PlayUp sports review: 2024 New Zealand

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82/100 Expert Rating by Elena I..
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PlayUp is making waves with its fast growth in the online betting space. Their racing odds and user-friendly applications have swiftly become fan favourites in Australia and are also available to New Zealand bettors. This PlayUp sports review extensively examines everything from complete sports coverage to odds quality, mobile app performance, payment options, and security policy.

Pros and cons

  • 24/7 customer support
  • High payouts
  • User-friendly PlayUp app
  • NZD to AUD conversion
  • Limited cash out options
  • Lacks live streaming

General ratings

82 / 100 Expert Rating by Elena I.
80Betting features rating
80Bonus rating
91Odds rating
76Payments rating
80Safety rating
78Platform rating
87Support rating
82Sports & markets rating
How we rate?
90% Playscore based on 2 critics

General info

Launch date 2019
Company behind PlayUp Interactive Pty Ltd

Best alternatives to PlayUp sportsbook

100% up to NZ$150
Up to NZ$50 in free bets
Up to NZ$500 in free bets

Editor's note

Playing at PlayUp with New Zealand Dollars (NZD) may incur currency conversion fees, as the sportsbook operates using Australian Dollars (AUD).

When depositing or withdrawing from your account, the exchange rate is based on real-time market conditions and applied to reflect the current value of both currencies. Before signing up, consult the terms and conditions for more detailed information on payments and applicable currency conversion fees.

Expert verdict

Surprisingly, the PlayUp betting site is still one of the lesser-used sites out there. It’s a very good betting site offering more than 20 different sports as well as a strong fantasy sports site.

Where the PlayUp website really stands out is when it comes to the fixed odds. These are some of the best out there, with really high odds across a number of different sports.

There do appear to be a number of great PlayUp bonuses to claim. The only problem is that the Australian government doesn’t let the site advertise them. This means you do have to log in to your PlayUp account to access things like the free bet or sign-up bonus.

Rounding out the positives for the PlayUp sports betting site is the fact that it also has a quality mobile betting site. However, it could do with improving the number of smaller sports it has on offer as well as giving more cash-out options.

PlayUp betting bonuses

Once you sign up for PlayUp betting, the first thing you want to know about is the bonuses. This is why we’ve got this section up at the top! A sign-up bonus is a great way to get ahead when playing online, which is why most sportsbooks will offer something to their players to encourage them to join.

However, Australia recently passed a regulation prohibiting sportsbooks from advertising their bonuses or any promo code requirements on their pages. You must sign up for an account to see what PlayUp offers.

The site offers several promotions and bonus bets once you log in. None of these requires a PlayUp promo code to activate, and there is a sign up bonus too. Just note the PlayUp withdrawal time and other terms and conditions if you want to get your winnings quickly.

Bonus facts

CategoryDetails
Welcome bonus100% up to AU$100
Bonus codeN/A
Wagering requirements1x
Minimum qualifying betAU$1
Risk-free betsYes
VIP rewardsN/A
Other bonusesBonus and free bets, parlay boosts

PlayUp sportsbook has a range of different offers across all their different sports betting platforms including the in-play betting site. These do change regularly, though so make sure you keep checking your account to see what’s up.

Bonus rating

80/100 Deposit match bonus available, but only after signing up
  • Decent deposit match offer
  • Odds boosts
  • Info after sign up

This was a bit hard for me to score as I couldn’t check out all the bonuses. Thanks to new rules from the Australian government, bonuses can’t be advertised on this Aussie site, and neither can any PlayUp bonus code that might be needed.

However, although PlayUp, unlike like Sportsbet, does offer a welcome bonus to NZ players, it is available to you only after sign up, just like any other PlayUp promotions on offer. These can include match deposit bonuses, free bet and parlay boost offers.

I was pleased that the New Zealand bettors are considered on the PlayUp platform. A player can claim a 100% deposit match up offer with a minimum of AU$1, lower than William Hill sportsbook, where you must place a first bet of US$10 or more to get free bets.

