Australians love to gamble. Until recently, they were offered to choose from a wide range of Australian online casino sites. However, the situation has changed drastically 2017, when the government issued the Interactive Gambling Amendment Bill 2016, forcing many operators to leave the market.
We will explain about the Australian gambling laws , but for those of you that don’t have the patience to read legal details, here are the main points and effects of the bill:
- IGA 2016 is not the first government bill against online gambling. It’s actually an update of a similar bill from 2001. The goal of the recent update is to close the loopholes of the original one, which pretty much left Australian online gambling market intact.
- None of the bills are targeted towards the players themselves, but just on the operators. So if you wish to play online you can do so as much as you please. Of course as long as the casino accepts you.
- Despite the fact that the bill is focused specifically on online poker and in-play sports betting, which are forbidden, it had a strong effect on Australia online casino fans as well. The main reason is that many publicly traded all-in-one gambling companies such as 888, Guts and others, pulled pulled out of Australian gambling market. And as we learned in US, when the big companies leave, it opens the space for various low level operators to crawl in.
- For all of the reasons above, if you were used to playing in pretty much every casino that offered a reasonably bonus without even checking it out, currently that wouldn’t be wise. These days you should be more careful and check the casino you wish to play at.
- Naturally, there are many aspects that determine if a certain casino is good or not: game selection, the fairness of the gameplay, banking methods, the safety of your transactions and more. However, the one thing that clearly shows the difference between the solid and the shady ones, is the speed of payouts and the history of the particular casino.
We will explain more below. Meanwhile, you can enjoy our list of top Australian casinos with fastest withdrawals.
Best Australia Online Casinos in 2020
Limits: $20 – $6,000
Limits: $20 – $6,000
Limits: $20 – $2,500
Limits: $/€ 20 – 4,000
Limits: $/€ 20 – 8,000
0.0001 / 10 BTC
0.001 / 20 BCH
0.01 / 100 LTC
0.01 / 20 ETH
1000 / 500,000 DOGE
Why Some Australian Casinos Are Better Than Others
If you ask players what distinguishes a good online casino from the rest, most of them will tell you it’s all about the game selection and generous bonuses. Although these two matter, we can say that it is quite superficial to judge a gaming venue only by the games and bonuses it offers as there are other factors which can affect your overall user experience you have to take into account too. First of all, an online casino needs to be regulated and licensed by a trustworthy authority which guarantees that it operates in compliance with the industry standards. Besides, gaming establishments must be certified by independent auditors for the fairness of the gameplay and above all, they have to be 100% safe.
To see how an online casino pays, you can check its payout percentages which are typically displayed on the casino website. An average return to player percentage should be between 95% and 98% and if it is lower, you should avoid playing at the casino. When you start hitting wins, you would like to clear your winnings as soon as possible. If a single feature can indicate the level of trustworthiness and fairness of an online casino, it is how fast they pay their players:
- A casino must offer a withdrawal method letting you clear your winnings within 48 hours
- Fast withdrawals indicate that online casinos are financially stable, professional and not only interested in taking your money
- A dedicated team of customer support agents should be at your disposal 24/7 if any problem related to payouts or other issues appears.
Australian Online Gambling Laws
The legality of online gaming in Australia is one of the most common questions and the good news is that the answer is yes. Restrictions are imposed on online gambling operators, more specifically on Australia-based operators (2001 bill) and poker and live betting operators (2016 bill).
- The Interactive Gambling Act, passed by the Government in June 2001, prohibited offering and advertising “real-money online interactive gambling services” to Australian citizens but it does not contain laws that affect online gaming operators registered abroad which cater to Aussies.
- The Interactive Gambling Act, passed by the Government in 2016 prohibited offering and advertising online poker and live (in-play) betting.
There are no laws when it comes to Internet gambling as far as the individual players are concerned. They can play at many casinos accepting wagers in AUD and enjoy all the fun and excitement on their desktop or mobile devices.
However, as we have stated before, the recent restrictions had strong influence on the number and quality of Australia friendly casinos and therefore on players as well. First, you might signup to a certain casino just to find out that it won’t allow you to deposit and play for real money. That’s obviously annoying, but not harmful. What can do some real damage is that you sign up to some new, low level casino that will gladly accept your deposits, but then give you a runaround when you choose to withdraw your winnings.
Software and Popular Games
Reliable software is one of the crucial factors when it comes to online gaming along with the range of games a casino has to offer. Although Microgaming, Playtech and NetEnt left the Aussie market, Australian players are still accepted by online casinos running on platforms provided by some of the biggest names in the gaming industry such as BetSoft, SoftSwiss, RTG, Booming Games, Habanero and more, which guarantee smooth performance and the fairness of the gameplay. Once you find a reputable casino, you can be absolutely sure that the outcomes of games will be fair as they are operated by RNG (the Random Number Generator) which is audited on a regular basis by independent agencies.
