Online casinos are still banned in Australia, with no imminent plans to allow real money gambling sites to be licensed and begin operating within this country. Australia is also strict when it comes to offshore online casinos with the government actively blocking gambling sites and issuing penalties to companies deemed to have breached the local laws. While many offshore online casinos still accept Australians and can be readily found, the Australian Gambling List chooses to not promote them, with this article intended to be a guide on what is available in the future.

Top online casinos in Australia

There are not any licensed online casinos in Australia, with all play happening at offshore gambling sites in 2024. There is an appetite to license online casinos in Australia, however the monopoly land-based venues like Crown Melbourne and Star Sydney have over gambling in their states is throwing up issues.

The best online casinos globally, of which many don’t accept Australian patronage, have thousands of real money casino games, are accessible via mobile, have some great bonus offers and promotions and enjoy a high level of regulation.

The casino games available at online casinos include thousands of pokies, or slots, blackjack, roulette, poker and baccarat. Basically anything you can play at land-based casinos you will find at the digital equivalent, while there also tends to be more variants at online casinos.

Live dealer casino games are very popular in Australia and globally and are perhaps the biggest innovation in recent years of the gambling industry. These types of games allow you to watch a video feed of a real dealer, while you place your bets, or make your decisions via a digital table. Games available in live casino play include blackjack, roulette, baccarat and even unique, online-only titles, like Monopoly and Football Manager.

Mobile casinos can be accessed via both mobile casino sites and casino apps. Generally mobile casinos will be a stripped back version of the desktop website. Mobile casinos have improved so much with the always-improving internet penetration and the greater investment in this type of iGaming.

Casino apps globally are very popular, although even more restricted in Australia than mobile casinos. For instance, you will never find an iOS casino app in 2024, while most gambling companies also don’t market their Android apps to Aussies. In the future, when online casinos are legal down under, we expect Android and iOS casino apps to launch for all the major brands that enter the market.

Funding online casinos is also a crucial part of wagering online and is one of the key ways governments curb gambling, via blocking payments. Once legal casino sites are available in Australia we can expect popular banking methods like Paypal, Visa, Mastercard, Apple Pay and G-Pay to be available to fund accounts.

Best online casino apps in Australia

While Australians cannot access gambling apps legally, they are a very popular way to wager on casino games internationally. When online casinos become legal in Australia the two main types of casino apps will be Android and iOS, which are both frequently used across Australia.

The top casino apps will give you access to thousands of casino games, all of the banking options, customer service, promotions and basically everything you would find on the desktop website. Android and iOS casino apps usually mirror each other when it comes to what’s available, with the difference, simply what devices they will run on.

To download an iOS casino app you will need to create an account at an online casino, with it likely you will be prompted to download their app, after you have registered. While there are no real money casino apps in the iOS Store in Australia, this is where the downloads will be available if online casinos are legalised in the future.

Android casino apps are sometimes available in Australia, although we choose not to promote them. These Android casino apps are generally downloaded directly from gambling sites, rather than from the Google Play store, with this because of local laws. Android users will be familiar with the non-market app setting which allow them to download apps from third party sources. Often when downloading casino app you must change this setting to allow them.

Top AU casino bonus bonus offers 2024

Online casinos and bonus offers

This is the big advantage online casinos have over their land-based rivals — they don’t have big overheads so they can afford to give more back to the customer. And while online casino bonuses usually come with heavy wagering requirements, you can walk away a winner from using a bonus.

While the offshore casino sites that do accept Australians have bonus offers, we choose not to promote them. This is not to say some offers that are available are not safe, it’s just a reflection on the current laws in this part of the world, which are heavily restrictive.

If online casinos are legalised in Australia there is likely to be heavy regulation surrounding bonus offers and new account incentives, with this mirroring the legislation surrounding free bets and bonuses at Australian sports betting sites.

Some of the more common bonuses you will find at Australian online casinos include:

• Welcome/Matched deposit bonus: This is when an online casino gives you something for opening your account. Often it will come in the form of a matched deposit. For instance, you might deposit $100 and receive a 100% match up to the value of $100. Meaning you will have a total of $200 to bet with. All of the best online casinos will have a welcome package available to new players.
• Free spins: These are redeemed on the slots and most online casinos have ongoing promotions surrounding these games. Many casinos will give new players 100 free spins over the first five days they have their account, as a way of getting the customer to come back and play again after the initial deposit. In the UK, legislation makes casinos call them bonus spins, or extra spins, rather than the “deceptive” free spins. On top of free spins often being a part of online casino sign up bonus offers, they can often be acquired through other ongoing promotions.
• No-deposit bonus: As it sounds, the no-deposit bonus is when the casino gives you some cash to try out the games. Often the wagering requirements will be unrealistic on this type of bonus, but they can be a great way to get the vibe of the casino before depositing real money. Be aware, many casinos online will have a no deposit bonus available, but it will be net to impossible to profit from it.
• Cash back offers: Usually taking the form of a percentage of your losses, cash back offers can be great for VIP players at online casinos. A 2 or 5 per cent cash back scheme with low wagering requirements can be worth a lot more to a whale than a few hundred bonus when they sign up. Usually cash back schemes will be part of a VIP scheme, set up by many of the top casinos.
• Casino VIP memberships: These can be very beneficial and many online casinos run them. They can include things such as lower wagering requirements on bonuses, exclusive bonuses, free cashouts, cash back offers and your very own dedicated VIP customer service member. Many of the best online casinos will offer VIP memberships to players they deem to be high value. VIP programs are already popular Australian online bookmakers, so expect to see these types of incentives surrounding gambling sites.

