Recently, I’ve been diving into the world of Australian sportsbooks and my latest find is PointsBet. At first glance, this sportsbook looks to have a solid offering with plenty of betting options and a stylish site design.
But, if you want to full low down you can check out my PointsBet review below. In this article, I use my research and testing to explain everything this site has to offer. This includes the usability of its desktop and mobile versions, the sports you can bet on, the different betting markets Aussie customers might enjoy.
Do I Think PointsBet Has a Detailed Sportsbook?
I’m a firm believer that betting sites in Australia need a detailed sportsbook with a multitude of sports and markets. Without that, the site quickly becomes boring and you might not even be able to place bets on your favorite teams. With that in mind, to kick this PointsBet review off, I jumped into the betting system and looked at what entertainment it offered.
It Covers 20+ Sports Markets
You can typically judge an Australian online sportsbook’s quality by the number of sports markets it supports. In the case of PointsBet, I was pleased to see that you can bet on over 20 different sports. This includes a mix of both popular and niche sports, plus a couple of random categories. You can see the current complete list below:
American Football, Aussie Rules, Baseball, Basketball, Boxing, Cricket, Cycling, Darts, Entertainment, eSports, Golf, Handball, Hockey, MMA, Motor Sports, Netball, Politics, Racing, Rugby League, Rugby Union, Snooker, Soccer, Surfing, Table Tennis, Tennis, Volleyball.
As you can see, you’ve got all the main sports Aussies like to bet on, including cricket, both rugby disciplines, Aussie Rules, soccer, basketball, and baseball. If you're into
soccer betting, PointsBet covers everything from domestic league matches to major international tournaments. There’s also all the major US pro leagues, including the NBA, NFL, MLB, and NHL. I like that you’ve got some niche sports too, like handball, surfing, table tennis, and volleyball. They’ve even got decent coverage for the entertainment and politics markets, which are always great fun.
There’s a Good Selection of Betting Markets
The next step for assessing the quality of the sportsbook was to look at the bet types and variety. For most matches, you can make fixed odds bets, both pre-match and in-play (for horse racing via the website, and other sports via retail outlets or phone). This includes options, such as
golf betting, where PointsBet offers a solid range of tournament and player props. You’ve got the standard bet types like the outright winner, over/unders on main stats like goals, and an excellent range of handicap markets for most matches.
In terms of other bet types, you can make parlays, and for selected games there are multi bets which I like to call bet builders. The more popular sports also generally have a heap of different markets and props bets. For example, for many AFL Aussie Rules matches, you can choose from 60+ markets on individual games. Some examples include:
- 1st half result.
- Highest scoring half.
- Winning margins.
- Total points.
- Total goal bands.
- Team to kick X goals.
You can really have some fun with the betting selections and I think this was one of the highlights of this PointsBet review that I enjoyed.
I Had Fun Using the PointsBet Sportsbook
As I stated, I found the PointsBet sports betting experience to be thrilling. The site is easy to use which always makes things better, but it was the betting variety that really sold it for me. I had so much fun browsing through the different props options for the matches, especially for AFL and
rugby betting, and trying to create complicated same-game multi bets. In terms of entertainment value, this site is a hit and I think it will appeal to all types of Aussie sports bettors.
How Do I Rate the Live Betting at PointsBet?
I mainly prefer to make pre-match bets and don’t normally delve into in-play betting. I completely get its appeal, though, so I spent time assessing the quality and variety of the live betting at PointsBet. I think, compared to some other betting sites in Australia that I’ve used, the in-play betting section is OK, but could use some improvement.
The In-Play Betting Could Be Improved
When discussing in-play betting, I need to draw your attention to the Australian laws. At PointsBet, you can place in-play bets via the website for horse racing only. For other sports, you can use either supported retail locations or phone - still, the site displays all the available live betting options so you can ring up and place your bet easily.
The in-play betting experience for me at PointsBet was OK, but it’s not the best I’ve seen. The main area for improvement is the lack of detail and stats for most of the live matches. On most other Australian sportsbooks I’ve tried, live matches have a range of in-game stats you can look at, and there is normally a 2D or 3D game render that shows the action. PointsBet didn’t have any of that, so I found the information side of the in-play betting to be lacking.
You’ve got plenty of betting options at least, though, so I think this sportsbook is better used when you can actually watch the games live on another device. There is in-play betting markets for all the sports, and the availability varies depending on the popularity of the sport. The best live betting experience I found on this site was for horse racing. Each individual race had much more detail, including a complete breakdown of the entrants, race details, and stats like a speed map and easy speed comparisons. It also helps that with horse racing, you can place bets directly on the site, unlike the other sports.
The coverage is definitely brilliant for this site, but it’s just the detail and information that needs improving.
Does PointsBet Australia Have the Standard Features in Place?
We’ve looked at the sportsbook and what you can bet on, but those features have to be based on a legitimate, secure, and responsive site. This is why, for this section of the PointsBet review, I assessed the core features, including licensing, customer support availability, payment methods, and site security.
Licensing
You should only ever play at licensed online sportsbooks in Australia. To obtain a gambling license, a site has to be audited and comply with the laws and regulations for the region it operates in. This essentially gives you a security blanket and means that you have some type of protection. In the case of PointsBet, it is fully licensed and I am confident it’s a legitimate Australian online sportsbook.
