Gambling Sites for Australians

Australians are gamblers. This statement is something we all know on some level and can refer to most choices that they make in life. However, you may not realize just how much Australians like to gamble. They lose more per capita than any other country, and it isn’t even close. Check out this graphic which outlines where Australia stands on the gambling chart.

The online gambling industry in Australia has been robust since its inception, and even with regulations in place to limit sites from offering their games to Australian players, there is continued year over year growth in revenues.

On this page, we are going to give you an overview of everything you need to know about the Australian online gambling market and how to find the perfect site for your gaming needs.

Here Are Our Top Recommended Australian Online Gambling Sites:

Rank	Gambling Site	Deposit Bonus	Get Started
#1	BetUS Casino	250% Up To 5,000 USD	Visit Site
#2	Wild Casino	200% Up To 5,000 USD	Visit Site
#3	Super Slots	250% Up To 6,000 USD	Visit Site
#4	BetOnline Sports	60% Up To 1,000 USD	Visit Site
#5	SportsBetting.ag	100% Up To 1,000 USD	Visit Site
#6	Bovada Casino	100% Up To 3,000 USD	Visit Site
#7	Las Atlantis	280% Up To 14,000 USD	Visit Site
#8	El Royale	240% Up To 2,500 USD	Visit Site
#9	Red Dog Casino	225% Up To 8,000 USD	Visit Site

When we write a review of an online gambling site, our experts look at the site from all angles to bring you the most comprehensive review possible. Some of you like to do the research for yourself; we totally understand, and you should be looking at the same factors as we are so you can draw your own conclusions. Here are some topics we are going to cover on this Australian overview page:

• Mobile Games
• Game Offering
• Banking
• Promotions
• Safety and Security

If you are looking for a good place to start, above is our list of the Top 5 Recommended Online Gambling sites. Make sure to check back when you are ready to gamble as due to the changes in legislation, this list may also change.

Is Online Gambling Legal in Australia?

Well, this answer is about as cloudy as it is for American online gamblers. As we mentioned at the start of this page, Australians love to gamble. The Totalisator Agency Board (TAB) manages land based sports betting outlets around the country, where Australians can enter and place a wager on a sporting event. Many other forms of live gambling are legal and regulated by different levels of the Australian government.

Online gambling made it so much easier for Australians to access gambling, especially in the remote areas of the country, that the government felt they needed to do something. In 2001, they stepped in and passed the Interactive Gambling Act. This piece of legislations was written to protect their residents from being taken advantage of by online casino operators. The IGA didn’t go far enough though; Australian operators of online gambling sites were allowed to market to anyone except Australians, and there was essentially no protection against offshore operators targeting residents. So ultimately the government took away their ability to tax sites accepting wagers from Australian players; funds which could have been put to use to prevent gambling addiction.

In 2016, steps were taken to improve this law, and an amendment passed that made it illegal for Australians to play poker at offshore sites. One major player in the industry, 888, already closed their Australian poker operations; others are waiting to see if the amendment is enacted into law. It is hard to imagine a scenario where a player is prosecuted under this law; it is actually intended to dissuade sites from accepting their play and their deposits.

As the law changes in Australia, it is important to check back to see how it affects players. We have a page dedicated to the Australian Online Gambling Laws which will be updated as more information is acquired.

How to Find the Right Online Gambling Site in Australia

With a cloudy legal climate, it seems like we should just plow forward and look at the sites that are currently available for Australian players. Given the propensity for Australians to gamble, it is no surprise that there are hundreds of options for them to play their favorite games or pokies, so let’s review the important information that every player should know before making their first deposit.

Mobile Gaming Options

The online gambling industry is rapidly moving towards mobile play, and this is indeed true of the Australian market. Betting, especially on sports, is much more efficient without having to open up your laptop, and online gambling sites are well aware that this is an excellent way to capture their audience. With so much in-game betting available these days, Australians want to be able to access their accounts quickly and easily; most operators have modified their software to be able to be used on any mobile device via the device’s browser. The player will have the same options as they would using their PC to access the games, and with a couple of clicks can be right at the betting screens.

This isn’t always true about the online casino games, however. While software suppliers are playing catchup trying to make their content mobile-friendly, it can sometimes be frustrating to find your favorite pokie game isn’t available on your phone. These graphics-rich games usually take more effort to convert, but don’t worry; even if you don’t see your game there today, more than likely the provider is going to release it for mobile in the very near future.

