PointsBet Review

The feedback on PointsBet is a mixed bag. You’ve got an iOS app rating of 4.6, a Google Play app rating of 3.3, and a mere 1.6 / 5 on Trustpilot. Major comparison and review sites in Australia also show variance as well, with ratings of 4+ stars to 3 and under.

The variance is notable, especially the 1.3-point gap from the app stores, as it’s one of the largest differences we’ve seen across online bookmakers in Australia. The ratings paint a good picture of what this Aus bookie is lacking, and what type of punters it serves quite well.

Where PointsBet Stands With Real Punters

For the app ratings, bookies usually rate within 0.3-0.5 stars across both stores. PointsBet sits near a 1.3-point differential. Android complaints centre on crashes after the last few major updates, slow loading on older devices, and a UI that visibly lags the iOS version. If you test the mobile betting app side by side on Android and Apple devices, you can feel the difference immediately.

Affiliate scores cluster between 3 and 4.2, which is unusually tight. None of the major affiliates rate the bookie as a top pick, but none trash it either. That spread is honest about where the product actually sits, and it’s also a reflection of how attractive their affiliate program is.

PointsBetting, the Unique Bit

Worth reading because no other AU bookie offers this. PointsBetting is a spread betting product. You pick a market (say, total points in an NBA game with a spread of 220.5), and your win or loss is proportional to how far the result lands from the spread. If you back over and the final is 250, you win 29.5x your stake. If you back over and the final is 200, you lose 20.5x your stake.

The feature has been quietly de-emphasised in app navigation over the last year or so, but it’s still there, still functional, still distinct. For sports betting punters who actually have a view on a margin rather than just an outcome, it’s the only legal AU betting site that lets you express it. For everyone else it’s a fast way to lose a lot more than you expected, so the de-emphasis is probably appropriate.

The Rest of the Product

The iOS app and racing form are why the generous ratings exist. Bet slip is fast, the racing form lays out speed maps, recent form and barrier history without overwhelming the screen, and the Same Race Multi builder is one of the cleanest in the market.

Karma Kash is PointsBet’s bonus-bet refund mechanic. Not unique, but better implemented than most, especially compared to Sportsbet or Neds.

Withdrawals sit at 30 mins – 24 hrs, which is competitive, not class-leading. bet365 and TAB are faster on average.

Sports markets are deeper than TABtouch but thinner than Sportsbet or bet365 on player props. AFL and NRL coverage is solid. US sports (NHL, NFL, NBA) get more attention than at most local books, likely a result of the US product team.

The promo intensity is noticeably lower than at the corporates currently chasing market share. New customer welcome offers won’t be where this online betting site wins your account.

Should You Open a PointsBet Account?

Two questions answer it.

Are you on iOS or Android? On iOS, the product is genuinely good and the 4.6 rating is earned. On Android, the 3.3 is also earned (you’re better off waiting for the next big update before committing).

Do you actually want PointsBetting? If you’ve read the spread betting paragraph above and thought “yeah, I’d use that,” then PointsBet is the only online bookie that gives it to you. If PointsBetting sounds like a way to blow up an account faster than usual, then you can probably get a sharper fixed odds product and a better promo at Sportsbet or bet365. Our top recommendation for fixed odds is the latter, check out our bet365 review for full details on their sportsbook.

PointsBet isn’t trying to be the best racing book or the slickest social betting app. It’s a competent middle of the pack Australian online bookmaker with one genuinely distinctive feature and a serious cross-platform UX problem. To see how it really stacks up against the competition, check out our full list of all bookmakers in Australia.