Online Gambling Laws Australia – 2024 Overview
Gambling is definitely a favourite pastime for many Australians. Statistics indicate that the vast majority of Aussies gamble in some capacity. However, most of that takes place in retail venues. So how does online gambling fit into the AU scene? Join us as we explore the online gambling laws Australia works with in 2024.
Legal Status of Online Gambling in Australia 2024
Australian gambling laws are not that different from those of many other jurisdictions. In fact, they are quite cookie-cutter in certain aspects. What’s more surprising is that Australia was one of the first countries to introduce some measure of online gambling regulations.
The Interactive Gambling Act was introduced in 2001, and it is still in use more than 20 years later. Despite its age, it is not some outdated piece of legislation from a different time. The government has amended the Interactive Gambling Act several times over the years.
To make a long story short, the online gambling laws in Australia prohibit any iGaming venture from being hosted in the country. Operators are not allowed to run an online gambling business on AU soil, with certain exceptions for sports betting.
| 🎲 AU Online Gambling Product | ⚖ Legal Status |
|---|---|
| 🎰 Casinos | Illegal |
| 🏏 Sports Betting | Legal |
| 💯 Bingo | Illegal |
| ♣ Poker | Illegal |
| 🏇 Horse Racing | Legal |
What’s more, offering an unlicensed online gambling product to Australian residents is also a crime that comes with a penalty. Of course, this prohibition is also extended to foreign operators. The simplified outline of the Act reads:
This Act imposes the following prohibitions: (a) a prohibited interactive gambling service must not be provided to customers in Australia; (b) unlicensed regulated interactive gambling services must not be provided to customers in Australia; (c) an Australianbased prohibited interactive gambling service must not be provided to customers in designated countries; (d) prohibited interactive gambling services must not be advertised; (e) unlicensed regulated interactive gambling services must not be advertised.
As you can see, the government is quite strict with online gambling. Australia laws serve as a blanket ban on most gaming operations, which covers casino gambling, bingo, poker, and everything else that meets the definition of gambling.
Legal Online Gambling in Australia
There is one exception to the general spirit of online gambling Australia laws. Sports betting is the sole gambling product legally available to Aussies. Currently, there are multiple sports betting companies allowed to provide bookmaking services on the Internet. Usually, these are corporate bookmakers, betting exchanges, and TABs (Totalisator Agency Board).
Online Gambling Regulators in Australia
Each province in Australia has a regulatory body that issues sports betting licenses. Specifically, these include:
- Northern Territory Racing Commission – Northern Terriory
- Liquor & Gaming NSW – New South Wales
- WA Department of Local Government, Sport & Cultural Industries – Western Australia
- ACT Gambling & Racing Commission – Australian Capital Territory
- South Australia Consumer and Business Services – South Australia
- Tasmanian Liquor and Gaming Commission – Tasmania
- Victorian Commission for Gambling & Liquor Regulation – Victoria
- Queensland Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulation – Queensland
The number of licensed entities varies between provinces, with the Northern Territory hosting more online bookies than all other states combined. Moreover, some operators are licensed in multiple provinces.
So, this means that AU online gambling laws are favourable for sports betting, right? Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. In a move that seems ridiculous to any experienced gambler, Australia has deemed it necessary to prohibit any form of in-play betting. As such, only pre-match wagers are allowed. Still, it is better than nothing.
Online Gambling Laws in Australia – A Player’s Perspective
By the look of it, things are pretty clear cut. Online gambling is prohibited – sports betting being an exception – and there is nothing that can be done about it. Well, the world of lawmaking is a strange one, and there is some wiggle room for AU gamblers.
While the Act strictly limits Australian companies from offering their products to the AU public or that of other countries, the government has no method to force international companies to comply. Moreover, online gambling Australia laws do not mention player participation in any way.
In effect, it is solely Australian gambling companies that are affected by these laws. Players are free to access all international gambling sites if they would have them. A similar situation can be observed with the online gambling laws of New Zealand It does not appear to be a crime to gamble online, even if the platform violates the online gambling laws in Australia.
Effectiveness of Online Gambling Laws Australia
The way the laws are structured has led to a quite interesting state of affairs for Australian gamblers. The legal situtation is delicate, to say the least, and the government has no plans to introduce new regulations in the near future. To recap:
- Sports betting is allowed (except in-play), and operators are licensed by the individual provinces
- AU-based companies are not allowed to host online gambling services (except licensed sports betting)
- AU companies are not allowed to offer online gambling services to players from other countries
- Foreign operators are not allowed to accept Australian players, though this cannot be enforced
If this sounds familiar, it is because we have seen it before. Canadian online gambling laws are quite similar in their practical outcomes. The CA iGaming scene is based around offshore gambling companies, though there are exceptions in certain provinces. While the laws might be structured differently, the effect is all-around the same.
As such, the online gambling Australia laws leave players in a kind of limbo. For one, they do not risk any legal trouble by playing online. However, these sites are not regulated by an AU government authority. This can have particular consequences for players.
A lack of local government oversight leaves players with little to no legal protection. For example, many of the top online casinos in the New Zealand are regulated by the UK Gambling Commission, Malta Gaming Authority, and other institutions. These regulatory bodies require self-exclusion options to be available to customers, and their wishes to abstain from gambling to be respected.
Similarly, if a gambling site refuses to pay out, a player has the option to issue a complaint to the authorities. If the operator steps out of bounds, the regulator can intervene and take punitive measures following an investigation. Here is a list of player protections available at reputable online gambling sites:
- Self-Exclusion Tools
- Deposit Limits
- Responsible Gambling Resources
- Verifiable RNG & Randomness
- Guaranteed Payouts
- Provable Fairness
There are no such guarantees for AU players. Since the Australian government cannot enforce laws on offshore companies, players are left at the mercy of operators. Of course, reputable sites will likely abide by their terms and conditions. However, it is one thing to have legal protection and another to rely on goodwill.
FAQ About Online Gambling Laws in Australia
If you have further questions about the legality of online gambling in Australia, take a look at the FAQ section below. We have done our best to include the most important information from the article above. This way, you can easily condense the major points of interest.
