Gambling online presents itself as a rather convenient option compared to physically visiting a casino venue and in many cases it comes off as more affordable as online gambling operators offer a variety of compelling bonuses and promotions. There’s one problem though – one must always make sure whether it’s legal or not in the respective country and often this is easier said than done. The same of course applies for Australian players.
In case you’re a resident of the country, wondering whether you can safely place your bets online without the threat of legal repercussions, to answer shortly – yes, Australians are allowed to legally play at online casinos, as long as they do so at a licensed gambling operator. This, however, doesn’t mean there are no restrictions imposed on online gambling activities by the country’s government. Besides, this industry is subjected to constant changes and so are the governmental policies.
There are certain restrictions, regarding online gambling in Australia but in most cases these concern web-based casino operators and not so much the individual players who take advantage of their services. Their chief purpose supposedly is to protect customers from illegal and unreliable providers of web gambling as such activities are closely monitored and regulated by the Australian government.
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So, yes – overall online gambling is legal for citizens of the country but as it was hinted there’s much more to take into account.
Legislative Framework
Now, let’s delve deeper into the subject. Gambling off or online is among the most popular sources of entertainment, favoured by Australian residents. In fact, the country has the highest rates of gambling in the world, as about 80% of its population of legal age engages in such activities! Which by itself is a sufficient explanation to the question of why regulations and restrictions are necessary?
What’s important to know is that the online gambling industry in the country is regulated by the State and Territory authorities. But in recent years the Australian Commonwealth has started to play a more active role in these regulations, especially in regard with online casino operators. In fact, the Australian Commonwealth Parliament passed the so-called Interactive Gambling Act or (IGA) in June 2001. Its chief aim? To protect citizens from the negative impact of Internet gambling.
The enactment of the IGA brought about two major changes. For one, it prohibited the overt advertisement of online gambling services to Australian citizens, imposing a penalty on perpetrators reaching up to $220,000 and that’s per day! The IGA also prohibited offering online gambling services to the country’s residents including blackjack, poker, roulette, even online sports betting. The latter is legal only in case the online operator which provides it is associated with a land-based operator.
This, however, doesn’t mean Aussie punters are completely prohibited from rolling the dice online. Australian gambling legislation is targeted mainly at providers of this type of services while individuals are not barred from placing bets or participating in online gambling activities, especially those provided by offshore web casino operators.
As the majority of these casino operators are located and licensed outside Australian borders this enables them to safely offer a variety of card and table games online to Australian citizens, as many of them also accept the country’s currency, allowing players to gamble for real money. This technically means they’re breaking the country’s laws to a great extent. But as they’re not subjected to its legislation, they can legally continue to do so without fear of repercussions and fines. At least for the moment.
Is accepting Australian players legal?
As it was previously mentioned, Australian residents are not prohibited by law from spending their money in online casinos as government restrictions apply only for providers of such services within the country’s borders. As many of the most popular web-based casinos are located outside Australia and operate under the license of other countries where online gambling is not persecuted by the law, nothing can prevent them from welcoming Australian players on their websites. What’s more – many online casino operators accept the Australian dollar which makes it even easier for Australians to join in the fun.
Practically such operators are breaking the Australian law only but there’s nothing to prevent them from doing so as they function under the jurisdiction of other countries where online gambling is not subject to prohibition or restrictions.
As for Australian players, they can rest assured partaking in interactive gambling activities is by no means illegal in the country – only providing and advertising them is. Australians are not even prohibited from entering Australian online casinos. What prevents them from doing so results from the fact there are simply no such casino operators, based in the country, due to the heavy restrictions and fines imposed by its authorities.
That’s the main reason Aussies choose to use offshore casinos as they not only welcome them with open arms but also offer a variety of payment options for players as well as a great diversity of table, card and even live dealer games. Most web-based casinos provide both instant-play and downloadable software options to players and accept deposits in the AUD currency as well.
How to Find a Legitimate Online Casino?
Australian players should consider doing a bit of research before they join any online-based casino as sadly there are still many operators that function illegally and have not obtained a license of any sort which, on the other hand, makes them unreliable as far as depositing or withdrawing money is concerned. Unfortunately finding out whether or not a certain casino is legal to play in is not always as easy as one might originally think.
But there are several cues to look for which will be of great assistance in determining whether or not an online casino is safe and legitimate. The first thing players should pay close attention to is the operator’s software. If the web casino is powered by a popular and established software developer this might serve as a good indicator whether or not it’s legitimate. As soon as you enter its website you should look for some of the biggest names in this industry such as leaders Playtech, Microgaming, NetEntertainment and Realtime Gaming.
Yet another thing to take into account is the casino’s license which should be openly displayed on the website. Why it’s so important to put one’s stakes at a licensed casino? An online gambling operator which have obtained its license from the authorities of the country it is based in, offers integrity, quick and timely withdrawals and above all secure transactions.
Licensed casinos care about their customers’ safety and encrypt their web pages with 256-bit codes to ensure no personal or financial information leaks out to any third parties.
And of coarse players should consider registering at a casino which accepts the most popular and reliable methods of payment like Paypal, Skrill, Neteller, PaySafeCard and so on.
If the casino uses a shady payment processor whose name you haven’t heard of or can’t even pronounce for that matter, it would be best not to deposit any amount of your money there.
AUD Deposits and Withdrawals
It is a well-known fact Australians are unable to participate in gambling activities offered by online casinos, based in the country as there simply aren’t any due to the legal restrictions and fines imposed on perpetrators. Fortunately, players from the country can choose between a great variety of offshore web-based gambling operators, all of them fully licensed and permitted to operate.
Online casinos throughout the world are always willing to take advantage of Australia’s strict regulations and restrictions on web gambling as more and more punters from the country register with them so they can be able to play interactive card or table games for real money. This of coarse calls for acceptance of the AUD currency. Many of the most popular offshore online casinos now accept deposits made in local currency and AUD is by no means an exception. Continue reading to find out more information about casinos accepting Australian currency.
Australian Casinos that Accept AUD Currency
As previously mentioned Aussie players are forced to register with offshore casinos on the web as providing and marketing online gambling is prohibited in their country. There’s one major setback in this case – many online casino operators predominantly work with popular and widely used currencies like the Euro, the British Pound (GBP) or the US dollar.
This of coarse means Australian players should convert their AUDs in order to make a deposit on the website. The conversion in most cases doesn’t come for free as a small fee is imposed and this can become a major inconvenience in the long-run.
Because of this it’s highly advisable to register at a foreign casino which accepts AUD so that no conversion of currency is required. It will help players save a good amount of money they spend on conversion fees. Here are several of the most reliable and established online casinos that accept Australians and their currency.
