TAB Review [December 2023]

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TAB has long been a major player in the Australian betting industry. Having been founded way back in the 1960s, they’ve got an extraordinary amount of experience, and age has certainly not wearied them. Even well over half a century after they first came into existence, TAB remains a hugely competitive bookmaker, offering a range of great features to customers including a wide range of markets and very competitive odds. Like most bookies, however, they also have a number of areas in which they could improve, and in this detailed TAB review we’ll go into detail about all of these and much more.

TAB is one of the biggest bookmakers in Australia, but like all of their competitors, this betting giant still has its strengths and weaknesses. In the list below, we go into detail about some of the most significant of these.

✔️TAB Strengths

• Wide range of markets – You’ll find one of the biggest range of markets in the industry when betting with TAB. They cover a huge number of different sports, and within most of them – in particular the major sports and leagues such as the AFL, NRL, cricket and basketball – they also have a wide selection of different markets.
• Good odds for major markets – TAB offers very competitive odds across most major markets. Their racing odds are among the best in the industry, while for sports they can also compete with most other bookmakers in this regard for major markets such as head-to-head and moneyline.
• Functional mobile app – TAB’s website is decent without being fantastic, but their app generally functions very well and is among the easiest to use of all betting sites. Available for iOS and Android devices, it allows you to do all of the things that you can do on the website without having to open up your computer.
• Lots of live streaming – Live streaming is becoming increasingly common on major bookmakers, and TAB has one of the most comprehensive live streaming services in the business. The focus here is on racing, with their deal with Sky Racing enabling them to show all races broadcast on those channels, both those within Australia and abroad.

❌TAB Weaknesses

• Lack of live chat – The TAB customer support platform is decent once you get hold of them, with customer service agents generally very helpful and friendly, but a live chat function is something they could certainly add to make it substantially better. This is typically the easiest way to get in contact with a bookmaker, and its absence means that contacting their customer support team is that little bit more difficult.
• Average odds on some smaller markets – While we noted that TAB generally have very good odds for the major markets above, this unfortunately doesn’t always translate to the smaller, less popular markets. This is the case with many bookmakers, but for such a major player in the industry they could provide more generous odds for things like player props.
• Website can be clunky at times – The familiar green and white colours of TAB make for an aesthetically pleasing and fairly intuitive website from a navigational sense, but the online site can at times be quite slow to run, particularly if it’s been open for a while or you have numerous other pages open.

📋Conclusion

For the most part, the significance of TAB’s strengths will outweigh that of their weakness, with most punters likely to be more concerned about having access to a range of markets and getting good odds on the major ones. Those who like to punt on things like player props or value a great website or easy-to-access customer service, however, may place more emphasis on the aforementioned weaknesses.

TAB is one of the most recognised names in an Australian betting industry filled to the brim with competitors. The oldest bookmaker in the country, they’ve got many decades of experience setting odds and providing a well-rounded experience to customers. The betting landscape has changed significantly in recent years, and they’ve managed to keep up with the times.

One of the things which the TAB is best known for is their wide range of markets and very competitive odds, both of which are prevalent in both the sports and racing component of their company. They cover a wide number of sports, but perhaps even more impressive than this is the number of different markets they have on offer for individual events. For example, major games in popular sporting leagues like the AFL or NBA will have hundreds of different markets of various kinds, including the common ones like moneyline and points markets, as well as a very generous number of player props. The odds for these player props can sometimes be a little inferior to some competitors, though the value you’ll find for more popular markets are up there with the best in the industry.

Another great feature of TAB, and one which is the major reason for our earlier reference to them keeping up with the times, is the fact that they have a high-quality mobile app. This app is very easy to use and enables you to do everything that you can do on the website, so whether you’re depositing or withdrawing, contacting customer support or placing a bet, you can do it on the website.

Incidentally, using the app in place of the website is probably even more common than usual with TAB because, while it is excellent, the website itself can be a little clunky and hard to use at times. It’s certainly not the worst and the design and navigation is relatively intuitive, but it can feel a little heavy at times and can run a little slowly.

