After four long years of waiting, 2022 sees the return of the biggest sporting tournament in the world; the FIFA World Cup. A host of talented national teams will be trying to dethrone the French following their 2018 triumph beginning on the 21st of November, when the 22nd edition of this famous event kicks off. There are 32 teams heading to the tournament, but only one will emerge victorious, and in this World Cup 2022 betting guide you’ll find all that you need to know about the World Cup betting sites and how to enjoy a punt on it.

Best FIFA World Cup Betting Sites

Betting Site
Fatures
Brand Features
Review
Bet Now
1
HOT
PlayUp
5
Review
  • AUS Licensed
  • Best Handicap
  • AUS Licensed
  • Best Handicap
  • AUS Licensed
  • Best Handicap
2
Best For Racing
WinnersBet
4.7
Review
  • AUS Licensed
  • Daily Promotions
  • AUS Licensed
  • Daily Promotions
  • AUS Licensed
  • Daily Promotions
3
Unibet Australia
4.5
Review
  • AUS Licensed
  • Bet Share
  • AUS Licensed
  • Bet Share
  • AUS Licensed
  • Bet Share
4
Bet365
4.5
Review
  • AUS Licensed
  • Best Bet Builder
  • AUS Licensed
  • Best Bet Builder
  • AUS Licensed
  • Best Bet Builder
5
Palmerbet
4.5
Review
  • AUS Licensed
  • Jockey Challenges
  • AUS Licensed
  • Jockey Challenges
  • AUS Licensed
  • Jockey Challenges
6
TopSport
4.3
Review
  • AUS Licensed
  • High betting limits
  • AUS Licensed
  • High betting limits
  • AUS Licensed
  • High betting limits

Top World Cup Betting Sites

Above you can take a look at what we think are the best Australian World Cup betting sites, but rather than just expecting you to take our word for it, we want to give a little bit of context to why we chose these bookmakers.

There are a number of things we look at when considering the best bookies to use for the World Cup, but perhaps most notable among those is how many markets they offer for the tournament. That relates to both tournament-long futures, as well as individual games – for example, do they offer a number of different player props, alternate lines and so on, or do they stick to just the basics like head-to-head and total goals? We also obviously take a look at the odds that they offer, as each bookie will have a slightly different profit margin and as a result the value that you can get on each bet varies.

Those are the most important factors that we consider, though there are a few others too. We also consider how easy the website of the bookmaker in question is and whether they have a decent mobile app, or at least a mobile site. We’ll also take into consideration their customer support platform – both how many different forms of contact do they have, as well as how many hours per day these contact methods are available.

PlayUp

A relatively new bookmaker, but one which has quickly left an imprint on the Australian betting landscape. PlayUp’s best features include good odds and range of markets, and an excellent website, which is what makes them one of the top choices for betting on the World Cup.  They probably won’t offer the widest range of FIFA 2022 World Cup markets, but they will offer enough to cater for most people and will also offer decent fixed odds.

🏅Top Features: Excellent mobile app, good odds, great website, terrific customer service

👍Likes: Easy to use website and app, solid World Cup market selection and odds

​👎​Dislikes: No live streaming, could be more payment methods

playup review

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BoomBet

BoomBet is the rebranded version of the experienced bookmaker Sportsbetting, so unlike the aforementioned two names they have a fair bit of familiarity with the industry. They have good fixed odds and a quality website, making finding good value on the FIFA 2022 World Cup easy. They offer a good number of World Cup markets, but like PlayUp, they probably won’t have the widest range, but they will have all the basics covered and likely a fair bit more.

🏅Top Features: Decent odds, easy to use website, great mobile app

👍Likes: High quality user experience courtesy of their app and website

👎Dislikes: Fewer options for alternative sports than some other bookies, no live streaming or live betting

BoomBet Review

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TopSport

TopSport is a name which has been around for much longer than the other bookies we’ve mentioned and hasn’t traditionally been recognised as one of Australia’s biggest bookies. They are, however,  beginning to grow in popularity in recent times. They have a good website and app and high betting limits, so if you’re an experienced punter wanting to bet larger sums on the World Cup they could be a decent choice. With a fairly wide range of sports markets available and tend to have good odds for soccer in general, it would be reasonable to expect that this will extend to the World Cup.

🏅Top Features: Great website and app and accessibility for bigger punters

👍Likes: Easy to use for the punter as a result of their excellent website and app

👎Dislikes: Could have better odds and a wider range of markets

TopSport Review

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Bet365

Bet365 is one of the biggest names in betting, not just in Australia but around the globe. They first came to Australia in 2012, and from that point onwards quickly developed into one of the most popular betting sites in the country. There are a number of reasons they are so popular, but among the most notable of them is the broad range of markets and great odds that they offer. This means that during the World Cup, you can expect to find some of the best value with Bet365, and if you like to bet on less common markets – notably player props – then you could certainly do worse than Bet365.

