Aussie Casino Chronicles: Exploring the Pioneers and Pitfalls of Australian Gambling Legislation

If you live in Australia, you might have heard of the Interactive Gambling Act. This was created to provide a framework of rules for all those who provide gambling services in the country. It was developed in 2001, with changes made in 2017 and 2019.

Before betting online, it's important to figure out whether you're legally allowed to do so if you live anywhere in Australia. We provide more details below, although if you're an Aussie resident, we encourage you to check whether there are any further alterations that have been made since this article was written.

Can you play at an online casino of your choice?

The Act outlawed online casinos when it was created. Changes made in 2017 further sought to outlaw those who were offshore but still wanted to provide their services to those living in Australia.

Targeting the providers and not the customers

Here's a piece of better news though. According to the Australasian Gaming Council, the law targets those who provide the services instead of those who use them.

That said, we encourage you to check where you stand in your Australian territory according to current regulations prior to signing up at any casino. We would also suggest that if you do join a casino, you should keep your deposits at a minimum to make sure you don't lose anything should the casino cease to operate without notice.

If you do play, it will be at an offshore site focusing on Aussie players

That's how things stand just now. There is nothing to say you can't withdraw anything won either if you're based in Australia. Again, though, things could change, hence why we remind you to be clear on the rules whenever you're all set to sign up to an offshore casino.

There are plenty of people in Australia who do enjoy gambling online, and for some, that does involve using a casino. Be aware that individual states or territories might make their own alterations or rules concerning online casino play too. While the Act mentioned above covers the whole country, this may not apply if changes occur in other areas in future.