Palmerbet Review November 2024

"Popular bookmaker with excellent odds"

Mike Jones, BettingTop10 expert

Founded in 2013, Palmerbet quickley became one of the many trusted Australian bookmakers offering both sports and racing markets. They aren't the biggest players in the industry, but they have a whole lot going for them, and I think that if the company can make a couple of valuable additions to the service they offer customers, they will deserve a spot among the top Australian bookies.

Palmerbet offers very competitive odds, as well as a wide range of markets on popular sports - for major events like AFL and NBA matches, you can expect a wider range of markets than you would with most other bookies. For many punters, these are the first thing that they look for in a bookie. 

They also have a terrific website and an even better mobile app for iOS and Android devices, which provides users with an easy, on-the-go Palmerbet experience - another major tick next to this bookie’s name.

However, I feel there are a couple of key areas in which Palmerbet have significant room for improvement: the company offers neither live betting or live streaming at the time of writing, both of which have grown rapidly in popularity in recent years. I have found that a handful of companies offer both, and many offer at least one, so the fact that Palmerbet has neither is disappointing for an otherwise solid bookie. 

Palmerbet could also improve their customer service to include a live chat option - a focal point of most big bookies’ customer service offering.

Despite these flaws, I believe that Palmerbet is still, by and large, a very good bookmaker. I have found Palmerbet’s strengths are really valuable ones and will likely attract lots of customers, but the weaknesses are fairly major flaws for a big bookmaker. How much they impact your choice will depend: do you love to bet with your mobile? Do you need live betting to justify signing up? These kinds of questions will determine whether Palmerbet is the right choice for you.

My Rating: 4/5

Betting Variety: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Palmerbet offers a wide range of different markets on a good number of sports and leagues.

Banking Options: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Decent enough here – there are more than enough payment method options to keep most punters happy!

Mobile experience: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Excellent mobile app available for both iOS and Android devices. I have found it as easy, if not easier to use than the website!

Payout Speed: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
No big issues with the payout speeds – generally you’ll see winnings in your account reasonably quickly. They might sometimes to be slow with certain betting events.

Security: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Once again, no problems here! The website is secured using 2048-bit encryption.

Betting Experience: ⭐⭐⭐
Courtesy of a very good website, mobile app and a wide selection of markets, I have found the betting experience to be a good one with Palmerbet! However, they have a very big racing focus so if one wants to bet sports it would have to be coupled with a fair few racing punts.

Customer Support: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Palmerbet’s customer support is generally good, aside from the notable exception of a live chat feature from their contact options.

A note from BettingTop10: Our expert writers perform in-depth research on each sportsbook to provide you with their professional, impartial opinion. However, when you click on certain links in the review and make a deposit, we may receive a commission (don't worry - this costs you nothing).

Palmerbet was first launched back in 2013, and since then has developed into a trusted bookmaker for many punters around the country. And while they aren’t typically viewed as on par with some of their biggest competition in Australia – at least based on the comparatively limited advertising – there’s very little about the company to turn off potential customers, in my opinion. They offer good odds, a decent range of markets, an easy-to-use website and solid customer support, so if you’re after a bookie that ticks all of the boxes, well then keep on reading!

There are plenty of questions often asked about Palmerbet, so below I have listed some of the most common of these questions as well as my answers to them, making it easier for you to find the information that you need!

Palmerbet customers have for a long time been able to enjoy the Palmerbet experience on their mobile courtesy of the mobile site, but that experience has improved considerably since the development of a mobile app. Like the vast majority of major bookmakers, this app was designed to make it easy to punt on the go, enabling you to access your Palmerbet account and do all that you can do on the website itself whether you’re at home or out and about!

Just because the vast majority of bookmakers have mobile apps, however, does not mean that they are all made equal! I have found that the best of them is so well-designed that they bypass even the website itself in terms of ease of use, while others lag, crash, and generally prove dysfunctional enough to not even bother downloading them.

I believe that the Palmerbet app falls well and truly into the former category. Available on both Android and iOS devices, the app is streamlined, straightforward and loads quickly, making it every bit as simple to punt with as the website! It offers all the same features as the website itself, including the same markets, bet types and account information, while you can also deposit and withdraw on it. Theoretically, you don’t even need to open up your computer to access Palmerbet, because everything that you need is available on your handheld mobile device!

