Table of Contents
Written by
Valerie Stronghold 
Edited by
Matthew Scott 
Australian Gambling Laws: TL;DR
- Land-based casinos, pubs, clubs, and betting shops operate legally under specific state licences.
- Online sports betting is allowed through licensed Australian bookmakers.
- Lotteries and race betting are fully legal and regulated.
- Online casino operators aren’t permitted to offer casino games to Australian players.
- Australian players aren’t breaking any laws by playing at international casino sites.
- Online casino sites aren’t regulated locally, so safety and player protections vary.
General Gambling Regulations in Australia
Gambling regulation in Australia is detailed and layered. Precisely because Australians have one of the biggest gambling cultures in the world, the government had to do its part and establish ground rules, so practically, there’s one behind every spin and every bet you place.
Today, things are probably tighter than ever, but if you know the basics, you can stay ahead and understand the legal aspects successfully.
Federal vs State Responsibilities
Australian authorities split their gambling regulation responsibilities. The main division is between the federal jurisdiction in Canberra and the separate state authorities.
Every state has a dedicated authority that regulates land-based gambling within its territory (such as Liquor & Gaming NSW or the VGCCC in Victoria). They are the ones who license brick-and-mortar casinos, decide how many pokies can be placed in local pubs, and manage the TAB outlets. Basically, if you can actually walk into the casino or betting shop, know that it’s fully regulated.
The Commonwealth government, on the other hand, (known as the Feds among us players), deals with online gambling. They don’t care about the pokies in your local RSL, and their main focus is on the casino or betting apps on your phone. Also, they set the national rules for online sports betting and try to stop suspicious operators from targeting Aussies.
State Licensing Authorities
As I said, each state has its own land-based gambling regulator, which oversees venue licenses, pokies, and local bookies. If you ever have a dispute with a local club or want to check if a specific operator is legit, these are the authorities you’ll need to contact in each state:
- New South Wales: Liquor & Gaming NSW
- Victoria: Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission (VGCCC)
- Queensland: Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulation (OLGR)
- Northern Territory: Northern Territory Racing and Wagering Commission
- Western Australia: Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries (Racing, Gaming and Liquor)
- South Australia: Consumer and Business Services (CBS)
- Tasmania: Tasmanian Liquor and Gaming Commission
- Australian Capital Territory: ACT Gambling and Racing Commission
The Role of ACMA
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) also plays a huge role in the gambling saga on the island. Imagine it as the local bounty hunter, only digital. The ACMA doesn’t license casinos; that’s the job of state authorities. Instead, they spend their time online, ensuring operators comply with federal laws and regulations.
Their main responsibility is checking out international casino sites that offer services to Australians without the right paperwork. When they find one that isn’t licensed at all, or it’s unsafe according to their parameters, they don’t come after you – they simply go to the ISPs (internet service providers) and get the site blocked. Done.
They also manage BetStop, which is the national one-click system to ban yourself from all legal Aussie betting sites if you need a break.
The Interactive Gambling Act (IGA)
The main character in the legal drama is the Interactive Gambling Act (IGA). This isn’t just another document from the endless paperwork whose terms you don’t read; it’s the main federal law that shapes most of what you experience online as an Aussie gambler. But, essentially, it’s a rulebook for operators, not players.
The IGA doesn’t tell you what you can or can’t play. Instead, it tells gambling operators what they’re allowed to offer Australians. Under this law, operators aren’t permitted to offer online casino games such as pokies, roulette, blackjack, or live dealer tables to Australian players. That’s why licensed Australian bookmakers stick to sports and racing.
And this is precisely the main part many gamblers get wrong: the Act targets operators, not players. Australians don’t break any laws by playing on international online casino sites. There’s no penalty for registering, depositing, or playing. The restrictions listed in this law refer only to the companies offering the games.
The Act also bans in-play online sports betting, which is why you’ll come across bookmakers that advertise phone betting during live games, but more on that later.
Land-Based Gambling in Australia: What’s Legal?
Before your favourite online casinos and bookies took over, there was a time when everything was done in person and in real time. That’s how Australians used to gamble, and honestly, it’s still huge.
