Why this page exists: We believe in transparency. Rather than silently excluding poor operators from our rankings, we explain exactly why certain bookmakers didn’t make the cut. Every brand on this page was tested using the same methodology we apply to recommended sites.
Sportsbet
Not Recommended · 9.7/10Why We Don’t Recommend Sportsbet
- Fined $2.5 million for spamming 37,000 customers who tried to unsubscribe
- Pressured ACMA watchdog into watering down enforcement action (ABC investigation)
- Aggressively limits and bans winning customers
- Predatory marketing targeting vulnerable users
- Trustpilot rating: 1.3/5 from 208 reviews
What Users Say
“Predatory advertising and predatory upselling which mostly affects low and middle income people is what riles people up against bookies.”
— r/australia
“You sign up and then get sent a massive amount of spam. You ask to unsubscribe, but you keep on getting it from random scum betting companies that Sportsbet have given your details to.”
— r/australia
“The apps are designed to hook kids, convincing them that gambling is a normal part of watching sport.”
— r/australia
“Sportsbet pressured key watchdog into watering down enforcement action.”
— ABC News via r/australia
“Sportsbet closed my account without paying my $8,060 balance.”
— BitcoinTalk forum
Sportsbet (owned by Flutter/FanDuel parent company) has been fined a record $2.5 million by ACMA for spamming over 37,000 customers who had tried to unsubscribe, many of whom were experiencing gambling-related problems. An ABC investigation revealed Sportsbet pressured ACMA into softening its enforcement statement. Users consistently report predatory marketing, aggressive account limiting for winners, and poor customer service. We cannot recommend a bookmaker with this track record.
TAB
Not Recommended · 9.3/10Why We Don’t Recommend TAB
- Worst-in-market odds across racing and sport
- Unreliable platform with frequent outages and glitches
- Non-existent customer support
- Trustpilot rating: 1.5/5 from 73 reviews
- App bugs causing pending bets to disappear for 18+ months
What Users Say
“TAB has become a terrible betting service. Be careful of the prices they just throw up. They don't care or they are really trying to trick people out of their money.”
— Trustpilot review
“The site is slow and unreliable. Without a doubt the worst managed and run company in Australia.”
— Trustpilot review
“TAB has the worst odds, the worst lines, and basically nonexistent customer service.”
— r/newzealand
“Spoke to a TAB operator who openly admitted to a glitch in the pending bets section of the app that has lasted over 18 months. People's pending bets have just disappeared, and they have done absolutely nothing to fix it.”
— App Store review
“Scammers, paying lowest rate and most of the time for live matches are suspended for no reason.”
— Trustpilot review
TAB consistently receives the lowest user satisfaction ratings of any Australian bookmaker. Users report the worst odds in the market, an unreliable platform plagued by bugs and outages, and customer support that is effectively non-existent. A known bug caused pending bets to disappear from the app for over 18 months without being fixed. We cannot recommend TAB when significantly better alternatives exist.
Think. Is this a bet you really want to place? For free and confidential support call 1800 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au.