Aussie Internet users are often unsure about the legality of gambling online, with the question regularly asked; is online gambling legal in Australia in 2017? It’s a complex question with a multifaceted list of answers, but to provide the most important answer, it is currently not legal for online casinos to offer services for Australian residents to place real money bets at online casinos, online poker and bingo rooms, and online sports betting sites.

1. Online Casino Allowed In Australia Right Now
2. Online Casino Allowed In Australia
3. Are There Casinos In Australia
4. Free Online Casino Australia

Safe online casinos

It's illegal to provide some interactive gambling activities, such as 'online casinos', to someone in Australia. Examples include roulette, poker, craps, online 'pokies' and blackjack. Any game of chance. By Jack Harris. No Deposit bonuses are the perfect way to try out new online casinos or fresh casino games before you use real money. We know this and have scoured the breadth of Australia. There is a online casino allowed in australia huge range of video slots, video poker, and table games such as blackjack, baccarat and 3 card poker to choose from. Please note that this is an exclusive. First and foremost, people come to Australian online casinos to play, have fun and win real money online. Aussie players seek online casinos that accept Australian players, and they also prefer the best online.

However, it’s not all black and white, and there are exceptions, which we will explore in this article to provide a clear explanation surrounding Australia’s online gambling laws.

Australian betting culture and regulations

Gambling is a widely enjoyed pastime that’s deeply imbedded in Australian culture; in fact Aussie’s account for the highest gambling participation rate in the world. Whether it’s chucking a couple of coins in the pokies at a pub, placing an annual bet on the Melbourne Cup or regular betting on your favourite table game at a brick and mortar casino, gambling for real money is part of the Australian way.

Rapid advances in technology has seen Australian online casino sites expand and virtual gambling rise in popularity as more punters turn to online, mobile and tablet betting alternatives. Most Australian gambling laws work to protect problem gamblers and ensure responsible betting practices, although it is arguable such laws in place are hypocritical and not in-line with other gambling laws.

Current government laws and legislations surrounding online casino gambling are focused on how Australian gambling operators run their business and which services they can and cannot provide, as opposed to what individuals are allowed to do with their own money. Such rules have minimal effect on the individual recreational gambler, and instead focus on restricting both local and offshore online casino operators from providing interactive gambling services to Australian residents.

In a nutshell, it is currently prohibited for any online casino based anywhere in the world to provide gambling services to anyone from Australia, as of September 2017.

The Interactive Gambling Act of 2001

While gambling via the Internet remains legal for Australians within some areas such as lotto betting and sports betting (as both industries are licensed and regulated within Australia) the Interactive Gambling Act (IGA) explicitly bans online gambling operators from servicing Australians.

The original IGA passed in June 2001 by the then Howard-government to protect the public from additional negative effects of betting. The Act decided to prohibit the following:

• It is illegal for any online casino (Australian or foreign owned) from offering real money online interactive gambling services to Australian citizens
• It is also against the law for such organisations to advertise real money interactive gambling services to Australian citizens.

The current fine for any operator in violation of offering interactive gambling services to Aussie residents is a maximum of $220,000 per day for individuals within the organisation, or $1.1 million per day for the company itself. These laws are directed at online casino and online poker room operators, but don’t specifically target Australian players themselves or prohibit Aussie individuals from placing real money bets online at such venues – “the average Australian citizen cannot be punished for signing up and gambling online,” (IGA, 2001).

The IGA does not apply to Australian-owned sports betting websites (like Sportsbet.com.au) or lotteries (like Lottoland or Tatts.com), provided they are associated with a land based business. As long as betting on an event is done before the event commences, placing a wager on a sports event or online lottery is not considered to be an interactive bet and is thus perfectly legal. This is different for interactive games played online in real time, like online pokies, roulette, blackjack, etcetera.

Live sports betting is considered interactive, and so this form of betting has been outlawed online within Australian sports wagering companies, and can only be conducted via phone.

Technically speaking, international online casinos offering their services to Australian citizens were in violation of the IGA, but the ambiguous wording of the original IGA allowed a gray market to flourish. The Australian government has since introduced new legislation in September 2017 that completely bans offshore providers from servicing the Australian market without question – the Interactive Gambling Amendment Bill 2016.

The Interactive Gambling Amendment Bill 2016

Online Casino Allowed In Australia Right Now

In November 2016, the Australian Government introduced the Interactive Gambling Amendment Bill 2016, also known as the IGA Amendment Bill, into the House of Representatives as the answer to the 2015 O’Farrell Review into Illegal Offshore Wagering. It proposes many of the changes discussed in the O’Farrell review to the Interactive Gambling Act 2001, namely to close the loopholes in the original IGA that allowed offshore online casinos to service Australians.

