Australia has been renowned for gambling. It is one of the gambler friendly nations in the world. Around 80% of Australians have the habit of indulging in some form of gambling, such as lotteries, sports betting and pokies in casinos or clubs. Australians tend to have an extremely different view on traditional land based gambling than their views about online gambling.
An Overview Of Australian Gambling Legislation History
In the past, individual states in Australia were responsible for gambling. However, the responsibility has been transferred to the hands of Commonwealth government, as the gambling industry has grown and online gambling has been introduced. The Commonwealth Government has taken more interest in gambling now.
Online gambling creates problems in various areas, including revenue collection, regulation and community welfare. In order to overcome these issues, the Federal Government passed laws that regulate the gambling industry. They also help to reduce the chance of gambling industry creating negative impact on the Australian society.
The Interactive Gambling Act 2001 (IGA)
Online gambling industry is very difficult for the Australian gambling to monitor and regulate. Hence, the Interactive Gambling Act came into effect on 28th June 2001. The objective of the act was to defend Australians from the destructive effects of gambling.
The IGA aims to control interactive gambling service providers and not the gamblers. In Australia, it is illegal to provide an Australian operator who physically present in the country with interactive gambling license. Interactive gambling service should not be provided to Australian customers, as it is illegal. However, it is legal for Australian citizens to play at online casinos.
The law does not require the Australian Casinos that were licensed before passing the Interactive Gambling Act 2001 to close. However, it prohibits the opening of any new online casinos in Australia.
Online sports betting is legal in Australia. Many state governments have given license to sports bookies to operate. CentreBet, Betfair and SportingBet are a few examples.
Is It Possible For Australians To Play At Online Casinos?
The answer to this question is “yes”. Australian residents can play at Australian casinos. The IGA does not restrict Australians to log onto online casinos, to deposit funds and play their favorite online casino games.
Many online casinos accept Australian players. Some online casinos take efforts to target Australians by allowing them to do transaction in Australian dollars, offering promotions that attract Australian players and providing toll free numbers for Australian players to get customer service support.
How To Find Online Casinos That Accept Australian Players?
There are many online casinos that accept Australian players, so it is easy for Australians to choose the one that best suits their taste. By playing at online casinos does not mean that they are breaking the rule or doing something illegal. If an individual is able to find an online casino that accepts players from Australia, they can enjoy playing at the online casino. There are no restrictions for them.