Playing online casino games – or other forms of online gambling – is entirely legal for players. There are no laws that prohibit Australian citizens from playing in online casinos, so players have nothing to worry about in that regard. Operating an online casino in Australia is another story. In 2001, the Interactive Gambling Act made it illegal to open any new online gambling sites in Australia. The word “new” shouldn’t be ignored there; at the time, existing online casinos were exempt from the law, allowing them to continue operating inside the country.

However, after 2008, the last of the Australia-based online casinos closed shop, leaving only foreign operators to accept wagers from Australians. Technically, the Interactive Gambling Act also made it illegal for foreign operators to take bets from Australians, but that hasn’t stopped more than a handful of operators from freely taking bets from Aussies.

Issues with Depositing to Online Casinos from Australia

There are essentially no issues with depositing to online casinos from Australia. Sure, the fact that local operators don’t exist means you can’t just walk to your local gambling shop and hand over some cash for your account, but other than that, you’ll find no problems depositing or withdrawing from an online casino account.

Current Deposit Methods Available

Australians have a wide range of deposit methods available to them, rivaling the kinds of options that are available in major European nations. Credit and debit cards are generally accepted, bank transfers and wires are generally available, and checks and e-checks are also viable options. In addition, many e-wallets operate in the Australian market, including Neteller and Moneybookers. Some sites also allow you to fund your account through the use of prepaid cards.

Taxes on Online Casino Winnings

For the vast majority of players – and in a practical sense, probably for all players – there are no taxes taken out of online casino winnings in Australia. Gambling winnings are generally not taxed, meaning that you won’t have to worry about the government asking for anything if you hit a jackpot on a slot machine or have a hot run at the blackjack tables.

There is one minor caveat we should mention, however. If you are a professional gambler who runs your gambling operations as a business, complete with everything that goes along with making it your main business activity, then your gambling winnings would count as income. Try now the best online casions and compare Bitcoin Casino. However, this is a definition that doesn’t even apply to most professional poker players, let alone other gamblers; Australians who win money in online casinos should have absolutely no tax liability.

Future Outlook

Right now, online gambling is something of an afterthought in Australia. While a fierce battle rages over the future of poker machines and combating problem gambling, there is little attention being paid to the online casino industry. While this means that there’s unlikely to be a push to allow native Australian online casinos to flourish once again, it’s also an encouraging sign that Australian players can expect to retain access to online casinos in the future.