Important Things to Know About the Legality of Online Gambling in Australia

Online gambling is a form of gaming that takes place remotely on either mobile or other digital devices. The brick-and-mortar casino is now replaced by websites that let clients place bets on various games.

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Introduction

If you search for an Australian online casino no deposit bonus, you will find hundreds of gambling sites that offer their services to the Australian market. The websites offer all types of common casino games and give their clients various bonuses and offers. The online gambling industry in Australia has existed for a long time. However, drastic changes in the law have altered the industry significantly. So, both operators of online gambling websites and players must understand what the law in Australia says about online gambling.

What is Online Gambling?

Some online gambling platforms are so complex that they contain sections for live sports betting and other activities. It is typical for online casinos to contain hundreds of various games categories.

Customers sign up for accounts on these online platforms before they start placing bets. The sites allow clients to top up their accounts using any of the methods that are available in their locations. Some online casinos allow customers to transact using cryptocurrencies.

The Interactive Gambling Act

The Interactive Gambling Act of 2001 provides the regulatory framework for governing the online gambling industry in Australia. This piece of legislation contains details about the kinds of gambling services that one can offer in Australia. It also specifies other important details about the industry.

The Interactive Gambling Act contains a list of prohibited gambling activities in Australia. Here are some of the activities that the Australian government does not allow its citizens to participate in while in the country.

* All classic casino games like roulette and blackjack
* Scratchies and pokies
* Betting activities based on lottery results
·* Betting on live sports events while they are taking place
·* All other sports betting activities that are not authorized in the country

Several bodies in Australia are involved in enforcing the provisions of the Interactive Gambling Act. For example, the Australian Communications and Media Authority maintains a list of all gambling companies and platforms that can operate in the country. Individuals can verify whether an online casino has been cleared to operate in Australia by checking the database.

Rules About Offshore Online Casinos

Online casinos usually target customers from all over the world. The casinos use this approach to effectively target fast-growing and lucrative markets. For example, the USA is one of the most lucrative online gambling markets. It is estimated that the market was worth $4.9 billion in July 2021 alone. Similarly, the Australian gambling market is significant in terms of size and growth rate. The market has been growing steadily from 2007 to 2021. Thus, online casinos from all over the world are keen on attracting gamblers from Australia and other big markets.

The law in Australia prohibits casinos from outside the country from admitting Australian clients. Thus, it is illegal for any casino to allow clients from Australia to sign up for accounts on their platforms and begin placing bets.

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However, online gambling platforms regularly target clients from Australia. One main reason relates to the challenges of implementing the provisions of the law in Australia about offshore online casinos. No law enforcement agency is adequately resourced and equipped with technical skills to prevent offshore casinos from admitting clients in Australia.

Another important reason for the current state of affairs in Australia relates to the use of VPNs. Anyone in Australia can easily use a VPN to evade detection and access even casinos that are not licensed to operate in the country. It is almost impossible for the Australian authorities to monitor and block the use of VPNs by its citizens.

Legal Provisions for Online Casino Owners

The Interactive Gambling Act of 2001 refers to owners of online casinos in Australia as operators. The act has specific provisions to govern the conduct and activities of operators. It also spells out the punishments that the authorities should mete out to operators who flout any of the rules and regulations.

Many leading brands target gambling from Australia. These operators run casinos that provide all the basic games, including roulette and its variants.

One of the key provisions of the act regarding operators relates to the type of gambling services they can legally offer in Australia. Operators are not supposed to offer various gambling services to an Australian audience. Some of the prohibited services in Australia include all common games like poker.

But international online gambling brands do provide these services to their Australian customers. As mentioned before, anyone in Australia can access the services using their devices quite easily. Moreover, the authorities are not proactive in directly preventing people from accessing online casinos which offer the services.

The act allows operators to offer gambling services based on racing or sports. However, the operators must ensure all the betting close before the live matches or games commence. This provision is meant to prevent match-fixing.

In-Play Betting in Australia

In-play betting is a very controversial topic in Australia. On the one hand, the authorities believe that allowing this type of service from operators will undermine the quality and integrity of the various games that take place in the country.

On the other hand, gamblers in Australia are keen on placing bets on live matches. Many online casinos deliberately offer this service to meet the growing need of players around the world to place bets on live matches.

All local online casinos in Australia comply with the provisions of the act about the kind of services they should offer. However, international brands are not beholden to the local authorities. Thus, players from Australia can participate in in-play betting by simply creating accounts on the platforms of online casinos from other countries.

Conclusion

The Australian authorities closely regulate the online gambling scene. Since the passage of the Interactive Gambling Act of 2001, operators or online casino owners, are obliged to adhere to the provisions of the law. However, international online gaming platforms are not obliged to follow the requirements of this law. Thus, Australians can easily access any online gambling services they would like to have.