Ladbrokes.com.au Vs TopSport - In-Depth Betting Site Comparison

Ladbrokes, which has been around since the late 1800s and was founded in England, is one of the most well-known names in the industry of online gambling. Since the site launched online in 2013, Australians have had plenty of time to try it out.

Since the beginning of the 2000s, when TopSport began providing online gambling services to Australians, it has become one of the country's most prominent digital platforms. The company claims to offer its members an unrivalled degree of personalised service and access to a vast array of betting products and events.

The leadership team of TopSport, father and son Lloyd and Tristan Merlehan, have nearly 50 years of experience in the wagering industry. Lloyd was a pioneer in the Australian sports wagering sector when he established the country's first on-course licenced bookmaker in 1990.

But, which is better? We’ll be reaching that conclusion in this head-to-head match-up between Ladbrokes Australia and TopSport.

In this instalment of our Battle of the Bookies series, we adhere to a stringent set of rules in order to ensure that everything is conducted in an equitable manner. The following components of an online gambling website are scrutinised by us:

Odds Value: The price you spend should always be justified by the value you get. You choose between prices when you buy anything from a store, and the same principle applies when you wager on an event. We only recommend bookmakers that provide the best value to their customers.

Available Markets: The more tournaments and events that are covered within each sport, as well as the more possibilities that you can actually wager on, the happy the consumer will be. Most gamblers want to wager on more than only winner markets, especially when Goalscorer, Handicaps, Cards, Corners, Scorelines and so much more can be available.

Betting Features: It's easier to customise our wagers, add additional layers of complexity, and boost our odds of winning, thanks in large part to Cash Out and similar features that can be offered by Aussie betting sites. The top online gambling platforms are the ones that provide us with innovative and fruitful betting features.

Betting App: A mobile site may not always be sufficient. Every function that is available on the desktop platform of the same company's platform should be accessible via a contemporary sports and racing betting app instead. We undoubtedly choose websites that provide boundless betting from wherever we are to those that do not.

VIP Program: It's nice to be recognised when we're willing to invest not only time but also money into a single betting site. In exchange for a user's continued patronage, many websites provide a loyalty program in which he or she may earn more specialised rewards.

Safety & Security: Multiple cases exist where hackers have stolen sensitive consumer data by breaking into a betting site's database. As a result, reputable gambling sites have begun using encryption to protect their customers' personal information. Those that do will score extra theoretical points from us.

Payment Methods: There's no use in joining a betting site if you can't make deposits and take advantage of the betting opportunities they provide. Betting site accessibility increases as additional payment options are made available to clients.

Live Betting & Live Streaming: Although live wagering on sports and racing events as they unfold is nothing new, a number of online bookmakers have yet to provide the feature. Even fewer betting sites are available with live streaming. The best site in this category will often excel in both of these areas.

Customer Support: In this day and age, it shouldn't be difficult to receive assistance when we need it, whether it is with signing up, making bets, or withdrawing funds. When it comes to customer service, the best betting site is the one that provides the most options for getting in touch with helpful people and the quickest, nicest, and most well-informed replies.

Promotions: Whether it's through raising the funds immediately, boosting the odds, or delivering frequent cashback on expenditures, the incentives supplied by betting sites may actually make our money go so much farther. We are unable to disclose any specifics regarding the promotions being offered on these websites due to Australian legislation, however we can tell you which website we recommend.

Licensing and Regulation: Betting sites in Australia must get licences and comply with regulations before they can legally accept customers. There is no clear winner in this group since we would never promote a betting site that is not functioning lawfully in the area.

Responsible Gambling Practices: You might discover a link to a Responsible Gambling Policy at the very bottom of most betting sites. These will often stress the significance of responsible gaming and the resources available to patrons who may be in danger of developing a gambling addiction. Websites that put their customer's needs above their own will win this category.

We have compared Ladbrokes and TopSport in each of the aforementioned criteria to determine which Australian online betting site is superior.

The outcomes have been determined as follows:

This is the first edition of Battle of the Bookies where we’ve seen one of the contenders not win a single round out of all 12 of the criteria.

TopSport did manage to get 6 draws against Ladbrokes, which shouldn’t be overlooked, but it’s Ladbrokes that clearly comes out on top in this direct comparison between Ladbrokes Australia and TopSport.

TopSport offers competitive odds that stack up well against the industry standard. We're not surprised by how low the odds are; any betting site that attempts to overcharge will quickly go out of business.

This is why the situation is exactly the same at Ladbrokes - a site that knows the ins and outs of this business by now, understanding that they need to provide odds that are competitive with all the other betting sites that are operating in the Australian market.

