CasinoA Real Money Casino Guide for Aussie Gamblers

A Real Money Casino Guide for Aussie Gamblers

Among all the countries that participate the most in online gambling, Australia is not one of them. The primary reason is the strict legislation that prohibits offshore casinos from operating in the country. On the bright side, you have plenty of options in the local scene. 

The purpose of this post is to guide you through the world of online casino gambling. After you’re done reading, you’ll know how to choose the best online casino as well as score the best bonuses. 

Who Regulates Online Gambling in Australia?

You shouldn’t proceed with any activity in any country without knowing whether it’s legal or not. This not only protects you from issues with law enforcement but also helps you navigate the waters better. 

As of now, online gambling in Australia is regulated under the Interactive Gambling Act 2001. And only this body can prohibit online gambling. It’s regulated on a commonwealth level. And only operators who are licensed within the country can operate. 

Then again, you can’t forget the fact that Australia is a federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy. We know it’s a mouthful of words. To simplify, it means the states and territories in the country have the freedom to regulate online gambling as they see fit. This is very similar to how online gambling is regulated in North America. 

The great thing about the Interactive Gambling Act 2001 is that it gets updated. The Interactive Gambling Amendment Act 2017 is an example where the government updated the rules. 

On paper, online gambling is illegal, except when you sign up for a registered operator in Australia. Sounds confusing, right? We thought so. That’s how the overall legislation of Australia works. 

The good thing is that law enforcement will not come knocking on your door if you play casino games online. The rules are more geared toward operators than individual players. This means you can go ahead and start playing online casino games right now. 

How to Choose the Best Online Casino in Australia?

Well, this is a hard question you’ve asked. The definition of “best” is not the same for all players. Some might prefer a larger game library, while others might prefer playing at casinos for real money in 2023. The only way you can land on the “best” casino site is if you pick the brand. 

We can surely help you in this regard. In this section, let us list the major factors that contribute to the quality of an online casino. 

It Must Be Licensed in Australia

We’ve already covered this in the legality section of this guide. You’re good to go with casino games as long as the operator is licensed within Australia. We’ve also mentioned that the states and territories are independent in terms of whom they want to licence. 

This means there is more than one regulatory authority that can grant licences to interested companies. As a player, your first task is to identify the regulator that covers your region. 

Here are the gambling regulatory bodies in Australia:

  • ACT Gambling and Racing Commission – Australian Capital Territory
  • Office for Liquor, Gaming and Racing – New South Wales
  • Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulation – Queensland
  • Department of Business, Northern Territory Government – Northern Territory
  • Department of Treasury and Finance – Tasmania
  • Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation – Victoria
  • Department of Racing, Gaming, and Liquor – Western Australia

So, when you come across an online casino in Australia, you need to check where it’s licensed. If it matches the region you’re in, you’re good to go. 

In case you’re not sure where to find the licence, just look at the website footer. If it’s not there, the next place to look is the T&C page. The licensing data should be within the first few clauses. If you can’t find it even there, chances are the website is unregulated. It would be in your best interest to avoid it. 

The User Interface Should Be Intuitive

Imagine visiting an online casino site where you know some of the best games in the world are waiting for you. But you can’t understand where to click or where to launch a game from. Is that a good online casino? Of course not!

One of the fundamental things the best online casino must ensure is user-friendliness. The points of friction must be minimal between the customer and the operator. This is why we believe you should take the user interface of an online casino very seriously. 

Once you land on the homepage of a site, look for the main menu. Most reputable operators have a menu and a navigation bar. While both work toward the same goal, navigation makes things easier. 

You should be able to jump between regular casino games, live casino games, sports betting (if there are any), bingo, scratch cards, or any other gambling component. 

The main menu, on the other hand, should contain the below options to ensure a seamless user experience:

  • Games
  • Promotions
  • Payments
  • Contact
  • Help

Of course, an operator is free to add as many options as it wants in the main menu. But as a player, if you find the listed options, you should be good to go. 

Game Library 

What would you do at an online casino if you can’t find the games you prefer playing? This simple logic explains why a game library makes it to our real money guide for Aussie players. 

Below are the most common game categories you can expect from an online casino: 

  • Online slots
  • Table Games
  • Live Dealer Games
  • Bingo/Keno/Scratch card

In an upcoming section, we’ll briefly go over the game types and how they work. 

Good Bonuses

Online casinos offer many different types of bonuses to bring in new players as well as to retain existing customers. If you know how to read the terms and conditions of a bonus, you already know how to approach it. 

