It’s hard to find a nation with more gambling than Australians. Even at the time of the conquest of the continent three centuries ago, gambling penetrated the mainland. Gradually, the number of residents of the country who gamble has reached the highest rates on the planet. With the advent of online gambling, Australians’ passion for the game has reached its peak. Almost 80% of Australians periodically visit the Australian online casino. Most of them have made this kind of entertainment their constant hobby. As you know, casinos are big profits. The country’s government has constantly made attempts to regulate this area. The state has a rather unusual approach in terms of licensing gambling. At the same time, the availability of a prepared infrastructure, a well-defined legislative framework and the demand for services make such a business extremely attractive. It is worth learning the nuances of online gambling regulation in Australia.
Australian Government Gaming Regulatory Process
You should first familiarize yourself with the country’s administrative structure. Few people know that the official name of the country is the Australian Union. At the same time, Australia is distinguished by a unique territorial division.
It includes:
– six states;
– 2 territories on the mainland;
– 2 separate areas.
In terms of legality, territorial governments are not much different from state governments in terms of their capabilities. Although, if the central government is not ready to pass the law at the local level of the territory, it can cancel it. This cannot be done with state laws. At the same time, gaming legislation differs in different administrative places. In the case of a decision to create a new online casino, the owner should pay attention to where the institution will be licensed. First, you need to choose the most suitable state for various parameters. Of course, it is recommended that you first study the legislation in this area of ??each state in Australia. In this case, it is imperative to take into account the main law of the country that regulates gambling. This document was adopted by the government of the country in 2001. This list also included gaming entertainment.
Influenced by the changed realities, the law was amended in 2017. In particular, issues related to the activities of online casinos were regulated. Now the owners of gambling platforms are forced to obtain an additional license from the Australian authorities. Even if they have an officially recognized international license. In addition, the law has significantly expanded the rights of users.
On the basis of the articles of the law, there are key prohibitions:
– unlicensed establishments cannot be used for gaming;
– Australian casinos are not eligible for international activities.
By the norms of this law, a ban was imposed on most of the gambling on the Internet. That is, it is almost impossible to play Aussie online pokies, poker or blackjack. Only auto racing and sports betting have received permission. And then with a time limit. You cannot place bets during the competition process. You can play online lotteries.
However, a legislative loophole was left for the development and use of online casinos. Overseas providers are allowed to obtain an Australian gaming license and conduct their business. Thus, the inhabitants of Australia enjoy their favourite entertainment, trying their luck in various card games, virtual slots, games with dealers, etc.
License obtaining scheme
Preliminarily, it is worth determining the regulator of the games of each particular state. It should be borne in mind that each of them is called differently. The decision to issue licenses for online gambling will be related to the scope of activity of a particular regulator.
The owner of an online casino who has received a license has several requirements:
– full cooperation with law enforcement agencies;
– strict adherence to the transparency of financial transactions;
– compliance with the limits on the game established in each individual state;
– when hiring personnel, observe the criteria of professionalism, people must be trained and go through the appropriate stages of selection;
– strict storage of confidential information of players;
– participation in preventive measures to combat crime in any of its manifestations.
Separately, you should familiarize yourself with the local advertising rules. For example, ads for online games are prohibited in Australia.
Differences in the laws of casino gambling in different states
It is worth paying attention to the restrictions and permissions of gambling in various administrative units of Australia:
- Capital territory. It is believed that Casino Canberra, which has been operating since the early 90s, can satisfy all the gaming needs of the capital’s residents. On the other hand, it is allowed to install slot machines in bars and hotels in a strictly limited number. There are betting restrictions. The deposit is no more than $20, and the bet during the game cannot exceed $10. State licensing is handled by the ACT Gambling and Racing Commission. You can only play poker at Casino Canberra. At the same time, charity gambling is permitted.
- There are 3 major casinos in New South Wales. It is quite easy to obtain an online casino license here. Handle licenses for the Bureau of Alcoholic Beverages, Games and Races. The upper limit of the bet in the casino is limited to 10 dollars. All winnings in excess of $5,000 are payable by check only. No welcome bonuses.
- Northern Territory. The state is dominated by licensing of betting activities. Licensing issues are handled by a special department of online games. You can bet $5 maximum per game. Winning more than $500, the client receives in the form of a check.
- Queensland. The preference for issuing licenses is given to non-profit organizations. The limit for bets per game is $5.
- South Australia. You can spend no more than $10 per game. The site owner must go through full financial and criminal controls.
- In the rest of the states and territories it is quite difficult to obtain a license. There is a limit on rates everywhere.
The regulation of gambling in the country takes place in a rather tough regime. But you can get a license if you adhere to the described rules and restrictions.
