The country of Australia is well known for its unique and often terrifying wildlife. Koalas, kangaroos, snakes and venomous spiders all cohabitate this country. Perhaps what is less well-known but equally as important to Australians is their love of gambling. They host one of the largest horse races in the world, the Melbourne Cup. As technology has progressed, more and more betting has shifted online, instead of in brick-and-mortar establishments. Despite the fact that online betting in live casinos is somewhat unregulated, Australians have embraced this shift, and continue their hobby from a computer or phone.
Overview:
Despite being quite a liberal nation in some regards, Australia is incredibly strict when it comes to online gambling. Gambling laws are determined by each state, but there are some overarching federal laws that also exist. As of August 9, 2017, most online casinos were banned. This means that it is illegal to operate an online casino and offer these services to Australian players. Australia differentiates between different types of gambling. For example, sports betting is perfectly fine, and punters can place sports bets online, as well as different forms of lottery and bingo. But online casinos and live casinos are considered illegal, unless they operate on online betting aside for casino gambling.
Although it is technically in the gray area for Australians to access live gambling sites, currently they will not be penalized for continuing to play on a site that accepts them. This places the majority of the blame on the providers and hopes that by exerting this pressure, they just won’t offer betting services to Australian players. This will then prevent Australians from accessing sites at all. Although the future of live casinos looks bleak, Australians can still play online with no risk of trouble.
Safety:
Australian players need to exercise caution when it comes to playing on live casinos. Because it is illegal for live casinos to advertise to an Australian audience or accept Australian clients, many of the safest and most popular casinos have chosen to follow the law. There are still a number of decent sites that will accept Australians, but there are also many that are incredibly unsafe and unregulated. This means that users need to be certain the sites they are on are okay. A great way to tell is to read online reviews, to see if there are any negative patterns. All casinos listed on this website are legitimate and practice fair-play when it comes to teating and retaining their customers.
Due to the fact that using live casinos is technically problematic, Australian punters need to be cautious when playing on them, even on “safe” sites. If anything were to go wrong, their legal protection is fairly mild, owing to the fact that they are engaging in a “gray zone” activity. There are some reputable sites that accept Australians, so the risk of getting scammed or having information stolen is low, but always still possible.
Deposits:
Ideally, Australians need to find sites that will accept AUD. There are some that do, but not all of them. You can still play on sites that don’t accept AUD, but you may need to convert to a different currency (EUR, GBP, USD, etc.), and live casinos can often charge hefty conversion fees. Avoid this as much as possible. and find casinos that accept payments in the Local Australian currency.
There are generally quite a few payment methods available to Australian players, so that they can play using methods that are convenient to them. Most sites will accept payments via MasterCard and Visa, eWallets like Skrill and Neteller, as well as wire transfers and eChecks. This may vary depending on the site, and some sites may also charge fees for some methods, so you should always check that.
Security:
Because Australian players are not really protected by law, they need to be extra careful when using sites, and ensuring that the security is appropriate. All live casinos should have information on their website that explicitly states all of the necessary steps that the casino takes, in order to keep information secure. Ideally, you should be looking for sites that utilize SSL encryption, and explicitly state that they will not sell your information to third parties. There are many great sites that do offer this kind of security and protection, so there is no need to settle for unsafe choices.
Pros:
- There are many great live casinos for Australians to choose from
- Although it is in a legally gray area, there are no penalties for individual bettors playing online.
Cons:
- It is considered as acceptable, but questionable legally.
- Not all live casinos offer services to Australian bettors
- Not all sites accept AUD and may charge expensive conversions