PAYMENT METHODS AND ONLINE CASINOS IN AUSTRALIA
Top Casinos and Best Banking Options for Australian Players
Casino Banking Methods is a place where you can get targeted information about all the major online gambling markets, including Australia. The country where pokies are all the rage, Australia represents a fruitful and colourful gaming market that accommodates numerous online casinos and their customers.
We have searched high and low for trustworthy online casinos that are suitable for Aussies and, happy with our results, decided to showcase the best sites along with the most common banking methods used by Australian players.
Australian general public loves to gamble, this is not shocking news. The Aussie love affair with pokies is a well-known fact, and more gambling activities can be added to that as Australian punters also like to gamble on lottery, scratch tickets, sports, horse racing and poker. They can do it all online, at their leisure. What we are doing on this page is putting a specific emphasis on creating the best gaming environment for Australian players. How? By making sure every Australian player that lands here on our CasinoBankingMethods.com website knows which are the best sited to play at and which are the best banking options to use.
The Land Down Under is the land of gambling. Like it or not, gambling has been an integral part of Australian culture from the early colonial days. Embracing gambling is nothing to be frightened of; the important thing is to gamble responsibly at trusted sites, while using proven, locally approved banking options. Hopefully, CBM can contribute to this noble cause.
Best Australian Online Casinos
On this page, CBM brings you a comprehensive guide to Australia’s best online casinos. Our reviewers put special focus on sites that are successful in creating the best gaming environment for their Australian players. You can be sure that every casino site recommended by CBM is legal for Australian gamblers, holds certifications and appropriate licenses, provides secure, speedy and reliable payment options and contains high-quality games developed by well-known software providers.
Top Casino Banking Methods in Australia
To fully enjoy what the best Australian online casinos have to offer, you ought to use the top-rated payment methods found in these casinos. CBM reveals the most commonly used payment methods in Australian online gaming sites. You can use them for deposits and withdrawals without worrying about your funds’ security and we are confident that their convenience and speed will win you over.
Review & Best Casinos
- Supported by most AU/NZ banks
- Good credit card alternative
- No registration required
Review & Best Casinos
- 50+ local methods onboard
- Continuous safety checks
- Multi-currency support
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- Safe and fast transactions
- No fees charged by online casinos
- Low withdrawal fees
Review & Best Casinos
- Excellent reputation
- 150+ banks supported
- Widely available at AU casinos
Review & Best Casinos
- Fast and secure transactions
- Free casino deposits & withdrawals
- High maximum cashout limit
Review & Best Casinos
- Faster than Bitcoin
- Fees are virtually non-existent
- Extremely secure option
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- Fast casino transactions
- Available around the globe
- 165 supported currencies
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- A leading payment solution
- Maximum security
- Fast & easy casino transactions
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- Available around the globe
- Designed with iGaming focus
- Fast deposits & withdrawals
Review & Best Casinos
- Great option for Australia, Canada
- Instant deposits without fees
- Full anonymity
Laws and Regulations on Online Gambling in Australia?
Australians gamble a lot. More than any other nation in the world, actually. Such being the case, the Australian government had to start regulating gambling activities sooner or later. It is important to distinguish the responsibility of the States from the Commonwealth. Each of the eight Australian states and territories has independent gambling legislation in place thanks to their relative autonomy from the Commonwealth. Nevertheless, the central government takes an active role in the supervision of the gambling activities in the country and in the amending of relevant laws.
Australian gambling regulation comes down to various organisations which have authority in their respective regions. Some of them are the ACT Gambling and Racing Commission, Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation, Queensland Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulation and the South Australia Independent Gambling Authority. Since 1999, the Commonwealth has been supporting a national approach to problem gambling. The Interactive Gambling Bill was introduced in 2001 and it represents one of the most important legal documents in the country concerning gambling.
The IGA aims to protect the general public from the harmful effects of gambling. It prohibits interactive gambling services from being provided to customers in Australia and advertised, as well as Australian-based interactive gambling services from being provided to customers in designated countries.
