Here, we rank and review the best Australian online casinos for real money. We also cover the legal aspects of gambling online for real money in Australia.
Australia has a large population of people who simply love to gamble. They do not mind how they go about it, either. Most Australian gambling tends to take place in land-based venues, and the primary reason for this is that there are not really any online casinos for players to sign up to in Australia; at least, not any officially licensed ones. Make no mistake about it, though; Australians do gamble online. How do they go about doing that, and where are the best Australian online casinos to play at? We will cover both of those at length in this article.
Top 3 Online Casinos for Aussies in 2024
When we refer to Australian online casinos, we are almost always referring to offshore casino sites, otherwise known as foreign sites. These domains are often licensed out of the United Kingdom, Gibraltar, Malta, or other reputable jurisdictions.
Many of these domains will cater to Australian players by offering the AUD (Australian dollar) currency option, and by providing customer support and assistance which works well for Australians. On top of that, they may also provide Aussies with payment methods that suit their needs.
Australia’s Interactive Gambling Act of 2001 and its subsequent amendments have made it clear that the country aims to hunt down those foreign operators who provide services to Aussies. However, there are no punishments in place for Australians who wish to bet at these offshore casinos. With that in mind, many Australians choose to do so. Moreover, Australians do not need to pay tax on any winnings they snap up.
Why Play at an Australian Online Casino?
There can be any number of reasons why an Australian online casino might tick your boxes. For one thing, playing online is a lot easier than leaving your home and going to one of the big cities to wager on casino games. It is considerably cheaper, too. Here are a few of the other perks of playing at Australian online casino.
- Your Pick of Top Casinos: As Australians can seemingly sign up and play at any leading online casino they wish; they are considerably lucky. Any site which is decently licensed, carries great games and accepts Aussie players could potentially be a hit. However, you should keep in mind that as you have so many different possibilities to choose from, there is no excuse for opting to play at a poor, unlicensed and unregulated casino.
- No Punishments or Problems: As mentioned, Australian’s gambling authorities realise that punishing their own players would be futile. So, too, would be trying to block access to all the world’s offshore casinos. Instead, Australia seeks to dissuade foreign operators from offering games to Aussies at all. They do this by hunting down those operators and slapping them with significant fines. Naturally, this means that you are free to do as you wish, with no consequences. Moreover, you will not have to pay tax when betting, either.
- Great Games from Top Providers: Some of the world’s most renowned casino software providers (such as Aristocrat) hail from the Oceanic country. These games are widespread in land-based venues, but seldom spring up at Australian online casinos. You need not worry, though, as you can often find a plethora of titles from over 10-20 leading providers at many leading Australian casino domains.
- Support and Assistance: Australians have access to some of the best customer support options around at online casinos. Whatever you issue, there is always an English language assistance option available. In most cases, you can obtain this help for free via live chat, e-mail, and telephone. Social media, WhatsApp, Skype, and call-back services, as well as FAQs, may also be accessible at casinos down under.
- Generous Casino Bonuses: Australian online casinos are known for their overly generous welcome bonuses and promotions. This is excellent news if you are just starting out at online casinos. A tidy welcome bonus can often span several deposits, and if it has fair terms and conditions attached, will ensure that you are suited and booted with ample funds to help get you started.
Finding the Best Australian Online Casinos
As mentioned, a moment ago, having so many different online casinos to choose from be a blessing. However, if you are not careful and if you do not pick a top site, it can be something of a curse. To ensure that you do not end up at a dud site, we recommend that you only play at Australian casinos which offer the following features:
- Safe, Licensed and Secure: You are going to want to play at an Australian online casino which is licensed and regulated. Some of the most regulated and well-licensed sites in the world come from the United Kingdom, Malta, and Gibraltar. You cannot really go wrong if you opt to play at domains licensed out of these jurisdictions.
- Aussie Dollars: Why makes things complicated by depositing in US dollars? Most of the best Australian online casinos regularly accept the Australian dollar currency option. A handful of them have started accepting Bitcoins and other cryptocurrencies, too, if that is something you might want to consider looking at?
- Pokies in All Shapes and Sizes: There are many types of pokies out there, and unless you know exactly what you want to play, it is good to have variety. Look for casinos which carry hundreds of games from several different providers, including a few progressive jackpots. This will ensure that your chosen Australian casino can always offer you something new to play.
- Gaming on the Go and Live Action: Just because you are playing at an offshore casino from within Australia does not mean that you should not experience the latest that internet gambling has to offer. Most of the top casinos can deliver live dealer casino games and mobile casino gaming to Australian players now, and that is something you should look for if it interests you.
- Several Games, One Roof: As mentioned, Australians love to bet on sports. Why open two accounts, one at a foreign casino and another at an Australian sportsbook? It is far easier to find a top offshore casino site which offers both with a single account. Many of the big UK and Maltese licensed casino domains that accept Aussies can provide such a service.
Australia Gambling Laws
Gambling in Australia has long been popular. Betting has been in place in the continent since as part back as the early 1800s. However, much of Australia’s early gambling history was associated with betting on horse races and then lotteries. Pokies (known to some as slots) would come along in the 1950s. Gambling has always been legal in licensed land-based arcades, pubs, and casinos. Australia’s gambling laws, as efficient as they were, did not really have online gambling in mind when they were written, though. As a result, the Interactive Gambling Act was introduced in 2001.
This law made it clear that while online lotteries and sports betting would be permitted in the country, casinos, bingo, and poker games would not be accepted. The gambling laws in Australia have been amended several times (most recently in September 2017) with the ACMA ensuring that Australian operators behave within the rules of the Gambling Act.
Of course, this means that there is not really any such thing as a true Australian casino site. However, Aussies need not worry. While Australian casinos may not be permitted to set up shop inside the country, there is a variety of them waiting offshore for you to sign up and play at.
Australian Online Gaming FAQs
Before you get started at Australian online casinos, have a quick look at this FAQ to make sure you do not have any questions left unanswered.
- How do I pick the best Australian online casino?
If you want to find a top site for yourself, you can use the criteria and advice listed above to do that. Alternatively, we recommend looking at some of the Australian online casinos listed at this site. All are guaranteed to check most (if not all) of the boxes we discussed a few moments ago.
- Is it illegal for me to play at an online casino in Australia?
Yes, but do not worry, there are no punishments. Australia is only interested in punishing the operators of offshore casinos. There is absolutely no punishment for Aussies who wish to wager online at foreign sites, so you can do so as you see fit without any reprisals whatsoever.
- How old do I have to be to gamble in Australia?
Australia has set its legal gambling age to 18 years of age. It is worth considering that when you play at a few offshore casinos (such as those catering to US players), the age limit may rise to 21. There are plenty of top Aussie casinos you can join and play at when you are 18 or older, though.
- Can I trust offshore casinos?
The question of trusting online casinos can only be answered depending on where you play. There are good offshore casinos and bad ones. If you play at one of the licensed and regulated domains as recommended, you are good to go. They are perfectly safe.
- What deposit/withdrawal methods can I use at Australian casinos?
Australians typically use the deposit and withdrawal methods found at most online casinos. This means that VISA, MasterCard, Neteller, Skrill and EcoPayz are popular. However, POLi is a payment method which is gaining increasing popularity amongst Australian online casino players.
- Can I claim bonuses at Australian casinos?
Yes. In fact, some of the best online casino bonuses around can be claimed at Australian casinos. It is no uncommon to find top welcome bonuses spanning several deposits, free spin, and no deposit deals, as well as loyalty offers at top Aussie sites. You may also come across calendar-based promotions and exclusive offers, to boot.