Where the rules come from
Three kinds of source, in this order of weight. First, a bookmaker's published terms document: Sportsbet's Bonus Bet Offer Terms & Conditions, TAB's Promo T&Cs and My Offers T&Cs. Second, the bookmaker's own help-centre articles, each of which carries an update date. Third, legislation and regulator guidance: the NSW Betting and Racing Act on AustLII, Liquor & Gaming NSW, the federal gambling reform material, the ATO's ruling on gambling winnings.
Every page lists its sources by number in a block at the bottom, with the URL and the date read. Where two documents from the same bookmaker disagree, as TAB's FAQ and T&Cs do on the minimum split, the page says so and follows the one the bookmaker says prevails. Licence lines are copied from the bookmaker's own footer, captured with an Australian IP address, and written as "according to its own footer"; no bookmaker is described as licensed by anyone it doesn't name itself.
Not used: offers that appear only after login, third-party review sites, reader submissions, and any figure the bookmaker hasn't published.
How the $50 worked example is built
Every guide works its subject on a $50 bet or token, using the bookmaker's own formula and, where the bookmaker prints one, its own example alongside. Bonus bets use (token × price) − token. Boosts apply the percentage to the profit portion of the price. Caps and rounding follow the clause quoted. The examples are arithmetic, not predictions: they say what a rule does to $50, not whether a bet will win.
What the fine-print score measures
Each bookmaker's promo terms are scored out of 10 on four criteria, equally weighted, and the score is relative: the best of the bookmakers on this site in each criterion sets the ceiling.
- Findable and dated. Are the general terms in one place on the open help centre, with a date?
- Worked examples. Does the bookmaker show the arithmetic of a cap, a payout or a boost in its own words?
- Expiry as a rule. Is there a blanket expiry period, stated once?
- Exclusions in one place. Are excluded states and excluded bet types listed together rather than scattered?
Current scores: Sportsbet 9 (one dated document, examples, 7-day rule, both lists in the document), TAB 8 (numbered clauses and examples, 7-day rule, but exclusions spread over two documents and a FAQ that contradicts a clause), PointsBet 7 (excellent examples, but no consolidated document, no blanket expiry and no state list). The score describes how readable the terms are. It says nothing about odds, payouts or which bookmaker to use, and it isn't affected by whether a bookmaker pays this site a commission; the how we earn page covers that.
What we leave out, and why
- No live offers, amounts, promo codes or "bet this, get that" lines. NSW law (s.33H) bans publishing inducements, and this site explains mechanics instead. The NSW page explains.
- No star ratings, reader reviews or player counts. The only number given to a bookmaker is the fine-print score above, and it's one person's reading of published terms.
- No "licensed in Australia" claims beyond what a bookmaker's own footer says, and no offshore casinos anywhere on the site.
- No advice on whether to bet. The responsible gambling line is on every page and the help page has the numbers.
Updates
Each page shows the date its terms were last checked. Bookmakers change terms; when a quoted clause changes, the page is corrected and the date moves. A page whose date is older than a few months should be read against the bookmaker's current terms before you rely on it. Corrections can be sent through the contact page.