In play betting Australia: what the law allows online, by phone, in person and on racing

Is in-play betting legal in Australia?

Online in-play betting on sport is banned in Australia, but in-play betting itself is not. Under the Interactive Gambling Act 2001 (IGA), a licensed bookmaker cannot accept a sports bet through a website or app once the event has started. The same bookmaker can take that bet over the phone, if the whole bet is made by voice call, or in person at a licensed venue. Racing is outside the ban altogether, so bets on a horse, harness or greyhound race can be taken online after the start where the operator offers it.

ACMA, which enforces the Act, lists "in-play sports betting" among the banned online services. In a 2024 penalty announcement it said "Online in-play betting... is prohibited in Australia under the Interactive Gambling Act 2001."

What the Interactive Gambling Act says

The rule is built from a few sections of the Act, which ACMA reproduces in its investigation reports:

The full Act is on the Federal Register of Legislation, and our guide to the Interactive Gambling Act 2001 covers the rest of it.

In-play betting by channel

What counts as in-play

Section 10B covers two things. The first is a bet on the outcome of a sporting event placed after it begins: backing a team head to head at half time is in-play. The second is a bet on something that may or may not happen during the event, such as the next goal, the next try scorer or the winner of the next point, which counts as in-play by definition.

What matters is the event the bet relates to. A bet you placed before the first bounce stays a pre-game bet even while the game is running, and a bet on a match that has not started is a pre-game bet even if another game is under way. The bets themselves are covered in our guide to bet types explained.

The phone exception and Fast Codes

The phone exception is narrow. ACMA says it only applies if the bet selection, type, amount and confirmation are provided "wholly via the phone call". In December 2023 it found that Ladbrokes and Neds (Entain), bet365 and Sportsbet breached the in-play rules with Fast or Quick Codes. A customer built an in-play bet on the website or app, the operator generated a code for it, and the customer read the code out on the phone with a stake. Because the bet details went through the app rather than wholly through the call, the exception did not apply. The operators now generate generic codes before events begin, the same for all customers, and ACMA decided not to take further enforcement action.

Phone bets can also carry higher minimums: Betfair's FAQ gives $50 through its telephone service against $1 online.

In person at a venue: Tap in-play

The place-based exception covers bets placed on equipment inside a licensed venue. In 2025 ACMA opened its own investigation into Tabcorp's Tap in-play service, where a customer inside a venue builds an in-play bet in the TAB app and taps their phone on a station in the venue to place it, with the app's Venue Mode switched on by geofencing. ACMA found Tap in-play is not a prohibited service. It described the matter as "finely balanced" and concluded the better view was that the service falls within the place-based betting exclusion.

Racing in-play

Racing works differently because s 8A(1) excludes bets on horse, harness and greyhound races without the in-play condition that applies to sport. Betfair's FAQ says "Horse racing in-play is available over both the internet and telephone for all customers." Our guide to betting exchange Australia covers how in-running racing markets and commission work.

Cashing out during a game

The TAB lets you cash out pre-game bets while play is under way. Its help page says any bet whose remaining selections were placed before the start "can be 'cashed out' through your device" on markets open for live betting, and that bets placed live over the phone must be cashed out over the phone. Our guide to cash out betting shows how to tell whether an offer is fair.

How ACMA enforces the ban

In the 2024 Tabcorp matter, ACMA excluded nine bets taken through the call centre because they were not online bets, which shows the phone exception working in practice. ACMA Authority member Carolyn Lidgerwood said: "In-play betting increases access to gambling opportunities and exacerbates the risks of gambling harm".

Offshore live betting sites

Offshore bookmakers that take online in-play sports bets from Australians are not licensed here, and ACMA lists unlicensed sports betting among the banned services. ACMA asks internet providers to block them, and warns that if you gamble online with a company that operates illegally you risk losing your money. Our page on ACMA blocked gambling sites explains how blocking works.

Pundit tip: if you like to bet during a game, ask why. Live markets move fast and invite impulse bets; the phone rule is a useful speed bump, not an obstacle to get around.

If betting during games has become a habit you want to break, the gambling help page lists free, confidential support, available 24 hours a day.

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