Australian gambling laws split betting into two very different categories. Sports betting and racing wagering are legal and widely available through licensed bookmakers. Online casino games, including pokies, blackjack, and roulette, are banned outright under federal law.
That split confuses plenty of players, especially with offshore online casinos still reachable from Australian devices. This guide breaks down what the Interactive Gambling Act 2001 actually says, what each state controls separately, and what’s about to change under the gambling reforms taking effect in 2027.
Is Online Gambling Legal in Australia?
Real-money sports betting and racing wagering are legal in Australia, provided you use an operator licensed in an Australian state or territory.
Online casino games are not. The Interactive Gambling Act 2001 makes it illegal for any operator, Australian or offshore, to offer pokies, blackjack, roulette, baccarat, craps, or online poker for real money to anyone physically in Australia.
Lotteries, keno, and instant scratch tickets sit in their own category. State and territory governments regulate these directly, and most allow online purchase through licensed lottery operators.
The Interactive Gambling Act 2001: What the Law Actually Bans
The Interactive Gambling Act 2001 (IGA) is the federal law behind nearly every online gambling restriction in Australia. The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) administers it.
The Act prohibits a defined list of services from being offered to anyone in Australia: online casino-style games (pokies, roulette, blackjack, baccarat, craps) and online poker. This applies whether the operator sits in Sydney or in Curaçao.
One detail gets missed often. The IGA targets providers, not players. Operating an unlicensed online casino aimed at Australians carries real penalties, currently up to $360,000 per day for individuals and $1.8 million per day for companies, and ACMA can pursue website-blocking action against offshore platforms. Placing a bet as a customer isn’t the offense the law was built to punish.
Part 7A of the Act also bans advertising for these prohibited services across Australian media: print, broadcast, and online. Two amendments have reshaped the law since it passed. A 2017 update closed the in-play betting loophole, and a 2023 update banned credit cards and digital currency for online wagering.
A separate anti-money laundering law adds another layer. Gambling operators have to register with AUSTRAC and run compliance programs under the AML/CTF Act, and enforcement here is real money, not a formality. Crown Resorts alone has faced AUSTRAC fines reported at roughly $450 million, on top of state inquiries in NSW, Victoria, and Western Australia that found the company unsuitable to hold a casino license before it worked its way back into compliance.
What You Can Legally Bet On
You can legally place real-money bets on:
- Sports and racing, through a bookmaker licensed in an Australian state or territory, placed before the event starts
- Lotteries, keno, and instant scratch tickets, through state-licensed lottery operators
- Pokies, blackjack, roulette, and other casino games, but only at a licensed land-based casino
In-play betting, placing a wager once a sporting event has already started, has been illegal since the 2017 amendment closed that loophole. Pre-game betting remains the only legal form of online sports wagering.
What’s Banned for Real Money Online
Online casino games and online poker for real money are banned outright, regardless of where the operator is based. Offshore sites accepting Australian players are operating in breach of the IGA, even though enforcement falls on the operator rather than the player.
Free-play and social versions of poker, bingo, and pokies sit outside the Act entirely, since no real money changes hands. Plenty of apps offer this format legally.
Legal Gambling Age in Australia
The minimum gambling age is 18 nationwide, with no exceptions by state or by gambling type. That covers casino floors, pokies, sports and racing bets, lotteries, and online wagering accounts alike.
Operators check photo ID (driver’s license, passport, or a proof-of-age card) before letting anyone gamble, online or in person. For the full breakdown of ID requirements and what happens if a venue gets it wrong, see our legal gambling age guide.
Who Regulates Gambling in Each State
Online wagering sits under the federal IGA, but licensing for casinos, pokies, and betting operators happens state by state. Each jurisdiction runs its own regulator:
- NSW: Liquor & Gaming NSW (L&GNSW) and the Independent Liquor & Gaming Authority (ILGA)
- Victoria: Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission (VGCCC)
- Queensland: Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulation (OLGR)
- Western Australia: Department of Racing, Gaming and Liquor
- South Australia: Consumer and Business Services (CBS)
- Tasmania: Tasmanian Liquor and Gaming Commission
- Northern Territory: NT Racing and Wagering Commission and Licensing NT
- ACT: Gambling and Racing Commission
These bodies handle licensing and compliance for venues and bookmakers in their own jurisdiction. ACMA stays in its lane federally, focused on the IGA and online gambling specifically.
