Editor's Rating  * * * * *

Sportsbet is an excellent betting service. In an earlier review we described the interface as “simplistic.” Now that the website has been given a complete overhaul, the interface is modern and feature-packed, with strong support for multi betting. At the same time, it is still easy to use and intuitive, which makes Sportsbet a good option for beginners. The betting selection is excellent, in particular for Australian sports, which makes Sportsbet suitable as a sole membership. 

Editor's Rating  * * * * *

Luxbet have slid down the pecking order for bonus offers. They still offer daily specials (published every Tuesday).

Luxbet are not the leader on price but they are MUST HAVES in your bookmaker portfolio. I find the technology a little on the slow side but it is improving.

Their first deposit match offers are up to $750. You may need to grit your teeth as you place your bonus bet as a single wager but it's a free hit so good luck. 

Their incentives aren't limited to racing and they cleverly offer incentives to try different bet types and markets. These inducements are cleverly conceived and tempting. It's a great way to educate new punters on different options and sports. So, far I've delved into golf, greyhounds, tennis, gridiron, soccer and NBA basketball. There will be more in our winter season and Luxbet will be at the forefront with incentives.

Editor's Rating  * * * *

Since Beteasy (formerly Betezy) was bought out by Matthew Tripp it has been rebranded with new name and livery. Tripp has signalled his intention of being the dominant Australian owned/ operated sports bookmaker with large sporting sponsorship deals including golf, AFL and other deals being actively sought.

CrownBet offer deposit matching bonus (up to $500) and you may also score a reload bonus (up to $500) shortly afterwards. They are active with regular bonus offer incentives such as bet R8 and get a FREE $50 bet on another race/ program.

Their technology is slick. It's easy to read and navigate. Their prices are competitive and customer service is polite, courteous and helpful. Their ID verification process is painless (unlike William Hill) and their positioning as the Australian independently owned/ operated bookmaker is both clever and refreshing.

Editor's Rating  * * * *

When it comes to a betting exchange, bigger is better and Betfair dominates in this regard, boasting 90% of global exchange activity. The exchange platform takes time to get used to but it’s well worth the effort. The ability to bet both for and against outcomes makes hedging incredibly easy. Betfair’s other big strength lies in tournament betting. The tournament winner odds are far superior to those offered by bookmakers and the back/lay feature enables you to lock in profits and limit losses. Betfair also offers better value in Correct Score markets than bookmakers. While Betfair does offer a Multi betting platform, the odds and market selection isn’t nearly as competitive, so multi betting enthusiasts should look elsewhere. Betfair is not ideal for beginners, however experienced punters will revel in the ability to play the role of both the punter and bookmaker. We highly recommend Betfair to serious sports betting enthusiasts and to those who enjoy tournament winner and correct score betting.

Editor's Rating  * * * *

Ladbrokes represents the latest expansion of a UK betting giant into Australia. Rather than start from scratch, they have purchased Bookmaker.com.au and created the Australian Ladbrokes service using the same markets, odds and website back end. When it came to choosing an Australian bookmaker to amalgamate, they chose well. The website interface is state of the art, with excellent betting functionality and a well-designed account management area. The betting selection is strong, with an especially large range of markets for the popular Australian codes. We also like the fact that bonus credit can be split up into multiple wagers rather than forcefully wagered in one hit. Ladbrokes will pose yet more headaches for existing Australian bookmakers in what is becoming a very competitive space.

Editor's Rating  * * * *

Unibet (Australia) has distinctive green livery. They have a different spin on deposit bonuses being one of the few that offer STAKE RETURNED (SR) bonuses. The bet thru requirements (3X) are a little onerous but once you navigate your way through you'll find Unibet easy to use. 

Unibet offered one of the best bonus offers during the spring racing carnival with their "double your winnings" offer (up to $800). They also offer multi insurance (up to $50) and produced a carnival of offers during the spring with mostly $50 bets, bonuses and refunds.

They do seem to have a disjoint between front of house and back of house operations and their communications is a little tardy ... that aside Unibet is well worth including in your portfolio.

Editor's Rating  * * * 

Palmerbet is another of the few local sports bookmaker brands to have survived the entry of big English backed firms. The Palmer family has a long history in the racing scene in Sydney and they do well to compete against much bigger firms with deeper pockets. 

The entry offer is a deposit match (up to $250) and they have regular bonus incentives including 2.0 lines, bonus bet offers if 2nd or 3rd.

The technology is a little slow to load. They could do with a PIN login option and customer service could do with some pleasantries and common courtesy.

Editor's Rating  * * *

As one of Australia’s largest locally licensed bookmakers, William Hill is an excellent betting service. The new interface is top of the line and the website offers a good range of deposit methods to go with a strong betting selection. Despite being foreign owned, the service is very much catered to Australians. The Australian sporting codes are heavily catered for and only Australian dollar accounts are available. William Hill caters well to a range of punters. Beginners will enjoy the frequent betting promotions while enthusiasts will appreciate the betting selection and interface.

