Legal Online Pokies Australia – All You Need to Know in 2024
- Author: Chris Hayes
- Published: October 22, 2024
Online gambling in Australia is becoming a more and more popular activity by the day. As a result, it is crucial for casino players to be able to spot the differences between legal and illegal, legit and illegitimate online casino sites.
That’s why this very guide was written: to help you discover reliable casinos and be able to differentiate between the good and the bad. Our goal is to help every single one of our visitors to have a fantastic time while playing at a casino site. That’s why we want them – we want you – to play only at safe and secure Australian casinos.
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Legal Online Pokies Australia – Fun Facts about Gambling
Australia and gambling is a match made in heaven. Online gambling is one of the favourite pastime activities of local residents. To prove that, we collected statistical date for you, please feel free to take a look:
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Gambling in Australia (2022)
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72.80%
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By Gender: Men
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80.30%
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By Gender: Women
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66.20%
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Lotteries and Scratch Cards
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63.80%
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Horse Racing
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38.10%
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Sport
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33.80%
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Pokie machines
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33.40%
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Keno/Bingo
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29.80%
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Table Games
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22.40%
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Online Casino
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17.00%
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The study was carried out by the Australian Research Gambling Centre in 2022. The data is from 2020 and 2021, when many government restrictions were in place due to the Covid pandemic. In the table, you can see the percentage of the adult population of Australia who spent real money playing gambling games.
The Most Important Question – Are Online Pokies Legal in Australia?
The answer to that is, in fact, really quite simple: yes, online pokies are 100% legal in Australia. Australian casino players – considering that they are at the age of at least 18 years – can legally join online casino sites. Online casino sites can legally provide online pokie gaming services. Hence, playing online pokies is legal for Aussie players.
Of course, Australian gambling laws make things a little tricky. Australian players cannot join casinos licensed in Australia, that would be illegal. However, the laws say nothing against joining offshore, foreign-based casinos. Hence, for Aussie players, the best is to join a reliable casino with an MGA, UKGC or Curacao gambling license, and play there.
Online Pokies Australia – Legal Situation Explained
The legality of offline and online gambling in Australia depends on the actual territory where you reside within Australia. Each region has its own regulation. Here’s our brief overview of the Aussie iGaming situation.
- Queensland
Gambling is strictly regulated offline and online as well for player protection. Cash limits are in place, and all players must verify their identity.
- New South Wales
The responsible gambling laws are similar in NSW as Queensland. Players are limited to an A$1,000 cash transaction and withdrawals per 24 hours.
- Victoria
According to Victorian gambling regulations, online casinos must profile each player based on how much they win and lose, and how much time they spend playing. The goal is for better supervision over problem gamblers.
- Western Australia
Based on the Gaming and Wagering Commission Act 1987, social gambling is legal in the territory. However, gambling game providers must hold a permit to provide their fund raising or non-profit services. Players can join offshore gambling sites legally.
- Tasmania
The online gambling regulator in Tasmania is the Tasmanian Liquor and Gaming Commission, based on the Gaming Control Act of 1993. All players must set daily and monthly loss limits.
- South Australia
All forms of gambling are illegal in South Australia, unless it comes from licensed providers. Gambling is regulated by the Department of Treasury and Finance of the Government of South Australia.
- Australian Capital Territory
Gambling in ACT is regulated by the Gambling & Racing Commission of the ACT Government. They strictly prohibit online casino games so players must register foreign-based gambling sites to play legal pokies
- Northern Territory
The NT Racing Commission oversees all gambling activities in the Northern Territory. Sports betting is completely legal in this area, but pokie providers are illegal. Aussie players must join offshore online casino sites.
Gambling Laws – Is it Legal to Play Online Pokies in Australia?
Online gambling laws in Australia are a complex subject. The most important aspect of the laws is player protection. That’s the main goal of the regulation. That’s why the operation of online casinos, including their gaming services are strictly reviewed by the respective authorities.
Online Casino
It’s illegal for online casinos to be operating within the country. This means that Australia-based online casinos are not allowed to legally offer their pokie or any other gaming services to Aussie players. Nevertheless, the Aussie gaming laws do not prohibit offshore gambling companies to attract players from Australia. Hence, Aussie players can legally join foreign-based online casino sites licensed in Malta, Curacao, or the UK, for example.
Sportsbooks
It is 100% legal to offer sports betting services in Australia. In fact, there are quite a lot of online sports betting providers residing in Australia. Australians can legally join any online bookmaker that provides services in Australia. That includes offshore betting companies as well, so the selection is huge – check out our list of online sports betting sites in Australia, read our reviews and pick the best site.
Online Poker
The laws surrounding poker games is quite similar to that of online casinos. While it is illegal for gambling service operators to offer poker services to Australian players, it is completely legal for Australian players to join offshore poker sites. So, it is not legal to join online poker rooms based in Australia, but other sites are good to go. 100% legal.
Online Lotteries
There are several licensed lottery ticket and scratch card operators working in Australia. It is legal to do so – Australian online gambling laws allow gambling service operators to provide lottery games and scratch cards to Australian players. It is also legal to join foreign-based online lotteries, so Aussie players have a lot of options to choose from.