As I said, every land-based casino or betting shop operates under state or territory licenses, which gives some players the peace of mind they need. Everything is regularly audited, games are tested, and payouts follow strict rules – the old-school way.
The following forms of gambling are fully legal and regulated, and if walking into a physical building to play is your thing, review the rules below.
The Crown resorts, the Star Sydney, SkyCity Adelaide – these all may sound familiar if you’ve made a trip or two to the casino near you. There aren’t a lot of brick-and-mortar casinos in Australia, but the ones that operate are fully licensed and can legally offer:
- Table games such as blackjack, roulette, baccarat, and poker
- Pokie machines
- In-person sports and race betting
- Loyalty programs
At such a casino, everything, down to the tiniest detail, is regulated: game fairness, payout percentages, deposit policies, and even how staff interact with players. You’ll also deal with strict ID checks and responsible gambling rules.
Note from Australian Gamblers: While there are only about 14 such casinos nationwide, they are massive. If you’re playing at one of these, you’re in a 100% legal, highly regulated environment. Just bring your ID, because since 2024, I often had to sign up for a member card just to place a bet.
If you live in Australia, you surely have noticed that pokies are everywhere, and I mean everywhere. You’ll see them in pubs, social clubs, and casinos, and Australians spend time at these machines more than at any other gambling product. Pokies legally appear around the corner in every state, except Western Australia, where they are only allowed to be placed inside a casino.
Before they are placed anywhere, all machines undergo rigorous testing, so you’ll never play rugged hardware. RTPs are also regulated, although it’s fair to say they are usually lower than what you’ll find online.
Tip from Australian Gamblers: Pokie machines don’t show RTPs labelled on the machines themselves. If this matters to you, you can ask the staff at the casino or the pub, or check the regulator’s site.
Along with casino games and pokies, Aussies are big fans of betting on horse racing, greyhound racing, and harness racing, all of which are fully legal and heavily practised by punters.
Today, you can bet at tracks, visit physical betting shops, or bet through retail TAB outlets. When you decide to bet in person, this is what you’ll gain:
- The ability to place fixed-odds bets
- Bet on tote (parimutuel pools)
- Cash tickets physically
- Avoid online account limitations
As with brick-and-mortar casinos and pubs, these betting venues operate under state licenses and follow the same responsible gambling rules. Even now, with the online industry booming, for some players, retail betting is still the number one choice, and it brings no verification emails and no frozen accounts. You walk in, place your bet, collect if you win, and leave.
But while the physical shops have that classic cash-in-hand appeal, the game changes completely when you move online.
Online Gambling in Australia
Online gambling is where the Australian laws and rules get a bit more technical, but at the same time, it’s also where you have the most options as a player. Whatever you do, remember that you are never the target of gambling regulators – the laws are there to control the sites, not your personal choices.
Also, sports betting, casino games, and live dealers fall under different sections of the law, so let’s break them down.
To put it bluntly, don’t look for an ‘Australian-licensed online casino’, you won’t find one. That’s because the government simply doesn’t issue licenses for providing online casino services.
Under federal law – the IGA – operators aren’t permitted to offer online casino games to players in Australia, which includes pokies, blackjack, or roulette. As I mentioned, it’s the operators that are on the front line here, which is why you won’t find an online Australian casino, but you will find thousands of Aussies playing on international online sites every day (me, included).
So, let it be perfectly clear that as a player, you aren’t breaking any laws by signing up and playing on foreign casino sites. You can register, spin, and win (if luck is on your side), without looking over your shoulder.
The only real risk is playing at unverified casino sites that aren’t internationally licensed. That’s why, and I can’t stress this enough, sticking to the reputable and safe casinos that accept Aussies is the smartest move.
If you want to bet on the footy or the races from home, things are a bit different for you, in a positive way. Australia has many licensed bookmakers, from the big Tabcorp, Sportsbet, and Ladbrokes to smaller sites, mostly licensed in the Northern Territory. Simply: it’s legal to bet on sports online.
But there’s a catch to online sports betting as well, and that’s live betting. Under the IGA, a website or app isn’t allowed to let you place a live bet once the match has started.
