Online Casino Gambling in Australia 2023
Online gambling is very popular with Australians, as the yearly statistics clearly indicate. Although physical casinos, like Crown and Melbourne, are packed and filled with slot machines and casino games, some online casinos are also preferred by players.
Online casinos fall within grey legislative areas, with most Australians being unsure about whether it is legal or illegal to wager real money online. As you can probably guess by the sheer amount of legit real money online casinos in Australia, offshore sites still offer their services, with Aussies welcoming them with open arms.
This page points you towards the best casino sites to play, while also exploring certain areas that concern online gambling in Australia.
Australian Online Casino Sites List
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The above casinos are all reviewed by us, with exclusive bonuses offered for players who sign up and deposit there through Pokies Bet. Our reviews explore a range of areas that you should be aware of prior to joining an online casino, such as banking methods, games, RTP and fairness, licensing information and security. Amongst 100+ casinos that we have reviewed for our readers, the above clearly stand out as the best ones to play real money from Australia.
Most Legit Online Gambling Sites Australia
As some readers might not be completely aware of why some online casinos are better than others, we briefly highlight our top 5 picks and their features:
National Casino
After its huge success in Europe, National Casino has also attracted thousands of players from Australia. With safe and quick deposits and withdrawals, over 80 software providers and a tiered VIP scheme with exclusive cash prizes, what’s not to like?
King Johnnie Casino
Licensed by Curacao and operated by a well-established company of media experts, King Johhnie stands out with over 1,000 slots and live dealer games. Further, it rewards all new players a welcome package up to $6,000.
Winward Casino
Win up to $7,500 through the welcome bonus of this Aussie casino, to enjoy a range of pokies and live dealer games from Pragmatic Play, Vivo and Betsoft.
Uptown Pokies
The hub for online Australia pokies, Uptown is an RTG casino, with progressive jackpots and impressively designed online pokies. Enjoy 350 free spins and up to $8,888 welcome bonus as a new player there.
Syndicate Casino
A beautifully designed online casino, themed around the Mafia concept, Syndicate provides access to 25 software providers and a selection live game shows and live casino games. The welcome offer there applies to your first four deposits, which is also impressive.
You can easily sign up and play at any of the aforementioned online casinos, as they accept Australian players and reward them with stunning bonuses. On top of that, they pay out winners fast and provide a safe and secure gambling environment.
Why Play at Australian Online Casinos?
When looking to wager real money on gambling games, you will be met with a range of options in Australia. Besides finding the right online casino, it is reasonable to wonder whether gambling online or on a physical venue would be the better choice for you.
To help you out, we will list the main benefits of play at online casinos for real money, with the main benefit of physical casinos being the overall vibe and real feel.
Convenience
To play at a physical casino, you must dress up and commute there. Even if you have a casino in your city, this requires considerable time. With online casinos though, 4G or a WiFi is all it takes to join and play real money. It can be done from all devices too, which means that you can wager at casino games from wherever.
Better Bonuses
Although physical casinos usually offer free drinks or monthly tournaments, most online casinos double, or even triple, the money added to a new player’s account. Further, players can earn cashback, reload bonuses and tournament prizes online too, which means higher value for their buck.
More Games
Although Blueprint, Eyecon and Aristocrat are based in Australia, which are some of the biggest casino software providers in the world, online casinos are often powered with over 4,000 casino games. Even if you visit the biggest five casinos, located in Vegas and Macau, you will find more games and from a greater variety of software providers online.
Higher Winning Chances
Another very important note in relation online casinos is that such casino games carry higher winning chances. Physical slots tend to carry an RTP ranging from 80 – 95%, with most online pokies exceeding 96% RTP, even reaching 99% in some instances. The odds for table games though tends to be equal across.
Protection
Another often ignored element of online casinos, lies within their account settings. Players can set gambling limits, reminders, exclude themselves amongst other things, so that they are aware of how much they are spending and avoid going overboard. Most land-based casinos do not offer any of the above features, except the cooling off option.
How to Find Legit Australian Online Casinos
It might be easy for us to promote some casinos as the best, but it is important that know how we do so and why. We take into consideration a great range of factors, prior to recommending an online casino. The most notable amongst these include:
Licensing & Security – a casino in Australia must carry a Curacao license and provide details on how it secures the users’ personal details. Operating company information and player reviews also highlight whether the casino is actually secure.
Casino Games – we are not fond of single-provider casino sites. Instead, to recommend an online casino there must be over 5 software providers and 1,000 plus games to choose from. Besides pokies and table games, live dealer games and game shows are also a positive element.
Casino Bonuses – each online casino follows its own path and approach when it comes to marketing its services, with bonuses being the primary method. We only recommend casinos that offer a welcome package and a few reload bonuses weekly. Tournaments and VIP rewards are also noted, while the Ts & Cs related to a casino bonus are also central to whether they will be recommended to you.
