Australians are really into gambling, with most of its legal population spending more than any other country in the world. If you are one of the many Aussies looking for online casinos or sports betting sites in Australia, here are some things that you need to know.

Is Gambling Legal in Australia?

According to the IGA, online gambling services are prohibited from advertising and offering their services to Australian residents, and the operator is licensed by a regulatory authority in the country’s jurisdiction.

Online sports betting, wagering, and lotteries are regulated, while online casino gaming, poker, and other gaming services are banned in Australia.

In January 2019, a law came into effect, making lottery betting an illegal gambling activity in the country.

Licensed operators are able to provide remote or online gambling services on both web platforms and mobile devices, but offshore operators face severe restrictions if they accept players from Australia.

As such, there are very few options when it comes to Australian online casinos. Even though the legislation is rather ambiguous, the good thing is that Aussie players that engage in online gambling don’t have to face any sanctions, only the operator has to take responsibility if he offered the service illegally.

The most significant disadvantage for Australian users is that if they decide to play on an offshore casino site, they will not be protected by the local law and can fall prey to online scams or frauds. Because of this, Aussie players are recommended to stick to online gambling sites that are registered and licensed by the Australian government.

While sports betting is still legal, all bets have to be made before the sporting event begins, meaning that in-play betting is not allowed.

Online lottery sites are also legal to play if they do not have instant-win scratch cards or casino games. Playing bingo games online is also allowed by the Australian government.

Supported Payment Options

The few online gambling sites that operate in Australia allow players to make deposits with pretty much any type of payment method. There are no restrictions enforced by the IGA when it comes to banks, and Australians can also fund their gambling accounts via convenient methods, such as credit or debit cards.

Crediting times are usually fast, as most Australian banks permit the processing of such transactions. For those who don’t want to have their personal banking information linked to an online gambling site, they also have the option of using e-payment solutions, such as Skrill and Neteller, which keep banking information on their servers, and then transfer from the e-wallet balance money back and forth to the casino account.

E-wallets are the easiest and fastest way of depositing money into a casino account and withdrawing your payouts without having to attach your banking information.

If you want to gamble online in Australia, you have to make sure that the site is legally allowed to operate in your state of residency, and also check if the website has a security certificate that proves it is encrypted.