Real money casino games available online

While nothing quite matches the thrill of walking on to the gaming floor at Crown Casino in Melbourne, or Star Sydney, if we’re being honest the game selection odds of you winning are just as good online.

The selection of live dealer games is a welcome addition and has heralded the true arrival of online casinos globally, with most gambling sites now featuring enough real money titles to please most players.

While many online casinos will allow Australian to play in free-play or practice mode, there are no legal gambling sites based in this part of the world.

Some of the more prominent games played at the top casinos online include:

Online poker

Australians love online poker, but unfortunately following the update to the Interactive Gambling Act, poker sites like Pokerstars and 888Poker have withdrawn from the market. While there are online poker sites that will accept Australians they are not in the same class as the aforementioned websites. Texas Hold’em, 5 Card Stud, Omaha are just some of the variants available at online poker sites .

Pontoon

Pontoon is a very similar casino game to blackjack in a lot of aspects, however there are a few key differences. Pontoon allows players to double down, before they play out the hand, taking multiple hits or “twists”. This means players can double down after they receive a third card. Online Pontoon games are commonly found at the top casinos online.

Caribbean Stud:

A poker variation where players bet against the dealer, rather than against each other. Caribbean Stud has adapted extremely well to the online world, with many casinos stocking this as a live game. Microgaming, Playtech and NetEnt all have multiple versions of Caribbean Stud available in both RNG games and live dealer. Read our guide to Caribbean Stud for more information.

Baccarat

Online baccarat is one of those games where it doesn’t really matter if you are playing at home or at the Bellagio. The house edge is low, the stakes are usually high and the rules are simple. Online it’s exactly the same with live dealer and RNG-based versions available. One of the best things things about playing baccarat at online casino sites is that often the table limits will be more friendly to those of us who don’t have massive bankrolls. Read more about baccarat.

Craps:

Craps is one of the oldest casino games and is really quite simple despite appearing busy and confusing when playing live. Without proper guidance and understanding you can lose money quickly when playing, so be sure to read our how to play Craps guide. Craps is not found as frequently at online casinos, as it is in land-based venues with it often much more possible to play at RNG version, than a live dealer Craps game.

Bingo/Housie:

While bingo, or Housie, as it is known in some places, is not as widespread as slots, there are plenty of online casinos that stock a few versions of this game. Traditionally played at places such as scout halls, bingo has evolved into a popular online casino game, with both RNG and community games available to players.

Keno:

Another game that is more commonly found at land-based gambling venues, keno has been adapted for internet casinos. You can play both live games (where you watch a live video of someone picking the numbers) or you can play via an RNG game, which still allows you to pick your numbers, but the balls being drawn are done via random number generators. The aim of the game is pick as many of the drawn numbers prior to the game. The more numbers you get, the more cash you win. Australians will be very familiar with Keno, with it available at pubs and clubs across the country.

Casino War:

Always regarded as one of the easiest games at online casinos, Casino War basically pits dealer against player. If your card is higher than the dealer’s you win and vice versa. You can also bet on a tie. You will find Casino War at many of the top online casinos, but if you are looking for it in live dealer you are probably out of luck, because we haven’t seen it before. Having said this, online casinos are rapidly evolving, so don’t be surprised if a live version of Casino War springs up soon.

Sic Bo:

Of Asian origins, Sic Bo has been adapted into many Western casinos. Sic Bo is a dice game where the player bets on the possible outcomes of the three dice thrown down by the dealer. The origins of Sic Bo date back to the ancient Chinese, with it now a staple in South-East Asia. Online you will find it in live format but generally only at casino sites targeting Asia. If you are desperate for your Sic Bo fix you will find it in RNG format at most of the best online casinos.

AUD payment options at online casinos

Australian online casinos will cater extensively to the Australian Dollar and have payment options that are suitable. AUD payments to online casinos, when they are legalised, will include things like credit and debit cards, Paypal, web wallets like Apple Pay and many others.

The good news for online casinos deposits is that they are largely instant in 2024, with Australia boasting an advanced banking system and various technology that allows us to transfer money from one location to another.

The online casinos that currently accept Australians have got plenty of payment options, with these including things like bitcoin, NeoSurf and Ethereum.

Payment options we expect to see at AUD casinos in the future include:

• Visa
• Mastercard
• Credit Card
• Debit cards
• Paypal
• Google Pay
• Apple Pay
• PayID
• Bank transfers

What is the future of Australian online casinos?

We fully expect Australian online casinos to become regulated and legal in the future, with gambling a favourite past-time of Aussies.

What is holding up gambling legislation? Probably a mixture of Australian land-based casinos clinging desperately to their monopolies over gambling and governments not wanting to lose their existing tax revenue.

The fact Australia’s Federal and State Governments have a large swathe of Greens, which are a far left progressive party, also complicates matters, with both major political parties relying on the cross bench for support for any major changes to gambling laws.

While we see politicians point about gambling being a problem for some, the fact that online casinos are still readily accessible from overseas locations makes legislating and taxing our own gambling sites common-sense.