Is live casino allowed in Australia under license
1. Legal status of live casinos in Australia
According to the Interactive Gambling Act 2001 (IGA), most operators in Australia are prohibited from providing interactive casino services, including live games with real dealers. The ban includes:
The ban applies to both terrestrial and overseas operators if they purposefully provide services to Australian players.
2. Position of licensing authorities
The ACMA (Australian Communications and Media Authority) explicitly states that providing a live casino for Australian residents violates current law unless the operator has special permission to do so. In practice, there are no such permits in Australia.
Licenses issued in individual states (for example, Northern Territory) cover sports betting and certain types of lotteries, but do not allow running live casinos.
3. Why live casinos are banned
High risk of addiction: Real-time games are dynamic and create a presence effect.
Difficulty of regulation: Controlling the integrity of games and protecting players in the live format is more difficult than in RNG games.
International data streams: Broadcasts are often from studios outside Australia, making it harder to control.
4. Possibility of playing in foreign live-casinos
Australians can technically access live casinos with offshore licenses (Curaçao, MGA, Isle of Man), but:
5. Available alternatives
Although licensed Australian operators do not offer live casinos, players have access to:
6. Result
Live casinos in Australia are not licensed at either the federal or state level for online operators. Any offer of such games on the Internet for Australians is considered a violation of the law. A safe alternative is to play land-based casinos or licensed digital counterparts of board games.
According to the Interactive Gambling Act 2001 (IGA), most operators in Australia are prohibited from providing interactive casino services, including live games with real dealers. The ban includes:
- Live roulette.
- Live-blackjack.
- Live baccarat.
- Other card and live-streamed tables.
The ban applies to both terrestrial and overseas operators if they purposefully provide services to Australian players.
2. Position of licensing authorities
The ACMA (Australian Communications and Media Authority) explicitly states that providing a live casino for Australian residents violates current law unless the operator has special permission to do so. In practice, there are no such permits in Australia.
Licenses issued in individual states (for example, Northern Territory) cover sports betting and certain types of lotteries, but do not allow running live casinos.
3. Why live casinos are banned
High risk of addiction: Real-time games are dynamic and create a presence effect.
Difficulty of regulation: Controlling the integrity of games and protecting players in the live format is more difficult than in RNG games.
International data streams: Broadcasts are often from studios outside Australia, making it harder to control.
4. Possibility of playing in foreign live-casinos
Australians can technically access live casinos with offshore licenses (Curaçao, MGA, Isle of Man), but:
- This violates the provisions of the IGA.
- Such sites may be blocked by ACMA.
- In a dispute, protecting a player's rights will be difficult or impossible.
5. Available alternatives
Although licensed Australian operators do not offer live casinos, players have access to:
- RNG versions of popular board games.
- Land-based casinos with live tables in states where it is permitted (such as Crown Casino in Melbourne).
- Social versions of live games without real bets.
6. Result
Live casinos in Australia are not licensed at either the federal or state level for online operators. Any offer of such games on the Internet for Australians is considered a violation of the law. A safe alternative is to play land-based casinos or licensed digital counterparts of board games.
