Australia Online Casino and Gambling Guide

Published by Casino News Daily editorial teamReviewed byFilip RadulovicOur editorial approach

Gambling in Australia is regulated at two levels. The states and territories license and supervise land-based casinos, gaming machines (“pokies”), lotteries, wagering and keno. The Commonwealth controls gambling services supplied over the internet and by telephone through the Interactive Gambling Act 2001 (IGA). The IGA allows licensed online wagering on racing and sport (other than in-play betting online) and online lottery sales. It prohibits the provision of online casino games, online pokies and online scratchies to people in Australia. Its offences are directed at the businesses that provide such services, not at their customers.

Key points

Online casino-style games, online slots and online in-play sports betting are prohibited interactive gambling services. It is an offence for any provider, Australian or offshore, to offer them to people in Australia.
The IGA targets operators and advertisers. It is not an offence for an Australian to play at an offshore online casino, and no player has ever been prosecuted under the Act.
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) enforces the IGA. By late September 2026 it had requested the blocking of 1,822 illegal gambling and affiliate websites since November 2019.
Licensed online wagering providers must not accept credit cards or digital currency (since 11 June 2024) and must comply with BetStop, the national self-exclusion register (launched 21 August 2023).
In 2022–23, Australians lost $31.5 billion on legal gambling, about half of it on gaming machines.
Parliament passed a major wagering advertising reform package in August 2026. Its core advertising restrictions are scheduled to apply from 1 January 2027.

Last reviewed: 20 October 2026.

This guide summarises the law as described by official and professional sources at the date of review. It is not legal advice.

Online casino availability in Australia

Online casino games cannot lawfully be offered to people in Australia. ACMA identifies “slots (pokies)”, “casino-style games (like poker, blackjack and roulette)”, “scratchies”, “in-play betting on sporting events” and betting and lottery services not licensed in Australia as illegal online gambling services. A website that accepts Australian registrations or Australian dollars is not, for that reason, authorised.

Historical development

Gambling policy in Australia has traditionally been made by the states and territories. They license casinos, regulate gaming machines in hotels and clubs, and run or license lotteries and totalisator (pool) betting. Each jurisdiction has its own statutes and regulator, and state gambling taxes form a significant part of state revenue.

The Commonwealth became directly involved with the arrival of internet gambling. The IGA was enacted in 2001 as a protective measure. It was not designed to build a licensed national online market. In 2010 the Productivity Commission’s inquiry into gambling recommended a “managed liberalisation” of online gaming, starting with online poker, as summarised by the Senate Select Committee on Gambling Reform in its 2012 report on interactive gambling regulation. That recommendation was not adopted. Instead, later amendments strengthened the prohibition. They clarified the offences for offshore providers, introduced civil penalties and gave ACMA a complaints and investigation function, as described in this practitioner overview of the amendments.

Legal framework

Illustrated Australia landmarks with reference books and documents for the gambling regulation in australia section

The IGA distinguishes between three kinds of service:

Prohibited interactive gambling services: games of chance, or mixed chance and skill, played for money online. These include online casino table games, poker and slots, together with online in-play betting on sport. Under section 15, providing them to customers physically in Australia is an offence.
Regulated interactive gambling services: online wagering on racing and sport (placed before the event starts) and online lottery sales. These are lawful only if the provider holds a licence from an Australian state or territory. Section 15AA makes it an offence to provide such a service without one.
Excluded services: services that the Act places outside both categories.

The Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts summarises the core rule as follows: any game of chance played over the internet “is prohibited under the Interactive Gambling Act 2001 if it’s provided to someone who is physically in Australia”. It adds that the offence “applies to all interactive gambling providers, whether based in Australia or offshore, whether Australian or foreign owned” (Department of Infrastructure, IGA overview). Section 61EA separately prohibits publishing advertisements for prohibited or unlicensed interactive gambling services in Australia. ACMA has used this provision against affiliate websites that promote illegal operators for commission.

