Compare Australia’s Best Online Casinos and Pokies of 2024
Are online casinos legal across Australia?
Yes, online casinos are legal for players within Australia. However, there are laws that regulate online gambling sites from being physically based in Australia. As an Australian you are allowed to play at online casinos that are based across the world, just not at casinos based inside of the legal jurisdiction of Australia.
What do players need to know?
Players need to know that they are allowed to place online bets and won’t face any legal repercussions for doing so as long as the site they are gambling on isn’t located in Australia. The only entity that could find themselves in legal hot water by offering a real money gambling option to Aussies is the gambling site’s host.
Is it regulated?
There is no specific legislation or body in Australia that regulates online casino gaming. That is because operators are not allowed to open up internet gambling sites that specifically target Australians. That is the result of the Interactive Gambling Act of 2001. However, understand that this law targets operators, not individual players.
Because they have no domestic online casinos, there is still no legislating body that covers them. However, when that situation changes, sites will probably be regulated at both the national and territory level.
When it comes to land-based casinos things are different. Licensing (like legislation) is normally done at the state and territory level. International online casinos, though, are licensed in a variety of reputable jurisdictions such as Malta, Gibraltar and the Isle of Man. Those are regulated by the gaming authorities of that jurisdiction.
What is the tax situation?
Gamblers’ winnings in Australia are not taxed for three main reasons. For starters, gambling is not considered a profession in Australia. Also, the Australian government considers gambling winnings as luck and not as income. Lastly, the government has decided that gambling operators should pay the tax instead of the gambler.
Can I play in Australian Dollars?
Yes, you can play with Australian dollars if that is your normal currency. Most sites will highlight that they accept Australian dollars on the homepage and you should confirm that they do before depositing any money. This keeps you from having to deal with exchange rates or conversion rates of any kind when you want to cash out.