Best online casinos in Australia 2023
The million dollar question: are real money online casinos legal in Australia? Technically not. The 2011 Interactive Gambling Act clearly states that casino sites are not allowed to accept bets from Aussie players.
Does that mean you can't play online casino games and win cash prizes legally in Australia? Absolutely not! Social casinos are 100% legal and safe. They might be even better than the real thing.
This guide explains the differences between these sites and regular casinos, how to play pokies and other casino games online, as well as how to cash out your winnings.
Let’s start with our experts’ choice of the top AU casino sites to play at legally.
Top Australian online casino sites
Online casinos to avoid
Not every Aussie online casino is trustworthy or worth your time, and this is why our team of expert Australian gamblers takes a deep dive into every site we review to uncover every single feature that will affect your gaming experience.
We have a very stringent set of criteria related to safety, security, game choice, bonus terms and fairness. We will not recommend online casino sites unless they pass all these checks. Below, you’ll find a list of online casinos in Australia that we currently advise you to avoid. Should you decide to go ahead and try them out, we advise you to use extreme caution.
A closer look at the best online casino Australia has to offer
What do best Australian online casinos offer? Our team of experts have scored the below sites as offering a superb overall online casino gaming experience.
This shortlist is based on our transparent and objective list of rating criteria, which includes the games selection, the payment options offered, the bonus size and fairness, and how user-friendly is each Australian online casino we tested.
| Rank | Casino | Number of games | Payout speed | More about the casino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
#1
| Gambino Slots | 150+ | 0-4 days | |
#2
| My Jackpot | 100 | N/A | |
#3
| Vera Vegas | 90 | N/A |
Features of top rated Australian casino sites
So what features does the best Australian online casino possess? Here is what you should expect to find when trying out new gambling sites and playing casino games online.
⭐ Best online casino Australia | Gambino Slots |
🏆 Best casino for highest payouts | Gambino Slots |
✅ Min. Deposit | AU$10 |
🎰 Top pokies | Book of Amun Magic, License to Win, Luxury Living |
🎁 Max. Bonus | Free chips + free spins |
Online gambling and real money casinos available in Australia – the laws
The Australian online casino industry may appear confusing at first, but in reality the law is very simple to understand. Land-based gambling is regulated both at state level and by state governments, with all wagering related to lotteries, sports and casino games requiring a licence that is granted by the state or by a specific territory.
Online gambling sites do not fall within the purview of this licence, and for a while they operated in limbo. Many online casinos opened their doors to Australian online casino players. Although players could access a real money online casino in Australia, there was no law regulating the provision of such services. With no licence required and nothing to distinguish trustworthy operators from the cowboys, players were pretty much left to their own devices.
In 2011 the situation changed drastically, and the Interactive Gambling Act 2011 (IGA) was enacted to specifically to tackle the Australian casinos situation. Although the law made provision for the licensing of online sports betting, this licence wasn’t extended to regular online casinos. Instead, the law completely outlawed all regular AU online casinos that offered real money games like pokies, card games, poker and live dealer tables.
Most online casinos exited the market but this did not stop all unauthorised offshore casinos from continuing to offer their services to Australian players. Thus, in 2017, the IGA was further amended in order to address the situation. Among other things, it:
- made internet providers responsible for blocking gambling content from unauthorised ISPs
- restricted gambling companies from accepting bets without deposited funds
- introduced stricter penalties for AU casinos operating or advertising illegal gambling
The year 2019 brought more updates to further protect consumers by taking the following steps:
- It introduced a national self-exclusion register
- It put the responsibility on gambling companies to prevent registered individuals from accessing gambling services
- It enabled nationwide self-exclusion via one registration database
In view of this, you may be forgiven for assuming that there is no way to legally play real money casino games in Australia. However, this is not the case thanks to a loophole in the IGA. Under this loophole, social casinos are not considered gambling sites, because players can enjoy playing online casino games without placing real money bets.
It is perfectly possible to play endlessly at a social casino without ever spending a single dollar. However, for those who enjoy the thrill of real money wagering, the system also offers the option of playing for gold coins, with wins that are redeemable for real cash and rewards that can be withdrawn.
In this guide, we only recommend such social casino sites that allow players to enjoy themselves without falling foul of the law.
How we carry out Aussie casino reviews
How do we decide which are the best online casino sites in Australia? Our team of experts have a very precise process to help them sniff out the bad apples and to make sure that we only recommend the top Australian licensed online casinos.
