A couple of misconceptions mentioned in this thread about CC:

Party:
'(3) I deposit $1000 to my Sportsbet account, they credit my account with $1000, (they receive $1000 cash from my bank less a % commission) but I may decide not to use it, and maybe withdraw the amount later, but if I do use it I may receive no cash whatsoever??'

Any money going into ANY betting account is a purchase of 'credit'. Why? Because if you deposit say $100 into an empty TAB account, Sportingbet, Betfair etc. with on-line deposit facilities, you have purchased $100 worth of betting credit and you cannot withdraw it as cash from that betting account.

That $100 is credited into the account of the provider, not as believed, into your gambling account. You betting account will now show $100 credit [not $100 cash]. The $100 cash you have borrow from your CC is now in the provider's Bank account [earning interest] and a $100 betting 'credit' is in your betting account [the 'product' you purchased].

You MUST turn over $100 in bets before ANY withdrawal is possible. Even if you have a big win with a one-off 1st bet of $12 that snagged a $2000 trifecta. I found that out the hard way by experiencing that scenario first hand. I couldn't withdraw any money from the account. After some inquiries I found out I had to turn over another $88 worth of bets before I could withdraw any money at all!

The reasoning is quit simple: You would be able to avoid 'cash out' Bank fees, simply by using your CC to deposit into say a TAB account and then nip down to the local Pub tab and withdraw it in cash! :-))

Misconception no. 2 motioned by a couple of posters so far:

It is illegal to sell or purchase over-the-counter gambling products from Newsagents by CC. That's why you will often have to pay for your newspapers etc. at one counter, and you scratchies and Tattslotto tickets at another counter. You also cannot use a CC at a Pub tab or a Club or Pub pokies venue to get a CC cash advance out of their ATM. It's illegal in all states [as far as I know].

My local 'big town', Bainsdale [15ks away] has a large tobacconist/variety store that also sells lotto and scratchies etc. but obviously no separate payment facilities. I tried to pay for some purchases there last week [not their gambling products] with a CC and was told: 'Sorry, because we sell gambling products it's illegal for us to accept credit cards'.