Like in the majority of countries around the globe, sports are a huge thing in Australia and New Zealand. Each year in Australia, about 13 million adults and 3 million children participate in various tournaments and leagues, while the governing body for sports in New Zealand (Sport NZ) proclaimed sport as an integral part of New Zealand’s culture and way of life. That’s how big it is. 

The Rise of Sports Betting in the Region

Following a similar trend, sports betting has climbed high on the ladder as one of the favourite pastimes for people in the region. It’s all due to its exciting and unpredictable nature. You want your favourites to win, you want them to score and do good, and you cheer and rejoice in their success, but you are never sure if they will be the definite winners.  

Likewise, bookies are doing their best to take care of the bettors. Searching the internet, you will see many betting portals that are frequently reporting and reviewing bonuses and promotions offered by providers. For example, you can get your bonus code for William Hill in NZ or Australia or search for bonuses offered by other providers that you like. In today’s betting world, nothing is off limits, you only need to pick a sport and set a wager. 

The Top 3 Sports to Bet on in Australia and New Zealand

Cricket

Cricket is huge in Australia and New Zealand. The two countries are so far into the game that during the summertime, you can see people gathering together to play it on the beach, on the cricket pitch, in their yards, or literally wherever they can. 

Australians, in particular, are known for playing notorious cricket. They produced some of the world’s finest cricketers, such as Shane Warne, Shane Watson, Ricky Ponting, Glen McGrath, the famous Sir Donald Bradman, and many more. They took the Cricket World Cup trophy 5 times, appeared in 7 finals, and won more than 60% of their matches. And the Australian Men’s Cricket Team is one of the best and most successful teams in One Day International Cricket History. 

Similarly, people in New Zealand share their love for playing and watching the sport. Players like Trent Boult, Tim Southee, Richard Hadlee, Kane Williamson, and Ross Taylor left a significant mark in international cricket history. New Zealand’s national cricket team is so good that they played in more than 1400 international matches, won more than 566, tied 16, and drew 168.

There is no wonder why cricket betting is so popular in both countries. Every year, the best bookies take millions of dollars in wagers on the events. The top betting sites are making sure to cover not only local and regional but also international tournaments and leagues. This means you can bet on matches in the USA, Europe, India, Pakistan, and so on. 

Australian Rules Football

Colloquially known as Aussie Rules or footy, Australian Rules Football is another popular sport in the region. Two teams of 18 players face each other on an oval field, and the goal is to kick the ball through one of the four goalposts on the opponent’s side of the field. 

The sport started to take off in the early 80s, when ESPN started showcasing the games. It gave many prominent players like Adam Goodes, Alex Jesaulenko, Bob Skilton, James Hird from Australia, and Shane Savage, Wayne Schwass, Donald Dicie, Brenkt Renouf from New Zealand, and many more. 

As one of the most skilled, fast-paced, and exciting games in the world, Aussie Rules today not only gathers together numerous fans and bettors in Australia and New Zealand but also has a large international viewer base, and sports bookies provide many opportunities for fans to place bets.

Rugby 

In New Zealand, Rugby Union is considered a national sport, with a fan base of around 1.34 million people. Their boys, the All Blacks, are currently ranked third in the world and have the best winning record of any national team worldwide. 

Meanwhile, in Australia, rugby league is a dominant rugby code. Even though Australia has more than 230 000 registered rugby union players, and is one of the countries with the highest participation rates in the world, the sport is 10th in popularity on the local market, while rugby league takes on second place with 70.2 million fans. Some even consider rugby union a dying sport in the country. 

However, when it comes to betting, both sports are equally popular options in both countries, with no signs of slowing down. Many fans are staying loyal to their favourite teams and leagues and diligently placing bets on a daily basis. 

Australia and New Zealand are by far known for their passion for sports. While rugby, cricket, and Aussie Rules are deeply rooted in their psyche, you can also see them playing, cheering and betting on other sports such as tennis, golf, netball and so forth.

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