For all of their positive points, many of which will be among the most important things people consider when looking at bookmakers, TAB does have a couple of other areas in which they could improve. Their banking options are one such example – though they offer low deposit minimums and the major deposit and withdrawal methods, the lack of alternative payment methods might be something of a turn-off to customers who prefer to use more obscure forms of payment.

They could also significantly improve their overall offering by including live chat in their customer support platform. The customer support agents when you call up are generally helpful, as are the email responses, and the wide range of FAQs will help a number of people resolve their inquiries quickly, but live chat is probably the easiest way to sort out a problem and is something that most bookmakers offer, so including it in TAB’s offerings is something which could certainly improve the overall experience with the bookmaker.

In all, TAB is a very good bookmaker – not a surprise given how long they have been around. They do have certain areas that they could improve upon – namely their customer support options, payment method variety and the speed of the website – but so do all bookies, and the wide range of markets and great odds are things which will appeal to many customers.

Betting Variety: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The range of markets that is available with TAB is among the best in the industry.

Banking Options: ⭐⭐⭐
There are a solid number of banking options, though there is certainly space for a few more.

Mobile Experience: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The TAB mobile app generally functions very well.

Payout Speed: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Winnings are typically paid out fairly quickly with TAB.

Security: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
No issues to report in this regard.

Betting Experience: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The betting experience is usually pretty good, though the website can be a little clunky at times.

Customer Support: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Customer support agents are helpful but a live chat function would be a worthy addition.

As the biggest and oldest bookmaker in the country and the setter of odds for most bookmakers, it will come as little surprise to you to know that TAB has a strong focus on racing. They offer a range of markets on all events of note around the world, have decent odds, and give customers the ability to watch races online through the Sky Racing app.

To access the racing component of the website, you have a couple of choices. Upcoming races are listed on the home page and can be clicked straight through to, or you can click on the ‘Today’s Racing’ tab at the top of the page. Alternatively, you can click the ‘Menu’ button in the top left-hand corner of your screen and select racing, which will open up a list of options including today’s racing, tomorrow’s racing, futures and more.

Once you select a day, you’ll be greeted with a page which lists all races on the day of choice, beginning with Australian thoroughbreds at the top before working through to international races, while other race types can be found via a tab towards the top of your page. The time until the jump is listed for each race, and clicking on the relevant box will take you through to the page for the race in question.

You’ll then be greeted with a list of each runner and their odds, both fixed and Tote, while you can click through to exotics like quinella and trifecta via tabs just above the runner names. Clicking on the runner will provide you with more information about their past form, as well as a brief description of the runner. The odds that you’ll find on this page are generally among the best in the industry.

Another great feature of TAB which relates to racing is the live streaming component. Every race, both international and within Australia, which is shown on live streaming is available to be watched on the TAB website, with a Sky Racing button in the top right-hand corner of your screen taking you through to a page on which you can watch all of these races.

Overall, TAB is one of the best racing bookmakers in the industry. They have virtually all bases covered; wide range of markets, great odds, and the ability to watch a huge number of different races on the site, the latter of which provides a valuable point of difference from many of their competitors.

As mentioned above, TAB has one of the widest range of sports markets going around. They cover all of the major sports and leagues and plenty more, and generally offer a good number of markets at least on major events. These are some of the biggest sports which they cover.

TAB Australian Rules Football🏉

Australia’s unique code of football, Aussie Rules is like a religion to many throughout the country during the colder months. TAB has markets on every game of AFL during the season, with these markets including common things like head-to-head and moneyline and a hefty number of more obscure ones like player props, while you can also bet on leagues a step below the big time, such as the SANFL, WAFL and VFL.

TAB Cricket🏏

Cricket has for a long time been a staple of Australian summers, meaning there are always plenty of markets for it with most betting agencies. TAB is no different. Throughout the summer you’ll find lots of different markets on all the games in Australia, be they the Test matches, the ODIs or the T20Is, and be they international or domestic leagues. You’ll also find lots to bet on for major international domestic leagues like the IPL as well as Australian internationals, while there are less but still a decent number of offerings for international games not involving Australia.

