Report broken down by state on expanding models for online gambling, lotteries, and sports betting; reserved exclusively for readers of Gambling Analytics
Contents
- 1 AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY – Australia Regulated Gambling
- 2 NEW SOUTH WALES – Australia Regulated Gambling
- 3 NORTHERN TERRITORY – Australia Regulated Gambling
- 4 QUEENSLAND – Australia Regulated Gambling
- 5 SOUTH AUSTRALIA – Australia Regulated Gambling
- 6 TASMANIA – Australia Regulated Gambling
- 7 VICTORIA – Australia Regulated Gambling
- 8 WESTERN AUSTRALIA – Australia Regulated Gambling
AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY – Australia Regulated Gambling
There are slightly fewer than 500,000 people living in the Australian Capital Territory. Casino Canberra, which has been operating since 1994, is one of the city’s gambling options. The Gaming Machine Act of 2004 legalised almost 5,000 pokies for use in the area. Limitless machines can be found in bars, nightclubs, and hotels. The maximum bet per game is $10, and the maximum bill size is $20. The ACT Gambling and Racing Commision has jurisdiction over land-based and online race and sportsbooks pursuant to the Race and Sports Bookmaking Act of 2001. Gambling for charitable purposes is permitted, but poker and other table games are illegal outside of Casino Canberra.
NEW SOUTH WALES – Australia Regulated Gambling
New South Wales is the most popular state in Australia for legal gambling. Only a fraction of the state’s more than 100,000 pokies are housed in the three casinos that make up The Star and Crown Casinos in Sydney and the Wolf Betting Casino in Terrigal. There is a per-game limit of $10 in New South Wales, unless you’re playing in one of the casinos, in which case there’s no limit. A check will be issued instead of cash for any prise over $5,000. Clubs with slot machines and TAB locations dominate the neighbourhood. About half of all Australian pubs and clubs that offer pokies are located in New South Wales. In addition to the legal online bookmakers, there are 1,133 land-based establishments where punters can place wagers. While warnings have been issued to offshore casino websites, they have been left alone for the most part, New South Wales is serious about updating the Betting and Racing Act of 1998 in 2018. With the new rule in place, it is against the law for a bookmaker to offer a bonus to players as an incentive to sign up. Policy violators have already been hit with fines of several thousand dollars from the Office for Liquor, Gaming, and Racing in New South Wales (NSW).
NORTHERN TERRITORY – Australia Regulated Gambling
The Northern Territory is better known for issuing online licences for sports betting than for its two land-based casinos, Lasseters in Alice Springs and Mindil Beach in Darwin. Online gambling is taken very seriously by the government of the Northern Territory. Compared to neighbouring states and territories, it has fewer options for land-based betting. A small number of TAB outlets and about 2,200 pokies can be found in local bars and nightclubs. The maximum bet on slot machines is $5, and payouts of more than $500 are made via check.
QUEENSLAND – Australia Regulated Gambling
In contrast to the barren landscape of the Northern Territory, Queensland is home to 47,000 machines in bars and resorts. When it comes to traditional, brick-and-mortar casinos, Queensland is unrivalled, even surpassing New South Wales. The Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control regulates gambling. The office has a division dedicated to issuing interactive gambling licences, but these licences are rarely used by for-profit businesses. The state of Queensland has a maximum betting limit of $5 and a maximum winnings limit of $25,000. While you can play the pokies with cash, you won’t need a hundred dollars because that’s all you need.
SOUTH AUSTRALIA – Australia Regulated Gambling
The Adelaide Casino (formerly known as Skycity Adelaide) is the state of South Australia’s only major casino. Only 1,000 of the 13,000 total machines in the area are located in Adelaide. South Australia does allow $10 bets in clubs, but only pays out $10,000 max. Although similar to slot machines, pokies can only be played with coins. In South Australia, you are unable to use currency in vending machines. Gambling licences and betting licences are issued by the Consumer and Business department of the South Australian government. Certification requires a person to submit to a financial and criminal history check.
TASMANIA – Australia Regulated Gambling
Tasmania’s first hotel-casino is located at Wrest Point. It has been open since 1973 when it first opened in Hobart. The Country Club Casino in Launceston didn’t open to the public until 2009. Tasmania, like the Australian Capital Territory, has a population of around 500,000. Over 3,500 slot machines ensure their comfort. However, like in South Australia, these machines only accept coins. Hotels and nightclubs only accept coins. Maximum wagers on slot machines are capped at $5, and payouts of over $1,000 must be made via check.
VICTORIA – Australia Regulated Gambling
Victoria’s finest jewel is the casino at Crown Melbourne. There’s room for 30,000 machines here. Pokies were legalised in Victoria in 1991 and are subject to the same regulations as in other states. You can put in a $20, but no more than $50. Like most of Victoria’s neighbouring states, if you win more than $1,000, you’ll receive your money by check. The minimum bet per game is $5. Among the many options available to gamblers in Victoria, the state offers the following highlights.
- Two for ANZAC!
- Calcutta lottery has been authorised
- Carnival and amusement park games
- Wagering on sanctioned races for bicycles and feet
WESTERN AUSTRALIA – Australia Regulated Gambling
The pokies are legal in bars, clubs, and hotels in the other seven states and territories. Although it was initially approved in New South Wales in 1956, Western Australia has since taken a different tack. It’s still possible to play any of the area’s 1,750 slot machines, but you’ll have to do so at the Crown Perth Casino (formerly Burswood Casino). In Western Australia, quality tends to outweigh quantity. The maximum wager is capped at $225, and the minimum RTP is increased from what you’d find elsewhere. The pokies must have a return to player percentage of at least 90%, while in other regions this number is closer to 85%.