🏅Top Features: Wide range of markets, live streaming, easy to use mobile app

👍Likes: Diversity of markets, excellent odds, simplicity of website and app

👎Dislikes: Minimal withdrawal of $20

Bet365 Review

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WinnersBet

From one of Australia’s oldest bookies to one of the newest. WinnersBet is even newer than PlayUp, having only entered the game in 2020. They’ve got a bit of work to do in a few areas to match it with the best, but a quality website and good customer service is a decent start. WinnersBet tends to have more of a focus on racing so don’t expect them to be an industry-leader in terms of World Cup markets, but it is always good to register and have options to compare odds when it comes to big events like the FIFA World cup. If you want a website that is easy to use and have the basic markets then you’ll find them here.

🏅Top Features: Great website, decent customer service

👍Likes: Easy to navigate the website

👎Dislikes: Fewer markets than some competitors, as well as inferior odds

WinnersBet Review

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Unibet Australia

Unibet is another global betting giant whose Australian branch has become a popular choice for Aussie punters. They are far from perfect and their website can be a little cumbersome to use, but where they excel is in arguably the two most important areas; market selection and odds, most of the time when we compare, Unibet are offering the best odds sometimes even in a difference of $0.3  for the same market! As a result, if you’re looking for a World Cup betting site with heaps of markets and good odds, Unibet Australia could be a good choice.

🏅Top Features: Live streaming, live betting, huge range of markets

👍Likes: Some of the best odds in the industry, excellent selection of markets, lots of live streaming

👎Dislikes: Website can be a little cumbersome, customer service isn’t available 24/7

Unibet Australia Review

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Palmerbet

Palmerbet might not have as big a reputation as some other brands like Bet365, but they are worthy of far more recognition than they get. This is a bookmaker with very few major weaknesses; they have a good selection of markets, competitive odds, a great website and app and offer decent customer service, all of which makes them a popular site among those who use them. For the World Cup, you can expect them to offer a good selection of markets with decent odds, and a platform which makes it easy to browse these markets, so if you’re looking for an all-round punting site for the biggest sporting tournament in the world, Palmerbet could be the way to go.

🏅Top Features: Great blog, very good mobile app, competitive odds

👍Likes: The odds they offer, a wide selection of markets, easy app and website to use

👎Dislikes: No live streaming or live betting

Palmerbet Review

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Local betting sites vs international betting sites

As you’re perusing through the vast number of options that you have for betting on the World Cup, you’ll notice a bit of a divide between locally owned, Australian sports betting sites, and internationally owned ones. There can be benefits to using each of them, but each have their own advantages, and which one is best for you will often depend on what it is you value in FIFA World Cup betting sites in Australia.

Why to choose a Australian betting site

Local sites are those which are owned and operated in Australia, meaning they are generally smaller overall businesses than their international counterparts. There are a few drawbacks to this – often it means that their odds may not be as good or they may not have as wide a range of services. However, they do certainly make up for this in other areas.

Probably the most notable of these is customer support. Given they are located in Australia they generally have customer support platforms much more suitable to their Australian audiences as it’s easier for them to provide help during Australian hours. Their smaller size also invariably means that, as with most businesses, they are able to place a little more emphasis on the individual customers.

Why to choose an international betting site

International sites are generally larger, internationally established betting sites who have decided to enter the Australian betting industry, typically after many years operating in other parts of the world. This means that they enter Australian shores as an experienced bookmaker and are generally able to offer a broader range of services than new, local sites only just starting out. That doesn’t mean they’re perfect by any means – as mentioned above, their size means that often there is less of an emphasis on customers, but they do have some advantages too.

Predominantly this is in the form of the range of markets and odds that they offer. Take Bet365 as an example; one of the biggest bookies in the world, they have some of the best odds and the widest range of markets in Australia, something which is attributable to their global success. If these factors are the most important things for you in a bookmaker, then sometimes international ones can be the way to go – though there are still certainly local bookmakers offering good odds and many markets too.

World Cup Betting Sites Features

There are a number of features which are important to look for when deciding on the best FIFA World Cup betting sites in Australia. We’ve already touched on them a little throughout the course of this article to date, but in this section we’ll go into a little bit more detail about what to look for in a World Cup bookie.

