the most versatile mobile sportsbooks for Australians. The user experience stays pretty consistent regardless of your device or how you’re accessing it. Still, I find the mobile apps to be a more convenient choice for Aussies betting on the go.
BoomBet used to have an app on the Google Play Store, but it doesn’t appear to be there anymore. However, you can easily get the app from alternative app stores or by sideloading an APK. On the other hand, the iOS app is still present on the Apple App Store, working flawlessly to bring an optimised version of the BoomBet betting experience to users on mobile.
The experience isn’t dramatically different across operating systems: the Android and iOS app interfaces are pretty much identical in my experience. Instead of the double sidebar design you get with the desktop site, BoomBet’s mobile apps use a combination of sticky footer tabs and a hamburger menu for the regular sidebar menu options. The betslip sits just under the regular interface, ready to be summoned with a simple tap.
It’s the same story with the web-based mobile interface, and apart from the fact that you access it from a browser, it’s virtually indistinguishable from either mobile apps. Essentially, BoomBet’s mobile experience is like most other online sportsbooks: typical, but in a well-implemented way, making it ever so slightly better than what the average competitor has to offer.
How to Get Started with BoomBet
Presently, BoomBet is only available in Australia, as it holds a license from the NT Government of Australia. If you meet all requirements to bet online safely in Australia, here’s a step-by-step guide to getting started with BoomBet sportsbook:
- Click on the banners to open the BoomBet website or app on a smartphone or computer.
- Click the “Join” button at the top right to start creating an account.
- Enter the requested details. You’ll have to choose a user ID and a password at this point.
- Follow the prompts to complete your registration and begin using your account.
You may have to verify your account to start using your new BoomBet account. The site integrates an online verification service through the Green ID portal for instant verification. If the online verification doesn’t work for you, manual verification should, although it wouldn’t be instant.
To complete manual verification, you’ll need to upload separate IDs to verify your date of birth and your address. Once BoomBet sees the document and confirms it as authentic, you’ll instantly get full access to your account, allowing you to start betting. Not all documents are supported for manual verification on BoomBet, but the “ID Requirements” page has a full list of the supported documents for your reference.
It’s also worth noting that you’ll need to fund your account after your verification to start using your account. Thankfully, BoomBet has a couple of secure payment methods for that purpose, but we’ll discuss that in more detail shortly. Before then, let’s look at the sports available for betting on BoomBet.
Bet on a Dozen Sports with a Few Esports Titles
BoomBet’s sports coverage screams quality over quantity, as you only get a dozen sports, esports inclusive. Unlike on many competing sites, filler sports and events are kept to a minimum; you only get what you want and almost nothing more. From the NBA to the Men’s and Women’s French Open, there are plenty of events to enjoy on BoomBet, many of them offering numerous betting markets.
Here’s a full list of the 12 sports you can currently access on BoomBet:
- Australian rules football
- Baseball
- Basketball
- Boxing
- Cricket
- Esports
- Golf
- Ice hockey
- Rugby League
- Rugby Union
- Soccer
- Tennis
Each sport often features several leagues running simultaneously, with each league offering dozens of matches each. The esports offerings change with available events, currently featuring two League of Legends tournaments: the European Championship and the LoL Pro League. BoomBet offers some of the most competitive head-to-head odds, but you’ll find the available betting markets in the esports category somewhat lacking.
The story is slightly different for regular sports, as I found so many betting markets on the FIFA World Cup Qualification games on BoomBet. With similarly competitive odds and coverage for pretty much all major leagues, few sportsbooks in Australia offer this level of sports coverage. While the site doesn’t offer
live betting in Australia, it’s no slouch either, offering excellent odds on some sports and esports markets.
Creating a new bet is a piece of cake, as sports events covered on BoomBet always carry the applicable odds. Click on the odds corresponding to the outcome you’re backing to create a new entry in your betslip and make a deposit or confirm your stake to lock in the bet after making all your selections.
Enjoy Instant Deposits and Same-Day Withdrawals
BoomBet uses a simple banking system with terms that many players might find accommodating. During my BoomBet Sportsbook review, I discovered users can deposit and withdraw using four payment methods, all widely available and popular in Australia. The most popular payment methods BoomBet supports include debit cards, PayID, BPay, and bank transfer.
Consider using either debit cards or PayID if possible, as they usually reflect immediately after you approve the payment. On the other hand, BPay and bank transfer deposits can take anywhere from one hour to two business days. I don’t know about you, but waiting for up to 48 hours for a sportsbook deposit is not one of the experiences I enjoy while using betting sites.
