Australia Online Casinos

The beautiful country of Australia has a long and proud history of gambling that they embrace every chance they get. Whether it’s the illustrious Melbourne Cup or a simple trip to the pokies on a Tuesday afternoon, Aussies like getting some action in whenever they can find it. The only problem these days is that it’s getting less and less convenient thanks to the government regulations that are suffocating the industry. In fact, the only other Westernized country that has restrictions as prohibitive as these is the United States, and that should speak absolute volumes.

The good news for everyone “down under” is that as long as there are people who want to wager online, there will be betting websites who will gladly welcome them through their virtual doors. However, not all operations are created equally and some of them are only out to scam you and steal your money. This is why we have a full team of research assistants based in Australia who have been in the industry for years and constantly play at online casinos and report their findings back to us. As a result, we are proud to only recommend the top options to our Aussie readers so everyone wins: they stay safe and we preserve our stellar reputation for only promoting the best.

Going online to find satisfaction has really become commonplace for residents of this “island continent” due to the massive size of the country and the fact that a small number of people are spread out over a very large land mass. However, even if you lived somewhere closer to a big city like Lorne or Geelong for example, it would still take you hours to reach the Crown Casino in Melbourne and no one has time for that. You could have finished your entire session in the time that it took you to get there and back, not to mention the gas money, traffic, meals – it all adds up quickly. It’s just so much easier to whip out your phone to make a bet.

In this day and age, it just doesn’t make sense to go to brick and mortar establishments anymore, especially when you take a good look at some of the pokie places out there. Most of them haven’t been renovated since the 1980s and the people who work there couldn’t be more miserable. In short, it’s a terrible experience – taking a virtual trip from the comfort of your own home with a stubby in your hand is the only way to go.

Best Australian Online Casinos

Finding reputable places to play hasn’t been easy in Australia since very few betting websites have operated there over the last two decades. This is because new, trusted companies have been as slow as a koala eating a eucalyptus leaf when it comes to expanding into this market.

Thankfully, not everyone gave up on Australians and we are now seeing trusted organizations enter the region to offer their services to the rabid public. Oftentimes they’re actually offshoots of established businesses who have simply rebranded themselves to be more attractive to the punters there and offer them a specialized product. For example, as we mentioned in our expert review of the Joe Fortune Casino, they’re a member of the Bodog Network of properties who have been in the industry since the mid 1990s and therefore come highly-trusted.

So who should be considered as the “best” and placed on a pedestal for all to admire? Well, that all depends on what you personally put more value on. Around here we always look at the most important aspects of an operation: security, trustworthiness, and reputation. From there we dig deeper into their bonuses, banking methods, and the quality of the customer service. We honestly break down every possible item, assign it with a grade, and then add it all up to arrive at a final ranking to be bestowed upon them…and based on reader feedback, the system works wonderfully. You just gotta love it when a plan comes together.

Australian Interactive Gambling Act of 2001

Many people are concerned with the Australian laws regarding online gambling because it’s vitally important to always know what is or isn’t legal in your jurisdiction. Well, we’re very happy to report that currently all citizens from Perth to Sydney and from Adelaide to Darwin can wager at internet casinos without fear of government interference or arrest. This is due to the fact that the laws relate to the operator and not the individual who’s placing the bets and therefore, if you can get your money in, you’re good to go. The main law affecting the situation is the Interactive Gambling Act (IGA) that was passed in June 2001 and ensured years of red tape for those who simply wanted to enjoy a bit of a punt from the comfort of their own homes.

At the time, the government of course claimed that they were only trying to protect Australians from all of the pain and suffering that supposedly comes with gambling, however, there’s just one problem: the law allows online sports betting. Yes, you read that correctly – the government in Oz decided that laying down $10 on the Geelong Wildcats is “no worries” while enjoying a few spins on the pokies is a cardinal sin. The hypocrisy with this law is astounding and it’s no wonder why many people there choose to ignore it.

All of this is further confused by the fact that historically the industry has been regulated at a state or territory level and not federally. Therefore, the specifics of the laws can change from region to region.

So what’s the silver lining in all of this? Well, it’s like we mentioned above: the laws only apply to the companies providing the services and not the people using them. Therefore, it’s totally legal for Australians to gamble online – it’s just the entities taking those bets who place themselves at risk of being fined by the government.

Are Australian Online Casinos Regulated?

Many readers have contacted us asking, “Ok – so if the government isn’t monitoring these online casinos, just who the heck is?” and that’s an absolutely valid question to have. The answer is simple: each website is regulated by countries other than Australia and are permitted to operate in whichever jurisdictions their license allows for. They are then bound to the rules and regulations of that governing body and are ultimately answerable to them.

In addition, everyone that we promote on this website has their games tested for fairness by a 3rd party auditing company who ensures that they all pay out the exact amount that they’re supposed to. Whether it’s slot machines or table games, all software has a random number generator that dictates how often winning combinations are realized by the players. This “RNG” can be manipulated to any percentage so it’s the operators themselves who welcome the audits to show their customers that they’re trustworthy and to increase transparency.

The only real issue that can arise for players is when you have a serious complaint because if an offshore entity tells you to “get stuffed” you’ll have little recourse on what to do next. This is the case in many other countries too like the USA and Canada, and it’s simply a part of life that one becomes accustomed to. Jurisdictions like the United Kingdom have a full complaints process with formal channels that allow disgruntled players to file grievances that will be investigated by regulators. Then a final decision will be arrived at with the conclusions being totally binding and the operator is powerless to dispute it further.

Therefore, your best option is to only play at places that have been fully reviewed and rated by professional websites such as this one.

Play Real Money Online Slots in Australia

Since sports betting has been legal for a long time, most Australians want to know how to play real money online slots and get cash back if they win. It obviously takes a bit more trust when compared to sitting down in front of a pokie machine in person at a brick and mortar establishment, but if you only go to the recommended companies above you’ll never have any problems.

In terms of how to fund your account and how you will end up getting paid, it’s easy to deposit at online casinos since all of the top ones will happily accept Master Card and VISA, however, the acceptance rate for the transactions can fluctuate wildly. This means that sometimes the purchases will be rejected by the issuing bank, usually as a result of them suspecting that you’re using the funds for gambling. Once this happens your card is flagged so don’t even waste your time trying it again.

Therefore, Aussies find themselves in the same predicament as Yanks when it comes to this obstacle and there’s only one way to ensure that your deposit goes through each and every time: cryptocurrency. Everyone’s heard of it but there are still many out there who are scared to try it, however, we can confirm that these fears are not founded in any type of rational thought. This is because once you start using it you can send anyone in the world any amount of money and the whole thing only takes minutes to complete. Not to mention, it’s also totally private and anonymous as well.

Regardless of the banking method you ultimately choose, the transaction is totally secure and your funds will immediately be in your account and ready to wager as soon as it’s completed. Then when you want to withdraw your winnings you can request a check by mail that you can cash at your local bank once received, or a wire transfer directly into your account if the amount is large enough to justify the fees. Both of these methods take some time so you probably won’t get your money for a few weeks. Of course, if you’ve deposited with BTC you can get paid the same way, with the entire process being completed in no longer than 48 hours.