Wide range of World Cup markets

As mentioned earlier, the range of World Cup markets is definitely something to consider when looking for FIFA World Cup betting sites in Australia. In fact, this is something to consider anytime you look at a bookie, but if you’re looking for a World Cup bookie in particular then you obviously need to look at the range of World Cup markets. Some betting sites might only have a handful of markets per game while others might have an enormous range, from player props to alternate lines and more. However, remember that you only need markets for what you intend to bet on – if you’re a player props bettor, for example, look for a site with a good range of them.

Live streaming

Live streaming is something which is becoming increasingly popular for bookmakers, but what exactly each of them offers is always different. The broadcast rights for the World Cup will obviously be extremely expensive, so whether any bookmaker forks out for them remains to be seen. If, however, there is a site on which you can watch some games in the World Cup, that will clearly be a major drawcard for many punters. Keep an eye on Bet365 and Unibet two major players that offer live streaming and soccer is one of their main markets.

Live Betting

This is another growing area in the world of punting, and is something which is far more accessible during the World Cup than live streaming will be. Still, not all bookies will offer it, so those who do will certainly have a point of difference. Live betting will enable you to punt on certain markets – typically just the more popular ones – after the game has started, with rapidly changing odds based on how the game is unfolding. As always in Australia, you will have to call up in order to place a live bet.

Bookmakers that usually offer live betting are:

  • playup
  • Bet365
  • Topsport
  • Unibet

Bonuses and promotions

Bonuses and promotions are always something that punters are looking for in a bookmaker, and though some offer very few of much value, there are other bookies with whom you can often find promos which can be of significant benefit if used widely. Often, these bonuses come when there is a major event upcoming and bookies want to entice punters to use their site throughout the course of the event. Clearly, the FIFA World Cup falls into this category, and many bookmakers might offer various promotions – often relating to World Cup games or futures themselves – throughout the course of the tournament.

Banking

A final feature to keep an eye out on is banking. It might not be the most exciting element of a bookmaker, but transferring funds to and hopefully from your betting account is an unavoidable part of the process. Clearly, it’s key that there is a payment method available which you can quickly and easily use. Usually there’ll be at least one or two suitable options like credit/debit card, but be sure to take a look at the available options to ensure that there is one available for you to use.

World Cup Betting

Same game multis

Just a few years ago same game multis didn’t really exist, but nowadays they are part and parcel of the offerings of many major bookmakers on most sporting leagues of note. As the name suggests, these enable you to combine multiple outcomes from a single game into the one bet, with the odds multiplying with each additional leg. Many bookmakers will offer this during the World Cup, though there will be plenty of others who don’t have it available.

Multis

Multis are more common than same game multis, and differ in that the different legs that you combine will all be from different games. For example, you might combine two or three different teams to win their next games, and get the odds of all those individual odds multiplied. Some things you’ll always be able to multi, such as head-to-head results, while things like player props might only be available for a multi with certain bookmakers. Different bookies will also have varying limits on how many legs you can include in an individual multi.

Future bets

Every decent World Cup betting site will offer futures of some variety; at the very least a market for the winner of the event. However, how many other futures they have will vary among bookmakers. Some will have odds available for all the individual awards like Golden Boot and Golden Ball, which can be fun to follow throughout the event, while others may just have outright winner available.

Outright Betting

Outright betting is, as discussed earlier, one of the most popular ways to bet on the World Cup and a market which virtually every World Cup betting site is offering. This is a bet which you can follow throughout the course of the tournament, rather than just over one night, and includes all teams that qualify for it. Evidently, there are a number of teams which are far more heavily favoured to go deep in the tournament than others, most of which are the usual suspects at these kinds of events.

With the vast majority of places in the World Cup now confirmed, there is a little more clarity around the markets for the winners of the event. Among the favourites include five-time champions Brazil, reigning World Cup winners in France, an English side to whom the bookies still have some faith despite being in the midst of a 56-year World Cup drought, Spain, Germany, Belgium and Argentina.

World Cup Structure

Now it’s time to move away from the betting, and into the nitty gritty of the tournament itself. Taking place in Qatar, the tournament itself kicks off on the 21st of November with the traditional game including the host nation. The final takes place at Lusail Iconic Stadium on the 18th of December, but there is a fair bit of water to go under the bridge before we get there, so let’s start with the qualifiers.

The qualifiers

The qualification process to get into the World Cup one is a long one, and has been made even longer by continued disruptions from the pandemic. Each nation belongs to one of the six FIFA confederations, and in each of these confederations an individual qualification process takes place to determine who plays in the World Cup. With some of these federations, such as UEFA, far stronger than others, a predetermined number of teams from each gets the chance to advance, with far more able to qualify from the better federations.

