According to a recent news.com.au report, many Aussie online gambling companies are under fire for offering discount bets, including Betfair who offered free $50 wagers to people who signed up for accounts at last week's Australian Open.

"It's like saying to an alcoholic, here's a free drink," said Reverend Tim Costello, an anti-gambling activist.

"There is no question it is dangerous. I think it's wrong."

Now Betfair Australasia CEO Andrew Twaits has fired back and offered a solution as well.

"The offering of free bets is ... no different to pokie venues offering $3 roast meals to get people in the door or the local TAB offering free pizzas to get people in," Twaits told the news.com.au in a separate report.

Twaits went on to say that setting betting limits would go a long way in curbing gambling addiction.

"I think one of the real dangers with cash-based betting is that the wagering operator has no way of knowing who's betting with them and whether that person is betting beyond what they want to spend," he said.

"We'd be advocating that everything should be account-based, that all operators should allow customers to set loss limits."