TAB Basketball🏀

Basketball is continually growing in popularity in Australia, and with the development of numerous NBA quality players from down under and the sustained growth of the NBL, this is likely to continue moving forward. Subsequently it’s become a popular sport to punt on, and TAB offers an appropriately substantial range of markets. Their focus is on the NBA, with odds on a huge number of different things for each and every game, but other overseas leagues like EuroLeague, and of course the NBL, are also well represented.

TAB Rugby League🏉

Though Australian rules football is the most popular winter football code throughout most of the country, in both New South Wales and Queensland it’s rugby league which takes centre stage. Predominantly this is in the form of the NRL, and like with the AFL there are lots of markets on each of these games throughout the season, while the State of Origin, for which there are three games throughout the year, are also popular with the TAB.

TAB American Football🏈

Like basketball, American football is another example of American sports gradually becoming more popular in Australia. The top level of this sport, also known as gridiron to some, is the NFL, with this league playing games most weeks on Friday, Monday and Tuesday Australia time during the season, which runs throughout our spring and summer months. These games are listed among the ‘featured’ sports on the TAB, which presumably means that there is plenty of interest in them.

TAB Sponsorship Deals🏆

TAB has a number of sponsorships, namely with Racing Victoria, Victoria Harness Racing and Victoria Greyhound Racing, while they also possess naming rights for many major races in Australia.

Many bookmakers have certain features that help to separate them from their competitors in what is a heavily saturated market which makes it different to tell one betting site apart from another at times. TAB certainly has a handful of their own, and below we’ve gone into detail about the most significant among them.

Live streaming

TAB certainly isn’t the only bookmaker to offer live streaming, but there are plenty who don’t and the events which are offered aren’t always those which will garner a whole lot of attention. In contrast, TAB customers get access to all races which are shown on Sky Racing, be that in Australia or abroad. This is a huge benefit for racing fans, and as one of the only bookmakers able to offer this to customers, this is certainly a notable feature for TAB.

Same game multis

Multis have long been a popular way to bet, but it’s only relatively recently that bookmakers have begun to include same game multis among their offerings. However, not all of them have yet made this available to customers, so it’s certainly something worth noting for those who do. TAB falls into this category, enabling punters to include multiple legs from the same event into the one bet. It’s worth noting that the odds they offer for these aren’t as good as some of their competitors, but nonetheless it’s a useful feature for TAB to offer.

Live betting

Live betting has quickly become something that most major bookmakers offer, but still there are a handful who don’t offer in-play bets, or at least don’t have very many live markets. TAB doesn’t fall into this category, providing a comprehensive range of live betting options with relatively competitive odds. To place a bet you will have to call up rather than placing it online, though in line with Australian regulations this is the case with every legal Aussie bookmaker.

Now that you know a little bit more about what sports TAB offers, these are some examples of the markets and types of bets that are offered by this major bookmaker.

TAB Betting Markets

• Moneyline
• Line bets
• Over/under points totals
• Quarter/half markets
• Player props
• Alternate lines
• Alternate totals
• Futures

TAB Types of Bets Available

• Singles
• Multis
• Same game multis
• System bets (doubles, trebles etc.)
• Quinella
• Quadrella
• Trifecta
• Exacta

In the age of the smartphone, the number of businesses with an app which enables people to easily perform a variety of functions from their iOS or Android device is continually growing, and in the betting industry it’s no different. There are very few major bookmakers left these days, if any, who don’t offer a mobile app – though that doesn’t mean that all of them are well-executed.

The TAB’s effort is, for the most part, a good one. In many ways their mobile app, which is easily downloadable from wherever you get your apps, is easier to use than their website, and at the very least offers much the same functions. You can deposit, withdraw, contact customer support, and most importantly peruse the markets and place bets.