Another relevant body is the Australasian Gaming Council (AGC), which was formed in 2000 as a member body of the gambling industries in Australasia. They work as a NFP with the purpose to promote responsible gambling. Aristocrat Technologies Ltd is part of the AGC.
The Commonwealth of Australia has formed the Australian Communications and Media Authority. One can complain to ACMA is they believe the Interactive Gambling Amendment Act 2017 is not being respected. This amended act aims to combat groups from outside Australia that provide illegal gambling services over the internet. ACMA published a register of Australian-licensed interactive wagering service providers.
What does all this mean for an average Australian online casino player? It doesn’t affect the player much, really. What the Act proclaims is that domestic and foreign companies, should they offer online casino games to Australian customers, would be doing it illegally. The players are free to access offshore casino sites and play for real money.
Are You Required to Pay Taxes on Winnings?
If you win money from gambling activity in Australia, these winnings are not taxable unless you are a professional gambler. Taxation Ruling IT 2655 (Income tax: betting and gambling – whether taxpayer carrying on business of betting or gambling) was issued in October 1991. This document presents the views of the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) on whether gambling or sports betting should be considered a business.
The Ruling refers to three Federal Court cases that defined criteria for assessing if someone is in the business of gambling. When deciding if a person is a professional gambler, the court considers the following:
- Whether the activity was business-like (did you hire people to work, rent an office, etc.).
- The volume and size of your gambling activities.
- Is a taxpayer involved in other gambling or sports betting businesses, like breeding horses.
- Whether a gambler is playing merely for profit or pleasure.
To sum up – the ATO doesn’t consider money won from gambling as an income. In other words, your winnings are treated as a result of pure luck. However, if you are a professional player and make a living from gambling, you should declare your income and pay taxes.
Can Casinos That Accept Australian Players Be Trusted?
Obviously, you should steer clear from unreliable casinos and only join Australian online casinos that can be trusted. Only websites that are licensed and regulated are trustworthy and if you don’t believe our claims you can easily see for yourself that the sites recommended at CBM are licensed by some of the industry’s most trusted regulators, such as the Malta Gaming Authority.
Other reputable and acceptable jurisdictions include Gibraltar, Isle of Man and Curacao, as well as Kahnawake. Furthermore, you will see that most sites we’ve marked as recommendable are also constantly overseen by organisations such as eCOGRA which makes sure that the operators are offering a safe and secure gambling experience for their customers.
Unfair activities are simply not acceptable. Modern casinos are required to be transparent and fair, which they will prove by obtaining proper certifications and allowing their software to be regularly tested and audited. The seals of approval and license numbers should be visible on the homepage of every respectable online casino that accepts Australian players. Our team of casino experts never fail to check these details as they are extremely important and represent the basis of our reviews.
Best Casino Bonuses for Australian Players
Casinos online normally offer some incentives to new and regular players. Being from Australia does not automatically exclude you from this tradition. On the contrary, Australian online casinos will do the same, and international online casinos may also set up special promotional offers for their Aussie customers. The offers themselves are dependent from the casinos’ bonus policies – some websites may offer nothing but the welcome bonus, while others may stack up bonus deals for every day of the week.
Whatever the case may be, you should always pay attention to the terms and conditions of the bonus before claiming it. The bonuses you can find through CBM are transparent offers that you can immediately assess as favourable and proceed to reap the benefits!
Winz.io
Free Spins
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None
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30x
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$20
No maximum
Billy Billion
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40x (D+B+FS Wins)
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€20/AU$30
10,000
Vegaz
Welcome Package
100FIRST
Free
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€20
Local Payment Methods to Consider
Casino Banking Methods specialises in online casino banking methods. As iGaming and fintech experts, we know that various local banking solutions best meet the needs of different markets. Using country-specific payment processors to deposit and withdraw winnings comes with multiple advantages.
Firstly, you can deposit in local currency – meaning no currency exchange costs. Secondly, local services are familiar, and you probably already use them. So, no need for sign-ups and learning how new systems work. For example, we’re pretty sure you’re familiar with POLi, and you probably use PayID, eZeeWallet, BPAY, or MiFinity.
