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Gambling Laws and Regulations Report 2026 Australia

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At a federal level and in relation to anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing compliance, a large Australian gambling company paid a civil penalty of AUS $45 million to AUSTRAC in relation to admitted breaches of the AML/CTF Act. The NSW regulator has issued over AUS $1.1 million in fines for illegal advertising of online wagering since 2016. Other regulatory action has been taken for responsible gambling, advertising-related and other matters. This has included action taken by AUSTRAC in relation to casino licensees in Vic, NSW, Qld, WA and also SA examining money laundering issues (including those concerning ‘junket operators’). Material proceedings have been taken by gambling and financial sector regulators against major licensees in recent times. Enforcement action by the ACMA is also likely to continue following the implementation of various legislative changes, including in relation to illegal gambling sites and following the recent commencement of the NSER. The introduction of the power for particular regulators to issue penalty infringement notices for certain gambling-related offences as an alternative to commencing court action has been a recent development in this jurisdiction.
The IGA gives ACMA a multi-layered toolkit, supports it with substantial financial penalties, and has been backed by a small but growing body of case law that shows how the system actually applies to real operators. The National Consumer Protection Framework for Online Wagering (NCPF) includes a “Prohibition of lines of credit” measure for interactive wagering service providers, which took effect on 17 February 2018 under the 2017 reforms. The IGA’s criminal penalties apply to the operators providing the service, not to the individuals using it. ACMA also warns that illegal gambling websites may be blocked, potentially preventing account access. The Australian Government states the IGA targets providers, not customers, but also warns that customers using illegal services have a high risk of losing money and have little recourse in Australia because the services operate illegally. ACMA frames “online casinos” and “slots (pokies)” as illegal online services and warns consumers about financial and complaint risks when using such providers.
The ACMA has also been particularly active in relation to enforcement action in connection with spam legislation where infringements by a number of wagering operators have been identified. In addition to the compulsory responsible gambling messages and warnings, it is an offence to advertise an inducement to open a betting account or to refer another person to open a betting account and, in some jurisdictions, to gamble or to gamble more frequently. A state or territory licence is typically required to operate a bingo centre in the relevant jurisdiction.
And for this, thousands of Aussies who want to play pokies on their PCs or phones turn to international casino sites that accept them. Although it’s safe to say that RTPs are typically lower than what you’ll get online, they are also regulated. Since you’re reading this, I assume you’ve probably heard of (or visited) SkyCity Adelaide, The Star Sydney, or the Crown resorts. The fact that land-based casinos and betting sites operate under the strict oversight of state regulators gives players a reassuring sense that, whatever happens, they are protected. This restriction is designed to ensure players cannot gamble with funds they do not own. The Australian federal government issued a credit card ban with the Interactive Gambling Amendment (Credit and Other Measures) Bill 2023, which came into effect in June, 2024.
ACMA can investigate operators, issue formal warnings, request internet service provider blocking, and publish details of illegal gambling websites. Regulation is layered, with federal enforcement sitting alongside state and territory licensing systems. Land-based gambling—such as casinos, pubs and clubs with pokies, retail wagering, and lotteries—is mainly controlled by state and territory regulators. The accurate answer depends on what type of gambling is involved, who is offering the service, where the operator is based, and whether the activity falls under federal or state regulation. In fact, sports betting is the only form of online gambling legally permitted to be offered to Australian residents from domestically based sites.
In relation to hotels and clubs, a venue requires both a gaming venue licence and also a permit/licence for each gaming machine a venue operates. Casino table gaming and gaming machines, Retail Wagering, lotteries and keno all require an operator licence, which is typically long-dated and is granted by the relevant australian pokies payid state or territory. Using these powers, the federal government has enacted legislation regulating, amongst other things, interactive gambling, anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing (AML/CTF) and consumer and competition protections (also known as anti-trust matters in some other jurisdictions).
The new IGA tightened restrictions on online gambling by banning almost all digital gambling forms, no matter if they are licenced offshore or not. The only form of domestic online wagering allowed was sports betting through a local service. The law permitted domestically based online sites to offer services to ‘designated countries,’ but not local citizens.
For consumers, the most important distinction is enforcement leverage and protections, not just accessibility. Australian lotteries (including online ticket sales offered by authorised operators) can be lawful, because the IGA is designed to prohibit casino-style online gaming while carving out space for certain wagering and lottery services. Australia treats online sports betting, casino games, poker, and lotteries each under different rules, and that breakdown is what determines whether a given site can lawfully serve you. In every jurisdiction, online sports and race wagering is legal if the operator holds a valid Australian licence; online casino games, online poker, and in-play online sports betting remain prohibited federally.