The app draws on the same aesthetic as the website, and is navigated in a similar way, albeit in a compressed format to ensure that it fits comfortably onto your handheld device. Like on the website, a list of upcoming races greets you on the home page, while you can also click directly into a few different areas like ‘Today’s Racing’. If you want to take a look at all the sports or racing markets, there’s a handful of tabs at the bottom of the screen which you can click on to do so, while you can also toggle to your account or ‘Play Central’, in which you’ll find live bets.

To place a bet, you follow much the same process as you would on the online site. Simply find your way to the market on which you wish to bet, click on the odds for the relevant bet, and you’ll be asked to enter your stake in the betslip which will pop up on your screen.

Importantly, the app functions relatively quickly and without any significant problems. Many bookmaker apps can tend to struggle to deal with all the information contained within them, and run very slowly or even close down completely on some occasions, but this issue rarely, if ever, arises with the TAB app.

Overall, this is a very high-quality app, and one which makes it easy to bet with one of Australia’s biggest betting agencies while on the go. Available for iOS and Android users, the TAB app is among the best betting apps going around.

For many people, banking might not be the first thing they consider when looking at different bookmakers. Virtually every betting site will have debit/credit card as an option, and given for many people this is the simplest payment method, it doesn’t really matter too much what other choices there are. Other punters, however, might be accustomed to using a different method to deposit and withdraw – one of the increasingly common eWallets, for example – and if this is the case for you, then the range of different payment methods available with a bookie might make or break whether you bet with them.

TAB certainly offers enough in this regard for most punters, though there is plenty of scope for them to improve their range to accommodate people who prefer the more obscure payment methods. The simplest way to deposit with them is, as with most bookies, by using a credit/debit card. This will see funds arrive immediately in your account, and you can deposit as little as $1 – which is a very low number compared to most other bookies, many of whom ask that you deposit at least $5 or sometimes even $10.

Outside of this deposit option, if you want the funds to arrive in your betting account immediately you have two choices – PayPal and Apple Pay. These are relatively quick and easy ways to deposit if you have them set up, but if you don’t have an account with either then they won’t be much use to you. As with debit/credit card, you only need to deposit a minimum of $1 using these methods.

Your final option is to use BPay, though this is a bit of a more cumbersome way to deposit. Deposits made using this method will generally take 1-3 business days to arrive in your account, and you also need to put at least $20 into your betting account using this method.

For withdrawals, you have even fewer options. As with deposits, you are able to withdraw using PayPal, or alternatively you can do a bank transfer if you want the money to go directly into your bank account. As is always the case, these withdrawals won’t go through as quickly as your deposit, though TAB is generally fairly quickly. They state that any withdrawal requests using bank transfer will be in your account the next morning if made before 12pm AEST, while they will arrive the day after that if you make your withdrawal after midday.

All in all, TAB’s banking system has its pros and its cons. They certainly don’t offer the widest selection of payment methods, which may be an issue for some customers. For others, however, what they do offer will be more than enough, and the low deposit minimums and relatively quick withdrawals give them an edge over some of the competition.

Yes, TAB is legal in Australia. They are registered with various different authorities in different parts of the country, including Victorian Commission for Gambling & Liquor Regulation, and Liquor & Gaming NSW. Their operations are also governed by the South Australian Responsible Gambling Code of Practice in South Australia, and its own Responsible Gambling Code of Conduct everywhere else in the country.

If you punt fairly regularly, then at some point in your life you’ll probably have the need to get in touch with a bookmaker. This could be about a particular problem which arises, you may just need help with something such as verifying your account, or it could be about any number of other things. As a result, it’s relatively important that bookmakers make it quick and easy to get in contact with them and are able to help once you do, which is why most major betting sites have a fairly comprehensive customer support platform.

In some ways TAB falls into this category, but they don’t perform nearly as well in this area as some of their counterparts. They have a ‘Help Centre’ which is essentially a Frequently Asked Questions page, offering solutions to a number of common problems which their customers need assistance with. These will certainly help in certain situations, but often you may still need more direct assistance, in which case you are able to either submit an enquiry via an online form and get a response to your email, or call TAB directly.

