A Guide to Gambling in South Australia

by William Brown Last Updated

In South Australia, gambling online remains a popular pastime for many people. It has never been illegal to gamble online in South Australia, and this is expected to continue indefinitely, even if the legislation around casino providers is tightened up in future.

Gambling in South Australia is the remit of the Independent Gambling Authority, a body set up to regulate licensing and oversee casino providers. They are responsible for ensuring casinos and gambling sites located within South Australia are adhering to the various laws and restrictions that exist, including a ban on providing interactive betting games for real money. This includes live and in-play odds for sports betting, as well as poker, casino gambling and slots.

However, players should not be alarmed about choosing to gamble with any site online. The law is on their side – it is 100% legal and above board to gamble online as an Australian, including playing poker, casino games and slots. Provided you sign up with a non-Australian regulated casino or betting site, you will have open and free access to all the various different features and games, just like millions of other players around the world.

south australia

Gambling Laws in South Australia

The contentious law at the heart of most people’s concern about gambling is the Interactive Gambling Act 2001, brought in by the Howard government as a mechanism for controlling the range of services Australian casinos were allowed to offer. Massive fines were introduced for Aussie casinos operating in breach of the rules, which are designed to limit access to interactive gaming. This covers things like betting in-play (i.e. once a sporting event has started), casino games and online slots.

While this is a problem for Australian gambling companies, it’s not a problem for players. Players remain free to gamble online through internationally based casinos, so you can enjoy roulette, poker, or your favourite slots games without restriction.

Sports Betting

Sports betting is entirely legal in Australia, both offline and online. The only restriction is around in-play odds. Australia-based bookmakers can not currently offer this online. They can offer this service via phone betting or via retail services such as TABs. The Australian Government has promised to legislate against ‘Click To Call’ betting, which several bookmakers had promoted as an alternative. As a result, most providers have withdrawn this service. In-play odds are widely available through international providers. That just means you need to set up an account with one of the reputable, major international sports books before you can access to online in-lay formats.

If you just want a straightforward bet on a sporting event, like you’d get at a betting shop, you can do that through an Australian provider. For ease of use, and a wider range of options, sign up for an international sports betting site instead, providing the perfect, legal workaround that won’t get in the way of your gaming.

Casino Gambling

Online casino gambling isn’t something you’ll find from an Australian based casino. Thanks to the 2001 Act, Australian based and regulated providers can’t offer traditional online casino games – you need to go offshore to get access.

Fortunately, this is as simple as choosing to sign up for an account with a major international online casino – a matter of details, rather than being anything like a hurdle.

Don’t restrict yourself to Australian-only gambling platforms. By choosing to play with a site that offers its services worldwide, you can benefit from roulette, blackjack, poker and a range of traditional online casino games, with absolutely no legal hassle or restriction.

Pokies/Slots

Online pokies, or slots, are one of the fastest growing areas of online gambling. Players get the chance to compete for massive prizes in a fixed odds environment – like a lottery, someone has got to win, and the odds are often much more generously in your favour.

Again, the legislation tries to shut down Australian providers who are offering online pokies. But it does nothing to affect the large international casinos and slots sites offering mobile and online pokies to Australians. Choosing an international provider lets you access the same selection of games, jackpots, free spins and bonus features as other players worldwide, so you too can enjoy slots gambling.

Poker

Online poker is as open to Australians as it is to players elsewhere across the world. Despite Australian providers having their hands tied, reputable international poker sites are still free to operate in the Australian market.

You have nothing to worry about – playing poker online is perfectly above board, and you are free to win money or compete in tournaments wherever in South Australia you live.

The Verdict - Totally Legal and Above Board

When the 2001 Act was announced, some commentators thought this could spell the end of online gambling for Australians. In reality, this couldn’t be further from the truth – it is only the beginning, and players are free to gamble as they choose through international sites accepting Australian customers. As an Aussie, you won’t have a problem signing up for most online gambling sites, and in fact you’ll be welcomed through their virtual doors with sign up casino bonuses and free bets to get you on your way.

Gambling online remains entirely legal and above board, and this isn’t going to change any time soon. If you fancy a flutter, there’s really no reason not to get involved.

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