Is online gambling legal in Australia?

This is general information, not legal advice. Laws change; check current rules or speak to a lawyer.

The Interactive Gambling Act 2001

The federal Interactive Gambling Act (IGA) makes it an offence to provide certain online gambling services, including online casino games and pokies, to customers in Australia. Licensed sports betting, wagering and lotteries are treated differently and are regulated by states and territories.

What does it mean for players?

The IGA targets operators and advertisers, not players. But there is no Australian licence for online casinos, so every casino listed on this site holds an overseas licence (here, Curaçao). That means:

• No Australian regulator handles disputes.
• The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) can and does block sites, so a domain may stop working.
• Consumer protections you expect from Australian businesses may not apply.
• Banks may decline gambling payments to offshore merchants.

Venue pokies and state rules

Poker machines in pubs, clubs and casinos are legal and regulated by each state or territory (Western Australia only permits them at its casino). The legal gambling age is 18 nationwide. See our state pages.

Our position

We compare these operators because many Australians search for them, and we tell you plainly where they stand legally. We do not encourage anyone to gamble where it is not permitted. If you choose to play, set limits, read the terms and use our responsible gambling tools.

Help

Gambling Help Online: 1800 858 858, free, confidential, 24/7. For sports and racing wagering, the national self-exclusion register is BetStop (betstop.gov.au). It does not cover online casinos.