In order to remedy what were perceived as defects in the legislation, the Interactive Gambling Amendment Bill (IGAB) was introduced into Parliament in November 2016. Australia’s Liberal Democrats are well-known for supporting online poker in the country. The party agrees that poker much closer to a game of skill than it is a game of luck. Many online poker brands are working with grassroots organizations like the Australian Online Poker Alliance (AOPA) to lobby for online poker regulation, and several MPs have backed them up. The biggest issue you’ll notice with Nitrogen Sports is that there are usually only active cash tables at any time.

Best Online Poker Sites in Australia February 2025

• Casino table gaming and gaming machines, Retail Wagering, lotteries and keno all require an operator licence, which is typically long-dated and is granted by the relevant Australian state or territory.
• Specific forms of sports betting, bingo, lottery, and racing are also allowed at retail properties.
• The sole casino licensee also pays a tax of 9% on ‘high roller’ gaming revenue, together with a 1% community benefit payment.
• The Interactive Gambling Act 2001 remains to be the governing law until the amending bill is enforced.

State and territory lotteries engage in pooling arrangements pursuant to what is known as ‘bloc agreements’, under which jackpots are pooled, making the customer offering more attractive. The main issue Aussies have when they want to play real-money online poker in Australia is making deposits and withdrawals. Australian banks are covered by the law, which is why we recommend using cryptocurrencies at the best online poker sites in Australia. If you’ve not seen Hold’em, you’ve probably not seen people playing poker. This variant is used for the biggest events in poker, including the WSOP Main Event, and is available on all of the top sites for real money poker in Australia. There are plenty of ways to play online poker in Australia for real money prizes.

For the most part, individual states and territories within Australia are responsible for regulatory oversight of the industry for their region. The exception is online gambling, a gaming venue that is subject to the Interactive Gambling Act and the Interactive Gambling Amendment Bill of 2016. These laws were passed and are regulated by the Commonwealth of Australia, meaning that it is a piece of legislation that spans the entire country. There is a crescendo of support for the legalization of online poker in Australia due to its potential to generate significant tax revenues, provide secure barriers for players and create employment opportunities. Yes, Australians can play on international poker sites, but many major platforms have exited the Australian market due to the 2017 amendments to the IGA.

How We Rank Australia’s Best Poker Sites

The legality of online poker in Australia is governed by the Interactive Gambling Act (IGA) of 2001. Originally, the IGA was designed to prevent operators from offering online gambling services to Australian residents. However, it did not explicitly outlaw online poker, allowing the game to flourish in a legal gray area for many years. Australian players could access offshore poker sites without facing legal repercussions, while international operators continued to serve the Australian market. Still, these laws are directed at the online poker rooms and not the players, so a high volume of locals partake in real money hands over the web using popular offshore gambling sites. State and territory taxation on casinos is determined on a case-by-case basis (typically during negotiations with the relevant state or territory government at the time).

At the best Australian online poker rooms, you can enter tournaments costing less than $1. Alternatively, you can sit down in a $0.01/$0.02 cash game with as little as $2. Use a tight-aggressive poker strategy, and only move up to higher stakes games when you’re a proven winner over time. This means games run 24/7 and not just at times suitable for Australian poker players. Having plenty of players is important, but the right type of players is essential if you want to win more.

No apps are required, as you can join any cash game or tournament using any browser. If you were a member of WPN sites before they left the Australian poker industry, your account may be “grandfathered” in. This means that you can still play as long as you signed up and had money in your account prior to the cardroom’s closure in the country.

Even if you manage to access the site using a VPN, you’ll encounter www.qld.gov.au all sorts of problems when attempting to make a deposit or withdrawal because your address and phone number will need to be verified. BetStop – the National Self-Exclusion RegisterTM lets you exclude yourself from all Australian licensed online and phone wagering services in a single step. The government introduced the register under the National Consumer Protection Framework. The Internet poker site is owned by the Stars Group (formerly known as Amaya) and is considered to have one of the biggest and best poker rooms in the world.

While we hate to be the bearer of bad news, the purpose of our guide to legal gambling in Australia is to provide accurate and up-to-date information to Australian citizens seeking information about gambling entertainment. The report which was due by September casino login au 21st, 2017 is now publicly accessible online. As things stand now, the amendment granted the Australian government plenty of authority on enforcing online gambling regulations with a few caveats here and there. Online gambling, or interactive gambling as Australia terms it, is one area where the Commonwealth has gotten more involved from a national regulatory standpoint.