Online Casino Allowed In Australia

The IGA Amendment Bill went into full legal effect in September 2017, which means offshore online casinos and offshore online poker sites can no longer accept or service Australian players, or they risk large fines and penalties. Thus, online roulette and any other form of online casino play is technically banned in Australia.

The technicality is that there is nothing in the IGA Amendment Bill that suggest any penalty for Australian residents who continue to gamble at online casinos. While most of the big casino brands pulled out of the Australian market, there are still several reputable offshore operators who have chosen to continue to service Australian players, and the risk is on them. Offshore operators who offer online gambling services to Aussies risk hefty fines and punishment, but there appears to be no legal risk presented to players.

The contradictory nature of the IGA

The contradictory terms laid out within the IGA and the IGA Amendment Bill, which set the parameters for interactive betting within Australia, are glaringly obvious. There is an allowance to offer online sports and lottery betting and a disallowance to offer online casino and poker betting – when all branch off the same tree, and no research suggests one form is more detrimental than the other.

In addition, the IGA exists to “protect players”, yet the government is perfectly happy to have real life casinos and pokie lounges operating 24/7 around all Australian cities, with lottery tickets and keno games available at news agencies, shopping centres and petrol stations – gambling venues the government reaps the tax benefits from.

Online vs offline gambling laws

Are There Casinos In Australia

Land based casinos, pubs and betting outlets operate legally throughout the country, providing strictly regulated spaces in which Australians can place real money bets in real life. Casino gambling in Australia functions under the Casino Control Act of 2006, adhering to strict guidelines regarding operation, permitting the legal gambling of table games like blackjack, roulette, baccarat, craps and poker. Licensed gaming venues like pubs and betting outlets like TAB also follow firm regulations to ensure legal delivery of games like pokies, keno, lotto and scratchies. Along with the Casino Control Act, each venue operates within the individual guidelines set for each state, which you can find below. Brick and mortar casinos like the famous Crown Casino, Star City, Sky City and Jupiters Casino are prime examples of legally run land based gambling venues.

As detailed in the IGA overview, online casinos must adhere to an entirely different set of gambling rules. Namely, they are completely banned from operating within Australia and overseas casino sites cannot advertise their services to Australian residents or provide “interactive gambling services to Australians unless the person holds a licence under the law of an Australian state or territory.” Because there is currently no regulatory body in Australia that specifically licenses and regulates online casinos (and no announced plans to create one), there is no online casino license to speak of in the country for the foreseeable future.

The problem with the outright banning of online casinos is the land-based casinos retain their monopoly and lack the motivation to employ the many innovations many of these sites have accomplished, such as a much greater variety of casino games on offer than typical casino floors, and easy access to variations that include European, American and French Roulette, Roulette Royale, Live Dealer Roulette, Multiplayer and Multi Wheel Roulette and more. They have also historically offered more lenient betting options and better odds, with more affordable minimum betting limitations (and large maximums for high stakes gamblers).

Thankfully, land based casinos in Australia are starting to recognise the benefits of virtual casino titles, with many brick and mortar casinos now offering electronic roulette and baccarat from within the walls of their venues.

Free Online Casino Australia

While Australians only have land-based casinos and roulette as an option for the time being, at least many of the online world’s strides forward are being used in licensed brick and mortar venues to some degree.

Future of online casino betting

Gambling has always been a heavily debated subject in our country, with many politicians objecting the operation of gambling systems like pokies and calling for nationwide bans of slot machines altogether. The government stance on gambling laws is heavily based around the promotion of responsible gambling, supporting the notion of gaming venues to partner with counselling services to assist punters with detrimental gambling problems. The Coalition currently supports a voluntary pre-commitment system for gaming machines like the pokies (setting maximum betting limits).

As far as online gambling goes, the government has made it clear the Liberal Party is absolutely all about tightening the laws in Australia to block Aussies from placing real money bets with foreign-run casinos. Overseas operators, even though they remain largely outside of the Australian Government’s scope of authority, have already felt the effects of the new Interactive Gambling Amendment Bill and have exited the Australian market completely to comply with the new laws. Don’t expect things to change any time soon – you’re stuck with limited choices when playing online now, or sticking with offline roulette if you’re within reach of a land based casino.

