Pros and Cons of Soccer Betting
As fun as betting on soccer events can be, there are downsides and upsides to it. Here’s a quick look at both sides.
A Quick Look at Soccer Betting in Australia
Although soccer has always been popular among Aussies, betting on soccer events wasn’t legal until 1983, when Totalisator Agency Boards began taking bets on soccer events.
By 1996, the launch of Centrebet.com.au, an online gambling website, made online sports betting available to punters in the Land Down Under. Over the years, multiple offshore bookies have launched in Australia, so local punters have more sites to bet on their favourite soccer events.
How to Start Online Soccer Betting in Australia
It’s easy to bet on soccer once you know how to go about it. Here’s all you’d have to do:
- Click the banner on this page to land on the official website of any of our recommended sportsbooks
- Tap the “Sign Up” or ‘Create Account” button
- Provide your personal information, such as your full name, date of birth, and address
- Pick your username and password
- Make a deposit using the ‘deposit’ or ‘cashier’ button in the account or profile section
- Review the available soccer betting markets
- Select your bet
- Place your bet by entering the amount you’d like to wager
- Confirm your bet using the appropriate button, and the selection shows up on your betting slip
Wait for the outcome of your bet. If your predictions are correct, you win the bet and can either withdraw your winnings or use them for future bets. Making wrong predictions means that you’ve lost the bet.
Now that you’ve figured out how to get started at soccer betting, we’ll look at the leagues you’ll often find available:
- A-League
- UEFA Champions League
- English Premier League
- FIFA World Cup
- Continental soccer competitions
- Other European soccer leagues ( La Liga, Serie A and Bundesliga)
Before I get on with the rest of this guide, here are some quick soccer betting tips to keep in mind
| Dos |
Don’ts |
| Bet to have fun, not to make money |
Skip the research about the soccer teams or players |
| Go for draws when mid-table teams play |
Consider just head-to-head standings |
| Always check the Golden Boot standings |
Bet when you’re emotional or intoxicated |
Top 5 Online Soccer Bets to Explore
There are lots of bet types to explore when punting on soccer. However, I’d like to describe the top 5 ones that you can explore:
1. Win-Draw-Win
With
football betting, there’s always the chance of a game ending in a draw, and punters can bet on whether their preferred team wins or if the match ends in a draw.
2. Total Goals
With this bet type, you’ll decide whether the total number of goals scored in a soccer game will be over or under 2.5 goals. This bet is often represented as over or under 2.5 goals, although some sites have enhanced lines on certain games.
3. Correct Score
With this bet type, you’d try to predict what the correct score of a soccer match will be. Owing to the unpredictable nature of soccer, this bet often comes with high rewards.
4. Half Time/full Time Double
Your goal with this bet is to predict which team will lead at halftime and full time. Again, the possibility of a draw and how long a draw lasts make this bet type extremely unpredictable.
5. Multi Bet
With multi bets, you can pick two or more bets and put them together in a multi bet to get enhanced odds because each leg of the multi bet multiples the odds. For instance, you can build a multi-bet with four or five legs with a high potential for rewards. However, this bet type also comes with high risks.
There are lots of bookies that offer sports betting services to Aussie bettors. However, not all of them are legit, so based on my experience, I’ve curated 7 things to look out for when shopping for the best betting site to place soccer bets:
🔍 Check the site’s license & security protocols
📊 Look up the range of betting markets
📱 Find out if the site offers a mobile betting experience
📺 Check if live streaming is available
💳 What payment options are available?
🛠️ How does the sportsbook offer support?
Here Are the Top 5 Soccer Betting Sites for Aussie Punters
Just in case you don’t have the time to shop for top betting sites where you can place soccer bets, I’ll recommend these five sites based on my experience. Keep reading to find out what they offer:
PlayUp – Best Mobile Experience
PlayUp is one of my favourite Aussie bookmakers. It boasts a user-friendly interface, 24/7 customer support, Aussie-owned payment methods, and live betting via designated telephone lines. I also love that it offers 250+ football markets and same-game multi bets that can get up to 10 legs and lets its bettors have access to competitive odds.
But for me, none of the features I just described are the best part about using PlayUp. In my opinion, PlayUp’s unique selling point is its mobile betting experience. The app is very intuitive, loads quickly and is generally easy to use. I like that the site is optimised for mobile browsers, and you don’t need a native app to have a great on-the-go betting experience at PlayUp.
