Sportsbet is the wagering partner of Australia’s two biggest sporting leagues – AFL and NRL. It’s hard to scroll through your TikTok or Instagram feed without seeing a sponsorship or advertisement for the company. It’s one of the best-known Australian betting brands, and a name that Aussies are familiar with and trust.
The company was founded in 2004 by Matthew Tripp, who invested his own money along with some from private equity firm Investcorp. The initial goal was to make sports betting accessible and affordable for all Australians. This was achieved through a focus on innovation and cutting edge customer support. In 2023, it is still an industry leader and remains one of the country’s most popular online betting sites.
As its name suggests, Sportsbet offers a comprehensive range of sports to bet on. This includes esports, minor sports, and the big offerings like football and tennis. In addition, it also has a full offering of horse racing markets. The site is easy to navigate and has a clean interface. Its homepage is a little busy for first-time punters with many promotions and market selections on display, but the bet slip opens up on the right side of the screen when you select a market so that you can see your pending and active bets easily.
Sportsbet has a reputation for innovation. In the past, they have introduced new features like Same Game Multis and Bet with Mates to help punters maximise their betting profits. However, this has recently slowed down as the impact of point-of-consumption tax increases in NSW, Victoria and Queensland weigh on their profitability.
This has put pressure on the company to improve its pricing strategy. In November, they announced that they were reducing their juice on all multis and multi-combos on all sport and racing events to -105, which is much cheaper than the traditional -110 rate. This is a great move by the company and will be welcomed by punters across the country, as it can save them hundreds or even thousands of dollars in the long run.
Like other betting sites, Sportsbet displays a schedule of deductions on their race and multi tabs, although they are quick to point out that this is only a guide. In reality, they almost always deduct more than their competition and this is especially noticeable when looking at races where there have been scratchings. In these instances, it is generally better to use a bookmaker that does not show a schedule of deductions (eg Neds). They are still able to offer the same features like Same Game/Race Multi Builder, live streaming, Speed Maps, statistics and tips. This way, you can be confident that you are getting the best possible odds on your bets.