Australia

Get the scoop on Australia’s casino licensing laws.

The IGA or Interactive Gambling Act was passed in 2001 to legalize online gaming and create new gaming regulations. This act was passed by the Commonwealth Parliament and was approved by the Governor-General of Australia. The passage of this act was a significant milestone for the Australian gambling market. The initial policy set in place by the governor-General was meant to prevent the rise of gambling addiction and the new law required the Australian gambling community to adapt to a wide range of new standards and regulations.

The objective of the Interactive Gambling Act is to seek out illegal interactive gambling operators and does not have any effect on current or potential customers. According to this act, casinos could now offer interactive gambling services to customers that live in Australia. In 2009, a report stated that approximately AUD$790 million was spent on offshore gambling sites.

With the lifting of the ban on online gambling, this act also created a favourable environment for all types of gambling in Australia. This act allows online casinos to expand their services to residents across Australia. The act also made it possible for Australians to participate in online sports betting and any type of online gambling as long as they are not the operators of the online casino. The Interactive Gambling Act also allows for the purchase of lottery tickets online as well as online lotteries. The one exception to online lotteries is online scratch lotteries and online instant lotteries – both of which are not allowed because in essence they are no different from other games that are initiated by the player.