Playing poker online has become extremely popular around the world in the last few years and has produced some of the world’s finest professional players. Australia is no exception. The legal landscape concerning gambling in this country can be a bit on the confusing side at times. Each individual territory is responsible for determining its own fate regarding gambling laws.
There are also several national gambling laws known as the Interactive Gambling Act (IGA) and the Interactive Gambling Amendment Bill of 2016, both of which play a role in the market. All in all, it’s a lot to sort through. This page of our guide is designed to provide helpful information to assist poker players such as yourself in determining what Australian online gambling options are legally available to you.
Is Online Poker Legal In Australia?
The Interactive Gaming Act is one of the national Australian gambling laws that regulates state-licensed online gambling in the country. One provision of this law is that online gambling sites that operate within Australian borders are not permitted to offer their services to Australian residents. Until recently, this was the only real restriction that Aussie poker players faced concerning online poker.
However, with the recent addition of the Interactive Gambling Amendment Bill of 2016, it is now also illegal to access offshore online poker sites, unless they are licensed by an offshore jurisdiction and Australia. This change dramatically alters the gambling market for Australian players. Pro-poker advocates attempted to present their position against the bill to the Australian Senate’s Environment and Communications References Committee.
Afterward, the Committee prepared a report regarding the issue, which was submitted on 9/21/2017. The Committee, however, did not write the sympathetic report the pro-poker advocates desired and only delayed the legalization until a more structured National Consumer Protection Framework was in place.
The Best Online Poker Australia Has To Offer
| Site Name | Bonus Offer | Rating | AU Friendly | Visit Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 100% up To $1,000 |  |  | PLAY NOW |
Types Of Poker In Australia
- Texas Holdem
- Omaha
- 5 Card Draw
- 7 Card Draw
- Stud (Most Variations)
- Poker Tournaments: Sit-And-Go, Knockout
- Video Poker
- Poker Machines
How To Play Online Poker In Australia
Since domestic poker in AUS is limited to in-person cardrooms, the only online option is to join an offshore gambling site. We’ve listed our top AUS poker sites and the legalities surrounding them elsewhere in this guide.
Joining and playing real money hand is easy. Just click on any link to a poker site we endorse and locate the join button at the top of the page. After entering some brief account details and creating a login, you’ll be prompted to deposit funds into your online wallet. After you’ve funded your account, click the poker button and find the table you want to join.
FAQs
Is Online Poker Software Fair?
A number of people are skeptical about the fairness of gambling online. It is often perceived that because there is no live person dealing with the cards, the poker games cannot be fair or rigged. If you are playing at a less-than-reputable or questionable poker room, the legitimacy of the software being 100% random can be questioned.
However, if you are playing at a licensed poker site that is legitimately regulated, such as those found on this page, then they are monitored for specific standards of fair gaming. Random number generators are integrated into interactive gaming software to ensure genuinely random results. This technology is consistently audited during regulatory oversight of licensed poker sites. RNG technology employs a sophisticated algorithm that is able to return billions of combinations, thereby ensuring completely random results. Yes, online poker games are fair.
What Are The Benefits Of Online Cardrooms In AUS?
As is the case with any service you can access online, convenience is one of the nicest perks of mobile poker apps. Being able to enjoy real money poker gambling from the convenience of your computer or mobile device adds an unparalleled benefit that brick-and-mortar poker rooms cannot compete with. This appeals to the players who don’t have access to legal local poker gambling where they live or who don’t have the time or resources to visit these destinations.
There are a host of additional benefits to playing poker online, including the following:
- Very attractive bonus offers and promotions (you don’t find these in land-based poker rooms)
- The fast pace of the games (increases the hands-per-hour ratio)
- 24/7 access to real money games and tournaments – play whenever you want to from the comfort of your own home
- Free play mode for learning new games, trying out new strategies
- Convenient online access to event qualifiers such as the annual WSOP and other big tournaments.
Can I Ante Up Using AUD?
The short answer is yes, but you’ll need to check the banking suite at each gambling site. Some sites do, in fact, allow Australian players to deposit and withdraw in AUD, but not all of them.
What Online Poker Sites Are Legal In Australia?
The Interactive Gambling Amendment Bill was signed into law in late 2017. It restricts all domestic poker games to AUS in-person casinos. The online poker sites listed on this page were able to offer a legally sanctioned destination for Australian residents seeking legal real-money online poker options. However, due to this law, offshore poker sites will be considered illegal unless they receive a gaming license from Australia as well. That being said, there has not been any official action that we’re aware of to enforce this restriction, and Aussie poker players have continued to enjoy online poker action, though we cannot guarantee that this will always be the case.
Although the Australian Senate’s Environment and Communications References Committee gave pro-poker advocates a chance, the new bill did not provide provisions for online poker and made it no longer legal for Australian punters to play poker online at internationally licensed poker sites. 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.
How To Tell If A Gambling Site Is Legit
Any reputable online cardroom will feature their credentials at the bottom of their homepage or within their terms and conditions. These should include the regulatory bodies that govern them, their license number, and their country of residence. If any site lacks this data, you should avoid them.
Other Pages Of Interest
Online Casinos In Australia – Poker isn’t the only game in town. Australian residents can legally enjoy online casino action. The casinos we recommend accept all Australian players and offer real money games such as blackjack, roulette, pokies, slots and much more. We only list the most reputable sites that are legally licensed and have an excellent history with players.
More Help With AUS Gambling