Gambling Laws by State and Territory
Land-based gambling sits under state and territory law, and each jurisdiction runs its own casino licensing, poker machine caps, and venue rules. Australia runs close to 185,000 electronic gaming machines nationwide, and almost half of them sit in New South Wales alone.
| State / Territory | Licensed Casino(s) | Approx. Gaming Machines | Worth Knowing |
| New South Wales | The Star Sydney, Crown Sydney | ~89,000 (about 48% of the national total) | Machines also run widely through pubs and clubs |
| Queensland | The Star Brisbane, The Star Gold Coast, The Reef (Cairns), The Ville Resort-Casino (Townsville) | ~50,000 | Treasury Casino closed in 2024; The Star Brisbane took over the license |
| Victoria | Crown Melbourne | ~30,000 | Also home to Calcutta sweepstakes and racing carnival betting |
| Western Australia | Crown Perth | Confined entirely to the casino | The only state with no pub or club pokies at all |
| South Australia | Adelaide Casino | ~13,100 | Adelaide is the state’s only major gambling hub |
| Tasmania | Wrest Point, Country Club | ~3,680 | Machines limited to casinos, pubs, and clubs only |
| Northern Territory | SkyCity Darwin, Lasseters Alice Springs | ~2,200 | Smallest gambling footprint of any mainland jurisdiction |
| ACT | Casino Canberra | ~5,200 (clubs and hotels) | Casino Canberra itself isn’t licensed for gaming machines |
Read the full breakdown for:
How Much Do Australians Actually Spend on Gambling?
The most recent Australian Gambling Statistics report (40th edition, covering 2023/24) puts national gambling expenditure at $1,521 per adult per year, slightly down from $1,570 a decade earlier.
Spending varies sharply by state. New South Wales sits highest overall at $2,007 per adult, driven mostly by poker machines rather than wagering. Western Australia spends the least overall but puts the largest share of that spend into sports and racing wagering, at 41.6% of its total.
| State / Territory | Overall Spend / Adult | Wagering Spend / Adult | Wagering Share |
| NSW | $2,007 | $435 | 21.7% |
| VIC | $1,357 | $462 | 34.0% |
| QLD | $1,518 | $351 | 23.1% |
| SA | $1,200 | $281 | 23.4% |
| WA | $896 | $373 | 41.6% |
| TAS | $888 | $227 | 25.6% |
| ACT | $1,046 | $266 | 25.5% |
| NT | $1,871 | $301 | 16.1% |
Source: Australian Gambling Statistics, 40th edition (Queensland Government Statistician’s Office).
Recreational players don’t pay tax on gambling winnings in Australia. The Australian Taxation Office treats winnings as the result of luck rather than assessable income, so the tax burden sits with operators instead, through state-based wagering and gaming taxes that vary by jurisdiction and product. Read more on how that works on our gambling taxes page.
What’s Changing in 2026 and 2027
Australian gambling law is mid-reform right now. The federal government released its formal response to the Murphy Report inquiry into online gambling harm on 12 May 2026, and several changes are already locked in.
A ban on celebrity-fronted gambling advertising and a restriction limiting online gambling ads to logged-in users aged 18 and over both start in 2027. The credit card and digital currency ban introduced in June 2024 goes through a mandatory review from June 2026. A broader legislative reform package for the Interactive Gambling Act itself is planned to begin on 1 January 2027.
The government also committed $112.7 million over five years from 2025/26 toward harm reduction, including expanded funding for BetStop promotion following a statutory review that found the self-exclusion register is meeting its goals.
Getting Help
BetStop, the National Self-Exclusion Register, lets you block yourself from licensed Australian wagering services for a set period. Gambling Help Online runs a free, confidential service for anyone affected by gambling harm, including family members.
Our responsible gambling page covers self-exclusion tools and safer-play practices in more depth, and our gambling addiction guide is there if you or someone you know needs support.
FAQs: Australian Gambling Laws
Is online gambling illegal in Australia?
Online casino games and online poker for real money are illegal for any operator to offer Australian residents, including offshore sites. Online sports betting and racing wagering are legal through a licensed Australian bookmaker, placed before the event starts.
Can Australians get in trouble for using an offshore online casino?
The Interactive Gambling Act 2001 targets operators, not players. Offshore casinos accepting Australian customers are breaking the law, but enforcement action goes after the platform rather than the person placing the bet.
Is live betting legal in Australia?
No. In-play betting, placing a wager after a sporting event has started, has been illegal since a 2017 amendment to the Interactive Gambling Act closed that loophole. Only pre-game betting is legal online.
Do you pay tax on gambling winnings in Australia?
Recreational gamblers don’t pay tax on winnings. The Australian Taxation Office treats gambling winnings as the result of luck rather than assessable income. Operators carry the tax obligation instead.
Which Australian states allow real-money casino games online?
None. Every state and territory restricts real-money casino games like pokies, roulette, and blackjack to licensed land-based casinos. Online versions for real money aren’t legal anywhere in Australia.
Is the legal gambling age the same in every state?
Yes. The minimum gambling age is 18 across every Australian state and territory, for every form of gambling including online wagering accounts.
What’s changing under the 2026 and 2027 gambling reforms?
A ban on celebrity gambling ads and restrictions limiting online gambling ads to logged-in users 18 and over start in 2027, alongside a broader legislative update to the Interactive Gambling Act planned for 1 January 2027.
This guide will get an update once the 2027 legislative changes are finalized