Once logged in, it’s straightforward to see the current promotions as offers keep changing throughout the year. These change a lot, so I was pleased to see you can stay abreast of current promotions via the PlayUp mobile app and desktop site.

PlayUp sports and betting markets

A hugely important section for any online sportsbook is your access to the sports betting market. We like to see a sportsbook offer at least 20 different sports if we’re going to give it a good score.

At PlayUp, the sportsbook nicely hits the average as it offers 23 different sports and some novelty markets. These include the most popular US sports, various rugby options, cricket, racing and so on.

However, more unusual or niche sports are somewhat thin on the ground. It’s all about racing here and the different forms it takes, but that’s to be expected at an Aussie site.

Sports facts

CategoryDetails
Number of sports23
Betting markets — Basketball150+
Betting markets — Football 80+
Betting markets — Rugby200+
EsportsYes
Other markets (politics/event betting)Yes

As we will continue to outline in this PlayUp review, there are also a wide array of different tournaments available. These cover both domestic and international events.

Available events

  • la liga logo
    La Liga
  • MLB
    MLB
  • mls logo
    MLS
  • nba logo
    NBA
  • nfl logo
    NFL
  • nhl logo
    NHL
  • nrl logo
    NRL
  • pga tour logo
    PGA
  • premier league logo
    Premier League
  • super rugby pacific logo
    Super Rugby Pacific
  • ufc logo
    UFC

Featured betting markets

  • Novelty
  • Politics
  • american football
    American Football
  • baseball
    Baseball
  • basketball
    Basketball
  • boxing
    Boxing
  • cricket
    Cricket
  • esports
    Esports
  • golf
    Golf
  • hockey
    Hockey
  • horse racing
    Horse Racing
  • racing
    Racing
  • rugby
    Rugby
  • soccer
    Soccer
  • tennis
    Tennis

Sports & markets rating

82/100 Good betting market access to popular sports
  • Good selection of top sports
  • Most markets for racing
  • 40,000+ markets
  • Niche sports are lacking

Still keeping that solid score, PlayUp doesn’t offer anything particularly special for the most part. I was happy to see a lot of options when it came to cricket, rugby, football and US sports.

Similar to other sites such as NEDs, this is a site that really does focus on horse racing. And this is no bad thing. I did find some of the best horse odds here because of that.

I also liked the overall layout and design of where the sports were placed. Down the left, the sports were listed alphabetically. There are also some Quick Links to specific tournaments, but, unlike Sportsbet, which also offers Quick Links, there are no other filters or search options available, which is a little strange to me.

I liked the live betting setup, though. Many live bets are listed along the top with a green countdown timer in place. You can then see when the game is about to start quickly and easily. The downside — you have to phone in to place a live bet.

Additional market details: Cricket is a top sport in Australia and NZ, so it’s no surprise to find it highlighted here. The top events are the Aussie-based Big Bash. But you can also find various international, Test and T20 games.

Additional market details: Racing is one of the leading sports available on this site. In fact, it has its drop-down tab in the main menu. Within this section, you can find horses, greyhounds and harness races. Each of which has many international and domestic races available.

Betting features at PlayUp sportsbook

Access to a range of top betting features is important to keep the sports betting NZ experience smooth and enjoyable. Essentially, we’re looking for a neatly designed and usable setup here.

PlayUp does this well by offering a series of extra sports betting features such as cashouts, although these are not available for all the different sports, so you will need to check.

There is a good bet builder in place too, which is a great way to create the perfect bet. Quick bets give you a nice option to slide in some simple wagers.

Feature facts

CategoryDetails
Bet BuilderYes
Cash OutYes
Live bettingYes
Live streamingNo
Virtual bettingYes

Live betting is also possible, but, because Australia doesn’t permit betting live online, this has to be done via the phone. There are no options to do this on the app or desktop site by yourself for NZ players.

Betting features rating

80/100 Basic selection of betting tools
  • Good bet builder available
  • Easy betting slip
  • In-play betting via phone
  • No live streaming

Again, this site sticks with the basics, but I can’t complain about it as the site does it quite well. Everything was provided where I would expect it to be.

