SO you want to have a bet on your favourite sport? Before you do anything, the first port of call is to find a bookmaker to lay your wager with. But, once you do find that bookmaker, before you bet, it’s worth finding several more.
Why, you ask?
Well, you always want to make sure you’re getting the best odds and taking advantage of the sign up bonuses and unique promotions each online bookmaker provides. There’s nothing more frustrating than having a bet on a game and getting it home at $2, only to find that another bookmaker was offering $2.50 for the same result.
Some bookmakers offer $700 or more as a sign up bonus in free bets or betting money to pay with. You obviously have to turn that bonus over, but it’s still pretty cool to punt for free, with the chance of winning some free money. The thing about betting online is that it’s so easy.
You’re literally one or two clicks of your mouse – or flicks of your finger on your iPhone or Android device – from placing your bet. And you can do it all from the comfort of your couch at home, but, if you’re out and about and get a hot tip, you can lay your bet quick and easy while you’re on the run, so you don’t miss out on anything.
Any way, if you are looking for somewhere to place a few bets and want to know just how easy it is, here at realmoneygamble.com.au we have got you covered.
We’ve searched high and low and separated the best from the rest for you to peruse. Grab an account with each one to ensure you always get the best odds and offers.
The best bookmakers to consider
Here they are. The best of the best.The cream of the crop of international bookmakers that you simply must take advantage of.
Before you even bother signing up, make sure you have the disposable funds to ensure your betting is safe and enjoyable. Don’t leave yourself short of your obligations. That comes first. Once you’ve sorted that, we’ve provided you with links to send you straight to the sign up screens for each of the bookies. Click on them and sign up and don’t forget your passwords.
Australia
crownbet.com.au – Once the humble BetEzy, CrownBet has enjoyed a meteoric rise in the betting world, thanks to former Sportsbet owner Matthew Tripp getting James Packer and his casino giant Crown Resorts on board.
sportsbet.com.au – You’d be hard pressed to find a more proactive bookmaker than sportsbet.com.au and they back it up with a wider variety of sports, markets and novelties than any other. Has the backing of Irish gambling giant Paddy Power to back up its credentials.
luxbet.com – Backed by Tabcorp, the tote’s upmark competition to the corporates has acquitted itself well in the online bookmaking world. The bookie gives you the added security of being backed by the gaming giant.
* For a dedicated guide to the best Australian sports betting sites visit BettingSite.com.au.
United Kingdom
WilliamHill.com – With more than 80 years of history dating back to the 1930s in Britain, William Hill is a global phenomenon that makes it the largest bookmaker in the UK. You know the name and you know you’re going to get value.
bet365.com – When Samuel L. Jackson tells you to do things, it’s hard to say no. This savvy worldwide bookie knows its market and hits the target well. You won’t be disappointed.
USA
Bovada.lv – The US based gaming leader offers a huge variety of sports markets, run by the Morris Mohawk Gaming Group
bookmaker.eu – Setting the standard for online betting across the world comes easy for this mob. You’ll find many bookmakers will wait until bookmaker.eu puts its odds up before coming up with their own. That puts bookmaker.eu at the cutting edge of the online game.
BetOnline.com – Accept punters from every country in the world, barring a few. Have a good selection of many sports from countries all over the world and impressive reload bonuses.
China
32Red Sportsbook – A huge brand from the UK, 32Red Sport has a great selection of markets from around the globe. And most importantly accept punters from most Asian countries with strict gambling laws.
Bodog88 – Part of the Bodog Empire, founded by Canadian entrepreneur Calvin Ayre, Bodog88 has a good reputation for serving Asian countries. They also boast Australian, USA and UK horse racing markets.
Many of the above bookmakers will accept punters from other countries than the ones they are listed under. For instance Bet365 claims to accept punters from over 200 countries, while BetOnline has people on its books from similar.
What sports can you bet on with online bookmakers?
Short of two snails crawling up a wall, you can pretty much bet on every professional sport – and even many amateur ones.
Here is a list of the major sports you can wager on.
- Soccer
- Hockey
- Ice hockey
- MMA
- Tennis
- Golf
- Cricket
- American Football
- Boxing
- Motorsports
- Olympic Games
- Rugby League
- Rugby Union
- Darts
- Snooker
- Horse Racing
- Cycling
- Australian Rules
- Handball
- Basketball
- Motor Racing
- Netball
- Soccer
- Badminton
- Chess
- Bowls
- Hurling
- Gaelic Football
- Surfing
- Table Tennis
- Volleyball
How do you bet online?
The first step in your quest to have a punt is to click on one of the links above and head to the website of one of our recommended online bookmakers.
Once there, you’ll need to fill out your personal details in order to register an account and claim your sign up bonus, which is often either betting cash, or free bets.
You’ll need to provide bank and credit card details, as well as your date of birth and other information.
You’ll be able to deposit and bet, but in order to withdraw your winnings, you will need to verify your account, which often involves sending a copy of your credit card and/or licence, although online verification services are becoming more and more common in the betting world.
Once you’ve done that, you may need to either select your sign up bonus, or make a deposit to receive it, if it is a matched deposit bonus.
Then you can get started.
Our bookies offer a plethora of methods to deposit money, the most popular is obviously charging it to your credit card, which you can easily do online at the website.
POLi (only for Australian and New Zealand customers) is becoming more and more popular, allowing you to securely access your cash through your net banking facility and depositing it in your account instantly. PayPal is also useable for instant transfer, as is Skrill (Money Bookers).
If you prefer to plan ahead, there are other options which can take a little time for your money to appear in your account, including bank transfer and BPay.
Not all bookies offer all options, so it’s important to do your research into the ones that offer your preferred method of deposit.
Once you have your account and have your money, make sure you repeat the dose at a few of the other bookies to ensure you can play around with some free money before you drop in your hard earned.
It’s time to find the bet you want to place.
Once you’ve discovered it, scour the rest of the bookmakers you signed up with and compare their prices.
Now that you’ve got the highest odds, it is as easy as deciding how much you want to wager on your bet, adding the bet to your betting slip and submitting it.
The money will come from your account and the bet will be added to your bet history. This is when you sit back and barrack for your team or player to get home so that you can win some dough.
What are bookmaker bonuses, freebets and promotions and how can they work for you?
We’ve touched on sign up bonuses and bookmaker bonuses and promotions. Bookies will give you free money or bets just for signing up. The catch is, you have to turn them over once, but, once the money or bet has been wagered on something, any winnings are yours to do what you please with.
Outside of this, the bookies have daily, weekly, monthly and long term promotions and bonuses, used, not only to encourage betting, but to also enhance your chances of winning money.
Whether it’s a bookie providing money back on first goal scorer bets if you’re guy kicks the second goal in Aussie Rules or soccer, or another offering $1 back for every ace your player hits in the tennis, there is a bookmaker bonus for every one.