Best bookmaker for soccer betting

Soccer, better known as football across Europe and Asia, is the most played and most followed sport across the world.

The FIFA World Cup ­ the international soccer championship held every four years ­ is the most watched sporting event in television history. In 2014, the event was watched on television by approximately 3.2 billion viewers, while approximately one billion fans tuned in to watch the final between Germany and Argentina.

The cumulative attendance figure for all of the matches of the 2006 World Cup was estimated to be approximately 26.29 billion people.

The game is also one of the leading sports to bet on, and licensed bookmakers offer hundreds upon hundreds of wagering markets for soccer competitions and matches around the world.

Top Australian sports bookmakers that offer soccer betting markets

Below is a list of the most respected and competitive regulated online sports bookmakers for Australians to bet on the soccer with, offering a multitude of markets for national and international soccer tournaments and matches, as well as a host of soccer betting promotions, free bets and other bonuses.

• Sportsbet ­ Established in 1993
• CrownBet ­ Established in 2015
• William Hill ­ Established in 1934
• Bet365 ­ Established in 2000
• Luxbet ­ Established in 2008

We recommend registering accounts with multiple bookmakers so you can compare odds, select the highest paying bets, ensure you have all betting options at your disposal, ensure you do not miss out on any promos and bonuses that may be advertised at one bookie but not advertised at another, and to make the most of the new punter sign up bonuses (typically a free bet matched at 100 per cent or more of your first deposit).

You will be required to fill in the following details to become a member with any of the above betting websites:

• Username
• Password
• Full name
• Date of birth



• Email address
• Residential address
• Country of residence
• Contact number
• Security question

Once registered, you can head directly to the banking section to make you very first deposit and take advantage of the welcome cash bonus. You will be presented with several globally trusted and secure deposit (and withdrawal) methods to choose from, including:

• Credit and debit cards
• E­wallets such as Neteller, Skrill and PayPal
• Online wire transfers via Internet banking websites, or via systems like POLi and BPAY
• Physical bookmaker cash cards, distributed via mail and available to members who put in a request

All our endorsed sports betting sites deal directly with AUD money, and protect all financial transactions and personal information with the latest secure socket layer (SSL) digital encryption technology.

Different types of soccer wagering markets

Under the ‘soccer’ section of any bookmaker, punters will be able to filter by ‘region’ to find the match and/or tournament they are looking to wager on ­ a feature that helps to sift through the hundreds of matches that are played at any given time around the world.

Win­draw­win bet ­ The most popular type of bet for soccer matches, the win­draw­win wager offers odds for the three potential outcomes of the match; a win for Team A, a draw and a win for Team B. For example, for the Chelsea vs Liverpool match, Chelsea may be paying $2.30 to win, Liverpool may be paying $2.85 to win and the draw may be paying $3.30.

It is important to note, that unless otherwise stated, the win­draw­win market and other soccer markets are settled on regular time (90 minutes plus the additional injury time determined by the referee).

Other win markets ­ Other win bets include:

• The ‘double chance’, where punters can choose bets which provide two outcomes in the one wager, including a Team A and draw option, a Team B and draw option, and a Team A and Team B option.
• The ‘draw no bet’ wager, where odds are only offered for a Team A win and a Team B win, and if the match ends in a draw, all bets are returned.
• The ‘to win to nil’ bet (self explanatory)
• The ‘both teams to score’ bet (a yes and no option)

And many more.

Correct score markets ­ Punters can wager on what they think the score will be at the conclusion of the match, with slight variations also on offer, including the first half correct score, the second half correct score, and the half time/full time correct score.

Handicap betting markets ­ The underdog team is given a handicap (a head start) to level the playing field (according to the bookmakers) and odds are created based on that head start. For example, if Real Madrid is playing Bayern Munich, Bayern Munich may be the underdog, so it is handed a positive goal difference value, while Real Madrid is handed a negative goal difference value. Here is how it looks and what it means:

• Real Madrid (­1.0): for this bet to succeed, Real Madrid must win by two goals or more
• Handicap draw (­1.0): for this bet to succeed, Real Madrid must win by exactly one goal
• Bayern Munich (+1.0): for this bet to succeed, Bayern Munich must win or draw

Alternative handicaps, where different positive and negative goal difference values are provided, are also available to bet on.
Goal markets Markets such as ‘number of goals’, ‘number of team goals’, ‘over­under goals’, ‘total goals’, ‘goals scored in both halves’ and other variations are all available within all soccer matches.