Editor's Rating  * * * *

Bet365′s promotional offers have improved out of sight in the past twelve months.  They offer deposit match (up to $200) and if you are lucky a further Bet365 "On the Move" bonus (up to $100) but against that they are the most difficult things to opt into (obscure bonus codes and complex navigation).

The big carrot of Bet365 is that they are consistently in the top three on price and if best price is your main thing then Bet365 must be in your portfolio. Personally, I'd love to see simpler offer and incentives, improvements in navigation and technical interface and some more concerted marketing. 

Samuel Jackson was their choice but having an American front (on-line sports bookmakers are banned in the USA) an English style bookmaking house was a strange choice. 

Editor's Rating  * * * *

THERE is a new betting agency in town and online bookmaker Neds is looking to make a splash in its opening weekend of business.

All three racing disciplines are catered for, so punters that have expertise on the gallops, harness or greyhounds have options across all forms of punting.

HORSE RACING – NEDS FLEMINGTON SPECIAL

The headlines may be dominated by Winx’s debut at racing headquarters in Melbourne, but Neds is focusing on the first race of an absolutely stacked Flemington card.

Back any runner in the opening race at Flemington on Saturday and if your horse does not win, Neds will refund your stake up to the value of $20. We recommend taking Tony McEvoy’s highly-touted debutante Sunlight, which is paying $3.50 fixed.

The Sydney races are not neglected either.

Back any runner in race seven on the card at Randwick this Saturday and Neds will give you a bonus bet to the value of your stake capped at $50.

HARNESS RACING – NEDS MENANGLE SPECIAL

The trotters return to Menangle this Saturday night and the first race on the card is the event Neds have targeted.

Place a bet on race one on the Menangle harness card and if your horse does not win you will get your stake back up to $20. We are liking the look of New Zealand import My Rona Gold. The horse has great gate speed and won comfortably last time out and from the inside draw it should lead well and take some catching.

GREYHOUND RACING – NEDS DAPTO SPECIAL

The Dishlickers more your speed? Neds has you covered.

Place a bet on tonight’s Dapto dogs meet and if your dog fails to get the job done in the first race on the card Neds will refund you stake up to the value of $20.

Editor's Rating  * * * 

With so many corporate bookmakers competing for a share of the Australian wagering market, punters need to know the ins and outs of each bookie so they can make an informed decision about who they are going to invest with.

Our review of online bookmaker ClassicBet aims to provide an honest and unbiased review of their product and service, while also pointing out their strengths and weaknesses.
 
Australian Owned and Operated
ClassicBet was launched in March 2014 and have quickly established themselves as reputable online bookmaker, with 11 race clubs, as well as Greyhound Racing NSW and Greyhound Racing SA throwing their support behind the relative newcomer. 

The company is 100 percent Australian owned and operated with its head office at Penrith Paceway, NSW.  

Being a Racing & Sports betting operator, CLASSICBET PTY LTD is licensed by the NSW Government and regulated by Harness Racing NSW. 

ClassicBet claims to strongly supports the 'Ideals and Objectives' as set out by the Australian Bookmakers Association and expresses its commitment to demonstrating responsibility and providing excellent service.
 
Promotions
ClassicBet may not offer the plethora of weekly racing and sports betting promotions that are available from rival bookmakers, but their main promotional product has been finely tuned to give punters access to the very best odds. 

They also offer a Rewards Program that entitles customers to raceday tickets, hospitality packages, flights, accommodation and up to $10,000 in Bonus Bets.

Best of the Best Premium (BOB) - Available on most metro gallop meetings
This product is available on most metro gallops in Victoria, NSW, Queensland and SA, Dividends are paid at the best of either, "Best of 3 Australian TAB prices" or the "Official On-Course Best Fluctuation". Bets must be placed 30 minutes prior to the advertised starting time as displayed on the Classicbet website.
 
Best Tote Plus SP - Available on every Australian gallop meeting
This product is available on every Gallop meeting in Australia. It pays the the best of either the "Best of the 3 Australian TAB Prices" or the "Official On-Course Starting Price (SP)". SP only applies to the Win Portion of the bet. For Place bets and Each-Way bets the place portion is paid at middle tote.
 
Best of 2 Totes - Available on selected metro greyhound and harness meetings
This product is the better of the dividend declared by either NSW TAB or the Victorian Super TAB. For Place bets and Each-Way bets the place portion is paid at middle tote.
 
Middle Tote - Available on country greyhound and harness meetings
This product is the middle dividend of the 3 Australian TAB prices.
 
Win Tote + 5% - Available on overseas meetings
Classicbet will pay a dividend 5% higher than the Victorian TAB (STAB) (On profit portion of dividend, not stake). For Place bets and Each-Way bets the place portion is paid at middle tote.
 
Best Fluctuation - Available on metro gallop meetings
This product is the Best Price declared by the official On-Course Bookmakers Fluctuations. This option is available until the horse shortens on selected race meetings. For Place bets and Each-Way bets the place portion is paid at middle tote.

