PlayUp Review (January 2025)

"Great fixed odds, fantastic app"

Robin Sydney, OnlyRacing expert

PlayUp hasn't been around for very long, but they've already made a name for itself as one of Australia's best betting sites by consistently giving Australians the best fixed odds prices, one of the best betting apps going around and the greatest platform for fantasy sports betting in Australia (Draftstars).

They have some great promotions on offer for existing customers as well. All in all, if you're in the market for a new bookie that ticks a lot of the boxes, you can't really go past PlayUp. The overall betting experience is excellent.

My Rating: 9.3/10

Betting Offerings - 8/10

PlayUp have most the betting markets you would want, they could improve even more with Same Race Multi or other options. But as it stands, they're still a great choice for anyone looking to get into the world of online betting.

Banking Options - 8/10

PlayUp offers a wide range of banking options, including instant Osko withdrawals. While this is good enough for most, some users could prefer even more options to choose from.

Mobile Experience - 10/10

Punting on the PlayUp mobile app is an excellent experience. The app is available on both iOS and Android and is a pleasure to use, and makes betting on the races from wherever you are easy and fun.

Withdraw Speed - 10/10

PlayUp generally processes payouts very quickly. They process requests daily and even offer instant payouts to their users via the Osko platform. This makes them a great choice for those looking to get their winnings as soon as possible.

Overall User Experience - 9/10

If you want a no-frills great betting experience, look no further than PlayUp. The betting experience is one of the best in the industry and they nail all the key parts like great odds and and offering a great mobile app and site, making it easy for you to get in on the action.

Customer Support -  10/10

The customer support at PlayUp is outstanding. You can get in touch with PlayUp 24/7 via their live chat function, as well as every customer having a personal client manager they can talk to. This means that you can get the help you need whenever you need it.

Security - 10/10

PlayUp is fully licensed and regulated by the NT Racing Commission, so you don't have to worry about security issues. Both their fantastic app and website are 100% secure and safe to use, allowing you to bet with peace of mind.

A note from OnlyRacing: Our expert writers perform in-depth research on each sportsbook to provide you with their professional, impartial opinion. However, when you click on certain links in the review and make a deposit, we may receive a commission (don't worry - this costs you nothing).

PlayUp is one of my favourite betting sites to use for horse racing. They consistently offer great fixed odds for horse racing and their easy to use mobile app is one of the best betting apps I’ve used. 

PlayUp might not have the most features of any betting site, but they offer everything you would want and what they do, they do well. PlayUp offer top quality customer service available around the clock as well as some quality of life features such as instant payouts and cash deposits.

As stated, PlayUp could still stand to improve their experience in the future with some of the other advanced features offered by competitors, but in my opinion PlayUp remain a great choice for anyone looking for a great no-frills betting experience.

PlayUp may not be the biggest bookie in Australia, and being a new bookie it isn’t historical known as a big player in the Australia racing industry, however in recent years the competition for online bookies has certainly heated up and PlayUp has seized the opportunity to become one of the best new bookies for racing in Australia, essentially always having the best fixed odds for Australian racing.

In my experience, PlayUp basically always has the best fixed odds for Australian racing. In addition to their Best Tote option, which guarantees the best dividend from all the Totes plus the Starting Price. I think it’s only a matter of time before Aussie punters recognize PlayUp as one of the greatest Australian horse racing bookmakers.

PlayUp offers competitive fixed odds for every thoroughbred, greyhound, and harness racing meet in Australia and New Zealand, as well as odds for overseas races in Japan, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and many other nations.

You'll receive Best Tote + SP win odds for all Australian races, and Super TAB + 5 percent win odds for major foreign markets including New Zealand.

PlayUp Australia debuted its Android and Apple betting apps in 2019, with over 100,000 app downloads so far. As a result, you can be confident that their applications are modern and simple to use, with a plethora of fantastic capabilities and features to make your mobile betting experience a ten out of ten.

The new PlayUp app has a pleasant interface where you can access everything you can on the PlayUp main betting website. With the PlayUp app, you can see all the upcoming races and sports markets in one easy spot, there is a dedicated area for promotions, you can also make deposits and withdrawals, verify your account, and see PlayBook tips. Although there are several top-notch betting apps available, I believe the PlayUp app to be among the finest since it is fresh, incredibly intuitive, lightning-fast, and very simple to use.

I believe that the PlayUp betting app is one of the top Australian betting applications. If you have an Apple device, you can download the PlayUp app for free from the App store. Or, if you have an Android device, you can download the PlayUp app for free from the Google Play Store.

PlayUp, like the majority of our featured bookmakers, has a number of premium features that are exclusive to the top-tier of bookies out there. PlayUp even goes a step further and includes a few features that are unique to the PlayUp experience. Here are a few PlayUp features that I believe punters should be aware of:

Client Manager

Every user at PlayUp has a dedicated Client Manager assigned to them who looks after their account, sort of like a personal customer service agent. You can easily get in contact with your Client Manager by text, phone, or email regarding any queries, requests, or problems you may have related to your account. 

Your Client Manager can also let you know about any current promotions PlayUp are running, including ones that are exclusive to you. Although it's a small feature, it highlights PlayUp's dedication to providing its users with an excellent overall experience.