Customer Service – one of the things that online casinos lack over physical casinos is the great customer support. Some platforms manage to address this issue by offering 24/7 live chat, free toll number, a list of frequently asked questions and their answers and email support. Such casinos are the ones we like.
Types of Online Casino Sites
If you are hot about online casinos right now, then you should check out what types of sites are available. Depending on your preferences, one type of casino might be better for you. Some of the below types are offered by a single casino in certain cases, while others fall in one or just a few of the below categories.
Download Casino
Users that select an online casino that is powered by a single software provider can download the casino client and play without an internet connection, directly from the tablet or desktop. In Australia, you can find Betsoft, Rival and RealTime Gaming casinos that offer a downloadable client, which can be installed on your personal device to play at your own convenience.
Flash Casino
Although flash casinos are going extinct due to the HTML5 developing technology apparent today, they are still in use by some companies. Flash casinos use a plugin, which your device must support to be able to play the casino games they offer. When tapping on a certain section or game of a flash casino, you will be taken to a new tab where you can view the contents and interact with them freely.
Mobile Casino
The HTML5 technology that we mentioned above is a single coding system that has highlighted how outdated flash player is. With HTML5 casinos, which most casinos in Australia are, players can instantly play the available casino games online or through their mobile browser. No need to download client or install 3rd party plugins anymore.
Live Casino
The live casino is a tab apparent on some online casinos, through which you can play table games and slots with live dealer. Live casinos are very popular today, as they merge the gap that online casinos had from physical casinos. A host will help you navigate through your chosen live dealer game, as you place your bets in real time.
Mobile App
A mobile app is different from a downloadable client, as it can be installed on your mobile device to play games instantly through WiFi, 3G, 4G or 5G. Only the bigger online casinos bother to pay for the development of an exclusive application, as they are still accessible from most mobile browsers. Nevertheless, mobile apps offer unrivalled convenience and plenty of action in your fingertips.
Online Casino Games
All this casino talk and we still haven’t addressed the games that players from Australia can enjoy online. We did mention that the range of options is superior online to physical casinos and we did not lie. On a single online casino, you could play any of the following games:
Slot Machines
From a variety of reels, game formats, risk and payouts, as well as in different styles. Nowadays, Megaways slots, Megaquads, Slingo slots, jackpot games, progressive slots and fruit machines are all offered in abundance online.
Live Dealer Games
Besides the above games with an RNG based payout system, live casino games that are played with real dealers are also apparent. Lately, live game shows and live slots are also gaining momentum, bringing together physical casino and interactive TV Shows at one place – online casinos.
Online Bingo
Although bingo was traditionally related to socially encountering with others, the online version that you can play at a casino does not lag behind in any regard. Especially when you see what prizes one can win at big online casinos.
Lottery & Keno
Many Australian casino sites collaborate with software providers that host hourly lottery games, scratch games, and keno RNG games that take place every few minutes. Why bother going to the nearest store when millions are waiting on an Internet casino?
Australian Online Casinos FAQs
Can I win real money at an online casino?
Yes, as long as you make a deposit or you claim a no deposit bonus and wager it through, you can win real money. The RNG will determine the outcome of the game’s rounds, and if the odds are in your favour, you might win and then be able to cash out.
Are casino sites legal in Australia?
There is legislation in place that positions online casinos in Australia as illegal. Nevertheless, offshore companies can still promote their services and accept players from Australia, without the players themselves risking anything. Still, you must consider carefully the legitimacy of the casino prior to trusting it with your money.
How can I play at an online casino?
To play for real money at a casino site, you will first have to register and be over 18 years old, or 21 in some cases. After you share with the casino your personal details during the sign up process, you will then be able to access most casino games in a demo version. From there, it is up to you if you want to deposit real money and gamble accordingly. Most games will require to set your stakes and play. You can read our game reviews for specific details on each game type here.
How old do I have to be to play on a casino site?
Most offshore online casinos that accept players from Australia will only accept players that are either over 18 or 21. As the Government doesn’t regulate online gambling, it is up to each operator.
Are online casinos better than Crown Casino?
We don’t like pointing fingers, but if you join one of the best online casinos from this page, you can find better bonuses and games’ variety even when you compare them with Crown Casino. Still, the one aspect that huge physical casinos perform better than smaller online casinos is the size of the progressive jackpots that they offer.
- About the Author
- Affiliate Disclosure
Mike Fatouros Chief Editor
Michael has reviewed and verified all information on this page. Having worked in the iGaming industry for over 8 years, he is the most capable person to help you navigate online casinos, pokies, and the Australian gambling landscape.
Pokies.bet is not owned nor associated with any online casino or pokies site in Australia. We are an independent media company, marketing gambling services that we believe are worthwhile.
Our company receives financial compensation when players click the links and use the services of websites we promote through Pokies.bet.
The above does not affect our evaluation criteria. We take pride in what we do, always sourcing readers with honest reviews and guides. The Australian gambling landscape is a complicated one, and our editorial team strives to direct you to legit and safe operators.