Classic Rewards
The ClassicBet rewards program is second to none and all points are rewarded on turnover. For any punter that keeps track of how much money they actually turnover, they would realise you don’t have to be betting big to turn over large amounts of money.

Refer a Friend
Customers that refer a friend to ClassicBet are entitled to a $200 Bonus Bet, but there are some stipulations that make this offer a bit more complicated than it seems. The referring customer will be provided with referral Bonus Bet once the referral has deposited at least $200 and has turned over of at least $600 (at odds greater than $1.50 for racing or $1.90 for sport).
 
New Customer Offer
ClassicBet have the biggest new customer offer of all bookmakers which makes them an enticing proposition for large punters. New customers can receive up to a whopping $3000 in Bonus Bets when making their first deposit. Use the promo code MAXCASH during the registration process to claim.

Here are the details for ClassicBet’s First Deposit Bonus:


Deposit $100 get $100 free
Deposit $500 get $200 free
Deposit $2,500 get $500 free
Deposit $5,000 get $750 free
Deposit $10,000 get $1,000 free
Deposit $30,000 get $3,000 free
 
All Bonus Bet winnings are added to a customer’s account excluding the Bonus Bet stake. For example, a winning $50 Bonus Bet placed on a selection paying $3.00 will credit winnings of $100 into your Account. For any promotion where bonus bets are received, the corresponding deposit must be turned over three times, at odds of $1.50 or greater on racing (or $1.90 for sport if sport allowed by client manager) before the free bet will be awarded. Bonus bets can be placed in any amount on racing events, however, free bets cannot be used on sports or multi bets unless specified by a client manager.
 
Wagering Requirement
You must be aged 18 years or over to bet and participate in any ClassicBet wagering or promotion. Customers are to provide sufficient Identification consistent with all Australian Financial Institutions under the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Act 2006 (Commonwealth). The identification must have proof of name, age and current residential address.
 
Odds and Markets
ClassicBet’s odds are one of the most competitive in the market and you can rely on the ‘Best of the Best’ promotion to make your betting experience a superior one. The bookmaker’s main focus is on thoroughbred, harness and greyhound racing, but they do offer a wide market on all major sporting events. They offer 145 markets on every AFL game, and also offer extensive markets on Rugby, Tennis, Basketball and much more.
 
Website
Their website is surprisingly super quick, with pages loading much quicker than many of their high profile rival bookmakers. The website is easy to navigate with ‘Racing’ and ‘Sport’ immediately divided into separate categories. Everything you need to access is visible from the home page and the consistent tones of Black, white and gold give the website a feel of luxury.

ClassicBet App
The recently launched, neat looking app loads immediately and is easy to navigate with four main functions across the screen of your mobile device. The ‘Next To Go’ and ‘Next To Jump’ features make finding the next available sport or racing event extremely easy to find. The app lacks the innovative functions of some competitors but it’s functionality is very simple and super quick – which is really what punters need.
 
Customer Service
This is where ClassicBet stand head and shoulders above their competitors. Their customer service is second to none and every customer receives their very own client manager. When you call ClassicBet, your client manager will be available to assist you in anyway possible.
 
Racing: 1800 888 001 or 02 95710030
Sport: 1800 888 100
Customer Service: 1800 888 700
Fax: 0284585350
International: +61295710030
Email: support@classicbet.com.au
Post: PO Box 40, Potts Point, NSW 2011

Editor's Rating  * * 

Bookmaker.com.au was the clever digital branding by the guy that was headhunted by Ladbrokes to head up Ladbrokes (Digital) in Australia. It was innovative with Pick Your Own Odds, Favourite v Field, split your bonus, and similar initiatives. These days, like Betstar, the life has been sucked out of it and it, too, will disappear into the parent brand Ladbrokes. I give it until mid-2015.

It was the highly innovative in design and functionality but that's all been swallowed up by Ladbrokes. 

* Ladbrokes profess a strategy that you have one, and only one, Ladbrokes brand in your portfolio so may as well make it the motherbrand.

Editor's Rating  * * 

I suspect the Betstar brand is on borrowed time. The offers and look and feel are a clone of the Ladbrokes masterbrand (as is Bookmaker.com.au) and they offer nothing you can't get from parent Ladbrokes. 

There is no marketing oomph behind the brand and I'd be very surprised to see them still in the marketplace mid-year, 2015. There's probably earnout reasons why they still remain but once they're fulfilled it will be bye bye Betstar. Let's hope Alan Eskander resurfaces when he's re-eligible. 

* Ladbrokes profess a strategy that you have one, and only one, Ladbrokes brand in your portfolio so may as well make it the motherbrand.

Editor's Rating  TBA

There is a new licensed wagering operator in Australia - TopBetta. They have an outstanding introductory offer enticing new customers with 100% of losses back on all Win & Place bets on the first Saturday you bet with them. 

Unlike anything else in the market they offer tournaments on sporting and racing events using their own fantasy currency BettaBucks.