A Guide to Gambling in Tasmania

by William Brown Last Updated

Tasmania enjoys the same freedom to gamble as other Australian states and territories, and players here have nothing to fear when it comes to gambling online. Tassie residents don’t have to be worried about whether they are operating within the law, even if they choose to gamble with international, rather than Australian based casinos. The law is clear – it is 100% legal and legitimate to gamble online in Tasmania.

Much of the legal work around online gambling was introduced to regulate providers – that is, the casinos, sports betting sites and poker rooms you sign up with to gamble online. They need to pay heed to the rules, while you’re free as their customer to gamble how you like. In reality, most Tasmanians choose to gamble with international sites, which offer the full range of casino games and services you would expect, regardless of where in the world you actually live.

Many of these gambling sites reach out to Australian players, offering them huge casino bonuses in Australian Dollars, and sign up incentives to encourage new accounts. As a player, you’re free to take them up on the offer, and enjoy unrestricted, wholly legal gambling online or on your mobile device.

tasmania

Gambling Laws in Tasmania

Tasmanian gambling laws are enforced by the Tasmanian Gaming Commission, the body responsible for regulating casinos and gambling sites that are based within the jurisdiction. Those that are based outside of Australian jurisdiction are free to operate by the laws of their own country – which invariably allows them to offer online gambling worldwide without the same level of restriction.

In Australia, the Interactive Gambling Act 2001 is the statute that prevents Aussie casinos from being competitive with their international counterparts. For players, this shouldn’t even register as a mild inconvenience. There are plenty of options to choose from, so all you have to do is find the right bonus and sign up for an account to get gambling in a totally legal way.

Sports Betting

Sports betting it 100% legal in Tasmania. Even Australian bookies are free to offer sports betting online, as long as they don’t offer cash out or in-play betting features online. If you want these features to make your sports betting more dynamic, you can still choose to sign up with an international sports betting site or alternatively go back to the 1990s and bet over the phone. The law ignores you equally in both cases. As the gambler, it’s up to you where you bet, and how you choose to do it.

Most Australians bet with larger international bookies online, although some do still choose the more limited offering from Australian-based sites. There is no practical difference as a player between gambling internationally or with an Australian based bookmaker, other than the limitations of the latter, so most prefer to get the best experience available by choosing an international sports betting brand. Either way, it’s totally legal to bet and win, and the same applies right across Australia.

Casino Gambling

Online casino gambling isn’t a problem for Tasmanians either. While the Interactive Gambling Act stops Australian casinos from offering their services to Australian citizens online, there are no restrictions on foreign based casinos, so you’re still free to gamble without restriction. This opens up the entire range of casino and table games for you to gamble on, including roulette, blackjack, baccarat and craps, with absolutely no question over the legality of your play.

Pokies/Slots

Pokies are regulated in the real world environment in Australia, so you shouldn’t come across crooked machines when you’re out and about. These same operators aren’t allowed to offer digital versions of their games, but that’s no restriction to the international pokies and slots sites that accept Australian customers.

Whatever types of slots games you prefer, you are permitted to gamble freely online or on your mobile, and to compete for your share of those massive progressive jackpots.

Look out for sites offering specifically Australian bonuses and free spins – these are a good starting point for players looking to find a legal avenue to gambling online within Australian borders.

Poker

Again, this isn’t part of the Australian gambling industry due to their particular restrictions on operators. But as an Australian online poker player, you can freely move around the Internet across any poker room that will accept your business. In fact, there are some with bonuses in excess of AU$400, specifically reaching out to people like you nationwide.

There is nothing to fear from playing poker online in Tasmania. It’s all above board and entirely legal, so you’re as free as anyone to hone your skills or compete in tournament play online or on mobile.

The Verdict - You’re Free To Gamble

You might have heard of the Interactive Gambling Act, or of government attempts to ‘crack down’ on Australian gambling sites. It’s all hot air, and of insignificance to Aussie players. The reality is you are free now, and indefinitely, to gamble online with any site you choose. There are no limitations for players, and absolutely no legal restrictions for you to worry about – if you’re old enough to gamble, you’re free to make up your own mind.

The only legal restrictions in place are targeted at casinos and do not affect you as a player. With that in mind, you can choose to bet on sports, gamble at a real money online casino or play your favourite online pokies without a second thought.

Recent News

See all Latest Gambling News
Back to top