In its betting meaning, a tipster is a person or service that publishes selections, called tips, for others to follow, free or for a fee. A tip says what to back, but the price, stake and decision stay with you, so judge a tipster on a complete record, not a list of winners.
Free and paid tipsters: who pays
Someone pays every betting tipster, and the payer shapes the tips:
| Model | Who pays | What to watch |
|---|---|---|
| Newspaper or broadcaster tips | The publisher | Often no price, so only the strike rate counts |
| Free tips with a bookmaker link | Bookmakers, per new customer or as a share of followers' losses | The tipster can earn most when followers lose |
| Subscription | You, weekly or monthly | The fee comes off your results first |
| Pay per tip | You, tip by tip | Costly on small stakes |
Affiliate tipsters explained covers the bookmaker deals, and from 1 January 2027 providers may not pay or offer commissions tied to referred customers' activity (Interactive Gambling Act, s 62ZT). Are tipping services worth it tests whether a fee leaves anything at your stakes.
What a usable tipster record shows
Every tip goes in, losers included, with the time it was posted (before the start), the price on offer then, the stake in units and the result. With five illustrative tips:
| Tip | Advised price | Stake | Result | Profit or loss |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $3.20 | 1 unit | Won | +2.20 units |
| 2 | $5.50 | 1 unit | Lost | -1.00 unit |
| 3 | $1.90 | 2 units | Won | +1.80 units |
| 4 | $8.00 | 1 unit | Lost | -1.00 unit |
| 5 | $4.00 | 1 unit | Lost | -1.00 unit |
Strike rate = winners / tips = 2 / 5 = 40%. Profit = 2.20 - 1.00 + 1.80 - 1.00 - 1.00 = 1.00 unit on 6 units staked, so ROI = 1.00 / 6 = 16.7%. A strike rate says nothing about profit without the prices, and five tips prove nothing: sample size in betting shows how far luck reaches, and how to check a tipster record sets out the full check.
Two edge cases: a tip with no price scores for strike rate only, and one posted after the price moved counts at the price on offer when posted.
Terms people confuse with tipster
- Footy tipping is a points competition to pick each game's winner, not betting advice.
- A betting syndicate pools members' money and bets it as a group (betting syndicates explained).
- Sports "investment" schemes are often sold as tipping; Scamwatch warns they are just another form of gambling, with tips taken from public sources among the problems reported (checked October 2026); fake tipster red flags lists the warning signs.
Tipsters vs copy betting
Following tips and copy betting, one of the betting tools in Australia, differ in who places the bet:
| Following a tipster | Copy betting | |
|---|---|---|
| Who places the bet | You, by hand | Software, in your own linked account |
| Your price | What is left when you get there | What is left when the copy lands, possibly below the tip's |
| Stake | Your choice each time | Your settings, on every tip |
Tipping Pro, B337's copy betting plan, lists feeds with records tracked from tips published through B337. A subscription shows a feed's tips as they are published but places no bets. To copy, you link one of your own bookmaker accounts, and the bot places a copy there, sized by your settings. It runs on your own computer, which has to be on, awake and online when a tip is published, or that tip is missed. Bets placed through B337 use credits.
Risk: Betting involves risk. A tracked record is not a forecast or a recommendation; past results are no guarantee of future results. Many bookmakers restrict or prohibit automated betting and third-party access in their terms, and can limit stakes, void bets or close accounts. See responsible gambling for limits and support.
For free and confidential support call 1800 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au.