Australian players love playing pokies, which is their local term for slot machines. All gaming companies supplying Australian-friendly casinos offer this form of entertainment but their offer differ in themes, graphics, bonus features and payouts. If you want to play pokies which offer mind-blowing sums reaching millions of AUD, you can try out progressive slots from by Rival or RTG. Now if you wonder what the best pokies are, just visit my latest article about it.
Besides pokies, players can also enjoy a variety of other casino games which are offered at virtual and live tables such as Blackjack, Poker, Roulette or Baccarat. As for live dealer tables, all major developers plus some live dealer companies such as Evolution Gaming, provide players with a genuine atmosphere of land-based casinos as they are hosted and operated by real dealers and croupiers. While enjoying the real casino action at Blackjack, Baccarat, Roulette or Craps tables from the comfort of your home, you can chat with dealers or other players which is the closest thing you can get to a brick and mortar experience while playing online.
Bonuses and Promotions
To attract new users, casinos typically offer generous bonuses which are hard to resist. Many players make their choice based only on the welcome bonus offered by a certain online casino. However, you should avoid making hasty decisions since not all bonuses are as good as they seem. Online casinos for Australians typically offer welcome packages and you are eligible to them only after you have registered with a casino of your choice. To receive a signup bonus, after the registration process is completed, one should make the first deposit and free cash will be added to his or her bonus account.
Online casinos compete to give players a better offer, so you should not be surprised if you see that a casino gives away more than AU$1,000 over three or four deposits. Besides, you can get an additional incentive coming as free spins on a specific pokie title which can also produce nice wins. These free spins can be credited as a part of welcome package or they can be given with no deposit required. Welcome bonuses can make you more confident when you start playing at online casinos as they can increase your bankroll up to 100% which means that you can have more opportunities to win.
Bonus Terms to Check
To be sure that an online casino plays fair, you should visit its Terms and Conditions section and check the wagering requirements imposed. No matter how big bonus can be, if the wagering requirements are hard to meet, it’s no use claiming such bonuses. Wagering requirements are typically set to 30 up 60 times which means that you have to wager the given amount from 30 up to 60 times to turn it into real cash. You should also keep in mind that at some Australian casino sites, both the bonus and your deposit are subject to the wagering requirements so you should choose a gaming venue wisely.
Loyalty Programs
To make their existing players stay, online casinos these days offer special promotions on certain dates or on a weekly or monthly basis or VIP and loyalty programs which may include attractive prizes, better customer service or even exclusive gifts like luxury cruises and tickets to sports events. Whichever of these offers that you use, you should always check the Terms and Conditions section.
Banking Options
If you play at a reputable casino, you should not worry about the safety of your transactions as they use convenient and safe banking methods. However, the time needed for your transactions to be processed may vary depending on a method you use. Before you choose which method yo use, pay close attention to all details which are provided in the Banking section of each casino.
To enjoy a smooth gaming experience to the fullest, you can use credit or debit cards, e-wallets, prepaid cards. They are in most cases instantly processed and you can start wagering your money immediately. One of the most popular payment methods down under is POLi, a local payment option letting you make your deposits without revealing your financial data to the casino you play at. Bank wire transfer is also an option but those take longer.
Withdrawal Options
To clear winnings from your casino account you will be offered to choose from an array of withdrawal options like credit or debit cards, e-wallets, cheques or bank wire transfers. Although all these methods are safe and user-friendly, you should keep in mind that some of them take more time than others. If you want to have your winnings in your pockets as soon as possible, you should use the fastest banking options such as e-wallets which typically take up to 48 hours for withdrawals to be processed.
Besides timeframes, you should also check if any fee will be charged on your withdrawals. You don’t have to pay any additional cost if you choose a banking method wisely.
FAQ
Nope. Currently there are no state legislated online casinos in Australia, however there are no laws focused on individuals choosing to gamble online.
Yes. You can gamble online in variety of offshore casinos which are operated outside of the country.
All Australia online casinos let you make your payments and withdrawals in your local currency and you will be able to wager in AUD too.
You will be offered to choose from a wide array of payment methods you can use to make your deposits. Australian players prefer POLi and e-wallets as they allow you to keep your financial data private.
Withdrawals may take from 24 hours up to several business days depending on a banking method you use. For the fastest payouts use e-wallets.
To claim a welcome bonus you need to register with the casino of your choice and make your first deposit via a preferred payment option.
We recommend playing at trustworthy casinos for a safe gaming experience as they use advanced security protocols such as 128-bit SSL encryption.
There are hundreds of real money pokies available online and we can’t list them all, but here are the main software providers available for Aussies: BetSoft, SoftSwiss, RTG, Rival, ViG, Vivo, Habanero and more.
It’s hard to judge or rate pokies as each one has its own different taste. However, when it comes to payout and winning odds, there is official data which we can relay upon. Here are best online pokies with highest RTP.
1. Lucky Lady’s Clover – 97.3%
2. At the Copa – 97.5%
3. Good Girl Bad Girl – 97.8%
4. Rock On – 98%
5. Cosmic Quest Slot – 98% RTP
In our opinion Gunsbet and King Billy are by far the best casinos in Australia. They offer huge variety of games, pay fast and have clean history of operation and no payment complaints.