Ladbrokes offers hundreds of sports betting markets on all of the biggest events worldwide, alongside dozens on less popular sports and smaller domestic leagues.

TopSport offers 40 different betting markets for English Premier League football matches, serving as an indicator for the world's most wagered sport. While not the widest selection, you should be able to discover the most common betting options.

This scale has repercussions farther down the line, as less popular events in less-popular sports suffer as a result. Still, we're convinced you'll have a decent experience betting on any of the various sports they provide.

However, Ladbrokes wins this round thanks to their extensive list of sports and racing betting options.

When we talk about the “Best Features” of a site, we’re referring to additional betting features which sites use to improve the overall betting experience.

Ladbrokes offer a handful of useful betting features, like Bet Builder and Cash Out, which can be used to design more personalised bets and cash out your winnings while a bet is still active if you feel the flow of the game is about to change.

TopSport, on the other hand, doesn’t have too much to shout about, other than the typical racing features which are also present at Ladbrokes and an in-depth blog.

This section of the comparison will be awarded to Ladbrokes.

The Ladbrokes app can be downloaded to Android and iOS devices and it features everything that can be found on the full desktop version of the platform.

Similarly, if you possess a smartphone or tablet running Android or iOS, you can easily download the TopSport Australia app from the respective app stores and start playing wherever you go.

Log in to either app using the credentials you created on PC, or create an account on the apps themselves if you don’t already have one.

If you prefer to use betting sites that offer rewards for customers that spend the most money with them, you’re out of luck at both Ladbrokes and TopSport.

Both sites do offer promotions, but they are available to all customers and not just those that are more committed to either platform.

This means the result of this round will be listed as a tie between the two betting sites.

If you take your online safety seriously, as you should, you may be interested in knowing how these two sites protect their users’ data from third parties that may be trying to get hold of it.

Well, the answer is: both of these sites use the most state-of-the-art security measures to protect their clients, including SSL encryption technology which ensures that even if somebody gains access to the database, they won’t be able to understand the information that is stored.

Owing to the security measures employed by both of these sites, this round will also be listed as a draw between the two betting platforms.

At Ladbrokes, customers can choose from a long list of payment methods, which include all of the most popular options that are used online all around the world. Methods include Visa, MasterCard, PayPal, Apple Pay, Neteller and more.

TopSport, on the other hand, is a bit of a letdown - particularly for customers that do prefer using more unique payment options for their online gambling activities. At TopSport, clients can only choose between Visa, MasterCard and POLi for their deposits and withdrawals.

This round was a walk in the park for Ladbrokes, who gain another point towards their overall total.

Customers of Ladbrokes can make use of some excellent live betting markets across a variety of popular sports. What’s more, is that customers can also watch a number of live events as they’re taking place via a live stream provided on the site.

In contrast, TopSport does also offer in-play betting for soccer and baseball, but it is not possible to watch any events live on the site as there is no live streaming service.

Thanks to its live streaming service in addition to in-play betting markets, Ladbrokes comes out on top in this round, too.

Ladbrokes offers a variety of ways to get in touch with them whenever you need help or have a suggestion for the site, which can all be found in the “Contact” section of the site. The best option, usually, is the live chat feature, however social media can be just as effective.

The best way to contact TopSport, which we always suggest when it's available, is to use the site's live chat, which is open all the time. You can also send them a message on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, send them an email, or call them. All of the above ways to get in touch with the site can be found by clicking "Contact" on the main menu.

Due to the high number of contact methods you can choose from at Ladbrokes, we’re going to award them the point in this round of the Battle of the Bookies.

TopSport demonstrates that they are aware of the issues associated with compulsive gambling by establishing a Responsible Gambling Policy. This policy describes the issues that are linked with gambling and provides resources on how to seek assistance if you feel like you are starting to suffer from any of these issues.

You’ll find a responsible gambling policy at Ladbrokes, too, which also lists the issues that gamblers and their families may face, alongside some information on what to do if addiction is taking hold.

With both betting sites showing that they’re responsible for their customers' well-being, this section of the comparison will be noted as a tie.

A licence has been granted to TopSport by the Greyhound Welfare & Integrity Commission, which falls under the purview of the New South Wales Liquor & Gaming Commission.

Ladbrokes Australia is licensed by the Northern Territory Racing Commission and they are regulated by authorities which guarantee customers will always be paid their winnings.

With both sites being licensed and regulated appropriately, we have another tie in this head-to-head.

Both Ladbrokes and TopSport have been known to offer some generous promotions over the years and it’s very hard to pick the “best” site between them, as it could come down to personal preferences on the types of promos being offered.

To find out exactly which promotions are being offered on these sites, you will need to visit their respective “Promotions” pages after creating an account with them and signing in.