John Smith Verified Expert
Chief Sports & Racing Analyst with 15+ years covering Australian thoroughbreds and AFL. Committed to delivering accurate, comprehensive betting guides and platform reviews.
Your complete beginner's guide to horse racing and sports betting with TABtouch Australia — from opening an account to placing your first race bet.
Register online or via the TABtouch app — takes under 5 minutes. Provide your name, date of birth, email and Australian residential address.
Australian law requires identity verification. Upload your driver's licence or passport — TABtouch processes verification within minutes for most customers.
Choose from Visa, Mastercard, PayID, PayTo or BPAY. Deposits reflect instantly (except BPAY which takes 1–2 days). Min deposit: $10.
Navigate to Racing or Sports from the menu. Browse by event, time, sport type or use the search function to find a specific match or race.
Select your runner or market outcome, choose your bet type and stake amount, review your bet slip and confirm. Winnings are credited instantly.
TABtouch displays odds in decimals — the industry standard for Australian wagering. The decimal represents your total return per $1 wagered, including your stake.
Example: $20 bet at $3.40 odds
Formula: Stake × Odds = Return. Profit = Return − Stake = $68 − $20 = $48 profit
| Odds | $20 Stake → Return | $20 Profit | Implied Chance |
|---|---|---|---|
| $1.50 | $30 | $10 | 66.7% |
| $2.00 | $40 | $20 | 50.0% |
| $3.50 | $70 | $50 | 28.6% |
| $6.00 | $120 | $100 | 16.7% |
| $10.00 | $200 | $180 | 10.0% |
| $20.00 | $400 | $380 | 5.0% |
| Feature | Tote | Fixed Odds |
|---|---|---|
| Odds determined | After race close | At bet placement |
| Early betting value | Unknown until race | ✅ Locked in |
| Pool volatility | ⚠️ Variable | None |
| Best Tote available | ✅ Yes | N/A |
| Exotic bet types | ✅ Full range | Limited |
| Deduction rule applies | Sometimes | ✅ Guarantee |
A Win bet is the most straightforward racing wager. You are betting on one horse to finish first in the race. If your selection wins, you receive your stake multiplied by the winning dividend. Win bets can be placed as tote bets, fixed-odds bets, or Best Tote. They are available on all thoroughbred, harness and greyhound races on TABtouch.
A Place bet pays if your selection finishes first, second or third (in fields of 8 or more runners). The place dividend is smaller than the win dividend but is more frequent. In smaller fields, place betting may only cover first and second. Place bets can also be combined with win bets as an Each-Way.
An Exacta requires you to select the first two horses in a race in the correct order of finish. A Quinella requires the first two to finish but in either order. Exactas pay larger dividends than quinellas due to the added difficulty. Both can be boxed (selecting more than two runners) or flexi bet to fit any stake size.
A Multi combines two or more individual selections into a single bet. All legs must win for a Multi to pay out. The odds multiply across each leg — so a four-leg Multi of four $2.00 selections returns $16.00 for every $1 staked. Multis can include racing, sports or a mixture of both. They're the highest-risk, highest-reward bet type available.
Head-to-head betting on sports is the simplest sports wager — pick which team or player wins a match. Some markets include a draw option (commonly in soccer). Odds reflect the perceived probability — favourites (the likely winners) have lower odds, while underdogs offer higher odds for the astute bettor.
