Rainbet sports betting, simply explained

What Australian punters look for

The line-up that matters most in Australia is on board: AFL from the home-and-away season to the Grand Final, NRL including State of Origin, cricket with the Big Bash and the Ashes, football with the A-League and the big European leagues, tennis headed by the Australian Open, basketball with the NBL and NBA, horse racing around the Spring Carnival and the Melbourne Cup, and esports. Motorsport fans will look for the Bathurst 1000. Which leagues and markets are actually open depends on the operator and the season.

Pre-match markets

Pre-match means betting before an event starts – and in Australia that is the whole picture for online wagering: head to head, line betting, totals, multis and same game multis are all placed before the first bounce, kick-off or ball. Odds are published in the days and hours before the event and can move as team news comes in, so compare the price at the moment you confirm the bet slip, not the one you saw yesterday. Set your stake limit before you open the market list – that is where budgets slip.

Why you can’t bet in-play online in Australia

The Interactive Gambling Act 2001 (Cth) prohibits in-play betting over the internet: once an event has started, a bet on it may not be placed online with any bookmaker, licensed or not. Australian-licensed bookies may still take an in-play bet by phone or in person – that is the one legal route, and it exists precisely because the online one is closed.

Two things are often confused with in-play betting and are not caught by the ban: cash out (settling a pre-match bet early, offered by Australian bookmakers) and multis placed before the first leg starts. What the ban does catch is any market that opens or updates during play.

Rainbet is an offshore operator without an Australian licence. Whatever its platform shows during a game, we do not describe or recommend live markets on this site, and the Australian legal position does not change because a market is technically reachable. Stick to pre-match and you stay inside the rules that apply to every punter in the country.

Key market types

• Head to head (H2H): which side wins – in AFL and NRL usually a two-way head-to-head; in football a 1X2 with the draw as a third option.
• Line betting (the line): one team starts with a notional advantage or disadvantage, for example −12.5 points in the AFL.
• Totals (over/under): a bet above or below a line, for example on total points, goals or runs.
• Racing markets: win, place and each-way on horse racing, plus exotics such as quinellas and trifectas where offered.
• Multis and same game multis (SGM): several legs on one bet slip – across different events, or several markets within one match as a same game multi; every leg has to win.
• Props and specials: e.g. first goal scorer, player disposals or events within the game.
• Multis: several selections combined on one slip – every leg has to win, and the risk rises with each leg.

Odds formats

Odds show the ratio between stake and possible payout. Australian punters use the decimal format, which is also the default at Rainbet: odds of $2.00 mean a possible total return of twice your stake (stake included): $50 becomes $100. A head-to-head priced at $1.90 each side is the typical line market. Fractional and American formats can usually be switched on in the settings if you prefer them. Higher odds signal an outcome judged less likely – and higher risk.

Bet slip and cash out

In the bet slip you collect your selections, enter the stake and see the possible payout. A cash out – settling an open bet early – is available only if the operator offers it for that market. We describe it as an option only where it is verified to exist. Bonus bets, where offered, are stakes whose amount is not returned with the winnings – read the terms before you use one.

Settlement and abandoned events

If an event is abandoned or postponed, settlement follows the operator’s rules. Before you stake, check how washouts in cricket, extra time and golden point in the NRL, or a late scratching in a race are handled – and whether a head-to-head includes extra time.

The legal side

Pre-match online betting is legal in Australia with a bookmaker licensed in an Australian state or territory. Rainbet holds no such licence: it is an offshore operator licensed in Anjouan, so the protections Australian punters get from licensed bookies – regulator oversight, the Northern Territory Racing Commission or state bodies for disputes, and BetStop self-exclusion – do not apply here. Details on Is Rainbet legal in Australia?.