BoomBet processed withdrawals by 11 am and 3 pm every day, except for weekends and public holidays. All withdrawal requests submitted before 3 pm will be processed the same day, while those submitted after will carry over to 11 am the following day. If you’re using an instant payment method like PayID, you should receive your funds immediately after processing, while slower payment methods can take anywhere between 1 and 3 days.
Responsive, Multi-Channel Customer Support Experience
BoomBet offers several customer support channels to make it easier for users who are confused or stuck to find help. There’s an FAQs page with five categories: Banking, Promotions, My Account, Betting, and General. There, you’ll find answers to most of the questions you’re likely to ask BoomBet’s customer support. The FAQs page is still light on information, but it’s still relatively informative as-is, so I recommend going through it as a beginner.
If the FAQs can’t help you, try the Live Chat. The Live Chat option is on the left sidebar and opens a little popup allowing you to talk to a BoomBet representative about any concerns you have. This channel works better for short, to-the-point queries, but for more detailed questions that’d require longer or more technical answers, you should consider writing to BoomBet.
BoomBet offers a dedicated customer support email on its contact page, as well as phone numbers you can call for support when needed. The phone lines aren’t for live phone betting; they only accept queries and complaints from customers, and there are separate lines for local and international callers.
A standout feature of the customer support experience on BoomBet is that it’s equally open to guests and registered users. Unlike most Australian betting sites that require you to create an account to use one or more of the customer support channels, BoomBet lets you use the phone lines, the live chat, and even the email support option before you’re a registered user of the online sportsbook.
One slight downside, however, is that the support team doesn’t work 24/7. According to the site’s Contact Us page, the support team is only available from 8 am to 10:30 pm every day, so if you need help outside that window, you either try to find it within the FAQs or wait until the support team is back.
Overall, the customer support experience is not terrible; with BoomBet’s numerous support channels and quick responses when the support team is available, I’d rank the site among the best in Australia in the customer service department.
BoomBet Is Legit for Aussie Bettors
BoomBet is a subsidiary of BoomBet.com.au Pty Ltd., a private company in Australia licensed and regulated by the Northern Territory Government of Australia. In South Australia, the betting site’s operations follow the dictates of the South Australian Gambling Codes of Practice, so you know you’re betting on a site that meets Australian standards.
Beyond the compliant licensing, the site protects user information, evidenced by its cutting-edge SSL encryption. Users also get additional tools to secure their accounts, like the two-factor authentication option you can enable from the My Account section after your registration.
New BoomBet accounts require an ID verification to be eligible for deposits, withdrawals, and general gameplay, according to the ID Verification page. During ID verification, you either have to verify your identity online from a national database or provide copies of your ID manually.
BoomBet will try to verify your account automatically after registration, but if the automatic verification fails, you may have to email copies of your physical ID. Accepted documents for identity and address verification include driver’s licenses, passports, students’ identification cards, bank statements, utility accounts, and Council Rates Notice, among others.
Access a Mecca of Responsible Gambling Resources
An extension of BoomBet’s dedication to secure betting is its responsible gambling efforts, which, while required by regulators, are also a crucial part of the site’s core identity. For one, the site supports BetStop, the Australian National Self-Exclusion Register, so you can easily block your access to the site by enrolling yourself on the register.
Additionally, BoomBet offers an in-house Temporary and Permanent Self-Exclusion program that’s separate from BetStop, allowing you to limit your activities easily. There’s also the BoomBet Deposit Limit Scheme and a host of tools to monitor your betting activities on the online sportsbook, collectively helping you achieve a safer betting experience on the site.
Finally, there are tons of safer gambling resources available on BoomBet at all times to help users learn about responsible gambling and access help whenever necessary. Don’t hesitate to use many of these resources if you feel like you need them; they’re features designed to regulate your online betting activity at a personal level.
Conclusion – Top-Tier Online Sportsbook in Many Respects
BoomBet delivers a well-rounded package in an online sportsbook: decent sports coverage, simple and quick payment options, responsive customer service, and a valid license from the Northern Territory Government of Australia. It’s still a few flaws away from being perfect; it’s lacking 24/7 customer support, for example, but beyond the few minor flaws, it’s a great site to play as an Aussie bettor. If BoomBet ticks the right boxes for you, use our links to give the site a look and see how it stacks up.
BoomBet Review FAQs