Different bet types are available depending on the sport, with some offering more options than others. For instance, when I looked at the football section, I found an impressive 120+ markets. Similarly, for horse racing, the PlayUp racebook was very impressive, blowing the lack of racing markets on Royal Panda sportsbook out of the water.

In contrast, other sports, such as cricket, only had around 40 or so markets. But this seems pretty typical across NZ online sportsbooks, so there are no complaints here.

I did like the fact that I could place live bets. These are displayed across the top with a green countdown to the start. Or, you can simply look in the live betting section.

However, having to call in to place a live bet is a bit disappointing. In this day and age, I’d really prefer to not have to do this and be able to make them myself via the app. PlayUp loses points here when compared to sites like 888Sport, which offers live streaming, betting live and full cashouts through its website.

Additional features: Parlays are a popular option as it means that you can combine a number of different wagers into one super bet. However, all of the legs must come through otherwise you won’t be able to claim a win. This means there is a high risk, but also high reward with this type of bet. PlayUp offers parlays across most sports.

PlayUp sports betting odds

Okay, so next up is how good the odds are at this sportsbook. This is something you really need to be paying attention to so that you don’t need to shop around for the best offers.

For all sportsbooks, we always take a look at the odds and see what the payout percentages are. This helps to see if they are up to scratch.

Top bookies will be above 95%, which is roughly where PlayUp sits. Anything below 93% though, is something we will recommend you avoid as these are not very competitive.

Odds facts

CategoryDetails
Average payout94.50%
Boosted oddsYes
Parlay boostsYes
Line movementModerate

Impressively, PlayUp has some of the best fixed odds out there with low margins compared to other sportsbooks. This really sets it up well against other sites.

Odds rating

91/100 High returns possible
  • Good payout percentages
  • Strong racing odds
  • Automatic odds updates
  • Payouts drop on live bets

This was a little bit of a foregone conclusion. Yes, I scored PlayUp very high here, and they deserve it. They’re known for their high fixed odds, and they do deliver.

This sportsbook does come out on top in a number of different categories, but, as you might expect, racing is one of the strong points here as well.

I will say, though, that while there are a number of different odds markets across most sports, the average, which sits at around 20 or so across all sports, is somewhat lower than I would have expected, given the high number of options for football. This isn’t very reassuring, especially compared to bet365, which has more than 100 odds markets on average.

But, bringing it back to what gives this site such as high score, the odds for these different markets are competitive. That average payout percentage of 94.5% beats big names like Ladbrookes with an average of 93.52%.

And the live betting odds, which I always expect will drop a few points from the overall average, are just as competitive. You won’t need to look elsewhere here, so count me happy!

Payment methods

Another section that’s often overlooked by players is the payment methods available. We always check this as variety really is key here if you want to play for a longer period of time.

The best sports betting sites will have at least 10 different methods for you to use. Better still, these will span a selection of different payment types such as eWallets, cards and so on.

PlayUp is at the lower end of this, offering just five different options. Strangely, there are no e-wallets provided at all, and even when you log in to your PlayUp account, the options remain limited. Additionally, the site only accepts AUD, so any deposits in NZD will be automatically converted.

Payment facts

CategoryDetails
Number of payment methods6
Popular paymentBPay
Minimum depositAU$1
Maximum depositAU$500,000
Average deposit timeInstant
Minimum withdrawalN/A
Maximum withdrawalN/A
Average withdrawal time72 hours+
Deposit feesNone
Withdrawal feesNone

Be sure to take a look at the payment options offered by your bank and double-check for any associated fees. That way, you won’t be stung with unexpected costs. What’s great is that all the best sports betting sites offer transactions without any fees whatsoever, meaning you can place your bets confidently and with ease

Deposit methods

  • mastercard logo
    Mastercard
  • visa logo
    Visa
  • poli logo
    POLi
  • BPay
  • cash in logo
    Cash In
  • bank transfer logo
    Bank Transfer

Withdrawal methods

  • bank transfer logo
    Bank Transfer
  • mastercard logo
    Mastercard
  • visa logo
    Visa
  • poli logo
    POLi
  • BPay
  • cash in logo
    Cash In

Payments rating

76/100 Secure but limited payment options
  • Fee-free transactions
  • Low minimum for deposits
  • Only accepts AUD
  • Lacks payment information

However, there are no fees, and the limits for depositing are pretty fair. There’s not much in the way of information when it comes to the withdrawals, though. Across all payment options, there are no fees. But, we do advise you to check with your bank to ensure there aren’t fees incurred from their end of the transaction.