That’s why you’ll still get to see the live odds on your screen, but you have to actually pick up the phone and call the bookie to place your in-play bet. Think of it however you want, but it’s the legal workaround that has kept these sites operating for so long.
Note from Australian Gamblers: From 11 June 2024, you can’t use credit cards, crypto, or credit-linked eWallets to fund online or in-play (phone) betting. This ACMA ban applies to all licensed bookmakers but excludes lotteries.
Live dealer games don’t share the same story as sports betting. These games, where you see a real person spinning the wheel or dealing the cards via a video stream, are treated just like any other online casino game. So, because they are interactive and take place online, they fall under the same operator ban I mentioned above.
No Australian casino is allowed to stream a live blackjack table to your phone or laptop for real money. However, just like with the pokies, plenty of international sites offer massive live dealer lobbies to Aussie players, where you can easily play live blackjack, live roulette, live poker, and even live game shows. From a legal standpoint, it’s the same situation: the law applies to operators and doesn’t legally prosecute live casino gamblers.
Other Forms of Gambling in Australia
While pokies and sports betting get most of the attention, the IGA, the ACMA, and the Northern Territory Racing and Wagering Commission have separate sections that clearly define the position of other forms of gambling, such as lotteries, bingo, fantasy sports, and eSports betting.
It’s a long document to read on your own, but I am here to summarise the main points for each gambling form below.
If lottery is your thing, you can consider yourself privileged – lotteries are fully legal in Australia, also highly regulated, but available both at your local newsagent’s and through online sites and apps.
Unlike sports betting, the government is more relaxed about lotteries. Today, you can still use a credit card to buy a lottery ticket, as the new rule doesn’t apply to them. One thing to keep in mind is that instant-win games, such as digital scratchcards, are still restricted under the IGA.
Well, Bingo isn’t taken as seriously as other forms of gambling, and it’s often treated as a minor form, which explains why the regulations aren’t too tight there. It’s legal and often run by charities or local social clubs. The operating rules are pretty relaxed, too; as long as the venue isn’t making a big profit from the prize pool, they are good to provide this type of entertainment.
Keno is also very common, and you’ll find it in almost every pub and club. It’s also regulated by the states and is perfectly legal. There are also official online versions run by licensed Aussie operators.
The legality of fantasy sports in Australia remains debatable to this day. They are generally classified as a ‘game of skill’ rather than hands-down gambling, but if you’re playing for real money on a betting or casino site, that operator usually needs a Corporate Bookmaker License (often from the Northern Territory). Many major Aussie sportsbooks now offer odds for fantasy sports.
eSports betting shares the same status as regular sports betting, so it won’t make much of a difference whether you are betting on a CS2 team or the AFL; the same rules apply. So, eSports betting is fully legal if you’re registered at a bookmaker licensed in Australia. You’ll need to follow the same rules: no credit cards, no crypto, and you have to phone a landline to place an in-play bet.
Sweepstakes casinos are a modern-day grey area because their unique model lets you play with virtual coins that can later be traded for prizes.
So, since you aren’t technically depositing money to gamble (instead, you are buying virtual credit and getting the so-called promo entries for free), Sweepstakes casino operators argue that they aren’t traditional casinos.
But the reality? Sweeps casinos have just made their entrance in early 2026, and we’ll see what ACMA decides to do with them.
Again, while the law doesn’t stop you from playing, the government’s view is that if it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck (meaning, it feels like a pokie), they may try to block the site.
International Gambling Sites – What Players Should Know
Let me jog your memory quickly: according to Australian gambling law, casinos aren’t allowed to offer online pokies and other casino games to Aussie gamblers. Consequently, neither the federal nor the state governments issue licenses for online casinos, so players turn to international casino sites when they want to play online.
These sites offer the full package: thousands of pokies, hundreds of live dealer games, progressive jackpots, and even sports betting at times, all on one website or mobile app, whatever you prefer.
Here is the reality check: while these companies are officially not allowed to target gamblers, you are not breaking any laws by playing there. As I mentioned above, the ACMA spends its time trying to block these sites’ web addresses, but it doesn’t come after individuals. However, playing online means you’re effectively leaving the safety of the Australian legal system.
