Australian Gambling Regulations 2026
Online gambling in Australia is allowed, but only in certain ways. The rules in 2026 are tighter than they look in all those bright ads, and some games and sites that seem fine at first glance are actually off-limits. This page explains the rules so you know where you stand.
Here you will see which kinds of online betting are legal, which casino-style games operators cannot offer, how licences and regulators work, what bonuses really mean, and what rights you have as a player. You will also see simple examples, like how a “bonus bet” works in practice and what might happen if you use an unlicensed site. If you like a punt and want to keep things above board, read this page thoroughly.
Legal Status of Online Gambling in Australia
In Australia, online gambling rules come from the Interactive Gambling Act 2001. That law mainly applies to companies that run sites or ads, not to you as a player. Under this Act, casino-style games like roulette, blackjack, craps, poker and real-money online pokies are not allowed to be offered to people in Australia. Instead, licensed online services focus on sports betting, race betting, and approved lotteries and keno.
For these products, operators need an Australian licence and follow local rules about in-play betting, credit and other features. ACMA, the Australian Communications and Media Authority, checks compliance, responds to complaints and can ask internet providers to restrict access to services that do not follow the rules.
This gives you a clear signal about which sites are properly licensed for Australian players.
Allowed and Restricted Gambling Activities
For online gambling, Australian law sorts things into two piles. Legal options with licensed providers look like this:
- You can bet on sports such as AFL, NRL, cricket, tennis or soccer, including same game multis, as long as the bets go on before the event starts.
- You can bet on horse and greyhound racing, including fixed odds and tote products, through licensed online bookmakers and totalisators.
- You can buy tickets in official online lotteries and keno games run by licensed operators based in Australia.
Everything that feels like an online casino sits in the other pile. Operators cannot legally offer real money pokies app australia, digital roulette, online blackjack, baccarat, sic bo, casino style tournaments or live dealer tables to people in Australia. If a site lets you spin hundreds of pokies for cash, run live roulette from a studio and join slot tournaments with prize pools like AUD 25,000, it is operating outside Australian law and you carry the risk when it goes quiet.
Bonuses also work differently here. Licensed wagering providers cannot lure you in with sign up offers, so deals like “Deposit AUD 50, get AUD 50 in bonus bets” have been pushed off the board. Promotions still exist, but they are aimed at existing verified customers and usually tied to racing or sport. A familiar example is “Money back in bonus bets up to AUD 50 if your runner runs second or third in the Saturday feature at Flemington”, or a same game multi refund if one leg falls over. These are the sort of promos you see wrapped around big Saturday cards or marquee footy fixtures, not blasted at every new sign up.
Gambling Regulatory Bodies by State and Territory
There is no single national gambling regulator. Each state and territory issues its own licences and supervises venues and betting providers, while ACMA handles the IGA and blocking orders. When a casino or bookmaker says it is licensed for Australian players, it should name one of these authorities:
| State / Territory | Main regulator | What they handle for gambling |
|---|---|---|
| New South Wales | Liquor & Gaming NSW and NSW Independent Casino Commission (NICC) | Licensing, compliance and casinos. |
| Victoria | Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission (VGCCC) | Gambling venues, the Melbourne casino licence and online wagering. |
| Queensland | Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulation (OLGR) | Licences for betting operators, casinos and gaming venues. |
| South Australia | Consumer and Business Services (CBS) | Wagering, gaming machines and lotteries. |
| Western Australia | Gaming and Wagering Commission of Western Australia | The Perth casino licence, betting and gaming approvals. |
| Tasmania | Tasmanian Liquor and Gaming Commission | State wide gaming, wagering and casino oversight. |
| Australian Capital Territory | ACT Gambling and Racing Commission | Local casinos, bookmakers and gaming venues. |
| Northern Territory | Northern Territory Racing Commission (NTRC) | Licences many of the large online bookmakers that accept Australian customers. |
A genuine operator will show the regulator name, licence number and ABN in its footer or terms. Take that licence number or legal company name, check it against the regulator’s public register, and see if the record lines up with the brand you are about to trust with your bankroll.
ACMA - Verifying the Legitimacy of Casinos
ACMA is the federal referee for online gambling. It enforces the IGA, runs a complaints system, manages the BetStop self exclusion register for online wagering, and tells internet providers when to block illegal gambling sites and affiliate pages. Influencers who plug illegal casinos or bookies to Australian audiences can face fines that sit around AUD 59,400 per offence.
You can use ACMA’s tools as a quick filter before you sign up:
- Search ACMA’s legal operator register for the brand or company name.
- Check ACMA’s blocked sites list to see if it appears there.
- If it fails either test or hides its licence details, skip it and consider lodging a complaint.
After that, give the site itself a short health check. A serious operator will show its Australian regulator, licence number and ABN, and take deposits and withdrawals in AUD through familiar options like PayID, BPAY, local bank transfer and standard debit or credit cards.
Rights of Players and Legal Consequences
Australian law gives you clear rights when you bet online, as long as you use licensed Australian sites. It also sets some firm limits so you do not end up in trouble with money you cannot afford to lose.
- You must be at least 18 and pass quick ID checks before you can bet.
- You get tools like deposit limits, self-exclusion and monthly statements, plus BetStop, which can block you from all licensed online and phone betting for a set time.
- Licensed sites must let you bet only with your own funds, not with credit or payday-style loans, and bonuses must follow strict rules.
After that, the law expects you to play fair as well. You can usually claim a bonus only once. If a casino sees clear bonus abuse, it can cancel bonus winnings and close the account, and it will use things like IP address and ID checks to spot this.
There is also a catch with sites based outside Australia. If regulators ask internet providers to block a site while you still have a big pokies win or a balance sitting there, you may find it hard to log in or withdraw. Australian regulators cannot force an overseas company to pay out, so most experienced Aussie punters keep their main betting with licensed local brands and treat the rest more like side action.