Online Casinos in Australia

Online gambling in Australia is a major industry within the Commonwealth. Oceania, a geographical area that also includes New Zealand, is one of top online bookmaker the world's largest gambling markets.

Australians

They are very proud of their cultural heritage, which includes a long history of horse racing and various forms of bookmaker free play betting. There are few countries that can claim their biggest holiday of the year revolves around gambling, except for Australians and the Melbourne Cup.

How popular are online casinos in Australia?

According to the Australian gambling regulatory agency, at least four out of five Australians legally placed a bet at least once in 2011. Recent years have shown similar figures. The results of a study indicate that the Australian gambling industry is worth over twenty billion dollars a year. This figure includes all online and land-based gambling activities, including lotteries.

Is Online Gambling Legal?

Yes, online gambling for customers in Australia is legal.

Gambling is a tradition in Australia since the country stabilized. It did not achieve major success in the Commonwealth until the late 1990s. Around the year 2000, the capital first heard the initial protests against gambling, and it was clear that the Australian government was concerned about the industry.

Within a year…

…the federal government organized hearings on web gambling, presumably in response to public concerns about how this industry affects citizens.

The wave of gambling opposition in Australia lasted only a short time…

The only act introduced during this short period was the Gambling Act of 2001, known as the IGA. This new law enforced similar provisions to what the U.S. Government did when it enacted the UIGEA. The law did not make online gambling illegal for customers, instead, it focused on gambling providers.

The IGA made it a criminal offense for:

"...anyone to offer interactive gambling services to customers physically present in Australia."

Gambling providers found violating this law could face fines up to 1.1 million dollars per day of illegal operation.

However

Like the U.S.-oriented providers who found ways around UIGEA's bans to handle payments, Australian gamblers can also avoid the IGA.

Specifically, modern supplementary services in the online payment processing industry, such as Neosurf and e-wallets, allow players to freely and securely transact with the casino operators of their choice. These activities continue to protect the best interests of the players, while helping the online gambling platforms in Australia operate optimally.

Popular Gambling Games

Australians love casino gambling games, especially pokies. "Pokie" is slang for "poker machine," an Australian term used to refer to slot machines. Australians love slot machines even more than Americans, spending billions of dollars on this game each year.

In fact…

…betting on pokies represents the largest share of gambling revenue in the entire industry, betting site aus tend to host a game library similar to any Western gaming venue. Popular table games include baccarat, craps, and blackjack, along with several games popular in Asia such as Sic Bo and Pai Gow, which are more popular in Oceania than in America or Europe.

Lotteries are very popular across Australia. The government was one of the first entities to establish a lottery system in the early 1920s. Initially operated by small government funds, lotteries later became major private-run games of chance. The two largest national lottery games are Oz Lotto and Powerball.

Keno is a big-money game in Australia. You can compare its popularity to that of bingo in the U.S. This game is very popular; Australian cities have many keno halls, and independent businesses provide keno games and a few slot machines.

Bingo is cherished

Federal law allows both charitable bingo games and bingo games and tournaments run by territorial governments. They are often held in keno halls or large bingo venues. You will often find bingo games, both live and electronic, at Australian casinos.

Sports Betting

Betting on sporting events is also notable. Most states have clear laws stating that sports betting is completely legal. The hubs of sports betting activities across the country are probably in the states of Victoria and New South Wales. In these two states, there are over 3,000 betting booths and shops. It is also rare to find a casino in any state of Australia without at least a small sports betting booth.

Pari-mutuel betting is a cultural tradition of Australians. At least since the mid-19th century, betting on races has become a familiar part of Australian society. A government agency, the Australian Racing Commission, oversees parimutuel bets. You will find countless race track betting facilities across the country, and each sports betting shop also offers a number of simulcast betting options. Once again, Victoria and New South Wales are the focal points for race track betting across the nation.

Poker

This card game is becoming a national pastime for Australians. Australia is home to the Asia Pacific Poker Tour. Which poker player doesn't dream of playing in the Aussie Millions? Given Australia's generally liberal attitude towards gambling, it's no surprise to see live poker games in local pubs. Sometimes these are friendly games, but playing for money is also very popular.

Is there anything notable about Australia's list of popular games?

Almost every gambling game found in the rest of the world is available to Australians. They do have a couple of more unique options like Sic Bo and Pai Gow that aren't as common in American or European venues. Australian gambling offerings also include unusual bets and frequent lottery games.