Comprehensive Overview of Gambling and Betting in Australia for the Year 2025
In the rapidly evolving landscape of online gambling, Australia stands as a unique case with its comprehensive regulations. The Interactive Gambling Act 2001 (IGA) serves as the cornerstone of these regulations, prohibiting the offering of certain online gambling services, such as online casinos and poker, to Australian residents from within the country. However, sports betting and lotteries operated by licensed providers are legal domestically [2][3].
Despite these restrictions, many Australians access offshore online gambling sites, which are licensed and regulated by reputable foreign authorities like the Malta Gaming Authority or Curacao eGaming. These offshore sites, when properly regulated, are considered safer [2][3][4]. Australian regulators generally do not pursue individual players, but they do actively work to block illegal offshore gambling sites accessed via Australian internet service providers to enforce the IGA [5].
To ensure compliance and responsible gambling, licensees (mainly offshore operators targeting Australians) must adhere to stringent Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Know Your Customer (KYC) regulations. These include player identity verification, ongoing due diligence, and enhanced scrutiny in cases of suspicious behaviour or problem gambling, aligning with international standards and FATF recommendations [1].
Each state and territory in Australia independently regulates gambling, gaming, and betting activities within their jurisdictions. For instance, Victoria's regulations include the Casino (Management Agreement) Act 1993 (Vic), Casino Control Act 1991 (Vic), and Gambling Regulation Act 2003 (Vic). Western Australia's regulations include the Betting Control Act 1954 (WA), Casino (Burswood Island) Agreement Act 1985 (WA), Casino Control Act 1984 (WA), Racing and Wagering Western Australia Act 2003 (WA), Racing Bets Levy Act 2009 (WA), Gaming and Wagering Commission Act 1987. Similarly, the Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, and Victoria each have their unique set of regulations [1].
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) oversees advertising compliance and addresses illegal offshore gambling, while licensing responsibilities remain with state and territory regulators. Operators wishing to offer services to customers in Australia must have a legal entity in Australia, obtain the relevant licenses and authorizations from the regulators, and comply with local state/territory laws, principles of protection of minors and vulnerable persons, principles regarding the content of promotional material, and locations where they can be displayed [1].
The federal Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Act 2006 is applicable to all territories, and all casinos, betting and gaming companies in Australia must comply with the country's AML laws. The Australian government launched BetStop, the National Self-Exclusion Register, to protect vulnerable individuals from online gambling [6].
However, despite these regulations, gambling remains a significant public concern in Australia. The social costs of gambling have been estimated at around $7 billion in Victoria alone, with 184 suicides connected to gambling in Victoria alone [7]. There have been increasing calls for a ban on or stricter restrictions for gambling ads, and the implementation of cashless gambling cards with preset limits [8].
References:
- The Conversation
- Australian Broadcasting Corporation
- The Guardian
- 9News
- The Sydney Morning Herald
- The Australian
- Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation
- The Australian Financial Review
- Offshore online gambling sites, particularly those licensed and regulated by entities such as the Malta Gaming Authority or Curacao eGaming, offer casino-games and sports-betting to Australians while adhering to rigorous Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Know Your Customer (KYC) regulations.
- Beyond the prohibition of certain online gambling services within the country, Australia's domestic laws allow legal sports betting and lotteries operated by licensed providers.
- In the ongoing debate about responsible gambling in Australia, increasing calls have been made for stricter regulations, such as cashless gambling cards with preset limits, to combat the social costs associated with gambling, including estimated expenses of around $7 billion in Victoria alone and 184 suicide cases linked to gambling in Victoria.
