# Betfair commission calculator: what does an exchange bet pay? > Free Betfair commission calculator for Australian punters: what a back or lay bet pays after Betfair’s 6%, 8% or 10% Market Base Rate, and whether it beats the bookie. - URL: https://safebet.ai/au/prediction-markets/commission-calculator/ - Markdown version: https://safebet.ai/au/prediction-markets/commission-calculator/index.html.md - Last updated: 2026-10-25 - Publisher: SafeBet.ai - Editorial policy and advertiser disclosure: https://safebet.ai/editorial-policy/ Australia · Prediction markets · Free tool 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. By [SafeBet.ai Research Team](https://safebet.ai/editorial-policy/) Updated October 25, 2026 [1 source](https://safebet.ai/au/prediction-markets/commission-calculator/#sources) ## 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](https://safebet.ai/au/prediction-markets/betfair-review/) | 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](https://safebet.ai/au/prediction-markets/betfair-review/) | 8.0% | The Market Base Rate on most Australian racing, since March 25, 2025. | $284.00 | | [Betfair: NRL, and ACT and NSW thoroughbreds](https://safebet.ai/au/prediction-markets/betfair-review/) | 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](https://safebet.ai/au/sports-betting/margin-calculator/). [**Compare the 5 best event betting sites in Australia** Ranked on regulation, fees, features and payouts · Betfair, bet365, PointsBet and more See the ranking](https://safebet.ai/au/prediction-markets/) ## 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](https://safebet.ai/au/prediction-markets/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 [Methodology · 5 min **How we rank the legal alternatives to prediction markets in Australia** Prediction markets such as Polymarket aren't licensed in Australia, so we rank the legal ways to bet on elections and other events: the Betfair exchange and licensed bookmakers' event markets. Only providers on ACMA's register of licensed interactive gambling providers qualify; Polymarket, which ACMA blocks, and other unlicensed platforms are never ranked. Each site is scored from 0 to 10 on six weighted criteria, licensing and safety, event markets, commission and pricing, payments and payouts, app and experience, and support and responsible gambling, and the ranking follows the overall scores. We don't list or score bonuses. Read](https://safebet.ai/au/prediction-markets/how-we-rank/) ## Sources We verify facts against primary sources (regulators, court records, operators’ own terms) wherever possible. 1. [Commission and charges](https://www.betfair.com.au/hub/help/commissions-charges/) — Betfair Australia , updated 2025-03-25; accessed 2026-10-23 Researched and written by [SafeBet.ai Research Team](https://safebet.ai/editorial-policy/) · Betting analysts & data scientists The team behind SafeBet.ai’s AI sports picks: data analysts, AI engineers and sports bettors based in Maastricht. Since 2021 our models have analyzed 30,088 matches. We review betting, casino and prediction-market platforms against a published methodology and cite official sources for every fact. [Editorial policy](https://safebet.ai/editorial-policy/) [How we rank](https://safebet.ai/au/prediction-markets/how-we-rank/) [About SafeBet.ai](https://safebet.ai/about/) [Report an error](https://safebet.ai/support/) 18+ Prediction markets such as Polymarket aren’t licensed in Australia, and ACMA blocks polymarket.com. Betting on elections and other approved events is legal only with licensed bookmakers and the Betfair exchange, for adults 18+. Only play with money you can afford to lose. Gambling problem? Call [1800 858 858](tel:1800858858) (National Gambling Helpline, free and confidential, 24/7) or read our [responsible gambling guide](https://safebet.ai/au/guides/gambling-help-australia/). Top 5 event betting sites · Australia 1. [1 **Betfair** Closest to a prediction market 8.5](https://safebet.ai/au/prediction-markets/betfair-review/) 2. [2 **bet365** Most detailed election markets 8.5](https://safebet.ai/au/prediction-markets/bet365-review/) 3. [3 **PointsBet** Quick withdrawals 7.8](https://safebet.ai/au/prediction-markets/pointsbet-review/) 4. [4 **Sportsbet** Most-rated app 7.6](https://safebet.ai/au/prediction-markets/sportsbet-review/) 5. [5 **Bet Right** Yes/no prices in cents 7.2](https://safebet.ai/au/prediction-markets/betright-review/) [Full ranking](https://safebet.ai/au/prediction-markets/) Free event betting site tools - [Betfair commission calculator (Australia)](https://safebet.ai/au/prediction-markets/commission-calculator/) Prediction markets guides - [How we rank event betting sites](https://safebet.ai/au/prediction-markets/how-we-rank/)