Understanding Rugby League Betting
I’m sure you are aware of the distinction between the two major types of professional rugby played - Rugby League and Rugby Union. For the most part, Rugby League remains the more popular of the two in Australia, and around the globe. It’s generally seen as the more accessible option with greater grassroots support and development.
The underlying game is the same, with both teams aiming to score points by making tries or converting field goals, but exactly how that is done and the rules differ. I won’t go into full details here - all you need to know is that for this guide I’m concentrating specifically on Rugby League betting.
Rugby League Tournaments Supported
Rugby League betting is essentially the process of placing a real money sports wager on a Rugby League match. You can do this at legal online Australian sportsbooks. Not all global Rugby League tournaments are supported at these sites, but usually, you will be able to make bets on the following competitions:
- National Rugby League (NRL Australia).
- New South Wales Cup.
- Queensland Cup.
- Melbourne Rugby League.
- NRL South Australia.
- NRL Western Australia.
- Rugby World Cup.
- GB Super League.
- French Super XIII.
Australian sportsbooks obviously concentrate on the major Aussie leagues, with the NRL being the premier competition. However, you can also usually find markets for the top European leagues such as the GB Super League and French Super XIII.
How Rugby League Betting Works
Rugby League betting couldn’t be easier, but the first thing you have to do is register with an online sportsbook and make a deposit if you want to play a real money bet. From my experience, you can usually do this via the following steps:
- Click one of the links or banners on this page.
- Complete the registration process to make an account.
- Make your first AUD deposit.
- Find the Rugby League section.
- Pick a match you want to bet on.
- Add selections to your bet slip.
- Confirm your selections and wait for the result!
The actual bet process is also simple. For example, let’s say that you want to make a bet on the Bulldogs and Eels NRL match. You’d go to the NRL section, find the relevant match, and then click/tap on the odds of the team you thought was going to win for the “moneyline” or “outright” selection. When you click the odds, that selection is then added to your bet slip. You just have to enter your bet amount and confirm it, and your bet is placed! When the match ends, if your bet wins, your payout will be automatically added to your account balance.
Types of Rugby League Betting Markets
After looking at how the basic bets work, and the common competitions you can bet on, the next step is knowing the types of bets you can make. I often stick with outright bets for Rugby League betting. But as with
Greyhound racing betting, you’ve usually got a much wider selection of potential bets that can be more exciting and have higher odds. I’ve explained some of the common options here:
| Bet type |
Description |
| Outright |
You select who you think will win a match. |
| Over/under |
If you think a particular stat will be over/under a line, such as total points. |
| Handicap |
One team is given a handicap to make the bets more competitive. |
| Parlay/Acca |
Picking the winner of multiple Rugby League matches. |
| Same Game Parlay/Same Game Multi/Bet Builder |
Picking multiple selections from a single game and combining into one bet. Such as total points and total tries. |
| Total tries |
Number of tries scored in the game, by a player, or by a team. |
| Total kicks |
Number of kicks scored in the game, by a player, or by a team. |
| Halftime/Fulltime |
Picking the winner of the half, and the overall game. |
| Winning margin |
How many points you think a team will win by. |
Pros and Cons of Rugby League Betting
Rugby League betting is awesome, but it’s not perfect, and this is reflected in these below pros and cons:
Rugby League Betting Tips to Get You Started
To give you a hand and make your experience more enjoyable, I’ve come up with some NRL betting tips and general Rugby League betting tips at Australian sportsbooks below:
🔒 Stick with recommended, licensed sportsbooks
💰 Never bet 100% of your bankroll
📊 Be prepared to look at stats and trends
📈 Use in-play betting to your advantage
⚖️ Consider a mix of different risk bets
My Four Recommended Rugby League Betting Sportsbooks
Like Golf betting and other sports betting online, you need somewhere to do it. Don’t worry though - I’ve got you covered! Over the years, I’ve come across some awesome Australian sportsbooks that feature Rugby League betting. I’ve handpicked these sites for you based on their features, usability, in-play betting, mobile accessibility, and coverage of top competitions like the NRL - enjoy.
Playup - Best Overall Sportbook
My top pick for
Rugby betting
is Playup. I think the site is fantastic. If you prefer betting on your computer or laptop then I think you’ll enjoy the simple and logical layout of the site. However, there’s also a mobile app available on Android and iOS and this is just as good. You get a seamless mobile experience and all the betting markets of the main site.
For Rugby League, Playup heavily features the NRL and it has a dedicated section for the matches from the quick links menu. For example, at the time of writing this I was able to place bets on a match between the Cronulla Sharks and St. George Illawarra Dragons. For most games, you’ve got 30+ markets available including parlays and same game parlays.