Below, we’ll explain in detail the criteria that we use consistently in order to determine which are the top Australian online casinos.
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Bonuses and cash prizes
Our experts give priority to the size and the terms attached to the bonuses. The best online casinos in Australia are not the ones that offer deposit bonus offers, but social sites that shower you with free coins and spins upon registration without needing to spend a penny.Moreover, with social gambling there won’t be any wagering requirements attached. We give top scores to no deposit casinos like Gambino, which offers 200 free spins and 100,000 free coins. Online casino bonuses that are offered daily in addition to the welcome bonus, like the hourly 50,000 free chips at Heart of Vegas, are also something our experts look for.
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Casino games and software
The whole point of finding the top casino in Australia is to play casino games online, so sites with a bigger selection score higher. Aussie online gambling sites focus mostly on online pokies and jackpots, and our top scorers offer at least 100 or more.This is why MyJackpot is one of our top scorers, with a collection of 200+ online pokies and progressive jackpot pokies. Bonus points go to sites offering live casino games and sports betting options, though these are rare to find at an Australian real money online casino.
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Payment methods and cashier policy
The guarantee that you can make secure payments is one of our top most criteria when ranking an online casino in Australia. We look for online gambling sites that offer highly secure transactions using reputable payment methods like PayPal, Visa, Google Play and the like.We also expect to see a choice of at least four payment options that are popular with Oz players. Heart of Vegas tops this, offering six options that include all the above, among others. This is another reason the site receives consistently high scores from our experts.
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Safety and licensing
Most Australian online casinos do not need to be licensed by a regulator such as the UK Gambling Commission and the Malta Gaming Authority, as they’re not considered actual online gambling sites.Instead, our experts look at other safety features, such as whether they’re audited by independent companies. Gambino Slots and Heart of Vegas, for example, are audited by eCOGRA and BeGambleAware.org, so this scores them extra points.We also look at partnerships with reputable payment providers such as Visa, or casino software companies like Gambino’s partnership with Spiral Interactive. These are all indications that a site is deemed trustworthy.
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Mobile app experience
The latest statistics show that 85% of gamers in Australia used their smartphone. So of course, the best Aussie online casinos are those that are fully mobile-responsive and offer the best experience no matter what device you are using.Gambino Slots, for instance, not only have an excellent dedicated app but also lets you play directly via your Facebook app for full mobility. Heart of Vegas started life as part of the Facebook app and today also offers iOS and Android apps. This is the approach we like to see at the best online casinos in Australia.
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Customer Support
If you don not offer stellar customer support, you’re not making on our list of top casinos online in Australia, simple as that. We look for casino sites that offer 24/7 live chat option with efficient replies that take under 30 minutes. Offering e-mail or phone options gets you bonus points, and we do think that FAQs on site are a basic minimum.Gambino Slots offers all these options, which is why it scores a touch higher with our experts than Heart of Vegas, which only has a phone option.
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Ease of use
An Australian real money casino site that makes you work hard to find your way around the site ruins all the fun. This is why our experts take a good look at the design and user-friendliness of a site, because no-one wants to waste time trying to figure out how to get to their favourite games.The best Aussie online casinos have a fast registration process. Heart of Vegas casino is unbeatable here, as you can log in via your Facebook profile in a couple of seconds. They also have game filters, search functions and easy-to-find terms and conditions for full transparency.
Popular online casino types
Online gambling in Australia has gained considerably in popularity and apart from classic land-based casinos you’ll find many different types of online sites. Let’s take a look at the most popular among Australian casino site players.
Your favourite free online pokies & other casino games
We have a massive collection of free pokies games that are perfect for Australian players. Here is a quick breakdown of some of the leading games that we offer for free.
Online gambling & bonuses in AU - the ones to watch
For many players, the best online casino in Australia is the one that offers the best casino bonus. It’s understandable, as one of the strongest attractions of these sites is the fact that you’re guaranteed free coins, and very often free spins as well, as soon as you register.
Let’s take a look at the type of bonuses that you can expect to find at Australia’s best online casinos.
Popular payment methods
Although you are not obliged to pay anything to play games at online casinos in Australia, you may wish to buy additional coins or packages. These are the top payment options that you’re likely to find at the best sites.
Playing at an online casino – AU beginner’s guide
So you’ve heard what our experts have to say and you’re all set to start playing at an Australia casino online. If this is your first time, we’ve got you covered with a step-by-step Aussie gambling guide to registering so you can start playing within a few minutes.
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Find an Aussie online casino you’d like to try
You will find our experts’ top-rated online casinos in Australia from this page. You can simply follow our link to get started speedily.