Regulators and licensing model

Australia uses a licensing model for wagering, lotteries and land-based gambling, and a prohibition model for online casino games. The principal regulators, as listed in a Senet legal overview of Australian gambling law, are:

Victoria: Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission.
New South Wales: Liquor and Gaming NSW and the Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority.
Queensland: Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulation.
Australian Capital Territory: ACT Gambling and Racing Commission.
South Australia: Consumer and Business Services.
Tasmania: Tasmanian Liquor and Gaming Commission.
Western Australia: the state’s racing, gaming and liquor regulator.
Northern Territory: NT Wagering Commission, supported by Licensing NT.

The NT Wagering Commission regulates wagering in the Territory under the Racing and Wagering Act 2024. Its functions include determining licence applications, monitoring compliance and handling complaints; Licensing NT provides administrative and enforcement support. At Commonwealth level, ACMA enforces the IGA and administers BetStop. The 2017 amendments also required it to keep a public register of legitimate interactive gambling services, according to Dundas Lawyers.

Casino regulation has been the subject of several state inquiries in recent years. For example, the Bergin Inquiry in New South Wales found that the holder of a new Sydney casino licence was not suitable to hold it at that time. These inquiries concerned land-based casinos and anti-money-laundering controls. They did not change the federal prohibition on online casinos.

Online gambling and enforcement

Online casino games on mobile devices

ACMA’s enforcement tools have grown steadily. Its register of investigations records findings against offshore providers under section 15(2A), against unlicensed wagering and lottery services under section 15AA, and against affiliates under section 61EA. ACMA can respond with formal warnings, infringement notices, referrals to the Australian Federal Police and civil penalty proceedings. Civil penalties are set in penalty units, so the maximum dollar amounts rise with indexation. Companies can face penalties of millions of dollars for each day of a breach.

The most visible tool is website blocking. Relying on section 313 of the Telecommunications Act 1997, ACMA asks internet service providers to block illegal gambling and affiliate websites; its blocked websites page lists them. In June 2026 AGB reported that ACMA’s latest round of requests brought the total blocked since November 2019 to 1,751 in June 2026. The total reached 1,822 by late September 2026 (The Straight, 24 September 2026). AGB also reported that more than 230 illegal services had withdrawn from the Australian market since enforcement began in 2017. Blocking is not complete, because new domains continue to appear, and ACMA issues further blocking requests in batches.

Payment controls have also tightened. From 11 June 2024, according to ACMA’s credit ban guidance, licensed online wagering providers may not accept deposits by “a credit card”, “funds linked to a credit card (including digital wallets)” or “digital currency (such as cryptocurrency)”. The 2026 reform package goes further. It enables banks and payment systems to block transactions to illegal operators and gives ACMA faster blocking powers, as described in the Government’s announcement of 2 July 2026.

The consumer risks of illegal services are a recurring theme in official guidance. ACMA warns that deposited funds may become inaccessible after a win, that operators may close and keep customer money, and that accounts may become unreachable once a site is blocked. GambleAware NSW similarly notes that customers of offshore operators have “no protection under Australian law”.

Position of players

The IGA is an operator-focused statute. The Commonwealth Department responsible for it states plainly that the Act “targets the providers of interactive gambling, not their potential or actual customers”. Its offences are framed around providing or advertising a service, so it is not an offence for an Australian to gamble at an offshore online casino. The Senet overview puts it the same way: the IGA targets the supply of online gambling by offshore operators “but does not prevent Australian residents from accessing those offshore services”. No player has ever been prosecuted under the Act.

That does not make such play safe or supported. Players at unlicensed sites cannot use Australian complaint mechanisms. They are not covered by BetStop or by the national consumer protection rules for licensed wagering, and they may lose access to balances if a site is blocked or closes. Licensed Australian wagering providers, by contrast, must exclude people registered with BetStop and must not accept credit cards or digital currency.

Taxation

Gambling taxation in Australia falls on operators. The states and territories levy taxes on gaming machines, casinos, lotteries, keno and wagering, and these taxes form a significant share of state revenue. The Australian Gambling Statistics, compiled by the Queensland Government Statistician’s Office, are the standard national series. The 41st edition, published on 11 August 2026, covers 1999–00 to 2024–25.

Using that series, the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare reports that total gambling expenditure (net losses) was $31.5 billion in 2022–23, “the highest it has been in the last 2 decades”. This was about $1,527 per person. Gaming machines accounted for $15.76 billion of the total. These figures cover legal gambling only; spending with illegal offshore operators is not captured and is not taxed. This guide does not address individual income tax. Readers should consult the Australian Taxation Office about their own circumstances.