So, I didn’t find anything really terrible when it came to the payment methods, apart from the fact that there aren’t that many of them offered by the PlayUp betting site and it only accepts AUD. This does mean you might incur currency conversion fees.

What is poor though, is that there isn’t much variety within this selection as all options involve credit/debit cards or some form of bank transfer. There are no eWallets, no prepaid cards, no paysafe cash, nothing! Even bet365 does a better job than this and at least has an eWallet or two on offer.

I was also seriously disappointed in the lack of any payment information displayed on the website. Really, the only thing I could find was the minimum deposit limit, which at least is low and beats William Hill’s minimum of US$15.

When it comes to the withdrawals, though, nothing. And, these do seem to be on the slower side especially if you use the bank transfer option. You also have to wait a day as all payments get processed after 1 pm AEST.

Safety features

Being safe and secure when playing online is of the utmost importance. You don’t want to be caught out on a bad site that’s going to scam you and take all your winnings.

Because of this, it’s one of the first things we check as we’d never recommend a site without a licence. PlayUp holds one from the NTRC proving its trustworthy nature.

It’s also got SSL encryption in place to protect all your private data and prevent it from falling into the wrong hands. This includes both your banking data and personal sign up information.

Safety facts

CategoryDetails
Auditing sealsN/A
Responsible gambling sealsGambling Help Online
LicencesNorthern Territory Racing Commission
SSL encryption128-bit
Two-factor authenticationAvailable
Ever blacklisted?No
Deposit, wager, time, and loss limitsAll available
Self-exclusionAvailable
Cooling-off periodAvailable

The site also has a range of different responsible gambling tools in place that you can use if you are struggling. These include actual limitations on your account as well as access to helplines.

Licensed by

  • Northern Territory Racing Commission

Trusted by

  • Gambling Help Online

Safety rating

80/100 Responsible gambling is enforced
  • Good self-exclusion tools
  • Access to gambling hotlines
  • Low SSL encryption
  • No RNG auditor listed

I don’t have much to say here. Generally, PlayUp ticks all the boxes, allowing players to play in a safe and secure environment. But there’s nothing extra.

SSL encryption is the elementary level, so it’s got nothing compared to the fantastic 2048-bit encryption that Ladbrokes offers. Okay, so nothing else even comes close here.

However, it does have tools where it counts. I was happy to find that all the responsible gambling tools were straightforward to find. I was taken to a comprehensive section just a couple of clicks, though this still has nothing on the LeoSafePlay platform at LeoVegas sportsbook.

All the different tools are clearly explained, making everything much more accessible. So, for this alone, there’s a good score here. It just doesn’t provide the extras to get into that top bracket.

Customer support

For the most part, PlayUp sportsbook works very well, which may lead you to think you don’t need to consider the support options. However, you’d be wrong!

No matter how good a betting site is, you always need to consider the support, which is where we come in to help. The best sites will have three or more contact options, and this is exactly the case for PlayUp.

You can get in touch with staff via live chat, email, an online contact form and even by phone. Impressively, all of these methods are also available around the clock.

Support facts

CategoryDetails
Customer support availability24/7
Live chatYes
Email[email protected]
Contact number1800 752 987 (support); 1800 888 001 (in-play betting)
On-page supportFAQs and Help section

In addition to the excellent PlayUp support in place, the site also has a good help section that covers most of the main questions you may have.

Support rating

87/100 Four support options in place
  • 24/7 support
  • Phone lines available
  • FAQs could be more detailed

I did actually score PlayUp quite high here due to the fact that there are actually four different options available for you to use to get in touch with someone.

