The Interactive Gambling Act 2001 (the IGA) is the federal law that decides what online gambling may be offered in Australia. Almost everything players find confusing about Australian online casinos traces back to one feature of this Act: it regulates the operators who provide gambling, not the people who use it.
What the Act does
The IGA makes it an offence to provide certain online gambling services to people physically in Australia. The word “provide” is the key. The Act never criminalises the act of playing – it targets the company on the other side of the screen. That is why you will never find a penalty aimed at an Australian player anywhere in it.
What it prohibits
Under the IGA, an operator may not offer the following to people in Australia:
- Online casino games – pokies, blackjack, roulette and the rest.
- Online poker played for real money.
- Live-dealer games streamed to players.
- Online in-play (live) sports betting – bets placed online after a match has started.
Because no Australian company can legally offer the first three, the entire online casino market serving Australians is based offshore, under foreign licences.
What it allows
The IGA leaves several forms of online gambling legal, provided the operator is licensed:
- Pre-match sports and race betting with licensed Australian bookmakers.
- Telephone in-play betting – live bets are fine by phone, just not online.
- Online lotteries and keno through licensed providers.
Licensed Australian wagering operators also face rules offshore sites ignore – for example, they cannot advertise sign-up bonuses, which is why promotions are so much larger at offshore casinos.
Why players aren’t penalised
This is the point worth repeating, because so much online commentary gets it wrong. There is no offence for an Australian who deposits at and plays an offshore casino. The IGA simply did not make playing a crime – it set out to limit what could be sold into the Australian market. The practical consequence is a legal grey zone that is perfectly safe for you personally, but where the sites themselves operate outside Australian oversight.
How it is enforced
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) enforces the IGA. Its powers are aimed squarely at operators:
- Investigating services suspected of breaching the Act.
- Issuing formal warnings, infringement notices and fines.
- Applying to court for civil penalties or injunctions.
- Notifying overseas licensing authorities about an operator’s conduct.
- Directing Australian internet providers to block illegal offshore services.
What the ACMA cannot do is recover your money or settle an individual dispute – it is a regulator, not an ombudsman. If a payout goes wrong at an offshore casino, the right routes are the casino’s own licensing authority and the steps on our player disputes page.
Recent changes
The Act itself dates from 2001, but the rules around it keep moving. The most significant recent change is the credit card ban: since 11 June 2024, licensed Australian online wagering providers can no longer accept credit cards, credit-related products or cryptocurrency, with the ACMA enforcing penalties of up to A$247,500. That ban applies to legal Australian wagering services only – offshore casinos, being outside Australian law, still accept cards and crypto.
What it means for you
For a player, the IGA boils down to a short list: you can bet legally with licensed local bookmakers and play licensed lotteries and keno; you can legally play at offshore casinos, but with no Australian safety net if things go wrong; and you will never be the one the law pursues. For the full regulatory picture, including state rules and taxes, see our gambling laws guide.
This page is general information for players, not legal advice. If gambling has stopped being fun, free and confidential support is available 24/7 on 1800 858 858 – see our responsible gambling page.