Player markets ­ Bet on specific player outcomes, such as who will score the opening goal and who will score the final goal. The ‘scorecast’ option is also popular among punters, and offers a two­in­one wager, where the bookie creates odds for the combination of the first goal scorer and the correct score at the end of the match (for example, $44.00 odds for Sergio Aguero to score the opening goal for Manchester City against Borussia Dortmund, and for the game to end in a 2­2 draw).

Time markets ­ Time markets include betting options like ‘time of first goal’, ‘time of last goal’ and ‘timecast’ (where the bet includes the team and the time it will score the opening goal).

In­play (live) soccer betting ­ It is illegal in Australia for online sports wagering operators to allow punters to bet on live games via the Internet (according to the Interactive Gambling Act of 2001). Instead, punters can call up their respective bookmakers via phone and get a representative to place a wager on a live (in­play) soccer match for them ­ this is a
completely legal practice. You will need to voice your username and the bet you wish to place (and the stake) to confirm the wager. As the match is in progress, odds will constantly fluctuate, so get in quick.

Future betting ­ Future bets include wagers on end of season events, such as league and tournament outright winners, leading goal scorers, clubs that will be promoted and demoted, clubs to finish inside the top four and the top six, clubs to win multiple trophies, clubs to finish bottom of the table, and ample other results.

Multi bets ­ Keen to increase your odds? Combine multiple wagers together to create one multi bet, where you need to win each ‘leg’ to win your entire wager. For example, one leg could be Arsenal to defeat Liverpool at odds of $2.20, another leg could be Chelsea to defeat West Ham 2­1, at odds of $8.00, and another leg could be an Everton­Everton half time/full time bet against Tottenham, at $6.00 odds. The odds for the multi bet is calculated by multiplying each single event together ­ so 8.00 x 6.00 x 2.20 = $105.60. Place a $10 wager on that, and you can stand to win $1056.00.

Cashing out early ­ Bookmakers now allow punters to cash out some of their bets early. For example, if you have a multi bet in progress, and have already won two legs and aren’t too confident on the final leg, you can opt to cash out your bet early and take the winnings offered, which will be deposited directly into your account ­ the bookie will provide you with constantly changing returns, while your bet is in progress, depending on the outcomes of the games. Note that not all wagers are eligible for a cash out.

Betting on soccer in Australia

Soccer and other sports wagering is a legal practice in Australia, with licensed betting outlets, such as TAB venues in Victoria and New South Wales operating across the country. However, it is online betting that has become most prominent, with interactive and regulated sports wagering operators licensed to offer their punting services to the Australian public (residents aged 18 years and older), so long as they are attached to a land based business, according to the Interactive Gambling Act of 2001.
Each bookie we endorse holds betting licenses in their respective gaming jurisdiction and are governed by these gambling commissions and adhere to their codes of practice.

A list of favoured soccer tournaments

We have compiled a list of some of the most popular soccer tournaments that punters from Australian and around the world enjoy watching and enjoy betting on.

• The A­League
• The English Premier League
• The English Championship
• The English FA Cup
• The Scottish Premiership
• The FIFA World Cup qualifiers
• The FIFA World Cup
• The UEFA Champions League
• The Europa League
• The Spanish La Liga
• The Italian Serie A
• The French Ligue 1 and 2
• The German Bundesliga
• The AFC Champions League
• The South Korean K League Classic
• The Chinese Super League
• The Japanese J League
• The US Major League Soccer
• The North American Soccer League
• The Brazilian Cup
• The Brazilian Serie A and B
• The Argentinian Cup
• The Mexican Copa MX

Soccer tournaments and matches enjoy quality betting odds because of the high chances of teams causing upsets and the frequency of draws. Bookmakers also offer a host of unique promos specifically for soccer games, such as money back specials, multi bet boosters, first goal scorer refunds and ample more.