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Main » Betting Guide » Is Online Gambling Legal in Australia?

Is Online Gambling Legal in Australia?

Publish Date: 26/05/2020
Fact checked by: Noah Ezra

Although Australia is a sports-mad country, there are still many fans out there who are asking ‘Is online gambling legal in Australia?’. So we are going to put the central question of ‘Is betting legal in Australia?’ under the microscope. This will hopefully put the matter to rest once and for all, and it should help you enjoy making some perfectly legal winnings from the best betting sites in Australia.

Australia has had a fairly complex relationship with betting, and so it’s no surprise to find that the question of ‘Is online gambling legal in Australia?’ just won’t go away. You’ll probably know that online casino sites are banned in the nation, and so it seems fairly natural to ask the question ‘Is betting legal in Australia?’ before you put down your sports bets.

But as part of our online betting guide for Australia, we’ll give you the truth about legal betting in our country. Just as we’ll tell you a straight answer to questions like ‘how does cash out betting work?’ and ‘what is Asian handicap betting?’, we’ll finally put to bed the question of ‘Is online gambling legal in Australia?’.

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If you were to ask ‘Is online gambling legal in Australia?’, the answer would be inconclusive, as it would depend on what kind of gambling you were referring to. For example, online casino gaming is banned in Australia, whereas it’s perfectly legal to bet on sports online.

As a result, the question should be rephrased as ‘Is betting legal in Australia?’. In this case we can give you a resounding yes. This is because you can bet on sports at a bookmaker’s shop, online, or anywhere else you choose.

It doesn’t matter whether you are betting on the horses at Sandown Racecourse, or are betting on NRL rugby at a betting exchange in Australia, as the simple fact is that sports betting is legal across the nation. This means that you should definitely make sure that you know the answer to important questions like ‘what is 1×2 betting?’ as you can legally enjoy sports bets on anything from Test match cricket to A-League soccer in our country.

Ever since the Interactive Gambling Act of 2001 came into force it was hoped to put an end to the question of ‘Is online gambling legal in Australia?’. However, despite a number of revisions to the Interactive Gambling Act, there remain a few areas surrounding sports betting that are confusing, and we’ll hope to resolve these issues below.

One of the most confusing matters when it comes to sports betting in Australia are the legalities surrounding live betting. The Interactive Gambling Act of 2001 prohibits what it calls ‘interactive gambling’ which commonly means online casino games like slots, roulette and blackjack.

But the legislation also includes live sports betting as an act of ‘interactive gambling’. This means that you cannot use a computer or mobile to bet live on sports. This is a big let down as punters in other countries can happily bet live on anything from tennis to cricket after the sporting event has kicked off.

Despite this, anybody who knows how bookmakers make money will know that betting sites can get around these technicalities in perfectly legal ways. As a result, we’ve seen a number of Australian betting sites that feature in-play betting, but you have to use the telephone to put down your live bets.

As time is of the essence when it comes to in-play betting, it’s easy to see how telephone-based live betting might not quite be the perfect solution. But we hope that the Interactive Gambling Act will be updated to reflect the public’s hunger for live betting. After all, you can now enjoy legal bets at the best bookmakers with Bitcoins in Australia, so it’s only fair that we should be allowed to try in-play betting on our favourite sports in the near future.

Sports betting bonuses are great fun, but they’re also subject to all manner of complicated terms and conditions. This is definitely the case in Australia, and matters get even more complex thanks to the Gambling and Betting Advertising Act.

This piece of legislation basically means that bookmakers are effectively banned from advertising any welcome bonuses, free bets, or any promotion that’s designed to boost your sports betting profits.

However, just because you won’t see welcome bonuses advertised doesn’t mean that Australia’s bookmakers don’t have some awesome sports betting promotions. This is because the majority of betting sites in the country have all manner of bonuses that will become available after you have signed up to their sites.

Unless you register an account at a bookmaker in Australia, you’ll probably see that they have blank promotions pages on their websites. But as soon as you sign up, you’ll find anything from deposit bonuses to enhanced odds deals waiting for you.

