TABtouch Review

TABtouch is unlike every other WA bookmaker we’ve reviewed. It’s the last state-government owned TAB in Australia, every other state having sold theirs off years ago. Profits flow back into WA racing rather than to Flutter, Entain, or a PE firm. And it’s reportedly losing over $80M across three financial years, making it the subject of an ongoing state-government review.

When you read other top Australian bookmakers lists and notice TABtouch is mostly absent, that’s because no affiliate site gets paid to promote it. It’s the same reason the most popular comparison sites in the country don’t even have a review of the brand. We don’t get paid either, but we cover it anyway.

Why You Don’t See TABtouch on Affiliate Lists

Every other major Australian online bookmaker (Sportsbet, bet365, Ladbrokes, Neds, Unibet, Betfair, Dabble) runs an affiliate program. Sites get paid to send punters their way, which is why the same editor-positive reviews dominate every search result. TABtouch can’t do the same, because it’s a WA government statutory authority and paying commercial referrers would mean profits going to marketing instead of back to racing.

The only credible affiliate review we found is Racenet’s, which rates the product 5/5. Most affiliate sites either ignore TABtouch or mention it briefly without ranking it. The snapshot below is shorter than for other bookies because there’s less affiliate noise to consider.

Editorial & User Ratings

The iOS rating is standout. 4.8 from nearly 9k ratings one of the best scores we’ve covered at a meaningful sample size. It’s close to bet365 at 4.7 from 57K and Sportsbet at 4.6, but well above names like Unibet at 2.8. TABtouch punters, mostly WA-based, are quieter about their horse racing betting app than users of the big corporates, but the ones who speak out tell a mostly positive story.

Praise centres on Sky Racing live vision, race replays, real human support, and Giddy-Up form. Complaints are specific: slow withdrawals, occasional crashes, and an interface that hasn’t kept pace with modern options like Dabble.

Who Owns TABtouch?

TABtouch is owned by Racing and Wagering Western Australia (RWWA), a state government statutory authority set up in 2003. It’s the only state-owned TAB left in Australia. Victoria sold its TAB in 1994, NSW in 1998, with QLD, SA, NT and Tasmania rolled into Tabcorp via the 2017 Tatts merger.

WA has tried three times to follow. A 2014-2020 attempt collapsed during COVID. In 2022, preferred bidder Betr ultimately failed to confirm the necessary financial commitments to support its offer, while rival bids from Tabcorp and Entain were rejected for not providing sufficient financial return to proceed. The WA Government formally terminated the process on 7 November 2022, having committed significant public resources across three years of negotiations. A third attempt launched in August 2024 remains ongoing.

RWWA has recorded significant losses in the past three years, and in 2026, it announced $20M in annual cost savings, 40 redundancies, sale of TABradio to SEN, and likely closures of regional TAB agencies. The WA betting site is in flux, even if the app remains well rated and users genuinely seem to enjoy it.

Where TABtouch Deserves Some Credit

• Sky Racing live streaming on every TAB-covered meeting.
• Full race replays for past meetings, useful for serious form study.
• Giddy-Up form guides with expert ratings, speed maps and Blackbook tracker.
• Scan My Bet: scan a winning retail TAB ticket and deposit funds directly into your account.
• First-past-the-post and protest payouts, which not every corporate offers.
• $1 minimum deposits and withdrawals, the lowest in the market.

What Needs to be Improved

• App UX hasn’t kept pace. Dabble and bet365 are visibly slicker. App Store reviews flag clunky navigation.
• Withdrawals slower than competitors. 1-3 business days for bank transfers vs bet365’s same or next-day processing.
• Customer support reportedly slipping with the ongoing cost cuts. App Store reviews include credible reports of phone lines ringing out.
• Sports markets thinner than major corporates. Racing-first by design.

Comparing To Australia’s Top Bookies

Is TABtouch a Bad Bookmaker For Everyone?

Short answer is no. Plenty of punters will be happy here. Below is our breakdown of who this WA bookmaker suits well, and who should look elsewhere.

WA punters who want losses funding WA racing rather than offshore shareholders: TABtouch is the only choice. RWWA’s surplus flows back into WA racing, an industry employing around 10,000 full-time employees. With Sportsbet your losses go to Flutter shareholders.

Racing-first punters anywhere in Australia: worth an account. Sky Racing vision plus race replays plus Giddy-Up form is a strong combination.

Sports-first punters: probably not your main book. The sports product is fine but it’s not why this bookie exists.

Long-term outlook: the RWWA financial situation is worth knowing. Three privatisation attempts have run, the third is ongoing. If TABtouch sells, the structural difference that sets it apart stops existing.

If you’re not completely sold, check out how TABtouch stacks up against every betting site in Australia.