Playup doesn’t just feature Rugby though - it has 20+ sports covered including cricket, baseball, the AFL, basketball, ice hockey,
golf betting, and tennis. While Rugby League is the main sport here, Playup also supports Rugby Union and features the Super Rugby matches and international tournaments like the Six Nations.
Picklebet - Superb Odds Available
I’ve been a Picklebet fan for a while now and like Playup, I like the simplicity of the site design and the excellent usability. You can expand the side menu to find all the sports categories including Rugby League, and this site has one of the widest selections of sports I’ve found. Examples of supported markets include golf, Aussie rules, basketball, soccer, baseball, tennis, ice hockey, UFC, boxing, darts, snooker, and cycling.
In the case of Rugby League, the NRL is easily the most popular competition available, but I also found markets for domestic competitions around the world such as the Super League in England. I like the fact that for many games you have 25+ betting markets, and while there isn’t as much choice as soccer or tennis, you can still make some complete props bets and parlays.
Generally, for most NRL games, you can make outright selections, plus same game multi markets with two or more selections on props like 1x2, line, total match points, halftime/fulltime leader, last team to score, total points over/under, and exact match points. I’ve always had a blast here playing with these different options and coming up with unique multi-selection bets.
Bet365 - Best Betting App
Whether you like
AFL football betting
or Rugby League betting, bet365 has you covered. It’s arguably one of the best-known gambling operators in Australia and I have been a big fan of its services for years. The desktop sportsbook works fine, but for the best betting experience you want to download the bet365 app. It’s easily one of the best betting apps available and you can get it for iOS or Android devices. The layout is simple, navigation is easy, and you can get to the NRL and other Rugby League options quickly.
For the NRL, bet365 arguably has a better range of props bets than Playup and Picklebet and you’ve usually got 40+ markets for each of the games. In-play betting is also possible and you can browse your options, but you can only actually place the live bets via telephone or at selected retail locations.
Rugby is well supported on this site, but it features all the other popular Australian sports including soccer, cricket, Rugby Union, Aussie Rules, tennis, golf, and MMA. I think the soccer coverage is some of the best available and you can make bets on 1st, 2nd, and 3rd tier competitions such as the EPL, Championship, and Division 1.
Betr - Most User-Friendly Betting Site
Betr offers simplicity and a smooth learning curve for new Rugby League betting fans. The website couldn't be easier to use and they make it easy to find the popular sports categories and add items to your bet slip. There is actually a direct link to the NRL matches if you click on the relative icon in the “Popular Sports” section of the side menu.
This site has a relatively standard Rugby League betting setup and while you can bet on the NRL, most of the other popular global Rugby League competitions are supported like the English Super League, and the French Super XIII. Like the other sites, in-play betting is possible at retail locations or the phone, and you can make online live bets for horse racing directly on the site.
Betr has an app too, and it is right up there in terms of quality and usability as the bet365 app and I’ve had many pleasant betting sessions using it on my Android smartphone.
Place Your First NRL Bet Today and Have a Blast
Rugby league betting will only get stronger I think as support for the sport continues to blossom in Australia, and the NRL and other competitions maintain their popularity with the Australian sports-loving population. The fact that there are some awesome Australian sportsbooks also helps as you’ve got a heap of options to pick from.
Playup, Picklebet, bet365, and Betr are all top picks, but my number one recommendation from these brands is Playup. I just enjoy how the site works, its usability, and the NRL coverage they offer. If you want to give it or one of the other three sportsbooks a try, just click on one of the links or banners on this page and sign up today.
Our Highly Esteemed Sportsbooks
Rugby League Betting FAQs
Gamble Responsibly
Playing at online sportsbooks, real money casinos, and sweepstakes sites should always be safe and enjoyable. Keep control of your activity by following
responsible gambling
guidelines such as:
Set a Budget:
Decide on a budget you’re comfortable with and stick to it. Once it’s gone, stop playing.
Don’t Chase Losses:
Trying to recover losses often leads to overspending.
Play with a Clear Head:
Avoid playing under the influence, or when angry, stressed, or tired.
Set Time Limits:
Take breaks and ensure gambling doesn’t cut into time with family or friends.
Know Your Stuff:
Learn the rules, bet types, odds, and payouts before playing to avoid mistakes.
Use Responsible Gambling Tools:
Make use of features like budget limits and self-exclusion.
If you or someone you know is struggling to gamble responsibly, these free, confidential resources can help:
To make sure you get accurate and helpful information, this guide has been edited by
Nick Slade
as part of our fact-checking process.
Advertiser disclosure
