New online casinos in Australia are perfect for providing Aussie gamblers with a host of new features and bonuses to choose from – and there are plenty of recommended brands you can choose from. The gambling ecosystem – entities that derive financial benefits from gambling, including gambling operators, sporting leagues and broadcasters – use the “responsible gambling” trope to argue “flawed consumers” are responsible for gambling harm. These allow players to block access to their accounts for extended periods, sometimes permanently. National registers are also being developed to let players exclude themselves across multiple operators at once. Regulation in Australia doesn’t stop at licensing; it extends to safeguards designed to protect players. Operators must provide practical tools that help individuals manage their gambling responsibly.
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There are no laws targeting individual players for joining or playing at offshore casinos. Material proceedings have been taken by gambling and financial sector regulators against major licensees in recent times. This has included action taken by AUSTRAC in relation to casino licensees in Vic, NSW, Qld, WA and also SA examining money laundering issues (including those concerning ‘junket operators’). Other regulatory action has been taken for responsible gambling, advertising-related and other matters. That is particularly the case for breaches of advertising restrictions relating to inducements where appropriate warnings have been given and operators fail to meet the necessary standards.
Quick Legal Overview for Australian Online Casino Players
The IGA Amendment Bill has led to many of the leading online casino brands and software developers pulling out of the Australian market, but there are still several top-rated casino sites who have made it clear they will continue to accept Australian players. These operators do so at their own risk, but there is nothing in the IGA amendments that says it is illegal for Aussie players to continue to play at these sites. It is important to note that Australia does not currently issue online casino licenses, so the wording of the Amendment Bill technically means there are no online casinos with official licensing to service the Australian market. It will remain this way unless the government makes any progress towards regulating the online gambling market in Australia, in a similar fashion to the United Kingdom. For participants, land-based gaming options include electronic gaming machines such as pokies (video slots), video poker, table games like blackjack and roulette, keno and bingo, plus scratch cards known as scratch-its or scratchies in Australia. Licensed live poker games, tournaments, and leagues are also available at physical venues throughout the country.
- The Interactive Gambling Amendment Act 2017 published a national registry of interactive gambling services licensed in Australia, plus new enforcement mechanisms and powers to prosecute gambling companies that break the law.
- You can learn more about the regulation of legal land-based gambling on our page about Regional Gambling Laws in Australia.
- State and territory laws often also contain a range of offences in relation to unlawful gambling, which can include organising the unlawful event, as well as participating in it.
- This is why online sports betting is allowed under regulation, but online casinos are not.
- Those who gamble online were more likely to be male, aged between 35 and 55, employed full-time, in a couple household with children, and to have a higher income.
This is where new casinos come into play, as you can easily get back into the action. Casino apps often occupy space on your device and require regular updates to ensure optimal performance. A mobile site doesn’t use any extra storage, and you’ll always be playing the most up-to-date version without downloads. A casino can look great on the surface, but if the banking options aren’t right, it’ll quickly become frustrating. New casinos tend to lean into faster, more modern methods, such as supporting cryptocurrency payments alongside traditional debit cards and e-wallets. If you’re using crypto at a top crypto casino, you’ll need a crypto wallet, but payouts are usually much faster compared to fiat counterparts.
The main federal legislature is the Interactive Gambling Act of 2001, passed by the Australian Commonwealth Parliament. This essentially made it illegal for online gambling operators to offer or advertise “real money” gambling services to Australian citizens, such as online casinos and online poker. Australia’s approach to online gambling strikes a balance between consumer freedom and public welfare. At the centre is the Interactive Gambling Act of 2001 (IGA), a federal law that targets operators, not individuals. While placing a bet online isn’t illegal for Australians, offering certain gambling services is. This is why online sports betting is allowed under regulation, but online casinos are not.
That’s why we’ve provided you with a list of licensed and accredited online gambling sites which are transparent, fair and trustworthy. They are regulated by an industry-watchdog and adhere to strict industry standards. Yes, online sports betting is legal with gambling operators that are licensed and regulated in Australia. Online in-play sports betting markets are considered illegal and banned, but are legal and available via phone or at land-based venues within Australia. Casino licensees cannot offer online casino games in Australia (it is prohibited under the Interactive Gambling Act, which also prohibits online poker).
If you want to offer bets on sports events ‘in-play’, you cannot do so legally online to Australians. You would need to use an offline method and comply with the relevant state or territory based rules, as well as obtain a licence. kaloxdigital.com The Australian Government commissioned a review of the Act last year, following which it has strengthened its ban on in-play betting. However, there is something we can do – play at verified and reputable offshore Internet casinos. These are governed by respectable jurisdictional licensers who have put the sites through an intense investigation to ensure they are operating under strict laws and regulations.
ACMA — the Main Supervisory Authority
Communications Minister Anika Wells said platforms would be required to deactivate existing accounts owned by children. The federal government says the ban is needed to protect the mental health and wellbeing of children and teens. If you’re travelling and no longer in the region you signed up to your casino, you could be locked out of your account. It’s also possible your account was blocked for failing to comply with a site’s terms and conditions or through suspicious activity, even through no fault of your own.
The Australian Senate’s Environment and Communications References Committee heard from local players, lawmakers, and other stakeholders on the current status of online poker in the nation. However, the bill offers no formal avenue for the interested casino, sportsbook, or poker operators to apply for www.qld.gov.au proper credentials which would allow them to legally enter the market. Thankfully, the Northern Australian Territory has spoken up about their license application process which will grant Aussie gaming licenses to international gaming brands.
Once you sign up, you are greeted with a top-notch welcome bonus, offering up to $4,000. It also comes with 150 free spins, which will come in handy, considering they are one of the new online gambling sites in Australia that offer a wide array of online pokies, especially bonus buy slots. Angela Rintoul holds a postdoctoral fellowship funded by Suicide Prevention Australia. In the past she has received funding from the Victoria Responsible Gambling Foundation, which was supported by allocations from the Community Support Fund, a government administered trust fund constituted from direct taxes on electronic gaming machines (EGMs) in hotels. She has also received funding from the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust and ANROWS.
The Act bans certain interactive offerings like online casino table games, but permits sports betting and lotteries when operators hold the proper licence. Only local operators holding relevant licences may offer gambling products to Australian residents. The Interactive Gambling Act provides that it is unlawful for overseas-based operators not holding a relevant state or territory licence to advertise or provide online gambling services to Australian residents. The future of online casinos in Australia are dependent on a variety of complex factors. With so many names, reviews, and proposed changes, keep up-to-date with our handy guide to the latest developments in Australian gambling laws pertaining to online casinos.
However, this tends to be an age-old problem when governments take a prohibition approach. People tend to look towards the black market instead, seemingly regardless of the inherent risks involved, given there are no laws to prevent you from doing so. In 2019, further law changes brought about the launch of BetStop, the National Self-Exclusion Register. Since June 2024, the use of credit or digital currency for gambling has been banned.