- 2
Create your online casino account
The sign-up button is usually very clearly visible on the home page. Some sites will ask for your personal details, while others can link your Google or Facebook accounts to avoid you the hassle.
- 3
Check the payment options on offer
You won’t need to deposit any money to start playing, but it’s always a good idea to be aware of all the options so you can plan ahead.
- 4
Pick up your free coins and start playing
We suggest that you keep your gold coins for when you’ve had some practice, as these can be exchanged for real prizes and rewards.
Why Casino.org?
Our team of experts have local knowledge of the best online casinos for Australian players, and they follow a data-driven, transparent process to ensure they only recommend the sites with the best pokies, games and bonus offers. All our recommended casinos are 100% legal and safe for Australians.
The best bonuses available to Aussie players
All recommended sites personally tested by casino experts
All casinos checked for strict security measures
Sourcing sites with the best selection of provably fair games
Information on Australian Problem Gambling
If you or someone you know might have an online gambling problem, we recommend that you seek help:
- ProblemGambling.gov.au - Relevant information resource on the dangers associated with online problem gambling.
- Problem Gambling Helpline - Free, easy and convenient helpline for anyone that is affected by a gambling concern. They can be contacted at 1800 858 858.
- The ACT Gambling And Racing Commission - The Act provides for the continued administration of certain Acts relating to gambling and racing.
Australian online casino FAQs
What is the best online casino in Australia?
Gambino Slots is one of our experts’ top-rated online casino for Aussie, players. There are many other sites to choose from, but not all offer the same high standard of security and quality. To discover more reliable options, check out our list of best online casinos in Australia.
What online casinos are legit in Australia?
Real money casinos in Australia are not quite legal, however the law allows for social casinos to operate. Social casinos have the advantage of allowing you to play their games without having to pay a deposit, while still making it possible for you to win cash and withdraw it. For more details check out our section about Australia online gambling laws.
Are there any real online casinos in Australia?
Yes, there are real online casinos in Australia. Although regular casinos are not legal, the laws allows social casinos which don’t require you to pay money to play their games. These still function as real online casinos, as players can still win cash and withdraw their winnings. For more information about these, check out our section about social casinos versus regular casinos.
Is it legal to gamble online in Australia?
It is perfectly legal to gamble at land-based casinos, but the law regarding Australia online casinos is different. Regular online casinos are not allowed, and Australian players using such offshore casinos will not be protected under Australian law. However, social casinos that offer the option of playing games totally for free are 100% legal.
What are the most popular online casino games in Australia?
The most popular online casinos games in Australia are pokies and progressive jackpots, according to the most recent statistics. Live dealer games and table games are slowly growing in popularity, but the vast majority of players still prefer to spin the reels.
Live Australian Casinos
If you want to play offline, in a brick and mortar casino, these are our top picks:
- The Star - 80 Pyrmont St, Pyrmont NSW 2009, Australia, Telephone: +61 1800 700 700
- Lasseters Hotel Casino - 93 Barrett Dr, Alice Springs NT 0870, Australia, Telephone: +61 8 8950 7777
- Crown Perth - Great Eastern Hwy, Burswood WA 6100, Australia, Telephone: +61 1800 556 688
The minimum legal age to enter a casino in Australia is 18 years old.
Social casinos vs real money online casinos – is there a difference?
Many Australian players wonder about the difference between a social casino and a real money online casino. Social online Australian casinos do not oblige you to make a deposit. Instead, they give access to free casino games.
That said, you’ll still be able to win actual money and cash prizes. Although the law does not consider them to be a real money gambling site under Australian law, the reality is that from a player’s perspective they very much are.
Which is all great news for Aussie players looking for a real casino experience that’s 100% legal and safe. Below, you will find a list of the main differences, advantages and disadvantages between the two.
You don’t spend your money
Practice before laying down a real money wager
Co-operative play adds a social dimension
Considered 100% legal in Australia
Cashing out winnings can take longer
Cashing out winnings is simpler
You need to risk money before playing for real
Very easy to spend more than you planned
Safety and security standards differ wildly between sites
Players aren’t protected under Australian law
You don’t spend your money
Cashing out winnings is simpler
Practice before laying down a real money wager
You need to risk money before playing for real
Co-operative play adds a social dimension
Very easy to spend more than you planned
Considered 100% legal in Australia
Safety and security standards differ wildly between sites
Cashing out winnings can take longer
Players aren’t protected under Australian law