Line betting introduces a handicap to even out the odds between teams. The favoured team must win by more than the line to cover. For example, if a rugby team is a −12.5 line favourite, they must win by 13+ points for a line bet on them to win. At −12.5, the opposing team effectively starts 12.5 points ahead — so any closer result sees the underdog "cover the line."
| Task | Importance | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Create & verify account | 🔴 Required | □ |
| Set deposit limit | 🔴 Strongly recommended | □ |
| Set loss limit | 🔴 Strongly recommended | □ |
| Read basics of odds | 🟡 Important | □ |
| Understand one bet type | 🟡 Important | □ |
| Check active promotions | 🟢 Optional | □ |
| Download mobile app | 🟢 Optional | □ |
| Bet Type | Difficulty | Risk | Reward |
|---|---|---|---|
| Win | Easy | Low–Med | Med |
| Place | Easy | Low | Low |
| Each-Way | Easy | Low–Med | Med |
| Head-to-Head | Easy | Low–Med | Med |
| Line Bet | Medium | Med | Med |
| Exacta | Medium | Med-High | High |
| Multi (4-leg) | Advanced | High | Very High |
| Trifecta / First 4 | Advanced | High | Very High |
Betting on horse racing and sports is one of Australia's most popular pastimes, and TABtouch makes the experience accessible to everyone from complete newcomers to seasoned racing analysts. This guide is designed to get you from zero knowledge to confidently placing your first bet — covering account setup, understanding odds, choosing a bet type and using TABtouch's powerful digital tools to inform your selections. Once you're ready to start betting with TABtouch today, the process is smooth and the platform support team is available around the clock to assist with any questions.
Before placing any bet, TABtouch strongly encourages every new customer to use the built-in responsible gambling tools. Setting a deposit limit means you can never accidentally load more money than you intend. A loss limit prevents your account from accepting bets beyond your monthly loss threshold — the single most effective tool for keeping gambling within recreational boundaries. These controls are accessible immediately after registration from the account settings menu, and once set, any reduction takes effect immediately while any increase carries a 7-day cooling-off period. Gambling Help WA can be reached on (08) 9325 6644 for free confidential support.
The form guide is the primary tool used by experienced racing bettors to evaluate each runner's chance in a race. In a standard TABtouch form guide, each runner's entry shows: the horse's name, age, weight, barrier (starting gate position), last 5 race results (e.g. "1-2-3-1-4" means finished first, second, third, first and fourth in last five runs), trainer and jockey. Barrier position can be significant in longer races — wide barriers at courses that suit on-pace runners can disadvantage a horse, while low barriers can be advantageous in tight, short-distance sprints. Reading form takes time and experience but the TABtouch form guide provides everything you need in one screen.
TABtouch covers Australian football (AFL), National Rugby League (NRL), A-League soccer, cricket, tennis, basketball (NBL), rugby union and many more. For each fixture, multiple market types are available: head-to-head (which team wins), line/handicap (adjusted for margin), totals (combined score over/under a line), first scorer, anytime scorer and player props. Football and rugby are the most popular sports for betting in Australia — explore our dedicated sports betting guide for AFL, NRL and cricket markets in depth. For races happening right now, our live in-play betting guide covers in-running sports markets.
Bankroll management is the single most important skill for any bettor. Professional racing analysts typically limit each bet to 1–5% of their total betting bank, ensuring that a run of losses doesn't eliminate the ability to continue placing bets. For recreational punters, a simple flat-staking approach — betting the same fixed dollar amount on every bet — is an effective discipline tool. Avoid chasing losses by increasing bet size after a losing streak; this is the most common way recreational bettors run through their funds quickly. TABtouch's activity statement — accessible in both the app and online account — shows your complete wagering and loss history to help you stay on track. Download the TABtouch mobile app for instant account visibility. And check current promotions for ways to add bonus value to your initial bets.
TABtouch's customer support is available 24 hours, 7 days a week by phone (13 23 69), live chat in the app, and email. Support staff are knowledgeable about all betting products, account management, payout queries and technical issues. As the official platform of Racing & Wagering WA (TABtouch Australia), the service maintains high standards of customer care with most live chat queries resolved in under 5 minutes. Disputes about race results or payout calculations are handled by the Stewards' decision — TABtouch automatically processes correct payout adjustments when official results are amended.
Chief Sports & Racing Analyst with 15+ years covering Australian thoroughbreds and AFL. Committed to delivering accurate, comprehensive betting guides and platform reviews.