For example, if a site decides to freeze your account or ignore your withdrawal request, the ACMA and your local state ombudsman can’t do much to help you. You are essentially relying on the site’s reputation and the license issued by its operating country, so choose wisely.
Note from Australian Gamblers: If you are considering online casinos, always check their license first. If you can, play at sites that are licensed by Curacao eGaming, the Malta Gaming Authority, or Anjouan Gaming. From experience and research, these are the most reliable international license providers that accept Australian players.
Extra Features at Online Casino Sites
Since international online casinos aren’t obliged to follow the IGA, they offer a completely different experience. If you are playing on such a site, here’s what you’ll typically find:
- Bigger game variety: Access to thousands of pokies from international software providers (like Playson or Pragmatic Play) that aren’t available in local pubs or casinos.
- Crypto and credit options: While Aussie sites are banned from accepting credit cards or Bitcoin as of 2024, many online casinos still accept them.
- Bonus benefits: Bonuses offered by these sites often look massive (for example, A$5,000 welcome package), but the wagering requirements are usually much higher than anything you’d see on a regulated Aussie sportsbook.
Online Bonuses and Promotions
We all love playing with a bonus or two, and the authorities know this. That’s why the rules governing how these can be advertised in Australia are among the strictest in the world.
How do the online licensed Australian bookmakers deal with this, you ask? Well, you probably noticed that bonuses at such sites are slowly dying out and have disappeared from TV and social media.
This is because under the National Consumer Protection Framework, it is illegal for Australian operators to advertise sign-up promotions to people who haven’t registered yet. This means you won’t see ‘deposit A$10, get A$50’ on a billboard or a betting site’s homepage anymore.
However, once you are a registered member and have logged into your account, the bookies can still offer you promotions, which often include enhanced odds, cashback, loyalty rewards, etc.
Online casinos, on the other hand, don’t fall under this law, so you’ll see (and be able to claim) massive welcome bonuses offered to all new players who haven’t made a deposit yet. While it’s not illegal for you to claim these, they come with major warnings: wagering requirements and many other bonus conditions.
Note from Australian Gamblers: Locally, the value isn’t in the sign-up bonus but in the ongoing weekly member promos. Online, the value lies in the variety, but you need to pay attention to bonus terms at all times. If a bonus looks too good to be true, the withdrawal rules are usually where they get you.
Responsible Gambling and Player Protection
Understandably, the responsible gambling policies in Australia are taken very seriously, but they only work if you’re playing within the local system. The pillar here is BetStop, the national self-exclusion register. It’s a free, government-run service that lets you ban yourself from every single licensed online and phone betting operator in the country in one go.
Once you’re on the list, those bookies can’t let you place a bet, open an account, or send you any marketing materials to your email, by law. You can choose a break as short as three months or go for a lifetime ban if you’re done for good.
Final Take: How to Stay Safe When Gambling Online in Australia?
Look, as someone who’s been testing online casinos since the early days, I can tell you that the golden rule of successfully navigating the Australian legal scene is simple: know whose turf you’re playing on.
If you’re on a licensed local site, the law has your back. If you’re playing online and looking for that pokie variety or live dealer rooms, you’re consciously leaving the legal protection. That’s when you need to be twice as sharp.
If you are playing at an international online casino, ultimately, your best protection is your detailed research. This is how I do it: first, I always check the footer for license info. Then, I check the cashier and payment policy. Finally, I pay attention to bonus rules and look for red flags there.
At the end of the day, if you know your facts, much less can surprise you. Play with whatever you can afford, keep your withdrawals frequent, and always read terms to avoid unpleasant situations.
Disclaimer: Gambling in Australia is strictly for individuals aged 18+. Our editorial team adheres to a strict policy to ensure that our reviews, recommendations, and content remain objective and free from external influence. We strongly encourage responsible gambling at all times. If you or someone you know is struggling with gambling addiction, visit the following gambling resources:
- https://responsiblewagering.com.au/
- https://www.gamblinghelponline.org.au/
- https://gamblershelp.com.au/get-help/