Gambling Bodies/Committees by Australian State

While keeping in line with national policies, gambling laws and regulations vary from state to state. For gambling rules specific to each state, please refer to the official gaming committee websites below:

Australian Capital Territory – Gambling and Racing Commission (www.gamblingandracing.act.gov.au)

New South Wales – Office of Liquor, Gaming and Racing – (www.olgr.nsw.gov.au)

Northern Territory – Licensing Commission – (www.dob.nt.gov.au/gambling-licensing)

Queensland – Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulation – (www.olgr.qld.gov.au)

South Australia – Independent Gambling Authority – (www.iga.sa.gov.au)

Tasmania – Tasmanian Liquor and Gaming Commission – (www.treasury.tas.gov.au)

Victoria – Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation – (www.vcglr.vic.gov.au)

Western Australia – Department of Racing, Gaming and Liquor – (www.rgl.wa.gov.au)

Other Important Links

Information regarding the 2001 Interactive Gambling Act and the Interactive Gambling Amendment Bill 2016 can be found at the Australian Government ComLaw website, with updated versions of the Act published upon review.

Gambling with a VPN has been the solution for many real money players who play at online casinos that are beyond their borders. Despite the fact that online casino gambling games like poker, blackjack and online pokie machines have been legalised in many places around the world, there are still those sites that some players can’t get through to.

This is especially true if you are in Australia as most online casino sites have been banned in the country. As such many players have chosen to gamble with a VPN. However, there is always that question that is at the back of our minds when gambling with a VPN. And that question is, “Is Gambling With A VPN Allowed in Australia?”

Today we will lock at gambling with a VPN and answer the most common question that surrounds that area.

Gambling With A VPN in Australia FAQs

What is a VPN?

VPN means a virtual private network. We know that the name may sound a bit dark and illegal, however, it basically offers online casino players the chance to gamble on a private network and reducing the fear of any cybercrime. When you gamble with a VPN, you reduce your chances of being attacked by cybercrime drastically. Players can also use the following measures to reduce their chances of being victims of cybercrimes as they play at online gambling sites.

1. Have long and detailed passwords
2. Updating old social network passwords<>
3. Avoid giving out information to dodgy websites
4. Using a VPN

What is the difference between a VPN and a normal internet connection?

Normally, when we connect to the web, we use our PC, smartphone or any other device that we want to use. This connection is very fast, however, it is not secure as it leaves breadcrumbs that can be easily traced back to you. With a VPN, you will be able to get that same connection through a server in a different country or different city. Moreover, with a VPN, it’s like you have another firewall over the firewall that you already have. A VPN means that you will be using a remote server and will be able to keep hackers away. This will then mean that your data will be able to stay safe and secure. As it will seem as if you are gambling with a VPN form where the server is located.

Why do real money gamblers use VPN’s?

The use of VPN’s started with big corporations as they wanted to protect their information from getting into the wrong hands over the network. And with time, everyone started doing the same. For gamblers, gambling with a VPN gives them access to an online casino and other gambling sites that may be banned by their country. As we mentioned earlier that Australia has a number of online casino gambling sites that are restricted from operating in the country. As such, gamblers may opt for gambling with a VPN when they want to access these sites.
The usage of VPN’s on online casino gambling and other online activities will differ from country to country. There are some countries like Belarus, China, North Korea, Oman and Russia that will prohibit the usage of VPN’s. One of the main reasons why some countries prohibit the usage of VPN’s is to avoid any stalking online and any terrorist activities. Such that in most cases, it has more to do with national security that it does with online casinos and real money online gambling sites. There are also some counties that have censorship laws that affect internet usage. At the same time, there some countries like Australia and the USA that do not mind the use of VPN’s for accessing online sites. To answer the question, yes it allowed to VPN in Australia.

Can I gamble legally with a VPN in Australia?

The usage of VPN’s in Australia is allowed, as such, real money online gamblers are allowed to use VPN to gamble in Australia. However, there are some sites like PokerStars, that specifically tell players from Australia that gambling with a VPN on the site is not allowed Therefore, despite the fact that gambling with a VPN in Australia may be allowed, you will also need to check of at site permits the usage of VPN’s.

Will I be arrested for illegally using a VPN to gamble on a site?

The quick answer is no, you will not be arrested for illegal gambling with a VPN on a site. However, the site will make sure to kick off it to avoid it ever happening again. In most cases, if the nation catches you may be asked to pay a fine. But this will also depend on the jurisdiction.

Why gamble with a VPN?

With the usage of a VPN, you can easily access some of the best real money online casinos on the web. And this means that you can also get some amazing online casino offers as well. Which all adds up to the chances of you walking away with huge real money rewards.

Conclusion

Gambling with a VPN is a great way to stay safe as you enjoy your online casino and other gambling games. The great part is that is allowed in Australia and as such you can access great real money sites by gambling with a VPN. However, you need to check if that site allows you to gamble with a VPN before you try and play there. Other than that, gambling with a VPN gives you access to great real money sites as well as amazing real money rewards as well.