Legal Gambling Sites in Australia

Updated May 18, 2023

Governments around the world are making efforts to finally regulate online casinos. After all, these platforms are experiencing massive expansion. Millions of players are accessing them daily as they want the best casino games.

Australia is one of the countries where online casinos have massive potential. Residents are no strangers to the games and want to enjoy them at any time and place. But are Aussie casinos online legal? That’s what we will look into in this article.

Australian Online Gambling Law

To determine whether you can play at a legal Australian online casino, we need to look at Aussie laws. The law that regulates this industry is the Interactive Gambling Act of 2001, commonly referred to as IGA.

Interactive Gambling Act 2001 (the IGA)

The Interactive Gambling Act 2001 (the IGA) features all the information that you need to know about legal online casinos in Australia. As the name itself suggests, it was brought in 2001 and states that a few gambling services online are legal, while others aren’t.

Unfortunately, these gambling services do not include legal and legit online casino sites. IGA states that the banned forms of online gambling in Australia are:

Casino sites
Live betting
Betting on sports at platforms that do not have an Aussie license
Lottery gambling

The changes in the law in 2017 allowed people to see which providers in the country are licensed. The register is updated regularly. Additionally, the reforms in 2019 allowed ACMA to place the National Self-Exclusion Register into life.

Are Online Casinos Legal in Australia?

According to the IGA, legit online casinos cannot offer their services in Australia. Not only that but operators cannot even be based in the country. Those that break the rules face serious repercussions.

Here’s where it gets tricky, though. There’s more than just one international legit online casino in Australia. The reason why is that the authorities are not as effective in blocking offshore operators. Hence, legit online casino sites that hold licenses from other regulators are known to offer their services to Aussies.

Which Online Gambling Providers are Legal in Australia?

These days, you can come across plenty of reputable game providers at legal online casinos. These include Microgaming, NetEnt, Yggdrasil, Play'n GO, Playson, Evolution, etc. However, because the Interactive Gambling Act 2001 (the IGA) states that online casinos are not legal in Australia, no providers are legal as well.

Formally, the aforementioned providers are not allowed to offer their services at a legit Australian online casino.

Online Casino Games Available Legally in Australia

Since there are no legal online casinos in Australia, there aren’t any games that you can play without formally breaking the law. As for online gambling in general, you can place pre-game bets on sports, horse races, and virtual sports.

Online bingo is the only form of legal online gambling that is closest to casino games. Each state has its regulator that oversees online bingo and makes sure that everyone respects the laws. The regulators are:

Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission (VGCCC) – Victoria
Liquor and Gaming New South Wales (LGNSW) – New South Wales
Queensland Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulation – Queensland
Gambling and Racing Commission – Australian Capital Territory
Consumer and Business Services and The Lotteries Commission – South Australia
Tasmanian Liquor and Gaming Commission – Tasmania
Western Australian Department of Racing, Gaming and Liquor – Western Australia
Northern Territory Racing Commission – Northern Territory

Best Online Pokies For Aussie Players

There are numerous legit online pokies that you can play at online casinos in Australia. Each game has distinctive features. That is what makes pokies unique and fun. They are also very simple to play. But what are some of the best online pokies for Aussie players?

John Hunter and the Book of Tut Respin

First up, we have one of the most popular games at legal online casinos - John Hunter and the Book of Tut Respin. Pragmatic Play is the provider that created this slot and it did not disappoint.

Once you access it on your mobile or desktop devices, you will see that its grid features 5 reels and 3 rows. Its maximum jackpot exposure is 4,000x the bet. There are also a few interesting bonuses that will enhance your gaming experience. These include:

Wild symbol
Mystery respins
Free spins

To form a winning combination in this game, you must land at least three matching regular symbols. Payouts depend on the bet size, number of symbols, and type of symbols.

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Great Pigsby Megaways

As the name of the pokie suggests, you will come across the well-known Megaways mechanic in Great Pigsby Megaways. This is a rather new release that nevertheless proved to be a huge success with Aussie players.

Great Pigsby Megaways features an RTP rate of 96.1% and due to its mechanic, you will have up to 117,649 paylines. When you land at least 3 Scatters on the reels, you will receive 10 free spins. Other bonus features in this game include the Wild Respin and the Great Pigsby Respin.

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Dragon Hero

Dragon Hero is an Asian-themed online slot by Pragmatic Play. It features 5 reels and 3 rows. Its RTP sits at 96% and the maximum jackpot exposure of this game is 5,000x your bet. Its gameplay is fast-paced and you will benefit from bonuses such as Wilds, Super Wilds, and free spins.

To form a win here, you must land 3 matching symbols. Dragon Hero has 20 paylines on which you can form winning combinations.

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Pirate Golden Age

Pirate Golden Age is among the most thrilling games that you can play at a legal Australian online casino. Although its RTP is a bit below average (95.3%), there are plenty of fantastic features that you can enjoy.

