Tennis Betting Regulations
The regulatory framework across our markets, and how to check a bookmaker is properly licensed.
Sports betting is regulated separately in each of our markets: the UK Gambling Commission oversees operators in Great Britain, state and territory regulators oversee licensing in Australia, the Department of Internal Affairs regulates gambling in New Zealand, and individual provinces (such as AGCO in Ontario) regulate online betting in Canada. Only operators licensed in your jurisdiction can legally offer you betting services.
Regulators by market
Tax treatment of winnings varies by country and by your personal circumstances - if in doubt, check with your local tax authority or a qualified adviser.
Licensed operators only
Before you bet, check that the operator is licensed in your country or state. That's the only way to make sure your betting is regulated, legal and properly protected.
Betting on tennis is legal in the UK, Australia, New Zealand and Canada, but each country runs its own licensing system, with different rules on advertising, in-play markets and which operators can legally take your money. The UK Gambling Commission, Australia's state and territory regulators, New Zealand's Department of Internal Affairs and Canada's provincial bodies all set the terms differently. Knowing which watchdog covers your market tells you what protection you actually have if a bet goes wrong.
Licensed and regulated
The UK Gambling Commission licenses every operator that takes bets from British customers, whether based in London or abroad, and keeps a public register so punters can check a site's status in seconds. Australia works differently: there's no single national regulator, so operators need a licence from a state or territory body such as the Northern Territory Racing Commission, and the Interactive Gambling Act 2001 bans in-play betting through a website, meaning online tennis bets have to be placed before the match starts. New Zealand's Department of Internal Affairs oversees domestic betting through TAB NZ, though plenty of Kiwis use offshore bookmakers operating in a legal grey area. Canada moved from a federal monopoly to provincial licensing in 2021, with Ontario the first province to open a regulated market to private operators; others still run wagering through Crown corporations such as BCLC or Loto-Quebec.
Tax on winnings
Tax treatment differs sharply across the four markets. UK bettors pay no tax on winnings: betting duty is charged to the operator, not the customer, so a good run on tennis odds lands in your account untouched. Australia takes a similar view for recreational punters, treating betting as a matter of luck rather than income, though someone who bets as an actual trade with consistent method and profit can be taxed on it. New Zealand follows the UK approach closely, with no tax on winnings for casual bettors using TAB or licensed channels. Canada is the exception worth watching: winnings from single-event sports betting are generally tax-free for casual bettors, but the Canada Revenue Agency can treat regular, methodical, profit-driven betting as business income and tax it accordingly.
Only use licensed operators
Stick to operators licensed in your own market. A UK Gambling Commission licence, an Australian state licence, TAB NZ or provincial approval in Canada all mean the operator has been checked for fair pricing, safe handling of customer funds and access to self-exclusion tools when betting stops being enjoyable. Offshore sites offering better tennis odds can look tempting, but they sit outside these systems entirely, so there's no regulator to contact if a market gets frozen or a withdrawal goes missing. Betting odds are for information only. Gamble responsibly and only if you are 18 or over.