Sportsbet
QUICK FACTS
Established in 1998
Located in Australia
customerservice@sportsbet.com.au
51% of Sportsbet’s shares were bought by Paddy Power in 2009 with the full ownership taking part in 2011, but it is run as if it were a distinct organization.
The current CEO is Cormac Barry (click here to read his profile on Bloomberg.com).
Don’t get confused with Sportsbet.io. Totally different sportsbook.
pros
Astounding # of wagering possibilities: The number of betting options is a big element in favor of this sportsbook.
- The list of sports/markets is one of the largest I have ever seen. Not only does Sportsbet cover many sports that get less media attention (alpine skiing, chess, hurling, sailing, ski jumping and surfing), but their “Novelties” section has bets on unusual events like the future price of Bitcoin, who will win specific Nobel Prizes, who will be the next James Bond, will the song “Humble” by Kendrick Lamar win the 2018 Hottest 100 Countdown, the price of AUD dollars versus USD dollars at the end of 2017, etc.
- There are lots of prop bets and alternatives on each game. On AFL (Australian Rules) games I found over 200 betting options. Major League Baseball games had around 125 betting options. I could go on and on.
- Live in-play wagering is also available on a wide array of games. Once again, you can bet on much more than which team (or which player) is going to win the game. There are lots of markets. If you are an Australian resident, you will have to deal with a bad restriction: you cannot place live bets online due to regulations in your country. The only avenue is to phone them.
- They are especially strong in Australian sports. Punters have many markets to choose from in the AFL, NRL, Super Rugby and soccer (football).
Strong reputation: This is a very reliable sportsbook. They have been in business for a long time and were Australia’s first licensed bookmaker. Their acquisition by a giant like Paddy Power (the largest sportsbook in Ireland) has even strengthened their financials. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that you will get paid by Sportsbet!
Nice mobile app: They have one of the most appreciated mobile applications. Users are praising the app all over the web.
Advantageous rollover requirements: Promotions are not Sportsbet’s strongest suit, but when they do have bonus offers I’ve got to acknowledge their very low turnover requirements, which is a nice benefit for punters.
Low minimum betting limit: Can you believe they actually have a minimum online bet set at $0.01? In other words, they are accommodating all kind of players, no matter how big their bankrolls are.
cons
Lack of bonuses and promotions: There was a single bonus offer at the time of this review, and it wasn’t a great one. New players were receiving a bonus bet (free play) matching the stake of their very first bet with sportsbet.com.au. The bonus bet was capped at $100 which had to be rolled over once for Australian residents or five times (5x) for members outside Australia. The offer was not open to Victoria, New South Wales, Western Australia and South Australia.
Not-so great odds: Their juice (vigorish) is not the greatest. I found -109 lines (1.92 in decimal format) on Major League Baseball games, whereas some other sportsbooks have dime lines (-105 lines). Same juice on AFL matches. International basketball and soccer had 30-cent lines (i.e. -115 lines). That’s not great value for sports bettors.
Limiting winners: The vast majority of online bookmakers in Australia tend to limit winning punters; Sportsbet is no exception, unfortunately.
- Credit card
- Paypal
- Skrill (Moneybookers)
- Cheque
- Bank transfer
- Credit card
- Debit card
- Paypal
- Skrill (Moneybookers)
- POLi
- BPAY
- Bank transfer
STORY 1
At the time of this review, there were 341 reviews about sportsbet.com.au at the link below. The average rating is 4.74 stars out of 5, which is amazingly good.
SOURCE: https://www.reviews.io/company-reviews/store/sportsbetcomau
ANALYSIS: People mention the mobile app, the customer service and the great odds as the main benefits of this sportsbook. One of the very few bad comment came from a guy stating low horse racing odds and the lack of rewards for long-time customers. Generally speaking, a lot of nice words for sportsbet.com.au.
STORY 2
A player called Szymona deposited $50 and then placed a $5 bet on which he made an $8.65 profit. He didn’t make any wagers over the following eight weeks and asked for his $58.65 balance to be withdrawn. The payout was denied; he was told he had to rollover the original deposit amount at least once.
SOURCE: http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/archive/2120905
ANALYSIS: I am siding with Sportsbet in this case. Not only is the rollover requirement stated in their terms and conditions, but this kind of practice seems reasonable to me. The sportsbook gets charged fees for the credit card deposit; they just can’t let people deposit and withdraw without placing a sufficient amount of bets. One of the poster says he has an account with several online bookies, including this one, and his assessment is sportsbet.com.au has very fair rules.
Bonus hunters won’t find many great opportunities with Sportsbet. But if you plan on having an account with a trustworthy betting site for the long term, this one will definitely satisfy your needs in terms of betting options. I’m still stunned by the wide variety of markets, as well as the proposition and alternative bets. It may be the largest selection I have ever seen. I also like how they post odds on unusual events.
Sportsbet’s margins are a little above-average (which means they are taking slightly bigger commissions), but I still highly recommend this sportsbook. It amazes me that such a big bookie has so few complaints against them. Try typing “sportsbet complaints” in Google and you won’t find much (unlike many other sportsbooks I have reviewed). Playing with a hassle-free bookmaker is a big bonus when it comes to online betting.