Online Casino Legal Australia – Authorities Regulating Internet Gambling
Australia is a gigantic country, it is a difficult task overseeing the entire country, even in regards of the online gambling scene. Hence, the entire country needs several regulatory bodies who help the government execute this complex task. The legal status and fair games in online casinos, sportsbooks, poker sites and other gambling platforms is overseen by the following regulatory bodies in Australia:
- Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA).
- State and Territory Gambling Regulators.
- Northern Territory Racing Commission.
The most important objective of the above mentioned authorities is to maintain the legality and safety of online gambling operators in Australia. Their responsibility is to ensure that all player protection laws are respected and adhered and that the rules are being strictly followed.
Consumer Protection Measures – Assuring that Online Pokies are Legal in Australia
Australian gambling laws are so strict because the government of Australia is dedicated to providing top-notch protection to all casino players. Even the ones who are the most exposed to problematic gambling habits. Hence, when it comes to gambling, Australia takes serious measures. For example:
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ACMA monitoring
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The Australian Communications and Media Authority is constantly monitoring the iGaming situation within the country. They check online casinos, sportsbooks, poker rooms and many other gambling sites as well. They do their best to filter out all the illegal gambling sites in Australia. Their ultimate goal is to block all shady or illegitimate casinos, so that Aussie players can never join them, not even by accident.
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Self-exclusion programs
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Many casinos offer self-exclusion programs. In fact, it is a must for a site that wishes to accept Australian players. Self-exclusion programs allow players to set out a period, during which their account is basically blocked from all gambling services. It’s a way to combat problem gambling. During the self-exclusion, you will not be able to initiate any kind of transaction or play any gambling game on your account.
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Responsible gambling initiatives
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Proper and legal online casinos care highly about responsible gambling. Each casino, sportsbook and gambling site in general should offer several responsible gambling tools to the players. These include, but not exclusively: deposit limits, loss limits, time limits, and activity monitoring. Always be gamble aware and play consciously and responsibly.
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Legit Online Casino Australia – Requirements for Aussie and Offshore Gambling Operators
There is a set of rules that each casino must accept and follow, should they wish to provide their services to Australian players.
- Valid gambling license
This is the number one indicator of a valid and legit casino site. For legal reasons, this license should come from Malta (MGA), the UK (UKGC) or Curacao (CGCB), instead of Australia. The gambling license is the most important player protection tool.
- Data protection
When playing at online casinos, you give away your personal and financial data. It’s confidential data. You must be sure that the site takes proper care of all your personal information. Hence, you should always check if the site uses the most advanced SSL encryption technology, or maybe the Internet TLS 1.2 protocol. These are the best in the industry.
- RNG software
Each gambling game should run under a verified random number generator (RNG) software. The most famous providers (NetEnt, Aristocrat, Microgaming, Playtech, Pragmatic Play, etc) all use provably fair software. The most famous pokie game reviewers are eCOGRA and iTech Labs. If you see these certificates, you know you’re playing fair games.
- Safe payment methods
Making deposits and requesting withdrawals requires a high level of trust. You give away sensitive financial data in hopes of the money safely arriving where it has to. Only pay at sites with reliable methods that you know and have been using for a while. Don’t let shady sites trick you – maybe they just want your credit card details. Don’t give them the satisfaction. Stay alert at all times.
- Responsible gambling tools
All in all, gambling should be about having fun. If you feel like it’s been more like a burden than a fun game, it’s time to take a break. The casino should be your partner in this decision. They should provide you with many tools to be able to make this hard decision. Several limits (deposit, loss, time, etc) should be available for all players. Feel free to use self-exclusion if you must.
Conclusion – Is There Online Pokies Legal in Australia?
Our experts research and analysed the situation of legal online pokies in Australia. Those who read our article carefully are now aware of many hidden facts including online pokies, as well as the legal status of online gambling in Australia. Our goal was to help our readers make a more informed, better decision when it comes to choosing a legal casino site. We hope that you feel confident about joining one of our trusted casino sites. Click the link and register today!
Frequently Asked Questions about Legal Online Pokie Sites in Australia
Is online pokies legal in Australia? Can I legally play slots at casino sites?
Yes, Aussie players can play pokies legally, considering that they play at legitimate and licenses casino sites.
Is it possible for amateurs to spot an illegal or illegitimate gambling operator site?
Yes. Casinos must follow online gambling regulation and data protection laws protecting players’ rights. Hence, there should always be info about gambling license, applied technology to protect the data, etc. If there is no security info at all, that should be a fair warning.
What are the safest methods applied by online casinos?
The safest casinos feature games with eCOGRA certificate and allow the usage of various secure and transparent payment methods. They run under a valid gambling license. Players’ privacy is protected by the most advanced 256-bit Secure Socket Layer (SSL) encryption technology.
How can I be sure that I’m joining a legal and legit casino site?
You need proper analysis before making such a decision. However, please be aware that if you click on any of our links and register through us, you will surely be joining a trustworthy casino site. Our experts carefully analysed each and every casino on our platform. All of them passed even our toughest legality and security checks.