PlayUp Playbook

PlayUp produces a blog called The PlayUp Playbook where readers can get recaps, predictions, and advice on upcoming events in sports and racing. This blog tipping style is used by a few other bookies, but the PlayUp Playbook is easily one of my favourites because of the quantity and quality of information it offers. 

The optimal method for selecting a winner, however, still involves comparing diverse information, such as that included in our Best Bets section, so it is always good to seek advice from multiple sources for any given race.

24/7 Customer Service

Every bookmaker has some sort of customer care system, with the best of them providing various methods to reach them. The thing that sets PlayUp apart from the competition is that all of its customer care channels – phone, email, and the live chat feature – are available and responsive 24/7. That allows you to get in touch whenever you need to, day or night, and in my experience, the customer service team are very friendly and happy to help.

Protest Payout

PlayUp offers their Protest Payout feature, which covers both first past the post and official winners on Australian Thoroughbred Horse Racing. This means if your horse runs first past the post and gets relegated due to an upheld protest, you will still be paid out as a winner. I love this feature as it covers all punters in the event of a protest, whether you backed the original winner or the runner protesting, no more sweating out the result!

Best Tote + SP

On all Australian Thoroughbred markets PlayUp offers their Best Tote + SP prices. This product provides you with the best dividend between all three of the Australian Tote pools or the 'Official On-Course Starting Price (SP)'. Best Tote is a highly useful feature for punters as it guarantees you’re getting the best tote odds possible at the time of the jump.

PlayUp offers a wide range of markets and features that makes it a good choice for betting on horse racing.

• PlayUp offers competitive fixed odds markets for both Australian and International horse races.
• PlayUp offers a range of markets for Thoroughbred, Harness and Greyhound racing.
• PlayUp has Exotic betting options such as Trifectas and Quaddies for all races
• PlayUp offer their Best Tote + SP betting option, a great way to guarantee the best tote prices available.

PlayUp could improve by adding markets such as Same Race Multis or other unique markets that some of their bigger competitors may offer. PlayUp is a reliable bookie that offers good value for money. PlayUp is a popular choice for horse racing punters. 

Sign-up bonuses for online betting sites are governed by tight legislation in Australia. As a result, PlayUp is unable to promote any sign-up bonuses to Australian punters who do not already have an account.

If you want to find out about Playup promos and offers, click here to create a PlayUp account. Or check out all promotions we can currently show here!

To sign up at PlayUp, simply click here to head to the PlayUp site. Once there, click on the green ‘Signup’ button in the top right corner of the site or the PlayUp app. You will then be welcomed by the pop-up window as seen in the image below; simply enter all your relevant personal details and choose a username and password before scrolling down and clicking the "Create Account" button.

Once completed you should receive an email from PlayUp confirming that you have created your account and a link to follow to verify your provided email address. You are then free to deposit funds and place any bets you like.

How to Deposit

To deposit funds into your PlayUp account, once logged in just look for the green ‘Deposit’ button in the upper right corner next to your account name, or click on your account name and select the Deposit option from the dropdown.
On the PlayUp app, simply click the 3 lines symbol in the top right of the app to open the account menu, from there just click on the Deposit option.

From this point, you may add a new payment method from either; Debit Card, Banking, or EFT Transfer. Alternatively, you can click on the Cash In-store option to learn more about PlayUp's recently launched Cash In-store function, which enables customers to deposit cash in person at more than 1500 locations around Australia.

Once your chosen payment method has been added, all you need to do is enter your desired deposit amount and press the Deposit Now button.

How to Withdraw

To withdraw your winnings from PlayUp, open your account menu in the upper right of the PlayUp website or PlayUp app, then select the Withdraw option. On the next screen, enter the amount you’d like to withdraw, then enter your bank account details and press the Withdraw Funds button.

Please note the ‘Withdrawal Balance’ indicator, this is how much is available to withdraw, as funds deposited need to be turned over first prior to withdrawing them.

PlayUp has been a great bookmaker to bet with all around, and the customer service has also been fantastic. Every user at PlayUp is assigned a personal client manager, someone you can easily get in touch with if you have any questions about your account. 

PlayUp’s live chat feature is available 24/7 and in my experience, the customer service agents are very fast to respond to any issues you may have. Overall, I have been very pleased with PlayUp's customer service and would recommend them to others.

Margins are effectively the perceived amount that a bookmaker is making on every bet they accept. As such, the margin is a reflection on the odds of that bookmaker. For example. if a bookmakers’ margin is 20%, for every $1 bet the bookie accepts, it takes $0.2.

Below I have compared Playup's odds and margin to Sportsbet and TAB 1 hour before the jump, and 5 minutes before the jump:

Race 1 - Ballarat Synthetic R3 31/10/2022

1 Hour Before Jump:

• PlayUp – 134.9%
• TAB – 131%
• Sportsbet – 126.2%

5 Minutes Before Jump:

• PlayUp – 125.8 %
• TAB – 126.2%
• Sportsbet – 124.9%

Race 2 - Cranbourne R4 12/11/2022

1 Hour Before Jump:

• PlayUp – 125.2%
• TAB – 120%
• Sportsbet 120.6%

5 Minutes Before Jump:

• PlayUp – 118.3 %
• TAB – 117.1%
• Sportsbet – 117.9%