Overview of Australian online casino gambling.

Online gambling has seen massive booms in popularity in recent years, but it’s not always clear to players what the legalities are or how nationality affects gambling. This is due to the borderless nature of the internet and the fact that gambling laws are not always widely advertised. In Australia there is a lot of confusion over the legal aspect, but fortunately there are many sources online to clear this up.

Australia is known for traditional casino gambling. Being a big tourist country, with some beautiful seafronts and mountains, Australia is perfect for state of the art casinos that attract both everyday tourists and wealthy businesspeople. People may not realise that online gambling has also taken off in Australia, but problems with advertising and legality have kept it somewhat under wraps. More and more sites are catering specifically to Australians.

What is the legality of gambling in Australia?

Many countries have confusing legal issues around gambling and Australia is no exception. Fortunately, the fact is that online gambling is indeed legal in Australia. Of course, you have to be over 18, as is standard in most countries. For adults, however, gambling is legal, it just isn’t encouraged. There is a grey legal area caused by bans on advertising resulting from the Interactive Gambling Act of 2001. Online gambling cannot be openly advertised, so people tend to feel that it’s not allowed, or just don’t hear about new sites. New laws have cracked down on those trying to circumvent, such as the Interactive Gambling Amendment bill 2016, but importantly it’s still perfectly legal for the player.

Even traditional casinos have to abide by these advertising rules, though they have the unfair advantage of having been around for a long time previously. Online casinos struggle somewhat with word of mouth. Australian players may struggle to find casinos for this reason, but one of the benefits of online gambling is that there’s a strong community and people will help each other out. Look for sites just like this one that can recommend trustworthy casino websites!

What else affects online gambling in Australia?

Aside from these legal issues regarding advertising, Australia has very few restrictions. The long-standing existence of traditional casinos means that there’s a strong community and companies are keen to cater to those people. Australians love slot games and refer to slot machines as pokies, so keep an eye out for this term when searching Australian sites.

The laws against advertising fortunately do not affect taxation. In Australia, gambling winnings are not taxed at all! Only money earned from a profession and a few other sources is taxed. This is great news for Australian players who can keep their winnings without fear of the government taking a big chunk. Australian players should also find that their online casinos are very open when it comes to payment methods, accepting all the major cards and e-wallets like Neteller, Skrill and EcoPayz. Many sites also take the time to offer the Australian Dollar or AUD currency, which means players won’t have to do lots of mental arithmetic to work out if their bonuses are good!

What should I look for in an Australian online casino?

There are plenty of online sites for Australian players and many of them have comic book slots, too. Casino Mate stands out as a popular choice, which has a mobile casino, table games and slots. You can tell they cater to Australians as they use the term ‘pokies’! Otherwise, remember that thanks to the internet, Australian players can really go on any sites they please, in any country. This may be necessary to locate the best comic book slots.

When choosing an Australian gambling site, look for indication that the site is licensed and regulated. Most Aussie sites (and indeed most of the best sites around the world) will submit to an independent body for verification, such as eCOGRA or SQS. Organisations like these check that the games are fair and practises are above board, so check the bottom of your site’s page for their logos. Look at the currencies accepted and withdrawal times too. Last of all, if you’re a true comic book slots fan, check out sites which provide Microgaming and Playtech slots.