The Oxford English Dictionary defines the world gamble as playing games of chance for money (eg. ‘he gambles on football’), to bet a sum of money (eg. ‘they gambled their money on cards’) or to take risky action in the hope of a desired result (eg. ‘he was gambling on the success of his new business venture’).
The word gamble has formed a big part of the English vocabulary, with people not just using it to refer to casino exploits, but also every day expressions like gambling on love, or even taking a gamble on trying a new restaurant.
Whichever way you use this word, the fundamental definition of gambling will always intrinsically be linked to the exciting world of casinos, cards, table games, slot machines, sports, racing and games of chance, all which form an important part in Australian recreational culture.
Top five gambling destinations in Australia
We may not have the glitz and glamour of Las Vegas, or the lavishness of Macau, but Australia has firmly secured its place on the map of world class gambling destinations. Some of our most famous and notable gambling venues include:
1. Crown Casino Melbourne – located on Melbourne’s gorgeous Southbank, the riverside Crown Casino Complex is a huge drawcard for locals, tourists and high rollers from all over the world. It houses not only renowned hotels, spas, bars and restaurants but also Australia’s best, biggest and most extravagant land based casino.
2. Fleming Race Course – another Victorian location, the Flemington Race Course is home to the Melbourne Cup, Australia’s biggest and most lucrative horse race. Located near the Maribyrnong River, this 1.27 square kilometre space has been used as a prestigious race track since 1840, attracting the world’s elite ever since.
3. The Star Casino Sydney – The Star is Australia’s second biggest casino (after the Crown Melbourne) comprising of eight bars, seven restaurants, a high-end hotel, serviced apartments and two exquisite gaming floors. The gambling facilities are fantastic but it’s the location that will win you over, overlooking the stunning Darling Harbour.
4. Crown Perth – another hot gambling destination owned by the Murdoch founded Crown Group, Crown Perth is a large entertainment complex situated near the Swan River. The complex has a resort, many award winning restaurants, live theatre and a sprawling casino that’s open 24 hours 7 days a week.
5. Jupiters Casino Gold Coast – located in the beautiful sunny town of Broadbeach, Jupiters Casino provides sweeping views of the Gold Coast beaches and hinterland while providing world-class gambling, dining, entertainment and hotel facilities. Open 24/7, Jupiters Casino has over 70 table games, 1,600 gaming machines and luxurious private gambling rooms.
Gamble at online casinos
Note: Australians can no longer gamble at casinos online, as of September 2017. The Interactive Gambling Act 2016 makes it illegal for Aussies to play casino games. The following information is intended for an international audience only.
The Internet has opened up a world of new gambling possibilities, with many of the best, most reputable online casinos now catering to global audiences. Online casinos allow you to place real money bets on such casino games as pokies, blackjack, roulette, video poker, baccarat, craps, poker, bingo, lotto, keno and even instant scratchies from the comfort of your own home or on the go using your desktop computer, laptop, smartphone or tablet.
Award winning software developers from across the globe like Microgaming, Net Entertainment, Bet Soft, Rival, Play’n Go, iSoftBet and Next Gen Gaming use the latest in innovative technology to create striking, animated games that work flawlessly across a range of devices, powered by certified random number generators (RNGs) to ensure player fairness with unbiased results.
The best part about online gambling at Internet casinos is the range of games available. With so many talented gambling software developers making games with their own unique artistic flair and in-house gameplay systems, it’s easy to find a game that suits your personal tastes. If you enjoy a variation of a popular real money game with more favourable rules but it’s not readily available at your local casino – European and French roulette, for example – it’s practically a given it’ll be available at the best online casinos.
Online casinos accept a wide range of secure payment options, including Visa, MasterCard, Neteller, Skrill, Paysafecard, POLi and direct wire transfers. Depositing money is super easy, will only take a couple of minutes and reputable sites protect transactions using a minimum of 128 Bit SSL security encryption to guarantee your payments are safe.
Online gambling is the way of the future, with more punters turning to this convenient option to play their favourite casino games, which also comes with many additional benefits that you won’t find in a land based casino like welcome packages, promotions, loyalty programs and bonus offers.
Online sports betting
Australians can legally bet on sporting events online. Online sports betting is quick, easy and convenient, with wagers allowed on desktop or mobile devices. Aussies can place bets not just on major Australian sporting events, but also sporting events from around the world and even entertainment awards and political election results.
Bets are available on AFL, NRL, horse racing, soccer, tennis, hockey, basketball, baseball, winter sports, greyhound racing, boxing, athletics and much more, all from the one secure site.
Want to know more about placing sports bets online? Follow our links to find out more about safe online bookies and find the best, reputable places for online sports betting.
Online poker
Note: Australians can no longer legally play poker online due to the Interactive Gambling Amendment Act.
Online poker has been growing in popularity for years now, with some impeccable online poker sites now available to play a range of real money poker games. The best poker sites use realistic graphics and innovative software to recreate the genuine feeling of playing poker in real life, met with the comfort and convenience of being able to play from wherever you can secure an Internet connection.
Playing online poker allows you to gamble with people from all over the world, or even against your mates if you all sign into the same site, with literally tens of thousands of players signed into some sites at any given time.
Leading poker sites offer some incredible tournaments with epic amounts of cash to be won. One of the many benefits to turning to the Internet to play poker is that unlike land based casinos which only offer a couple of poker game variants, online poker sites offer various games, from the classic to the obscure. When playing online you can expect to find Texas Hold’em, Casino Hold’em, Three Card Poker, Caribbean Stud Poker, Razz, Omaha, HORSE, Five Card Draw, Triple Stud, Badugi, Courchevel and many more.