The email method will typically take a little bit of time to get a response, so if you need help immediately then calling them is the best option. When you do, the customer service agents are generally very helpful and able to sort out most issues, so this is certainly a fairly well-conceived part of their support platform. The fact that it is the only way to get in immediate touch with the TAB, however, is where they fall down a little compared to some of the better customer support platforms.

At least in our experience, the simplest way to get a solution to most problems with a bookmaker is via live chat. This eliminates the need to call up, which often results in you waiting in a queue, and given most problems and queries can be resolved or responded to reasonably quickly, the ability to simply click on a live chat link and get the answers that you need immediately is very valuable. TAB doesn’t offer live chat, which invariably means that their support platform is not as good as many of their counterparts. If they could add this to their repertoire, particularly if it was available 24/7, this would give them a big tick with regards to customer service.

Overall, the TAB customer support platform is an okay one and will enable you to get most queries resolved. The lack of a live chat, however, is something that they could certainly improve upon, and would immediately make their customer support platform competitive with the best in the industry.

If you want to know how to do something in particular on TAB, then take a look below, where we provide you with step-by-step instructions about how to do a couple of important things with this bookmaking giant.

🔎How to sign up with the TAB

Signing up with the TAB is super easy, and all you need to do is follow these simple steps.

• Head to the TAB website at www.tab.com.au
• Click the join button in the top right-hand corner of the site
• Fill in your own personal details and verify your identity – you can skip this second step but will need to do it within 14 days or your account will be frozen
• Create your account information, which includes a username, password, security question and PIN
• Set a deposit limit if you wish
• Confirm that you’ve read and agree with the terms and conditions and that you’re over 18, create your account, and you’re ready to go.

🔎How to place a live bet with TAB

If you want to place a bet on an event which has already started with the TAB, this is how you do it.

• Log in to your account with the TAB
• Click on the ‘in-play’ button at the top, and towards the left-hand side, of your page
• Scour the markets for the one you wish to bet upon
• The phone number that you need to call is listed above each market, as well as a reference number for each outcome
• Call the phone number, quote the reference number for the bet you wish to place, and let the operator know the stake you would like to place on it
• They’ll then confirm the details of the bet to you, and once you agree, the bet will be placed.

🔎How to live stream with TAB

Access to Sky Racing is a feature of the TAB, and this is how you watch it.

• Head to the TAB website and ensure that you are logged into your account
• At the top of your page and towards the right-hand side, you’ll see a ‘Sky Racing’ logo
• Click on this logo
• You’ll then be taken to a page with the Sky Racing coverage, and be able to select whichever of the different Sky Racing channels you wish to watch
• Sky Racing 1 will be automatically shown, while if you wish to toggle between channels then the one you want will come up once you click on the relevant button.

Got a question about TAB? You’re not the only one. Check out our list of the most frequently asked questions we get about this bookmaker below.

❔Can I use TAB from outside of Australia?

Nope, you cannot. Like most legal bookmakers in Australia, TAB is only available to users within Australia, meaning if you head overseas you’ll have to wait until you’re back to use them.

❔Does TAB offer live betting for customers?

Yep, TAB does offer live betting for customers. Australian regulations dictate that online live betting isn’t legal within the country, however, so like with every Aussie bookmaker offering live betting, you’ll have to call up to place a bet.

❔Is TAB better than other bookmakers?

It really depends what you’re after. If you want a wide range of banking options or flawless customer support, then you’ll likely find better choices elsewhere, but those focused on bookmakers with a whole lot of markets and decent odds will certainly find TAB to be one of the better choices out there.

❔Is the TAB mobile app or website easier to use?

This might depend on you, as some people may simply prefer to use either their computer or phone, but in general we found that the TAB mobile app tends to operate a little more smoothly than the website, and allows you to access everything that you need and do everything that you need to do.

❔Does TAB offer cash out?

Yes, TAB does offer cash out on select bets. This means that if the event of your bet has already started, you can cash out of it to a value roughly equivalent to the live odds of that bet, though it is worth noting that TAB do take a bit of a profit from these, so the cash out odds aren’t necessarily 100% reflective of their true value.