One of the most important aspects of any mobile device is functionality, because this is where many of the less impressive apps fall down in my opinion. The worst among them take an inordinate time to load and regularly crash, making them very difficult to use, but in my experience – these issues are virtually non-existent with the Palmerbet app! It takes minimal time for new pages to open up, there’s no real lag and the app generally feels very light to use, making it not just a great alternative to the website, but the easiest way to bet with Palmerbet!

Palmerbet’s head offices are located at Canterbury Racecourse in New South Wales, so it should come as no surprise that they know what they’re doing in this space! They don’t specialise in racing to the same extent as some other bookmakers, but that’s more a product of the fact that they also offer a great service on sports, meaning their appeal to potential customers is spread across both racing and sports!

And like with many bookmakers, racing markets are the first that you will come across when you head to this bookie’s home page. Odds for the next races to jump are listed at the top of the page, while you can also click straight through to the rest of the racing action via tabs immediately above those markets. Upon clicking on these you’ll be taken to a page which lists races both domestic and international, with the ability to toggle between different race types.

In my experience, bookies generally have much the same races available from all around the world and Palmerbet is no different, so it’s in the odds that some are able to separate themselves from their competitors. And for the most part, Palmerbet does an excellent job of doing just that! I believe that the margins they offer on racing are among the best in the industry, meaning that you’ll get odds competitive with virtually every other Aussie bookmaker when betting with Palmerbet!

I have found that placing a racing bet is also a nice and simple process with Palmerbet. The main page for each race lists the win/place odds and to place a bet you simply click on whichever odds appeal to you. Exotics are also easily accessible via tabs just above the market odds.

I believe one area of Palmerbet’s racing offering that can be improved upon is in the addition of a more detailed breakdown of races. Bookies’ tips are not typically the best to use in isolation, and it’s good to combine a wide range of information about a race before you settle on a selection, but it is at least useful to have a little background info, which most bookies offer. In my opinion, Palmerbet provides little in this regard, where virtually all they offer is a basic ‘predictor’ graphic.

Overall, however, I have found the racing aspect of the Palmerbet experience to be a good one, and one which should keep many keen racing punters more than satisfied!

Every bookmaker – or at least, every decent one – has a number of features which help to make them stand out in what is a saturated Aussie betting industry. These can be features that are completely unique to one particular bookie, or they can just be something that they perform particularly well in compared to their counterparts. I have found these to be some of the most notable sports features offered by Palmerbet:

The Palmerbet Blog

Palmerbet isn’t the only bookie to offer a blog for their clients, but they are part of a relatively small percentage who do. And not only that, but I have found that the blog they do offer is significantly more comprehensive than most of their competitors! They offer articles about a range of sports, including the AFL and NRL, as well as racing, offering up tips as well as reviews at the conclusion of major events. They wouldn’t exactly be ideal as your only source of information, but they can complement other sources fairly well in my opinion.

Low bookmaker margins

Margins are essentially a reflection of the odds a bookmaker offers. If their margin is 130%, that means they are taking, on average, $0.30 for every $1 bet. So, if it’s 120%, they are taking $0.20 on average for that same amount; so the lower the margin, the better the odds. Palmerbet’s margins for racing as well as sports are generally fairly low, which means that they are able to offer competitive, if not among the best, odds across a wide range of different markets.

Same game and same race multis

Same game multis are increasingly common and are available with most good bookmakers, and while same race multis are also growing, they are a little less common. Palmerbet offers both, which doesn’t exactly put them out on their own but I believe it is a useful feature for many punters out there. They also offer fairly decent odds for these multis, and enable you to combine more legs than what many of their competitors allow.

Palmerbet has a good, albeit not outstanding, range of sports markets, covering all the major codes as well as plenty of lesser-known sports too! Combined with solid odds, I think that this makes them a popular choice for punters who choose to focus on sports rather than racing. I have found that these are some of the most common sports on which Palmerbet customers bet:

Palmerbet Australian Rules Football

I don’t think I can pinpoint a single bookmaker in Australia that doesn’t feature a wide range of Aussie rules football markets, specifically those relating to the AFL, and Palmerbet is no different. Aside from the standard head-to-head, line and total points markets, there are also a range of player props (which offer very reasonable odds compared to some competitors), quarter/half markets and much more. There’s more than enough here to keep footy fans occupied in my opinion!

