Australia · Prediction markets · Free tool
Betfair commission calculator: what does an exchange bet pay?
Enter the odds, your stake and Betfair’s commission to see what a back or lay bet really pays, the odds after commission, and whether the exchange beats a bookmaker’s price.
Exchange commission calculator
Net profit if it winsNet profit if it loses
$103.40
If it wins, after $6.60 commission on $110.00 of winnings: $203.40 back in total.
- Commission
- $6.60
- Odds after commission
- 2.03 (91/88)
- Exchange odds needed to beat the bookmaker
- 2.12 (105/94)
- Liability (lay bets)
- —
The bookmaker pays $1.60 more if it wins
Exchanges charge commission on your net winnings in a market, so a losing bet costs nothing extra. Odds accept decimal (2.10), fractional (11/10) or American (+110) formats.
Commission at Betfair Australia
Betfair’s Market Base Rates, and what a winning $100 back bet at odds of 3.00 returns after each.
| Markets | Commission | What applies | $100 at 3.00 returns |
|---|---|---|---|
| Betfair: sport and international racing | 6.0% | The Market Base Rate on sport except NRL, and on non-Australian racing, since March 25, 2025. Betfair doesn’t publish a separate rate for politics markets; check the market’s Rules tab. | $288.00 |
| Betfair: Australian racing | 8.0% | The Market Base Rate on most Australian racing, since March 25, 2025. | $284.00 |
| Betfair: NRL, and ACT and NSW thoroughbreds | 10.0% | The Market Base Rate on NRL markets and on thoroughbred racing in the ACT and New South Wales. | $280.00 |
| A bookmaker at the same odds | — | No commission: the bookmaker’s margin is built into its odds instead. | $300.00 |
How the calculator works
On a betting exchange you bet against other users. You can back an outcome, betting that it happens, or lay it, betting that it doesn’t, by accepting another user’s back bet. Betfair is Australia’s only licensed betting exchange: it doesn’t build a margin into the odds, but takes a commission on your net winnings in each market, at the Market Base Rate shown in the market’s rules.
For a back bet, your net profit is stake × (odds − 1) × (1 − commission), so a 6% commission turns odds of 3.00 into an effective 2.88. For a lay bet, you risk the liability, stake × (odds − 1), to win the backer’s stake, less commission. Enter a bookmaker’s odds on the same outcome to see which pays more, and the exchange odds you’d need to beat the bookmaker after commission. Bookmaker margins can be worked out with our bookmaker margin calculator.
Frequently asked questions
How much commission does Betfair charge in Australia?
Betfair charges a Market Base Rate on your net winnings in each market: 6% on sport and international racing, 10% on NRL, and 8% or 10% on Australian racing, depending on the state and racing code (since March 25, 2025). If you lose on a market, you pay no commission. A small number of very profitable customers also pay a Premium Charge.
Is Betfair legal in Australia?
Yes. Betfair Pty Ltd is licensed by the Northern Territory and is on ACMA’s register of licensed providers. It’s the only licensed betting exchange in Australia. See our Betfair review.
When is the exchange better than a bookmaker?
When the exchange odds, after commission, are higher than the bookmaker’s. The calculator shows the exchange odds you need to beat a bookmaker’s price: at a 6% rate, you need about 3.13 on Betfair to beat 3.00 with a bookie.
Keep reading
Sources
We verify facts against primary sources (regulators, court records, operators’ own terms) wherever possible.
- Commission and charges — Betfair Australia , updated 2025-03-25; accessed 2026-10-23