Consumer protection and responsible gambling

BetStop. The National Self-Exclusion Register lets a person exclude themselves from all licensed online and telephone wagering providers in one step. According to ACMA’s BetStop statistics, it “launched on 21 August 2023”. By 30 June 2025 there had been 44,841 registrations and 30,032 people had active exclusions. At its third anniversary in August 2026, the Government reported more than 67,000 registrations and more than 41,000 active exclusions (Minister for Communications, Three years of BetStop). Licensed providers must not let a registered person bet, open an account or receive marketing. BetStop does not, and cannot, bind offshore casino operators.

Credit ban. Since 11 June 2024, licensed wagering providers have been barred from accepting credit cards, credit-linked wallets and digital currency. Like BetStop, this safeguard applies only to licensed wagering, because online casino products cannot be licensed at all.

Help services. Gambling Help Online provides free, confidential support 24 hours a day on 1800 858 858 and through online chat and counselling. State services such as GambleAware NSW offer local counselling and financial counselling. Our responsible gambling guide covers general tools such as limits and blocking software.

Recent and upcoming developments

In June 2023 a House of Representatives standing committee published You win some, you lose more, often called the Murphy report. It made 31 recommendations, including a comprehensive ban on online gambling advertising, as summarised by Hall & Wilcox. The Government announced its response on 2 April 2026. This was a package of restrictions rather than a total ban, a choice criticised by some researchers and advocates, according to ABC News.

The Interactive Gambling Amendment (Gambling Reform) Bill 2026 and the National Self-Exclusion Register (Cost Recovery Levy) Bill 2026 were introduced on 2 July 2026. The Government’s announcement listed the main measures:

no more than three gambling advertisements per hour on television between 5 am and 8.30 pm (6 am in the bill as introduced), and none during live sport broadcasts;
online advertising restricted to logged-in adults, with an opt-out;
a ban on radio advertising during school drop-off and pick-up times;
bans on athlete, celebrity and influencer promotion, on advertising in sports venues and on uniforms, and on broadcasting sporting odds;
bans on online keno and foreign matched lotteries;
a stronger BetStop, payment blocking of illegal operators, and faster blocking powers for ACMA.

The bill passed on 19 August 2026 and became the Interactive Gambling Amendment (Gambling Reform) Act 2026 (No. 72, 2026) (Federal Register of Legislation). As passed, it caps television wagering ads at three an hour between 5 am and 8.30 pm and bans them from 15 minutes before to five minutes after live sport. It also creates a Wagering Advertising Opt-out Register and bans inducements for 14 days after sign-up, for three months after leaving BetStop and for customers identified as at risk (iGaming Business, 18 August 2026).

ACMA confirms that Parliament passed the Interactive Gambling Amendment (Gambling Reform) Bill 2026 on 19 August 2026, together with companion cost-recovery legislation. Most reforms commence on 1 January 2027. Passage of the legislation and commencement of its measures are separate dates: readers should check ACMA guidance and the legislation for the commencement and transitional rules applicable to each measure.

Bankroll guide illustration None of these reforms alters the basic prohibition on online casinos. As of this review, there is no Commonwealth proposal to license online casino games or online pokies.

Deposits and withdrawals

These payment checks do not make offshore online casino services lawful in Australia. Distinguish permitted licensed wagering from prohibited online casino services, as explained above.

Credit cards and digital currencies

Since 11 June 2024, Australian online and telephone wagering operators have been prohibited from accepting credit cards, credit-linked funds through digital wallets, and digital currencies. ACMA’s credit-ban guidance explains the scope and the exclusion for products such as lotteries. These wagering rules do not legalise online casino services.

Debit and credit cards are different products. Our credit-card guide, VISA and MasterCard explain payment categories, but are not recommendations to use credit for Australian gambling. Do not attempt to route prohibited payments through a wallet or another intermediary.

POLi is no longer an Australian payment option

POLi closed its Australian operation on 30 September 2023. Payment provider OrbitRemit confirms the Australian closure and distinguishes its continuing New Zealand service. An old Australian bank list should not be used to assess current availability. Our POLi guide provides further context.