And, all of them are 24/7 so that you don’t ever have to worry when you get in touch which puts LeoVegas’ limited support hours to shame. In fact, you can phone PlayUp to place wagers too, not just for support, and these are separate numbers.

When you do get in touch, I was happy to find that the staff were really friendly and helpful, unlike my experiences with Sportsbet, where this staff gave the impression of not really caring. With the live chat, I wasn’t left hanging around long either, though it does start off with a bot initially.

If I have to complain, the bot is the only downside here. And that’s only because you have to go through a few slow moments to actually get an agent on the line to help you out.

PlayUp app and desktop usability

Now that we’ve gone through all of the main features of the PlayUp betting site, it’s time to see how the platform holds up in terms of usability.

PlayUp sportsbook mobile screenshot

One of the first things we noticed was that the site has a very simple, minimalist layout. This is perfect for all players as it engenders very easy navigation throughout the site.

The PlayUp mobile app is also very good and is free for both Android and iOS users. It’s got access to all the PlayUp sports betting options and current promotions as well as loading fast for better use.

Platform facts

CategoryDetails
Mobile appYes
Ease of navigationSmooth
FiltersNo
Search functionNo
Loading speed0.5
UI and UX ratingGood
Other productsEsports

You can even access the fantasy sports section on the app too, making this an all-around good betting site. The main issue here is that the app does limit you on payment options.

Play on devices

  • android logo
    Android
  • ios logo
    iOS
  • linux logo
    Linux
  • macos logo
    MacOS
  • windows logo
    Windows

Platform rating

78/100 Easy to use platform with some downsides
  • Android and iOS apps
  • Speedy load times
  • No filters or search function

For the most part, I really do like the PlayUp website. It’s pretty easy on the eyes as it is a dark option, much like the dark mode MyBookie offers.

I found the site as a whole to be very clean and intuitive too. Even without any filters or search functions, it’s very easy to find the right sport, and that’s both on desktop and mobile sites.

Getting set up is also very easy. Simply click on the white sign-up button, and the registration form is there to complete. It can be done in minutes both on the app and desktop. Though I was a bit disappointed that the only accepted currency was AUD. Sportsbet, another Aussie-owned sportsbook, makes life easier for Kiwis by accepting NZD.

The only thing I did find was a bit slow was verification. But, this is to be expected so if you do it right away when you sign up, you won’t notice the wait time by the time you can claim a withdrawal. That’s my two cents anyway!

FAQs

Is PlayUp sportsbook legit?

Yes, PlayUp sportsbook is completely legitimate. The site is based in Australia and is licensed by the NT Racing Commission. It is also protected with SSL encryption protocols to prevent your data from falling into the wrong hands. The site also has a range of good odds as well as great PlayUp promotions and a strong mobile betting platform.

Who is PlayUp owned by?

The PlayUp website is owned and operated by PlayUp Interactive Pty Ltd. This company is based in Sydney and has been operating the sportsbook since 2019. The site has a range of different sports betting options and even offers a fantasy sports site too. There are also various PlayUp offers available, including a signup bonus for NZ players that give you a boost to your gaming.

What is the PlayUp app?

The PlayUp mobile app is a downloadable version of the PlayUp sportsbook. This offers all the same features as the main desktop site. This means you can access and bet on all the same sports such as horse racing and football, as well as claim all the PlayUp bonus bets. It simply means that you can use this to access the sports betting options on the go.

How long do PlayUp betting site withdrawals take?

The length of time a payout takes via the PlayUp website really does depend on the payment method you choose to use. Generally, though, the time it takes for a withdrawal is 2 to 3 days. Withdrawals do take a lot longer when using the bank transfer option though these are similar in length for a credit or debit card withdrawal as well.

What tote does PlayUp use?

PlayUp uses the Best Tote + SP win odds for all the Australian races it offers. However, if you’re looking at international horse racing, then you’re going to get the Victorian tote Super TAB + 5% win odds instead. Regardless, you’re going to get some of the best odds out there across racing. And, this is carried over to other sports as well.

PlayUp sportsbook review

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