Here are the bonuses you need to look out for: 

  • Welcome Bonus/New Player Bonus
  • Free Spins
  • Cashback
  • Tournaments (Drops & Wins)
  • Loyalty Rewards
  • Free Chips

Each type of these bonuses applies to different types of games. So, when you get the bonus, make sure you’re using it in the right game. Otherwise, you won’t be able to complete the wagering requirements in time. You can read the next section to learn more about the wagering requirements.

Master the Art of Reading Casino Bonus Terms and Conditions 

We’ve said it plenty of times before, and we’re going to say it again. If you can’t read the terms and conditions of bonuses, you shouldn’t proceed with them. In this section, we’ll go over the most common terms that you must adhere to before withdrawing a bonus. 

Wagering Requirements

All bonuses have come with wagering requirements. You need to “wager” the bonus amount a certain time before you can withdraw it. They’re usually portrayed as a multiplier. 

For example, a no deposit bonus you get from an Australian online casino may require 40x wagering. It means you need to spend the equivalent of a 40x bonus before withdrawal. 

Speaking of a no deposit bonus, keep in mind that the wagering requirements for such bonuses are generally higher than normal. 

Maximum Bet

During the wagering period, you can’t place large bets to cover the wagering requirement faster. Rather, you have to stick to a maximum bet value for the duration of the wagering period. In most cases, it’s $5. Of course, it’s up to the operator’s policy. For dollar deposit casinos, the max bet amount may vary.

Expiry Date

All bonuses will have an expiry date. You need to complete the wagering process before that date arrives. As you can imagine, the longer the time frame you can manage, the easier it will be to wager. For a no deposit bonus, you can expect 7-14 days of time. For deposit match bonuses, it can range anywhere between 7 days and 90 days. 

Again, don’t take our word literally. It varies from operator to operator. 

The Real Money Payment Methods

Of course, in our real money guide for Aussie players, we can’t skip the discussion on payment methods. As this is “online” gambling we’re dealing with, we must use online payment methods. 

Thankfully, Australia has all the major payment processors you can think of in the world. Check out the table below to learn about them. 

MethodDepositWithdrawalFeesWithdrawal Time
Visa/MastercardYesNoNoneN/A
Skrill/NetellerYesYesNoneInstant After Processing
PayPalYesYesNoneInstant After Processing
Click2PayYesYesNoneInstant After Processing
NeosurfYesNoNoneN/A
UPay CardYesYesNoneInstant After Processing
PaysafecardYesNoNoneN/A
EntropayYesYesNoneInstant After Processing
POLiYesNoNoneN/A
Western UnionYesYesNone3-5 Days
RevolutYesYesNone2 Days
Apple PayYesYesNoneDepends on the Transferred Account
Google PayYesYesNoneSame as Apple Pay
CryptocurrencyYesYesNoneInstant
Phone BillYesNoN/AN/A
Bank TransferYesYesDepends on Bank3-5 Days

As you can see, there is an abundance of options to choose from for online gambling. Of course, you’ll come across operators that offer even more options. As a player, your goal should always be to use reputable methods backed by a lot of users. 

Last but not least, don’t forget to check the fee structure for the method you’re choosing. The fees column in our table says none. It’s simply because the casino brands are unlikely to charge any fees. But your bank or wallet providers have fees that you have to pay on a per- transaction basis or annually.

Best Games to Play

As promised, let’s go over the common types of games you can play at Australian online casinos. 

Online Pokies

Pokies are by far the best games to play, thanks to their simplicity and higher RTPs. In any best payout online casino brand, you can find high RTP mobile slots. You don’t have to know the mechanics of the games, as these are pure games of chance. It’s best to start with free slot games to get the hang of them before investing money. 

Table Games

These are games you see on movies and TV Shows. Roulette, Blackjack, Baccarat, Poker, Video Poker, Craps, etc., are some very good examples of tables to play in Australia. All of these are RNG (Random Number Generators). 

Live Dealer Games

These are table games but with live human dealers. Evolution Gaming is currently the market leader when it comes to live dealer games. But you can expect titles from Ezugi, NetEnt, Playtech, and other providers too. 

Wrapping Up

Understanding an online casino in Australia is easier than it sounds. Also, finding a brand that you can trust is not as hard as it appears. It comes to your knowledge of what makes an operator good. In this post, we’ve covered the factors you should look at, regardless of where you are in the world. 

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