It complies with regulations from the South Australian Gaming Codes of Practice and is also regulated and licensed by Australia’s Northern Territory Government. The site is a recognized betting provider with a range of professional league organizations in Australia too, such as the AFL, NRL, and Rugby AU. I checked out the responsible gambling tools too - you can make deposit limits and set self-exclusion periods, and the site has a range of self-help resources.
Security
Security is also paramount when using any website, especially one where real money transactions are taking place. When I created this PointsBet review, I checked for an HTTPS connection, which is incredibly basic, but essential - there was one. I then looked for SSL encryption, which is considered one of the best encryption and protection measures available. The site actually uses 2048-bit SSL encryption, which is an incredibly high security encryption.
The site also had a valid SSL certificate at the time of writing this article. Lastly, I looked for documentation that details how the site works and your rights when using it. There are terms and conditions, a responsible gambling section, betting rules, and a privacy policy - these are the minimum documents I expect an Australian sportsbook to have.
Customer Support
I always look for customer support options so I know how I can get help if I need it. PointsBet betting has a great selection of support methods, including email, live chat, and a telephone line. I first looked at the help center, though, as I often like to try and find solutions myself. The PointsBet help center is one of the best ones I’ve seen - you can search it manually, but there are also help categories such as getting started, my account, withdrawals, and deposits.
There was a heap of info in each section, and I actually learned a lot about the site simply by reading these Q&As. After that, the live chat is your best support option. As far as I can see, it’s available 24/7, and I was always able to speak to someone quickly. The reps were helpful and were able to sort out my problems without any drama. The telephone line is also fine - it took a while to get through to someone, but if you prefer this method, it’s a fine alternative to the live chat.
Payment Methods
PointsBet accepts an OK selection of payment methods, including debit card, credit card, bank transfer, PayID, PayTo, Apple Pay, and Google Pay. This isn’t the largest range of payment methods I’ve seen, but I think most Aussie customers should have at least one of these methods. I personally used Visa, and the deposit process was easy.
For withdrawals, you should have the same options, but it might depend on your location. I found the withdrawal processing to be fine, and in most instances, I got my payouts within 24 hours. I’ve seen other Aussie sportsbooks that process withdrawals within 24-48 hours, so I think this is one of the better sites for payouts.
How Is the PointsBet Site Usability?
As soon as I opened the PointsBet site, I knew that I was a fan of the style and design. It’s got a fresh color scheme that makes all the elements look uncluttered. You’ve got a white background, black text, some red highlights, and some grey button backgrounds - the site just looks modern and clean, and the colors make the text especially easy to read.
Generally, the site also follows the standard layout I expect Australian sportsbooks to have. You’ve got a pop-up menu on the left which has links to the sports categories. If you click one of those, the different betting options and available contests load in the middle section. Your bet slip plus other important info relating to the sport are found on the right. If you’ve never used an Aussie sportsbook before, I think you’ll be able to quickly understand how this one works.
For usability, it’s one of the better betting sites in Australia I’ve used - mainly because I could easily find links to all the important pages on the site, including the help center, sports categories, and account management.
I spent time looking at page speeds and responsiveness, too. All the pages I tested loaded instantly, and the information on each page populated quickly. This was true for the pre-match betting options, but also for the in-game betting on horse racing. I never felt like the website was sluggish or that I was missing out on information.
What’s the Mobile Accessibility Like for PointsBet Australia?
I most often use my smartphone for betting so a big thing for me when looking at betting sites in Australia is if they have a mobile app or not. If they don’t, I at least expect them to have a mobile-responsive browser version of the site. I looked at this for my PointsBet review and found that they have a mobile app, and it’s pretty good!
You can download the PointsBet app at the App Store for iPhones, or the Google Play Store for Android devices like Samsung Galaxies. Before I downloaded it, I checked the ratings. The Google Play version has over 100,000 downloads, 2,220+ reviews, and a 3.9-star rating, which is decent. The App Store version has a 4.6-star rating from over 14,000 reviews. The comments are generally positive and praise how the app works. Some negative comments I saw claimed that they had their bets restricted after they won several bets in a row - I did not have this experience when using the app.
I downloaded the Play Store version and it works fine! You get a similar layout to the desktop site, and I think it looks much better overall. The menus and sports categories are cleaner, and the touchscreen functionality is also excellent. I tested both the pre-match and in-play betting sections for horse racing on my Samsung Galaxy and the phone coped fine with the loading times. I was able to add items to my bet slip quickly, and I never had any issues with my bets being restricted, despite winning several decent racing bets in a row.
My Conclusion - Is PointsBet Australia Any Good?
It is! I think you should be able to see from my PointsBet review that I think this site has what it takes to be a top contender. It literally only has a few small areas for improvement. Mainly, I would like to see the in-play betting experience expanded so that more stats and game renders are shown, and that more live streaming is available. That’s only a minor problem, though, and it’s far outweighed by the positives this Australian sportsbook offers.
I think one of the major strengths of this operator is the variety. You’ve got 20+ sports markets to bet on, and for most of the popular sports types and matches, you have a dizzying array of player and team props to keep you entertained. This is all wrapped up in a stylish and easy-to-use website, along with two cracking mobile apps, making it one of the top
betting apps Australia
has to offer. So, if I’ve piqued your interest and you want to give it a try, you can click one of the links or banners on this page, open PointsBet, and get signed up!
PointsBet Australia FAQs