So far, all five spots from CAF (African) have been fulfilled, as have four from AFC (Asia and Australia) plus the spot reserved for host nation Qatar, three teams from CONCACAF (North and Central America, and the Caribbean), four teams from CONMEBOL (South America), and 12 teams from Europe. This means that virtually every spot at the World Cup has been filled, with just a couple still left to be decided.

The draw

The draw took place on the 1st of April, 2022 in Qatar. The qualification process was not yet fully finalized at this process, so there were a handful of placeholders included in the draw, but the vast majority of teams had already been decided and the pools five of the eight pools full as a result.

Tournament

In total, there are eight groups at the 2022 FIFA World Cup consisting of four teams each. This is the final World Cup before the event is expanded from 32 to 48 teams. Each team plays all three others in their Group on one occasion, and the teams which finish in the top two in each group advances through to the knockout stage. From this point onwards, it’s a winner takes all situation.

The knockout stage

The knockout stage begins with the Round of 16, which sees the winners of each group pitted against a runner-up from another. From this point onwards, losing teams are eliminated from the event while the winner advances through to the next round. This continues onto the quarter-finals, where there are eight teams, then the semi-finals where there are four, and then the final itself.

FIFA World Cup - The groups

In total, there will be eight groups in the 2022 FIFA World Cup Group Stage, each of which will consist of four teams. This is what each group will look like.

Group A

In Group A, we have host nation Qatar competing alongside Ecuador, Senegal and the Netherlands. The Netherlands are far and away the most highly rated team in this group and should be able to advance, while it’s expected that the second qualifying spot will be contested between Ecuador and Senegal.

Group B

In Group B, we have England, Iran, the United States and one yet to be determined team which will be either Wales, Scotland or Ukraine. England, as one of the favourites to win the tournament, is expected to head this group. Whichever of the three teams still competing for the final spot in Wales, Scotland and Ukraine are viewed as the next best hopes to advance by the bookmakers, while the USA and Iran are only outside hopes of finishing in the top two.

Group C

Group C includes Argentina, Poland, Mexico and Saudi Arabia. The make-up of this group is not dissimilar to that of Group A: Argentina is the best team in it and should be able to advance, while Poland and Mexico are expected to battle it out for second place.

Group D

France, Denmark and Tunisia are the three confirmed starters in Group D, while the final spot will go to either Australia or Tunisia. This group looks fairly clear cut; France should be too good and finish on top of the group, while Denmark is widely tipped to snare the second spot.

Group E

Group E is another with one spot still to be decided. Spain, Germany and Japan will definitely compete in what is a relatively competitive group, while the final spot will go to either Costa Rica or New Zealand. Neither of those two teams is expected to do much damage if they do get there, with Japan the only real chance of preventing Spain and Germany from finishing in the top two spots.

Group F

Group F consists of Belgium, Canada, Morocco and Croatia. Every team in this group is a genuine chance of finishing in the top two, though Belgium are out on top as the relatively comfortable favourite to win the group. Sitting behind them is Croatia, while Morocco and Canada are the less likely chances to advance.

Group G

Brazil, Switzerland, Serbia and Cameroon are our three teams in Group G. Unsurprisingly, Brazil is the fairly comfortable favourite to win this group; who will finish second is not so clear cut. Both Switzerland and Serbia have a very good chance of grabbing the second spot and might be competing with one another for it, though Cameroon is still an outside chance of causing some damage as well.

Group H

Our final group is Group H, which includes Portugual, Uruguay, South Korea and Ghana. Portugal is the favourite to win this group, though Uruguay isn’t all that far behind. South Korea and Ghana are both only outside chances of advancing, though the odds suggest that a top two finish is not out of the realms of possibility for either of them

World Cup Important dates and times

Below are some important dates relating to the 2022 FIFA World Cup to lock into your calendar:

  • 13-14th of June, 2022: AFC, CONCACAF, CONMEBOL and OFC qualifying ends
  • 21st of November, 2022: FIFA World Cup begins
  • 3rd of December: Knockout stage begins
  • 18th of December: FIFA World Cup final

Other league schedules

Typically the FIFA World Cup takes place during the middle of the year, something which suits the majority of major domestic leagues throughout the world as it doesn’t cause any disruption to their schedule. Given the 2022 edition of the event is taking place in Qatar, where summer temperatures regularly soar into the 40s, the tournament has been moved to later in the year when the climate will be more suitable. As a result, a number of major leagues will be impacted.

