Australians are unable to gamble at online casinos in 2024, with their stance on interactive gambling some of the strictest in the world. Below we will discuss the banned online gambling forms and how they impact Australians.
What gambling is banned in Australia
There are numerous forms of online gambling that are banned in Australia, with these including:
Online casinos
Real money online casinos are banned under the Interactive Gambling Act, which was updated in 2017 to further bolster the laws surrounding offshore gambling sites. While there is a multi-million dollar illegal online casino industry, Gamble.com.au only advertises free play casino sites.
Online pokies
Online pokies are an absolute favourite of Australians, but unfortunately the ban on online casinos means there types of game are off-limits. Australians can still play free-play pokies games in various ways, but you would technically be breaking the law if you were to gamble with offshore online pokies sites.
Live betting online
Many places around the world allow their residents to bet in sports events that are underway, or in-play, however Australia has a ban on these types of bets online. To bet on underway sports events in Australia, you must do it via the telephone, a minor inconvenience to most.
Online poker
Online poker is arguably the biggest casualty of the clamp down on offshore gambling, with millions of players unable to play for real money legally online. The top poker sites, such as Pokerstars and 888Poker no longer accept Australians.
There is constant chatter about updating Australian gambling laws and agitation from bodies like the Australian Online Poker Alliance, however there has been little movement or interest in regulating online poker. The ban on this form of gambling stands as of November, 2024.
