Gambling in Australia - Things to Know
Online gambling in Australia has been growing at 15% per year - at an incredible speed. In Australia, only local operators granting the license can offer gambling products to residents. According to the Interactive Gambling Act, overseas-based operators not holding a relevant State or Territory License are unlawful to provide online gambling services for Australian customers.
To understand better the regulators responsible for regulating gambling activities in each state and territory, check out the following image:
1. Victoria (Vic):
The Victorian Commission for Liquor and Gambling Regulation is Victoria's Gambling Authority responsible for licensing and compliance. The Office of Liquor, Gaming, and Racing is a division within Victoria's Department of Justice and Regulation responsible for policy, legislation, regulation, and major licensing.
2. New South Wales (NSW): Liquor and Gaming New South Wales (L&GNSW) sits within the NSW Department of Customer Service and is responsible for policy, licensing, and compliance. Separately, the Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority (ILGA) is an independent statutory decision-maker responsible for a range of casino, liquor, registered club, and gaming machine regulatory functions. A number of ILGA's routine licensing functions are delegated to L&GNSW.
3. Queensland (Qld): The Queensland Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulation (QOLGR) is responsible for licensing and compliance, while the Office of Regulatory Policy (QORP) is responsible for policy and legislative development for the regulation of liquor, gaming, and fair trading, as well as harm minimization programs for the liquor and gambling industries. The QOLGR and QORP sit within the State's Department of Justice and Attorney-General.
4. Australian Capital Territory (ACT): The Gambling and Racing Commission sits within the portfolio of the Minister for Regulatory Services and is the ACT's independent gambling authority responsible for licensing, compliance and education.
5. South Australia (SA): Consumer and Business Service sits within the Attorney-General's Department and is responsible for policy, licensing, and compliance concerning betting, casinos, gaming machines, and lotteries. The Lotteries Commission of South Australia sits within the Auditor General's Department and has the primary function of promoting and conducting lotteries in South Australia. It has appointed a master agent to operate the Commission's brands and products.
6. Tasmania (Tas): The Tasmanian Liquor and Gaming Commission sits within the Department of Treasury and Finance and is Tasmania's independent gambling authority responsible for licensing and compliance.
7. Western Australia (WA): The Western Australian Department of racing, gaming, and Liquor sits within the portfolio of the Minister for Racing and Gaming and is responsible for policy, licensing, and compliance matters.
8. Northern Territory (NT): The NTRC is responsible for compliance matters. Licensing NT is responsible for licensing matters affecting all gambling activities in the NT. NTRC and licensing NT sits within the NT Department of the Attorney-General and Justice.
Below are the relevant regulatory bodies and how they regulate gambling:
The regulator responsible for enforcing the Interactive Gambling Act, ACMA (the Australian Communications and Media Authority), was recently given extended consumer protection responsibilities and powers as part of the Review of Illegal Offshore Wagering relating to the enforcement of prohibitions on providing or advertising illegal interactive gambling services. To be precise, this agency is able to notify border protection agencies of the names of the offending illegal offshore operators and other disruption measures such as Internet Service Providers to block illegal sites.
State and Territory-based gambling regulators have shown a willingness to work cooperatively with licenses in relation to possible breaches and local laws; however, recent prosecutions for breaches of advertising restrictions relating to inducements demonstrate that some offenses will not be tolerated where appropriate warnings have been given and operators fail to meet necessary standards.
In the case of breaches of the AML/CTF Act by gambling service providers, Australia has shown that the authority will prosecute civil penalty offenses. The AML/CTF also contains criminal provisions, and it is possible that Australia may seek these provisions in relation to non-compliance going forward.
Gambling debts legally incurred are enforceable in Australia. However, such debts only arise in relation to casinos with their VIP players.
Is Online Gambling Legal in Australia?
According to the federal's Interactive Gambling laws, certain activities are prohibited, including:
- online casinos, slot machines, and poker
- online wagering services that accept in-play betting on live sports events
- online wagering services provided without a license issued by an Australian state or Territory
- online instant lotteries
- providing or facilitating the provision of credit by certain interactive wagering service providers to their customers.
Are There Any Advertising Restrictions?
Federal, State, and Territory in Australia have enacted advertising restrictions applying to the lawful advertising of gambling services. Besides the usual responsible gambling warnings, there is also an inducement to open a betting account and gamble in some jurisdictions.
New rules have been enacted by the Federal government of Australia to restrict gambling advertising and odds promotions during broadcasts of live sports, and especially online streaming of live sport.
How to Choose the Best Online Casinos in Australia
Understanding the shallow and strict gambling rules in Australia, we aim to provide you with the best and most trusted online casinos from a reputable foreign jurisdiction. Our top picks should pass all of our criteria with flying colors; therefore, you won't have to worry about their quality and services. We also offer you our expert reviews about the casino and all the related matters. How did we do it? Let's take a look.
Our top Australian online casinos must have good traffic, as well as a good reputation in the community. The website should have a lot more positive feedback and user reviews than negative ones, and those criticisms should not fall on sensitive topics like legality, banking services, customer support, etc.
Next up, we will go into details about how reliable the casino is to Australian players. The best online casinos must be well licensed by famous gambling jurisdictions like UKGC or Malta Gambling Authority. Also, they should be regularly audited by third parties such as the eCOGRA or Gaming Laboratories International. To further enhance security, the implementation of Random Number Generators and SSL protocols is a must.
Regarding game selection, our best online casinos in Australia must offer games from leading operators such as Microgaming, NetEnt, Betsoft, iSoftBet, Evolution Gaming, and other international iGaming providers with high-quality gaming solutions. Teaming up with top-class providers is nothing less than solid proof of the casino's reputation.
Bonus is also one of our main concerns. Our top-picked online casinos for Australians must have various bonuses and promotions such as no deposit, free spins, and match deposit. All terms and conditions must be clear, concise, and user-friendly.
Last but not least, payment services at our selected sites for Aussie players must be fast, secure, and trustworthy. We will give you reviews of the most trusted payment gateways in Australia, so stay tuned!
Deposit and Withdrawal With Australian Online Casinos
There are many ways to transfer money to your account, and each has its own pros and cons. However, one thing for sure: they must all be safe, secure, and reliable. In the following section, we have covered some of the most popular banking options for online gambling in Australia. The first one is, of course, credit cards.
Credit and Debit Cards
For online casinos worldwide, the most widely used banking methods are made through credits and debit cards. The main reason is that these cards are very safe, reliable, and can be used almost internationally. However, many drawbacks affect gamblers’ user experience, such as the slow withdrawal process, which could take up to 12 days to complete and often charge massive fees.
If there are no other better choices, Australians can choose Visa and MasterCard as deposit options. They require you to provide the card number, name on cards, and the CCV and expiration date. All our top-picked casinos will guarantee the safety of your fund, as well as preventing data leakage to third parties.
Pay By Phone
Apart from the old-school credit cards, Australians can now enjoy paying by phone. This method is swift, easy to process, and very secure. All you need to do is enter your phone number and your deposit amount. Just like postpaid, you can complete your payment when you receive your phone bill. Pay by phone has always been our favorite choice in looking for a suitable payment solution.
AMEX
Next up is AMEX. AMEX stands for American Express, one of the most popular banking options in America. The card is widely recognized for its luxury perks in various services, high reward rates, and no cross-border transaction fees. The transaction time is also instant, making it one of the best payment solutions for middle and high-class gamblers.
POLi
This banking service has recently been launched in Australia. You can take many advantages of using this service, such as low transaction fees, instant deposit, and top-tier security. Serving millions of Australian users, POLi has gained a foothold for its trustworthiness and reliability.