Bank transfers, wallets and prepaid products

For a lawful service, use only payment methods shown for your verified account and permitted by your bank or provider. Check the recipient, currency, limits, fees and withdrawal route before sending money. A bank transfer may have different processing arrangements from a card payment, and a fast deposit does not promise an equally fast withdrawal.

General guides to Neteller, Skrill, Ecocard and Paysafecard describe those product types. They do not establish current Australian gambling availability. Wallet eligibility, merchant restrictions and prepaid-product features must be checked separately. Do not buy a voucher on the assumption that it can receive a payout.

Payment safety and disputes

No processor can guarantee a risk-free transaction. Encryption does not establish an operator’s legal status or guarantee that a withdrawal will be paid. Keep payment confirmations and account records, use strong security and contact your bank promptly about an unauthorised transaction.

If an offshore casino withholds money, do not send further deposits merely because it promises to unlock a withdrawal. Check ACMA’s advice and use the appropriate complaint channels. Set a spending limit for any lawful gambling activity and avoid borrowing or chasing losses. Our payment-method overview explains the differences between payment products.

AUD accounts, conversion fees and withdrawals

An AUD cashier does not make an online casino lawful in Australia. Read the online casino availability and legal framework sections above before considering any payment; currency support is not a substitute for authorisation.

Check the account currency, the currency charged by the payment service and the currency of the receiving bank account separately. Keeping all three in AUD can avoid a currency conversion, but does not guarantee a fee-free transaction. Review the operator’s cashier charges and your bank, card or wallet provider’s current fees and exchange-rate terms before paying.

Before opening an account, confirm whether its base currency can be changed. Check deposit and withdrawal limits, identity requirements and the available payout route; an accepted deposit method may not support withdrawals. If a payout is converted, check which provider sets the rate and whether a further conversion occurs when the money reaches your bank or wallet. Keep the transaction confirmation so you can compare the amount requested with the amount received.

Sources and further reading

Parliament of Australia, Interactive Gambling Act 2001 (compilation of 14 October 2024; accessed 5 October 2026).
Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts, The Interactive Gambling Act 2001 (accessed 5 October 2026).
Australian Communications and Media Authority, Protect yourself from illegal gambling operators (accessed 5 October 2026).
Australian Communications and Media Authority, Investigations into online gambling providers (accessed 5 October 2026).
Australian Communications and Media Authority, Blocked gambling websites (accessed 5 October 2026).
Australian Communications and Media Authority, Credit ban for online wagering (accessed 5 October 2026).
Australian Communications and Media Authority, BetStop – the National Self-Exclusion Register: statistics, Q4 2024–25 (2025).
Minister for Social Services, Delivering meaningful reform to reduce gambling harms (2 July 2026).
Hall & Wilcox, Proposed wagering advertising reforms: new restrictions for sport, media and online platforms in Australia (3 July 2026).
Gaming Intelligence, Australian Parliament passes Interactive Gambling Amendment Bill (20 August 2026).
ABC News, Government’s proposed crackdown on gambling advertising doesn’t go far enough for most Australians (6 June 2026).
AGB, ACMA orders ISPs to block 12 more illegal gambling sites (25 June 2026).
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, Gambling (Australia’s welfare; accessed 5 October 2026).
Queensland Government Statistician’s Office, Australian gambling statistics (41st edition, 2026).
Senet (D. Lovecek, A. Hoskins and A. Norrish), A general introduction to gambling law in Australia (accessed 5 October 2026).
Dundas Lawyers, Interactive Gambling Act 2001 (Cth) overview (accessed 5 October 2026).
Senate Select Committee on Gambling Reform, Interactive gambling regulation, chapter 3: Regulation versus prohibition of online gambling (2012).
GambleAware NSW, Online gambling (accessed 5 October 2026).
Gambling Help Online, Free 24/7 gambling support (accessed 5 October 2026).

Casino listings for players in Australia

The listings below are generated from our casino database. They do not show that any operator is licensed in Australia. Offering online casino games, including online pokies, to people in Australia is not permitted under the Interactive Gambling Act 2001. The listings must not be read as an indication that any operator may lawfully serve Australian residents. Licensed wagering providers can be checked through ACMA’s guidance on illegal gambling operators.

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Gambling in Australia: Laws and Online Gambling