Palmerbet Basketball

I think that Australia’s bronze medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games were indicative of the huge growth of this sport down under, and that rise in popularity has invariably been matched by a rise in betting on basketball. This is most commonly focused on the NBA, while the NBL is another popular choice for punters, and Palmerbet has a suitably wide range of markets on these leagues and much more. Aside from a fairly comprehensive selection of markets for individual matches, there are also plenty of futures choices for those who prefer a longer-term punt!

Palmerbet Cricket

Aussie punters favourite summer pastime! I have found that  cricket occupies a significant amount of the nation’s collective attention once the weather warms up and Palmerbet has plenty of choice for those who choose punt on it. There are odds on virtually every match going on around the globe of any significance at all, from major international Tests and tournaments involving Australia, to the more niche domestic leagues. As always, the selection of markets is much more substantial for the bigger games, but nonetheless you’ll find basic odds for a huge range of matches!

Palmerbet Rugby League

Rugby league markets with Palmerbet are, unsurprisingly, predominantly focused around the NRL. I feel that all matches which take place in Australia and New Zealand in this league have a good selection of odds available for them with Palmerbet, beginning with the basics like moneyline and total points, and extending out to first tryscorer, anytime tryscorer, various other player props and much more. There are also some markets available for international leagues like the England Super League, the State of Origin and more.

Palmerbet Soccer

‘The beautiful game’ has a seemingly endless number of domestic leagues around the world, and as a result it is generally the sport for which bookmakers have the most total markets. Palmerbet is no exception, offering basic odds on everything from the biggest English Premier League matchups through to obscure international friendlies and domestic leagues. As with other sports, the range of markets on offer for an individual match depends greatly on the significance of that match, with the EPL getting a bulk of the attention.

Palmerbet Sponsorship Deals

Palmerbet is an approved betting partner of many major sporting administrations in Australia, including the AFL, NRL and Cricket Australia, but they have very little in the way of sponsorship deals. They are the title sponsor for the 2022 World Series of Darts Australian leg, but outside of that there’s not much else.

I have taken a look at some of the most common sports that are on offer at Palmerbet, as well as whether there are a wide range of markets on these sports, but what exactly does a wide range of markets entail? Well, below I have listed the various bet types which you’ll find at Palmerbet:

Palmerbet Betting Markets

• Moneyline
• Line
• Total points
• Quarter/half markets
• First goalscorer/tryscorer
• Anytime goalscorer/tryscorer
• Other player props
• Margin markets

Palmerbet Types of Bets Available

• Single bets
• Multis
• System bets (doubles, trebles etc.)

In this detailed review, I have covered off a lot of important details about Palmerbet, including what sports they offer, what bet types they offer and what their best features are. In order to enjoy these things, however, you’ll need to know how to get money into your Palmerbet account, as well as how to withdraw money back into your bank account.

As with virtually all betting sites, debit card is available for both deposits and withdrawals and will be, for most people, the easiest way to go about it. Using this method is simple – you just enter your card details, as you would when making any purchase, and then you’re away! In order to withdraw using your debit card you will need to verify that the card belongs to you, but this process is fairly straightforward as well.

Outside of this, there are a few other options, particularly for deposits. I have found that the most common deposit methods aside from debit card that are available with this bookie are POLi and PayPal, which are both universally recognised, secure payment platforms that enable you to top up your Palmerbet account. You also have the option to use Osko, a service created by Bpay, as well as BPay itself and bank transfer, which basically entails you sending money to Palmerbet’s bank account.

The latter of these – bank transfer – is the only other way that you can withdraw money outside of debit card. To do so you simply verify your bank account and input the relevant details, though it is worth noting that, as is always the case with bookmakers, it will take a little longer for withdrawals to arrive in your bank accounts than for deposits to arrive in your betting account. You can expect withdrawals to arrive generally within 1-5 business days.

Overall, however, the payment methods available on Palmerbet are fairly broad in my opinion, and they should enable all punters to deposit and withdraw without too much hassle! There are other bookmakers that offer a few more choices, but by and large the presence of debit card and bank transfer should cater for most punters, while the likes of PayPal, POLi and the other options available are likely enough to satisfy the rest of users out there.

It certainly is! Palmerbet has been a legitimate Australian bookmaker since it opened in 2013, and is licensed and regulated by Racing NSW. They’re also governed by their own Responsible Gambling Policy, as well as the Australian Bookmakers Association Code of Practice, and the South Australian Responsible Gambling Code of Practice for residents in South Australia. You can also be confident that the website itself is safe, as it is secured using a 2048 bit encryption. On the whole, I believe that users should have no qualms about the safety and security of Palmerbet!