The major leagues in Europe, including the English Premier League, La Liga, Ligue 1 and Serie A, would normally be playing matches during the period in which the 2022 World Cup is being played, and as a result there have been changes to their schedules. Likewise the major leagues in South America, namely those in Argentina and Brazil. Closer to home, the A-League will also be running during the World Cup – it starts in October and runs until May in a normal season. As a result of the World Cup, the beginning may need to be delayed, although it’s unlikely the impact of the World Cup will be as significant for the A-League given a number of the players won’t be playing for their national side.

For the full FIFA World Cup Schedule & Tips click here

About the World Cup Tournament

The FIFA World Cup was first held way back in 1930 when Uruguay, on their own home soil, defeated Argentina. Since then it’s been held every four years with the exception of 1942 and 1946 across a variety of countries, but only once has it been held in Asia and never has it been held in an Arab country. This makes Qatar a relatively unique host country, particularly given that it is by far the smallest country to host a World Cup, and the Qatar national side has never qualified for the tournament. The climate in the region also means that the World Cup has been moved from the middle of the year to the end of it.

The history of the tournament

In total, the FIFA World Cup has been held on 21 occasions prior to this edition. In that time, eight different nations have triumphed; Brazil, Germany, Italy, Argentina, France, Uruguay, England and Spain. Brazil have been the most successful in history, winning it on five occasions (1958, 1962, 1970, 1994 and 2002), while both Germany (1954, 1974, 1990 and 2014) and Italy (1934, 1938, 1982 and 2006) have won it on four occasions. Of the teams to have won it, Uruguay hasn’t won since 1950, while England – who have won it just once – are in the midst of a well-publicised 55-year drought having enjoyed their only success way back in 1966.

Individually, Germany’s Miroslav Klose has been the most prolific goalscorer at the event, scoring 16 times, while Brazil’s Ronaldo managed 15 throughout his glittering career, Germay’s Gerd Müller scored 14 times, France’s Just Fontaine hit the back of the net on 13 occasions, and the brilliant Brazilian Pelé scored 12.

World Cup Interesting facts

Below are some  interesting facts about the history of the FIFA World Cup.

  • On five occasions the host nation has won the World Cup, but it hasn’t yet happened since the turn of the century – something which is unlikely to change in Qatar.
  • Winning the World Cup twice in a row has proven particularly difficult over the course of the tournament’s history. Only Brazil managed to achieve the feat in 1958 and 1962, so France will be attempting something which hasn’t happened in 60 years at this year’s event.
  • Never has a nation outside of Europe or South America won the FIFA World Cup. South America has accounted for nine of the victories, while the other 12 belong to European nations.

FAQs

  • How long does the 2022 FIFA World Cup go for?

    The 2022 FIFA World Cup runs from the 21st of November until the 18th of December. This is a total of 28 days, three days less than has been typical in recent editions of the World Cup.

  • What is the structure of the tournament?

    The 32 teams at the 2022 FIFA World Cup are split into eight groups of four teams each initially. In the Group Stage, each team in the group plays one another once, and the top two teams in each group advance to the Round of 16. In the Round of 16, winners of each group plays runners-up from another group, with the loser eliminated and the winner advancing. This knockout format continues in the quarter-finals and semi-finals, until just two teams remain and play in the final.

  • Who are the favourites to win the 2022 FIFA World Cup?

    There are a number of teams given a good chance to win the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Five-time winners Brazil and reigning champions France are the two current favourites to take it out, marginally ahead of an English team looking to break a 56-year drought, and Spain. Germany, Argentina and Belgium aren’t too far behind, while rounding out the list of teams given a realistic chance by the bookmakers is the Netherlands.

  • Where will the games take place?

    The entire 2022 FIFA World Cup is taking place in Qatar, with games played across eight different stadiums. The two biggest of these are Lusail Iconic Stadium – which can fit 80,000 spectators and is playing host to one semi-final and the final – and Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor – which can fit 60,000 spectators and hosts the other semi-final. The other six stadiums include four in the Doha area – Stadium 974, Al Thumama Stadium, Education City Stadium and Khalifa International Stadium – as well as Ahmed bin Ali Stadium in Al Rayyan and Al Janoub Stadium in Al Wakrah.

  • What times will the games be on?

    The kick-off times for the Group Stage games are 1pm, 4pm, 7pm and 10pm Qatar time, which is respectively 9pm, midnight, 3am and 6am on the eastern coast of Australia. The final games of the Group Stage begin at 6pm and 10pm in Qatar, or 2am and 5am on Australia’s east coast. In the knockout stage, all games begin at either 6pm or 10pm local time, which equates to 2am or 6am the following morning AEDT.

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