Australia
Even though gambling is strictly regulated in Australia, all AU bettors can freely place wagers via any licensed online betting site and mobile app they wish. As sports betting is a popular pastime among Aussies, tons of sportsbooks are available.
🇦🇺 Legal sports betting apps in Australia:
Online sports betting in Australia - A strictly regulated landscape
Since 2001, Australia has been one of the leading nations in the world in terms of sports betting, and all punters in the country can wager on popular sports events. However, even though all kinds of gambling activities are pretty popular, Australian law forbids unregulated online wagering. Still, fortunately, this ban does not affect operators who offer online sports betting, provided they have a government license. Therefore, AU bettors have a wide selection of betting apps and sites to wager legally.
However, the AU's gambling sector is one of the most strictly regulated in the world, and there are some significant restrictions on what bettors can actually wager in the country. For example, in-play betting is legal in the country only if the wager is placed over an actual phone call. In addition, gambling-related advertising guidelines and regulations are very restrictive in the country, and multiple operators are fined yearly for ad-based rule breaches.
In 2001, the Australian government enacted the Interactive Gambling Act (IGA), which, in a nutshell, banned all unlicensed online gambling in the country. Therefore, if any operator wishes to offer their gambling-related services to Aussies, it must acquire a valid gambling permit from an appropriate state or territory. Once licensed, they are authorized to deliver their services across all regions within Australia.
On a federal level, the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) is the overseeing body that regulates online gambling and monitors advertising guidelines. Yet, individual states and territories in Australia autonomously oversee online gambling within their borders, adhering to the policies outlined in the IGA. Consequently, each state maintains its own regulatory agency tasked with duties such as issuing licenses to sports betting operators.
Sports betting legislation in Australia
| Is online sports betting legal in Australia? | Yes |
| Is in-person sports betting legal? | Yes |
| Is daily fantasy sports legal? | Yes |
| Is horse racing betting legal? | Yes |
| Is political betting legal? | Yes |
| Is eSports betting legal? | Yes |
| How many legal sports betting apps are there in Australia? | +100 |
| Legal age for sports betting in Australia? | 18+ |
| Australia's tax rate for betting/gambling winnings | 0% |
| Who regulates sports betting in Australia? | Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) |
In a nutshell, online and in-person sports gambling are entirely legal in Australia as long as the bookmaker operates with a proper license issued by any territorial regulator. So, sports gambling involving, for example, parlays, straight bets, futures, and teasers is perfectly legal in the country. Aussies can also freely participate in online wagering on horse races and eSports.
However, Australia's sports gambling law prohibits in-play sports betting, a popular wagering niche in several other countries, which could generate more revenue for Australia. Interestingly, this in-game betting is only allowed via phone calls but is deemed illegal online.
Aussies have also legally participated in daily fantasy sports for many years, and many of the most popular DFS brands, like DraftKings, are currently operating in the Australian market.
Recent updates from the Australian sports betting scene
June 14, 2024: The New South Wales (NSW) government ponders increasing the state's betting tax to 20% just two years after raising the exact figure from 10% to 15%. The tax in question, point of consumption tax (POCT), is currently at 20% in other AU states such as Queensland and the Australian Capital Territory.
June 11, 2024: A ban on gambling with credit cards and cryptocurrencies comes into effect. The ban covers almost all types of gambling and sports betting, excluding only national lotteries and keno.
May 30, 2024: Two additional players, Matthew Millar and Jed Drew, are named as participants in the A-League betting scandal, where a handful of Macarthur FC players allegedly received yellow cards on purpose in exchange for money.
April 8, 2024: Victoria, Australia, has enforced stricter rules for sportsbook player statements to improve transparency around gambling activities. The Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission (VGCCC) mandates clearer monthly reports from licensed operators, detailing players' deposits, bets, and winnings to help them make informed decisions. The new standards, effective April 1, 2024, aim to eliminate confusion and standardize reporting, with penalties for non-compliance.
January 15, 2024: VGCCC instructs Tabcorp to transition its electronic betting terminals (EBTs) in Victoria, Australia, to cashless systems with ID verification checks due to concerns about underage gambling.
All legal gambling options in Australia
| Are online casinos legal in Australia? | No |
| Are retail casinos legal? | Yes |
| Are social casinos legal? | Yes |
| Is online poker legal? | No |
| Is the lottery legal? | Yes |
None of the licensed Australian gambling operators can offer online casino and poker games to their customers, as the Gambling Act forbids operators from offering these gambling services to AU citizens. In brief, the Australian government permits the following gambling activities under relevant licenses.
Lotteries (both online and in-venue)
Sports betting (online and in-person)
Includes horse racing, greyhound racing, harness racing, and eSports betting
Pokies, slot, and table gaming (in-person only)
Betting on fantasy sports
Bingo (online and in-person)
Other gambling-related news & stories from AU
July 15, 2024: The Star Entertainment Group has appointed Neale O’Connell as interim CFO and Janelle Campbell as CEO of The Star Sydney. Due to system performance issues during post-upgrade testing for cashless gaming, all electronic gaming machines will be temporarily turned off from July 13. Additionally, The Star reported a man attempting to blackmail the company after his job application was rejected.
June 13, 2024: Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission (VGCCC) issues AU$370,417 ($246,247) fine to Tabcorp for failing to prevent underage gambling in the Australian state.
June 7, 2024: The Federal Court of Australia orders SkyCity Adelaide, an Australian casino resort, to pay a total of AU$67 million ($44.1 million) fine for the breach of the country's anti-money laundering (AML) and counter-terrorism financing (CTF) laws.
April 23, 2024: This week in Australia, Crown Sydney successfully retained its casino license after substantial compliance efforts, while Star Entertainment faced scrutiny due to controversial comments from its chairman amid a licensing inquiry. The contrasting situations underscore differing approaches to regulatory compliance within the country's leading casino operators.
April 19, 2024: Jessica Mellor, CEO of Star Gold Coast, will step down in May 2024, with Ian Brown stepping in as interim CEO. Mellor, who joined as COO in 2019 and became CEO in 2023, played a crucial role in developing the property into a major tourism destination. The search for a new permanent CEO is underway, and Mellor will assist with the transition until September 2024.
Australia - Some commonly asked questions (FAQ)
What kind of sports betting-related restrictions are there in Australia?
Sports betting is very broadly legalized in Australia, but in-play wagering is still prohibited in the online form. However, these in-game bets can still be placed in the old-school style via phone calls, making the whole restriction even weirder.
How much money do Australians spend on sports betting yearly?
Based on the most recent data, Australians spent a total of $197.9 billion in one year on gambling. The heftiest junk of this figure, $171bn, was wagered on casino games, lotteries and poker machines, and around $26bn was spent on sports betting.
What sports do Australians bet on the most?
According to the Australian Gambling Research Centre's study, 91.0% of adults who bet online wagered on horse racing, making it the most betted sport in AU. After that, Aussie Football (58.5%), Rugby League (49.0%), and soccer (28.5%) gain the most bets.
Which sports betting app holds the biggest market share in Australia?
Currently, Flutter Entertainment's Sportsbet brand is by far the most popular online sportsbook in Australia, with a 45% market share. The figure is almost double that of the next popular one, Tabcorp's TAB.
