Australian Online Casinos

Gambling has always been an important part of the Australian economy, luring thousands of tourists to Sydney and Melbourne, the Australian gambling capitals. It is estimated that ¾ of the country’s population engage in some form of gambling every year, with the number of return online bettors being on the constant rise since the first Australia-friendly online casinos appeared.

However, despite the increasing popularity of online betting, the state is yet to legalize this branch of the gambling industry. According to Commonwealth Interactive Gambling Act of 2001 (IGA), interactive gaming (which refers to almost all gambling activities that are conducted online, with the exception of sports betting, racing, and lotteries) is banned. Although officially illegal, online gambling has still managed to find its way to the residents of the Land Down Under, and nowadays, finding an online casino that accepts Aussie players is no longer a mission impossible.Unfortunately, most operators are still legally required to comply with the territorial restrictions, and Australia-based players will have a rather limited choice as opposed to the gamblers from Europe.

The Contradictions

Although IGA is pretty straightforward about the legal status of internet gambling, the state does not regard the act of online wagering as a criminal offence and will not take any legal actions against those who indulge in games of chance. This is pretty contradictory, especially considering the primary objective of the Interactive Gambling Act of 2001, which is to protect the public from the “hazards” of online gambling.
At the same time, the operators that open their virtual doors to Aussies are running a risk of being penalized and blocked – the fines are no laughing matter and can reach up to $220K for the individuals who run the company or $1.1M for the business itself. The penalty will potentially apply to anyone who:

• provide interactive gambling products to Australian residents
• provide unlicensed iGaming content to Australian consumers
• offer unlicensed Australian-based gambling services to those outside Australia

The word “unlicensed” is operative, as it draws the line between the software developers that are operating under the radar and the notable Australian gaming companies, such as Big Time Gaming and Ainsworth, that carry international gaming licences which allow them to supply content to online casino operators across the globe.

Big Time Gaming

Big Time Gaming (BTG) is a renowned Australian gaming software provider that started small in 2011 and build its way up to the very top. The company is best known for its patented Megaways structure, which upgrades the standard slot payline system by changing the number of active betways on every spin.
BTG is licenced to sell the gaming content across multiple jurisdictions, regulated by the following entities:

• UK Gambling Commission
• Lotteries and Gaming Authority Malta
• Gibraltar Regulatory Authority
• British Columbia Government
• Alderney Gambling Control Commission

Ainsworth

Ainsworth Game Technology was founded in 1999 by Leonard Len Ainsworth, a Sydney resident with a vision of creating a company that would eventually become a leading gaming content provider.
The objective was reached, and Ainsworth is currently supplying operators in Australia, New Zealand, Asia, USA, and Europe. So far, the company released over 500 original games and some 3,500 land-based variants.
In 2018, Ainsworth was acquired by Novomatic, but the company continues to operate under the same name.

Popular Choices in Australia Online Casinos

When it comes to the most popular choices of games, Australian players are extremely versatile and enjoy playing anything from RNG casino games to live tables and specialty games. The top picks – and, as such, often featured by the online casinos that target Aussies – are listed below:

Popular Choices in Australia Online Casinos

When it comes to the most popular choices of games, Australian players are extremely versatile and enjoy playing anything from RNG casino games to live tables and specialty games. The top picks – and, as such, often featured by the online casinos that target Aussies – are listed below:

Pokies

Ever since the first land-based casino was opened in 1973 in Tasmania, slots (best known as pokies in Australia) have been among the most popular forms of gambling. The allure of fruit machines was not lost with the evolution of online gambling, and pokies designed by the top-notch developers such as Quickspin, Pragmatic Play, ISoftBet, and Booming, continue to dominate the gambling sites targeting Australian players.

Poker

Australians are obsessed with poker, which is why you are likely to find multiple versions of this game in almost all Australia-focused online casinos. Texas Hold’em is usually the go-to option, although Casino Hold’em and Caribbean Stud do not fall far behind.

Bingo

Bingo, or housie, as the locals call it, is a legitimate form of gambling in Australia that was more than successful in surviving the transition from land-based bingo halls to online casinos. If anything, online gambling has actually played a vital role in bringing the game closer to the new generations, and housie is no longer being associated with the “autumn years”.

Sports Betting

Sports betting has been a major revenue generator for the government of Australia, and it has been estimated that some 570,000 adults were wagering on a regular basis throughout 2015. An average sports bettor in Australia is a single male between 18-49, with a higher-than-average income and a notable interest in other gambling activities aside from sports. Typically, Australians spend around $579M on sports gambling a year, which would equate to $1,032 per player.

Australia Online Casinos Payment Methods

Unlike the players in other territories where internet gambling is also defined as illegal, Aussies are less likely to face difficulties when depositing or withdrawing their winnings. This means that Australians will have no need of resorting to less conventional payment methods (cryptocurrency, for example) for fear of decline transactions.
To fund the online casino cashier, one can use bank transfers, prepaid cards, e-wallets, and of course, Visa and MasterCard debit/credit cards, which are the most common payment methods in Australia. Poli, Citadel, Neosurf, Neteller, Bitcoin, and Skrill are among other accepted payment services.

• Poli – internet banking payment system that allows the users to submit payments directly from their bank accounts. It is usually preferred by those who are reluctant to use their cards for online transactions.
• Citadel – instant banking platform that has the same principle as Poli; the funds are pulled straight from the player’s bank account and sent to the service providers across 20 worldwide locations.
• Neteller – a form of e-wallet enabling the account holder to store the funds in a safe environment and use it for personal or business transactions. Money can be sent even to people who do not have a Neteller account.
• Bitcoin – a cryptocurrency which is becoming increasingly popular with online casino operators and bettors who prefer a more discreet payment method. Bitcoin wallet can be used for both withdrawals and deposits, and there are even Australia online casinos that offer Bitcoin bonus.
• Skrill – online payment solution which uses the same principle as any other e-wallet – the money is stored in a virtual cashier which is funded via the users’ payment cards or bank accounts.
• Neosurf – a prepaid card which can be purchased for cash and used as a form of payment or online casino depositing.

Australia Online Casino Bonuses

Online casinos accessible to Australian players tend to customize the platform for their “target audiences”. The deposits are almost always accepted in AUD, and the bonuses are released in local currency. The most popular incentives are sign-up bonuses, free spins, cashbacks, and reloads.
Welcome Bonuses – bonus cash awarded on the first deposit, usually bundled with free spins. It is not uncommon for more bonus cash to be awarded on the 2nd, 3rd, or even 4th deposit.
Free Spins – free spins can be a part of the welcome offer, a no-deposit sign-up bonus, the short term or the ongoing promotions. Due to territorial restrictions which prevent some software developers from offering their games in Australia, free spins for Aussies may differ from the ones offered to the rest of the online casino members.
Reloads – reloads are similar to welcome offer but can be claimed more than once (as long as the players submit the qualifying deposit amount).