Australia

Australia prohibits online casino-style gambling while allowing licensed online wagering. Under the Interactive Gambling Act 2001 (IGA), it is illegal for providers to offer certain online services to people in Australia. According to the ACMA, the banned services include:

• online casinos;
• in-play sports betting;
• sports betting services without an Australian licence;
• betting on the outcome of a lottery.

Banned services must not be advertised in Australia, and operators must not promote or offer credit for online betting.

The federal regulator is the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA). Wagering itself is licensed at state and territory level. The ACMA's register of licensed interactive gambling providers lists each provider's licensing authority, such as Liquor & Gaming NSW or the Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission. On 7 October 2026 the register showed 219 entries.

Regulator and licensing

The IGA has separate parts for:

• services that must not be provided to customers in Australia;
• the ban on credit and digital currency for certain wagering services (Part 2B);
• the ban on advertising designated interactive gambling services (Part 7A);
• the National Self-Exclusion Register (Part 7B).

The current compilation on the Federal Register of Legislation is dated 14 October 2024.

The ACMA has several enforcement tools against offshore operators:

• Website blocking: The ACMA can ask internet service providers to block websites under section 313 of the Telecommunications Act 1997. It does so for sites that provide prohibited services such as online casinos, online slots and in-play betting, sites that provide unlicensed wagering, and sites that publish ads for either. It publishes an alphabetical list of blocked sites.
• Court action: On 6 July 2026 the Federal Court ordered $24.24 million in penalties against providers and promoters of the online poker services PPPfish, Shuffle Gaming and Redraw Poker. That took total penalties in the proceedings to $29.24 million.
• Market exit: The ACMA says more than 220 online gambling services have withdrawn from the Australian market since the 2017 reforms.

Licensed wagering providers face consumer-protection duties enforced by the ACMA:

• BetStop: BetStop, the National Self-Exclusion Register, lets a person exclude themselves from all of the approximately 150 licensed wagering providers in one step. Exclusion lasts from three months up to a lifetime. Providers must close an excluded person's accounts and must not take bets from them, open new accounts for them or send them marketing.
• Credit ban: From 11 June 2024, online and telephone wagering operators may not accept payment by credit card, by funds linked to a credit card (including digital wallets), or by digital currency. The ban does not apply to lotteries.

Key rules for affiliates

The core rule is simple. Advertising prohibited services, or wagering services without an Australian licence, is illegal. Publishing such ads is also a ground for blocking a website.

The ACMA's first enforcement action against an influencer, announced on 7 July 2026, spelled out the scope. The prohibition covers posts or live streams featuring illegal services, sharing links to them, and running promotional giveaways connected to them. Individuals who promote or publicise illegal online gambling services face civil penalties of up to $59,400. Those who facilitate access, including by providing hyperlinks or directing users to the services, face penalties of up to $2,475,000. In that case the ACMA issued a formal warning to mixed martial arts fighter Jamie Mullarkey. It cited his prompt cooperation and removal of the material.

For licensed wagering brands, affiliate economics are about to change. The Interactive Gambling Amendment (Gambling Reform) Bill 2026 includes a ban on commissions to staff or affiliates based on customer activity. It also includes:

• restrictions on directly marketing inducements to new account holders in their first 14 days, to people who deregistered from BetStop in the past 3 months, and to customers identified as at risk;
• a global opt-out register for gambling advertising;
• wider restrictions on gambling advertising on TV, radio, online and in sports venues;
• new powers to take down advertisements and illegal gambling services.

Recent changes

• 11 June 2024: The credit card and digital currency ban for online and telephone wagering took effect.
• 6 July 2026: The Federal Court ordered $24.24 million in penalties in the PPPfish, Shuffle Gaming and Redraw Poker case.
• 7 July 2026: The ACMA formally warned an influencer for promoting an illegal offshore gambling service on Instagram, its first such enforcement action.
• 19 August 2026: Parliament passed the Interactive Gambling Amendment (Gambling Reform) Bill 2026. The ACMA says most of the reforms start on 1 January 2027 and that it will publish more information before then.
• 16 September 2026: Dabble Sports paid $1,069,200 in penalties and gave a court-enforceable undertaking.
  • The ACMA found the company failed to close 157 accounts of BetStop registrants.
  • It also sent 165 self-excluded people 839 messages.
  • The ACMA noted that the laws starting on 1 January 2027 will substantially increase penalties for BetStop breaches.