However, there are still limitations over how you can get these deals. Sometimes the best betting sites with Neteller in Australia, or the best betting sites with Skrill in Australia will stop you from claiming deposit bonuses if you make opening deposits with these ewallets. Plus if you are intent on using the best strategy for no risk matched betting Australia has to offer, you’ll probably be blocked from picking up any free bet deals.

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If figuring out how betting odds are calculated wasn’t problematic enough, we’re sad to report that each Australian state tends to have its own legislation regarding the legality of online sports betting.

Thankfully, things are harmonising across the nation as all of the different states and territories start to harness the potential of sports betting. You’ll commonly see sports betting sites with licenses from the Northern Territory government, but everywhere from South Australia to New South Wales can have their own requirements as to what they expect from bookmakers and punters.

This shouldn’t affect how you go about your sports bets. But if you are looking at which bookmaker is the best for beginners, you should definitely factor in how different states and territories stand in regards to the online sports betting phenomenon.

Why you need to stick with licensed betting sites

While Australia’s legislation regarding sports betting might seem severe, it’s important to remember that the laws are in place to keep you safe. After all, there are numerous rogue sports betting sites out there, and the current laws will help you avoid using such bookmakers.

It’s another reminder as to why you should only sign up to bookmaker sites who display a current license from one of the nation’s online gambling authorities. You can usually see a bookmaker’s licensing in the footer of their websites, and it’s always wise to avoid any sports betting site that fails to provide any evidence of official licensing or regulation.

It almost goes without saying that you should only sign up to sports betting sites that have a license from an organisation like the Northern Territories government. But just in case you need reminding, here are some of the main reasons as to why you should never use an unlicensed sports betting site.

Guarantees over how your deposits are handled

Betting on sport means giving the bookmaker access to your real money deposits. By making a deposit at an unlicensed betting site, you’ll never really know how they store your money or sensitive financial information. In addition to this, many unlicensed bookmakers have scored very badly when it comes to paying out customers’ winnings in an efficient and satisfactory manner.

But by signing up to a licensed Australian bookmaker, you’ll gain access to recognised payment providers who can help you make safe and secure deposits and withdrawals. We’ll help you find the best betting sites with bank transfer in Australia and the best betting sites with credit card in Australia so that you can get the highest levels of protection for your deposits.

In addition to this, we can point out the best betting sites with PayPal in Australia, as well as the best betting sites with EcoPayz in Australia, so that you can take advantage of the convenience and security that these ewallets provide.

Information provided about each bookmaker’s privacy policy

Your own personal information will be in safe hands when you sign up to a licensed bookmaker. This is because each legitimate betting site will have a privacy policy in place that illustrates how a bookmaker stores your personal data, and what lengths they will go to to encrypt any information regarding your name, email address, age and so on.

A licensed betting site will also give you peace of mind should something go wrong with your sports bets. We can provide you with the best resource for making bookmaker complaints Australia has to offer, so that you can get help with anything from a betting site that refuses to pay out, to a sports bet that you feel has been unfairly treated. All of which shows how important it is to sign up to licensed Australian bookmakers.

FAQs

🤔 Why should I stick with licensed bookmakers?

Sticking with licensed bookmakers is first, for your safety. By signing up to a licensed Australian bookmaker, you’ll gain access to recognised payment providers who can help you make safe and secure deposits and withdrawals. In order to provide you with the best possible protection for your money, we will help you find the best betting sites with bank transfer in Australia and the best betting sites with credit card in Australia  through our opinion in these guides.

🤑 Can I bet on unlicensed bookmakers and still win?

Giving the bookmaker access to your real money deposits is a requirement of placing sports bets. And you won’t be able to tell how an unregulated betting site handles your money or private financial information if you put money there. Furthermore, a great deal of unlicensed bookies have performed terribly when it comes to promptly and satisfactorily disbursing their clients’ profits.

It is legal to bet in Australia. But in contrast to this, there would be no definitive response if you had asked, “Is online gambling legal in Australia?” Because this will vary according to the type of gaming you were asking for. For example, while online casinos are prohibited in Australia, online sports betting is entirely acceptable. 

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