Mobile gaming apps are also very popular in markets where online gambling is legal. Unfortunately, due to the restrictions placed on the Australian market by the IGA, there aren’t many options for native apps for players from that country. Hopefully, with the changes in regulation, there will be a way for operators to start to add their apps to the mobile platforms’ app stores, as these are usually a little faster than their browser-based cousins.

Game Selection

A semi-regulated space that allows Australians the opportunity to access offshore gambling sites for their enjoyment means that these players get access to essentially all the game types out there. Australians will spend their gambling dollars on everything, and many sites offer a multitude of different betting options. If you are a player who likes to spread your gambling time on various disciplines, then you will want to look for one of these all-inclusive sites; it means fewer account registrations and depositing, as your balance can easily be moved from one area to another. Some options for what you might find at one of the larger multi-channel sites:

• Sports Betting
• In-game betting
• Live Dealer Casino
• Online Casino
• Pokies
• Horse Racing
• Bingo
• Poker

Of course, some players don’t like all the clutter of a big site; if you are one of these players, you should search out sites that only offer one form of gambling i.e. a site that only has pokies.

Banking Options

The good news for Australian players is that it is pretty simple to make a deposit at your online gambling site of choice. The IGA doesn’t put any restrictions on the banks like the UIGEA does in the U.S., but you will find that there are also potentially more attractive, safe options for your payments.

The easiest way for Australians to make deposits is by using credit or debit cards. The deposits are fast, and most Australian banks will allow the transactions. There are some alternatives for players who don’t want to have their personal banking information stored on an online gambling site. Companies like Skrill and Neteller are third-party payments solutions that allow you to store your banking information on their servers, and then you just transfer money in and out of the casino via the e-wallet balance. These methods are usually the easiest way to get paid by these sites, which is the good problem we hope all of our players have to deal with when they are playing at an online gambling site!

Online gambling sites add and drop processors all the time, so when we review a site, we list all the possible options for our players, and these reviews are regularly updated to reflect these changes.

Promotions and Bonuses

Whether you are a fan of the pokies or want to bet the big cricket match, you are going to need to make a deposit at an online gambling site before you are able to bet there. One thing that players should be looking for from a value standpoint is if their site offers any bonuses or promotions for making a deposit. These bonuses are quite commonplace and are meant to entice players to either deposit more or play more depending on the style of promotion.

There are many types of bonuses available to players. No-deposit offers such as free spins or chips give a player a way to be rewarded for just registering an account. This is an excellent way to test an online gambling site to see how their games play and with a chance of making some real cash. Welcome bonuses can be tailored to a particular type of gambling, sometimes within the same site itself. For example, many sites will offer different terms for their bonuses for poker players versus sports betting. As the style of wagering is different between sports, poker, horse racing and casino, it is important to find a site that offers you the best value for the game in which you plan to use your money.

Also, when you are shopping different offers, you should take note of an online gambling site’s come and loyalty programs. These programs are an excellent way to stretch your deposit, but many of these promotions require you to register separately.

Finding a Secure Online Gambling Site

We strive to bring you all the information, good or bad, about a site you may plan to visit. While the industry has done a great job in the last 20 years to guard against scammers and delinquents, an industry without proper regulation can still fall prey to people who are just in it to steal your money.

The Interactive Gambling Act was designed to protect players, but realistically there isn’t much that the Australian government can do to fight a faceless enemy from another jurisdiction. It is therefore up to players and sites like ours to carefully research the sites we want to play at to be as sure as possible that we are not being taken to the cleaners.

The best place to start the safety review (and the first thing we do when reviewing an online gambling site) is to head to the homepage of the site. There you will find out exactly how safe the site is, at least from a software perspective. Sites who have their software audited by a third party will display the logo for that company if they receive a passing grade; it doesn’t mean that they can’t be up to no good elsewhere, but at the very least you will know that your gameplay is taking on the exact form it should be. On the homepage you should be looking for logos for companies like TST, eCogra and Gaming Associates; there will also likely be a link from those logos to an overview of the testing process itself.

Conclusion

Should you be gambling, Australians? Who are we to stop you…you seem to already be deep into the game.

All we can do is tell you that if you follow our recommendations, you will find online gambling sites that are open to play from Australians covering all the major games. As long as monitor the changing laws, you can get online and start enjoying the gambling you love from the comfort of your own couch!