Poker is typically played within casinos and is regulated as a table game by the state and territory gambling regulators detailed below. www.qld.gov.au Because when an online casino is unlicensed and unregulated by Australian authorities, you have no consumer protections, no safeguards for your money, and those sites are also breaking the law by offering you their services. State and territory laws complement the federal framework by regulating authorised online gambling services within their jurisdictions. 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.
- Such betting is limited to telephone betting and betting within a Retail Wagering environment.
- All state and territory unlawful gambling schemes include criminal penalties for non-compliance.
- "New Zealand has really dropped the ball on regulation. We’re just not doing anything at all to protect your young people from big and small platforms. We could be doing things at a systemic level that are likely more effective than an outright social media ban."
- "In 2018, there were some restrictions around advertising and gambling advertising, in total, went up after those restrictions. So partial ban doesn’t guarantee reducing gambling advertising by any means."
- Their responsibilities include ensuring compliance with the Interactive Gambling Act and taking measures against operators who offer prohibited services to Australians.
The regulator is now requesting Australian internet service providers (ISPs) block access to each site. Still, there is a need to strike a balance between citizen protection and the autonomy of personal choice. As the consumption prohibitions have repeatedly shown, bans may sometimes force good citizens into the underground world where dangers lurk beyond the safety or regulatory protection.
These sites operate in places like Curacao or Malta, far outside Australia’s legal reach. By blocking online casinos, the government aims to stop shady operators from taking advantage of Australian players. The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) is the primary enforcement body responsible for monitoring compliance and addressing violations of the IGA by overseas providers. ACMA has the power to block illegal offshore gambling websites, impose civil penalties, and notify border protection agencies to disrupt the activities of offending operators. It also collaborates with international regulators to combat illegal gambling operations. Over decades, Australia had built an international reputation for embracing and legalising gambling in its various forms including sports betting, lotteries and traditional brick-and-mortar casinos.
However, the legislation is very weak, and there are plenty of online casinos that continue to allow Australian users to play without any penalty or consequence. 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. They then offer their logo for the online casino to display to confirm the site is indeed safe.
Is it illegal to play online casinos in Australia?
What seemed to be a fairly stable national and state-level regulatory environment was however upended with the rise of online casinos. Australia’s battle against illegal online gambling extends beyond its borders through international collaboration. Recognising that online gambling is a global issue, Australian authorities engage with overseas counterparts to tackle unregulated services. This international cooperation is vital for tracking and managing cross-border gambling operations, reflecting the interconnected nature of the digital world.
The IGA does not target residents at all, so Australian citizens cannot be punished for playing at an online casino (signing up and gambling). At the time of writing, casino licensees in NSW, WA and Qld have been deemed unsuitable to hold the licences issued in those jurisdictions. The Star’s Sydney, NSW casino licence has been suspended and a manager has been appointed to oversee operations while the suspension is in force and reforms to achieve suitability can be assessed. In Vic, a ‘special manager’ was appointed to assess and report on remediation efforts of the licensee of Crown’s Melbourne casino.
Social media usage
Retail Wagering Operators, Corporate Bookmakers and On-course Bookmakers are also required to pay race field fees/product fees to racing controlling bodies and sports controlling bodies, respectively, in relation to bets taken skycrown casino on their product. These fees are generally a percentage of turnover, or the greater of a percentage of turnover and gross margin, and depend upon the relevant product. Separately, the CCA imposes penalties for, amongst other things, misleading and deceptive conduct (including through advertising). In addition, a series of federal statutes also cover certain aspects of gambling activity throughout Australia.
The Future of Online Gambling in Australia
Each of Australia’s eight mainland states and territories separately regulates gambling activities within each of their respective jurisdictions. Beyond its initial implementation, subsequent amendments have been made to the Interactive Gambling Act 2001, yet recent study shows Australia is lagging behind Europe in regulating online wagering. In many cases, Tarrant’s included, it’s impossible to separate the influence of online and offline harms. "If we can raise a generation of young people who have the right tools to discern misinformation and harm online, we’re giving them lifelong skills," Razzaq said. "The focus on platforms rather than content creates a lot of complexity and unintended risks."
Bookmaking requires a Corporate Bookmaker Licence or an On-course Bookmaker Licence. Corporate Bookmakers are commonly licensed in the NT, whereas On-course Bookmakers (which may have online operations) are licensed in the relevant state or territory. Sometimes an On-course Bookmaker will be licensed to offer fixed-odds betting on racing only. Corporate Bookmakers typically also offer ‘totalisator-derivative’ or ‘tote odds’ type betting. Aside from potentially losing any money that you have deposited or won, offshore casinos are unlicensed and unregulated in Australia, which means you have no financial or consumer protections. Gambling at land-based venues is legal and regulated, mostly licensed by the individual states and territories, although what’s permitted can vary from one to the next.
The NSER, which operates under the name ‘BetStop’, commenced operations in August 2023 and is currently under review, with consultations expected later in 2024 and the consultant appointed to conduct the review expected to report his findings within 18 months. Additionally, while the Act prevents Aussie players from playing at Australian-based online casinos, it doesn’t stop Australians from establishing online casinos and offering their services to offshore residents. However, the act also prevents advertising real money interactive gambling to Australian players and any Aussie operator caught doing so will receive a penalty of up to $220,000 per day. In the USA, there was new gambling legislation passed in 2006 which targeted banks instead of the online casino operators. This law made it illegal for financial institutions to process any transactions to or from online casino sites.
This prohibition, however, does not extend to Australian players accessing offshore online casino services. There is an abundance of the best online casino sites to choose from that are accessible to Australian players. The only potential disadvantage to using these sites is that, because these sites aren’t actually regulated in Australia, if players have any issues (for example, unfair treatment), they will not be protected by the Australian gambling authorities. 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. The following registered online casino sites all offer their real money gambling services to Australians and deal directly with the Australian Dollar (AUD).
These questions, among many more gambling-related queries, are frequently asked in online forums and by people interested in finding out what right’s they have to enjoying some real cash gambling on the Internet, and whether or not they will get in trouble for doing so. The introduction of the power for particular regulators to issue penalty infringement notices for certain gambling-related offences as an alternative to commencing court action has been a recent development in this jurisdiction. The ACT keno licensee and Victorian keno licensees can offer their products online and the NSW keno licensee can offer its product online in hotel and club venues only (using geo-fencing technology). The authors also note that the NICC issued The Star Sydney with a show cause notice in September 2024 after a report found that it was not fit to hold a licence. The NICC did, however, impose a fine of AUS $15 million on account of four breaches of regulatory requirements. The duration of major operator licences depends upon the legislative framework in the relevant state or territory and is subject to possible change upon a licence renewal or new licence being issued.
So as it stands, players can gamble at online casino sites, as long as they are offshore. Whilst federal, state and territory laws and regulations are often capable of being contravened by directors and other officers of licensees, recent regulatory action has been taken against corporate licensees only. As regulation tightens, it is possible that this will change going forward and that directors and other officers will be actively pursued in relation to alleged breaches of relevant gambling and related laws. State and territory lotteries engage in pooling arrangements pursuant to what is known as ‘bloc agreements’, under which jackpots are pooled, making the customer offering more attractive.