However, live streaming isn’t available at PlayUp, and the buttons on the mobile version could be better. Overall, in my opinion, PlayUp is one of the best sites for soccer sports betting.
Betr – Best for Multi Bets
The first thing that caught my eye when I landed on the Betr website is its clean layout. The site design is devoid of clutter, and there are lots of links and buttons that make for seamless navigation of the sportsbook. That’s not all.
Betr boasts a simple yet functional app that makes betting on the go a smooth experience. Its soccer bettors also have access to competitive odds and a variety of betting markets, including popular options like Match Result, Half-time/ Full-time bet, Draw No Bet, and First Team to Score. Interestingly, the site also offers multiple
rugby betting
markets.
Although Betr ticks all the right boxes, it made this list because it offers same-game multi-bets on a large number of soccer matches. To make it easier for its users to manage their same-game multi-bets, Betr offers multi-bet tracking. The site also offers Cash Out on single and multi-bets.
Picklebet – Best for Soccer Betting Odds
Picklebet is my second favourite Australian-owned bookie on this list. Launched in Australia in 2017, it is still a top bookie for Aussie soccer bettors for several reasons. For one, it boasts a modern, well-designed website that’s really easy to use on desktop, app, and mobile browsers.
The site also boasts a variety of well-priced betting odds and covers all the top soccer leagues in Australia, Europe and Asia. It also offers loads of player-specific markets and same-game multi markets for A-League and European matches. In my opinion, Picklebet’s coverage of the Australian Football League (AFL) makes it one of the best sites for
AFL football betting.
I think there could be more payment solutions to offer bettors more options, though. That said, Picklebet is a great option for placing soccer bets.
Bet365 – Best for Live Streaming
If you’ve been placing sports bets for a while, then bet365 needs no introduction. For the newbies who’re just learning about bet365, here are a couple of quick facts: bet365 has 50+ million customers worldwide, and it has offered soccer betting services to Australian punters since 2012.
bet365 offers lots of competitive, exclusive, and live odds that are better priced than what’s available at other bookies. It also offers premium usability across devices, loads of betting markets on soccer, same-game multi bets, a native app, live betting (only over a designated telephone number) and access to several trusted payment methods. I also like its exclusive Match Live feature that lets you track soccer events via live graphics, and you can even get alerts and notifications for events during a match.
That said, what I like the most about punting at bet365 is its live streaming feature. It’s a service that lets you watch live football matches in soccer leagues across the world with no additional costs, including major European leagues. For me, the best part about playing at bet365 is that you can live stream soccer matches even on the bet365 app. However, to use the live streaming service at bet365, you must have funded your account or placed a bet within the last 24 hours.
Besides being a great site for betting on soccer, bet365 is also great for
tennis betting.
Draftstars – Best for Fantasy Soccer
One unique thing about betting at Draftstars is that you’d be competing against other bettors and not the sportsbook. The site doesn’t offer “regular” betting on soccer events. Rather, it runs daily fantasy competitions where there are huge prize pools for participants, and almost everyone who enters the competition can get a part of the prize pool.
The Draftstars website has a well-organised layout that makes it extremely user-friendly across devices. I like the “How to Play” section, which offers new users all the information they need to explore the site’s services. You can also access the latest sports news and get tips to help you draft a “winning” fantasy soccer team.
Although Draftstars offers limited customer support and payment methods, it’s still worth checking out if you’re big on fantasy soccer.
Quick Facts About Soccer Betting
To capture the main points of this guide, I’ve curated a couple of takeaways that are easy to remember. Here they are:
- Betting on soccer events is extremely popular in Australia, and it became legal in 1983
- Placing soccer bets online became legal in Australia in 1996
- Both local and offshore sportsbooks offer betting on soccer events
- The best betting sites for soccer bets in Australia are PlayUp, Picklebet, bet365, Betr and DraftStars
Conclusion – Have a Great Time Exploring Soccer Betting
Placing bets on soccer events just got easier for you. In this guide, I’ve described how betting on soccer works and how you can get started. I also pointed you towards the leagues where you can place soccer bets and described the more popular betting options.
What’s more, I offered tips on what to look out for when shopping for the top betting sites. I even recommended five top betting sites where you can place soccer bets and described how they work.
If you’re new to placing soccer bets, you have everything that you need to get started and have a great time. I’d suggest that you start by clicking one of the banners on this page to find a sportsbook where you can have fun placing soccer bets.
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Soccer 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.
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