For starters, the bonus symbol can provide you with rewards of up to 200x your bet. The Wild symbol substitutes for regular symbols and helps you form wins. And if that weren’t enough, the bonus symbol is also the key to triggering free spins. Mystery symbols are present during this feature.

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1000 Pearls

Finally, we have a popular High 5 Games release. The high volatility and fantastic jackpot exposure are the reason why Aussies are more than happy to play 1000 Pearls. To make things even better, you will also have the chance to trigger free spins with multipliers.

These multipliers can go as high as x24. To make things even better, 1000 Pearls features Wild symbols. They will help you form winning combinations. This game is mobile-friendly and as a result, you can play it on any device, at any time.

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Best Banking Options at Australian Online Casinos

The good thing about legit online casinos in Australia is that they accept a plethora of payment methods. You can use them to deposit, withdraw, and claim various bonuses. Logically, some are more commonly used than others. With that being said, we listed the most popular options for players from down under.

Bitcoin

Bitcoin is a wildly underrated payment method. It allows clients to make instant deposits and withdrawals. To make things even better, you will not pay any fees when using it while also being eligible to claim bonuses and promotions.

Aussie players are aware of this fact and that is why they are fond of using it. Due to its decentralized nature, Bitcoin also provides them with massive security.

eZeeWallet

eZeeWallet is not as popular in other countries, but it’s common in Australia. You must link your bank account to use it, but as an e-wallet, it will provide you with massive security. Deposits with this option are always instant. In most cases, withdrawals are sent within 3 business days. One of the biggest benefits of eZeeWallet, apart from security, is its convenience.

Cash2Code

Cash2Code vouchers allow you to deposit funds at an online casino without even using bank account information. The only small con of this option has to do with topping up your balance. This one being a voucher, you must go to a retail place to send funds and use them to make your deposit with the selected online casino in Australia.

One interesting thing that you ought to know about Cash2Code is that this payment method and MiFinity partnered in July 2021.

Other Methods That You Can Use

The three aforementioned payment methods are among the most popular in Australia. There are a few others that are worth mentioning, too. They also offer great security, convenience, and efficiency. These methods are:

Paysafecard
Apple Pay
PayID
VISA and MasterCard
Neosurf

How We Rate Australian Licensed Online Casinos

When we list legit Australian online casino sites, we don’t just find random platforms. We make sure that we thoroughly review their services. Each operator goes through our strict process. Since we want to offer transparency, we are more than happy to share how we actually review every gambling site.

Security and License

First things first, we make sure that we are checking a legal online casino. We do that by taking a look at the platform’s license. Of course, we cross-reference the information with the regulator to see if the license is valid.

We also look at the security system of the casino. It must feature the latest SSL encryption protocol. This AI tool encrypts data and makes it near impossible for unwanted third parties to gain access to sensitive info.

Browse the Game Library

Games are a vital part of the fun gaming experience. We check whether the platform has legit online pokies, table games, live dealer games, etc. These games must utilize the latest HTML5 technology. In other words, they have to be mobile-friendly.

We also dive into the providers. Reputable providers are synonymous with quality games. Some of the brands that we want to see are Microgaming, NetEnt, Yggdrasil, Playson, etc.

Check the Bonuses

If the games meet our standards, we proceed to look at the available bonuses. There are two things that we check. First, we want to make sure that there are as many promotions as possible. A good casino site should feature the following bonuses:
- A welcome package
- Reload bonuses
- Match bonuses
- Free spins
- Cashback
- Loyalty rewards
Then, we read their terms and conditions. T&Cs will tell you whether you can claim and use a bonus without any issues. The easier it is to benefit from the bonus, the better.

Register an Account and Play for Real Money

Of course, we want to have a hands-on experience with every recommended legal Australian online casino. That is why we register an account. We look at the available payment methods and their banking policies. If everything checks out, we deposit funds and play pokies and other games for real money.

Check the Design and User Experience

We pride ourselves on the fact that we always pay attention to the smallest details. That is the reason why we look at the casino’s interface. We are looking for a simplistic yet captivating design. Players should not face any issues when navigating through different sections of the casino's website.

Then, we look into the responsiveness of the customer support team, page load speed, and mobile compatibility. After all, we are looking for the best providers and when you are at the top, small details can make a huge difference.

Conclude and Compare

In the end, we form our conclusion about that particular Aussie casino site. We use the information to compare it with other online casinos. Those that meet the highest standards and rise to the occasion are featured on our site.

Are Your Winnings Taxable in Australia?

Since there's no formal legit Australian online casino, you cannot win and are not expected to pay taxes for your rewards on these platforms. But what about online gambling winnings in general? According to the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 (ITAA) gambling wins are not subject to taxes. This applies to those that play for fun.

Professional players who make a living out of gambling will have to pay taxes on their winnings. In other words, if gambling is something you do professionally to make a profit, it is taxable.