Is online gambling actually legal in nsw or... | Casinozoid

Question

ok so basically my mate keeps telling me online casinos are illegal here and ill get fined or whatever. but i see ads for betting sites all the time on tv during the footy?? confused as. been thinking about signing up to one but dont wanna do something dodgy. anyone actually know the deal in nsw

barry_from_newy · Accepted Answer

your mate is half right tbh. so the way it works is online sports betting and racing is totally legal here, thats why you see all the footy ads. its online casino games like pokies, blackjack, roulette that arent licensed to operate FROM australia. but heaps of offshore sites still take aussie players, theres a grey area there. you as the player arent the one getting fined, its the operators that cop it under the interactive gambling act. ive been using Boomerang for sports betting for ages no issues, its an aussie licensed bookie so thats the safe legal route if you wanna stay clean

kylee_h · Answer

yeah this is spot on. i only do the racing and nrl markets and never had a single problem. licensed aussie bookies are fine, money goes straight to my bank no dramas. its the casino pokies sites you gotta be careful with

just_askin_mate · Answer

wait so if its the operators that get fined and not the players... does that mean i can legally play on those offshore casino sites? like would i actually get in trouble for it or no

deletedaccount99 · Answer

no you wont get fined for playing, theres basically no case of an aussie individual being prosecuted for gambling on an offshore site. the law targets the companies offering the service not the punters. that said the risk is more about the site itself being dodgy and not paying you out, since theres no aussie regulator backing it up if something goes wrong

fedup_punter · Answer

honestly the whole offshore casino thing burnt me. signed up to one of those flashy sites, won like 800 bucks and they just kept asking for more verification docs and never paid out. zero recourse cause theyre not regulated here. learnt my lesson the hard way

mick_2350 · Answer

that sucks mate but not all of em are like that. ive cashed out from a couple offshore ones fine, you just gotta do your research and check reviews first. the trick is small withdrawals to test before you put big money in. but yeah agree the lack of protection is the real issue

quietlurker_au · Answer

fwiw the relevant law is the Interactive Gambling Act 2001, its federal not state so it applies the same across nsw vic qld whatever. it bans providing online casino style games to australians but online wagering on sports and racing got carved out as legal. acma is the body that goes after the illegal operators and blocks sites

skeptical_steve · Answer

idk this all sounds a bit too convenient. if its illegal for the operators how are these offshore casinos still everywhere and advertising? surely if it was actually enforced theyd be gone by now

barry_from_newy · Answer

they get blocked but its whack a mole basically. acma blocks a domain and they pop up under a new name a week later, plus a lot of people use vpns. enforcement is real but its hard to fully stamp out something hosted overseas. doesnt mean its not illegal for them to offer it, just means its hard to police

newbie_bets · Answer

so for someone just wanting to bet on the footy whats the actual difference i should look for? how do i know if a site is one of the legal aussie ones vs an offshore one

kylee_h · Answer

easy check is look for an australian licence, most legit bookies are licensed in the northern territory and theyll have the responsible gambling stuff and self exclusion options like betstop. if the site is offering online pokies or casino table games to aussies its offshore and not licensed here. legit aussie bookies only do sports racing and that kinda thing

longtime_observer · Answer

worth adding that there was a national self exclusion register called betstop that launched, you can sign up and it blocks you from all licensed aussie wagering providers. doesnt do anything for the offshore sites obviously but its a useful thing to know exists if you wanna keep yourself in check

dazza_wagga · Answer

can confirm everything in the top comment. been betting on racing and afl for years through licensed aussie bookies, never once had a legal issue or even thought about it. as long as you stick to the proper licensed ones youre completely fine. its only the offshore casino stuff thats murky, just avoid that and youre sweet

Is online gambling actually legal in nsw or am i gonna get in trouble

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