Is online gambling legal in Australia?

Legal overview

Online gambling in Australia is governed by the Interactive Gambling Act 2001, enforced by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA). The Act bans online casinos, including online slots and casino-style games such as poker, as well as online in-play sports betting, betting on the outcome of a lottery and sports betting services without an Australian licence. No Australian licence exists for online casino games. Wagering providers licensed by a state or territory may lawfully offer online sports and race betting, and they must not offer credit to customers. A 2017 amendment targeted unlicensed overseas operators, after which more than a hundred online gambling services withdrew from the Australian market.

The ACMA has directed internet service providers to block illegal gambling websites since November 2019, and by mid-2026 it had blocked 1,751 illegal gambling and affiliate sites. It publishes a register of licensed wagering providers that customers can check. BetStop, the national self-exclusion register, lets people exclude themselves from all licensed online and phone wagering providers in one step, and it forms part of the National Consumer Protection Framework for online wagering.

The Act targets providers and advertisers rather than individual players, but people who use illegal sites risk losing their money and have no Australian consumer protection. The Interactive Gambling Amendment (Gambling Reform) Act 2026 (No. 72, 2026), dated 26 August 2026, adds restrictions on wagering advertising and inducements, a wagering advertising opt-out register, powers to block financial transactions with illegal gambling services, and changes to BetStop and online lottery products, with provisions expected to commence from 1 January 2027.