If you run into any troubles along the way, or simply have a query for the folks at Palmerbet, well then, you’re going to need to familiarise yourself with their customer support platform! Fortunately, I have done the hard work for you, and in this section I will run you through the customer support options that you have, and how to access them.

Customer service is part and parcel of most businesses, and in particular bookmakers, so it’s pivotal that they have a number of simple ways to get in touch with them, and that when you do, they’re able to help you out more often than not. Contact options for bookies generally focus on the same few choices, and for Palmerbet those are email, phone and via mail.

I have found that giving them a ring is the easiest way to get a quick resolution to any issues you might come across. Palmerbet have a phone number specifically for customer support which differs from their standard betting number, and when you call them you generally get through reasonably quickly. On occasions you may have to wait a couple of minutes while their agents finish up with other customers, but in my experience it’s never too long and once you get on the line the agents are, for the most part, quite helpful!

Alternatively, if you’d prefer not to have to make a phone call, you can also send Palmerbet an email at contact@palmerbet.com. For more convoluted questions and problems this is perhaps a better option, as it gives both you and them a chance to better understand one another, but it will obviously also take a little longer than the phone option – you may have to wait a day or two for a response. 

And I will say that it is for this reason that live chat is generally so popular, and the fact that Palmerbet don’t offer this is a big mark against their customer support. Live chat enables you to get those complicated questions resolved, on the spot, without having to call up, and I find it to be the best and most efficient customer service option for bookmakers out there.  

Though the phone and email options will still generally see you get your problems resolved, and the agents are helpful, I think that the addition of a live chat function would make this process that much easier! The final option you have for getting into contact with Palmerbet is via mail, but this will be far and away the least common choice. It’s hard to imagine that there are many punters writing letters and sending them via post to the bookmaker, though if you need to send verification details or something similar it might be useful.

Overall, I feel as though the customer service offered by Palmerbet is good enough to keep most customers satisfied, but certainly has room for improvement. A live chat feature would be an excellent addition, and would help to round out what is already a good base for a high-quality customer support platform.

In this section, we’ll talk you through a few important processes, including how to open an account and how to place a bet.

How to open an account on Palmerbet

Looking to open an account with Palmerbet? I find this process to be pretty straightforward, but follow these few steps and you’ll have an account in no time:

• Head to the Palmerbet website and click the green ‘Sign Up’ button in the top right-hand corner of your page.
• Enter some personal details, including name and phone number, and click ‘Continue’.
• Next, enter your address and click ‘Next’.
• Finally, enter your email address and create a password, before again clicking ‘Next’.
• Once you’ve completed this onboarding process, which should take less than a couple of minutes from start to finish, you’re ready to go!

How to place a bet on Palmerbet

So, you’ve signed up and want to place a bet? Well, these are the steps that you need to undertake to do just that:

• Locate the sport that you wish to bet on – the easiest way to do this is through the menu on the left-hand side of the home page.
• Once you’ve done this, find the league and the match (or futures market) that pertains to the bet you wish to make.
• Locate your desired bet and click on the odds alongside it.
• A betslip will then appear on the right-hand side of your page, along with the bet you just clicked on.
• Enter your desired stake into the empty box with a dollar sign alongside it.
• Your estimated returns, if your bet wins, will then come up beneath the box, just above a button which says, ‘Place bet’.
• Click the aforementioned ‘place bet’ button and you’re away.
• You can check your pending bets in the betslip via a tab at the top which says ‘Pending Bets’, or you can head to your ‘My Account’ page to check them out.

How to contact Palmerbet

Palmerbet has a range of different ways that you can contact them. This is how you find details about those services, as well as how you can actually reach them”

• On the home page, locate the ‘Contact Us’ link at the bottom of the page, or click on the pop-up menu on the left-hand side of the page and click on ‘Help Centre’.
• The page you are then taken to will give you information about how to reach Palmerbet’s customer service team.
• As you’ll see on the page, your options are via phone, email or mail.
• To give them a ring, call 1300 124 357 for general inquiries, or 1300 123 238 to place a standard bet.
• To send an email, address it to contact@palmerbet.com.au
• If you wish to send physical mail, address it to PO BOX 1036, Cronulla NSW 2230
• Phone calls will see your issues generally resolved immediately, while you’ll have to wait a day or two for an email response, and even longer for a mail response.