POLi is a digital payment service owned by Centricom and located in Melbourne. Therefore, it makes perfect sense that many Australian players and retailers use POLi as their preferred payment method. Another popular service Australian online casino gamers pick for their deposits is BPAY. However, compared to POLi, the number of casinos accepting BPAY is considerably smaller. Consequently, new banking methods have emerged to cater to casino players from Australia.
eZeeWallet and MiFinity are e-wallets that allow Aussies to use a wide range of payment services to credit their digital wallet accounts. For example, eZeeWallet offers more than 50 local payment methods, while MiFinity integrates 40+ payment methods. It supports 15 currencies, including AUD, so you won’t pay any currency conversion fees. Moreover, MiFinity is available at over 200 iGaming sites, including Australian-friendly online casinos. eZeeWallet and MiFinity work similarly to any other virtual wallet allowing you to deposit and withdraw funds from your favorite Australian online casinos quickly and securely.
Finally, you can select PayID, an innovative way of making direct bank transfers without revealing a bank account number or BSB code. Instead of remembering these numbers, you can create personal identifiers to credit your casino balance directly from your bank account in real-time.
Depositing with AUD Currency
One doesn’t have to be a seasoned casino gambler to know that any exchange of currency comes with fees and added charges. It is always ideal to avoid such fees, and one of the ways of doing that is to play with local currency. Making casino deposits in Australian Dollars is easy and you will find that all Australian-friendly casinos list AUD as one of the accepted currencies at the cashier.
Bitcoin (BTC) has been gaining a lot of fans among Australian players recently, but you will often need to convert Bitcoins into AUD or vice versa when playing at online casinos, which means you will suffer certain charges for the conversion service.
Top Land-Based Casinos in Australia
We all know that Aussies love to gamble. Some data even say they spend the most money on this popular pastime than any other nation in the world. Therefore, Australia is one of the leading countries when it comes to gambling, with many beautiful land-based casinos scattered across the country. These brick-and-mortar venues combine luxurious surroundings with thrilling gaming experiences.
Australia boasts many world-class casinos, so picking the right one is not an easy task. However, we’ve done our homework and selected the top 5 land-based casinos in Australia.
The Star
If you’re staying in Sydney, you should visit The Star. This casino is the largest in Sydney and in the whole of New South Wales (NSW). It is also the second-largest casino in Australia.
It was opened in 1997 and offers a wide range of table games, including Roulette, Blackjack, Poker, and Baccarat. If you prefer other game types, you can pick Pai Gow, Casino War, Sic Bo, Craps, Pontoon, Bingo, or Mahjong. The casino is home to various tournaments that are held every day. You can register to play poker games, including Omaha and No Limit Hold ’em.
The Star is a vast complex comprising two hotels, dozens of bars and five-star restaurants, and a luxurious spa. Many live events, celebrations, and parties are organized here. These include concerts and watching sports matches with friends in a stadium-like atmosphere at a beautiful Sports Bar.
The Star Gold Coast
The Star’s sister casino is located in the sunny Gold Coast in Queensland. This complex was opened in 1985 and was rebranded in 2017 as The Star Gold Coast. If you like playing casino games while enjoying beautiful views, then this casino is the right place for you. Surrounded by palm trees and sand, The Star Gold Coast offers world-class casino entertainment, five-star restaurants, bars, hotels, conference facilities, and a theatre.
The Star Gold Coast is one of the best-known casinos in Australia. It has 1,400 slot machines and more than 70 popular table games, including Poker, Blackjack, Roulette, Craps, Sic Bo, and Baccarat. If you’re more into competitions, join exciting poker tournaments and play the classic Texas Hold’em or Caribbean Stud. Finally, if you prefer VIP gaming, visit the private gaming rooms Oasis and Sovereign.
Wrest Point Hotel Casino
Located in Hobart, Tasmania, Wrest Point is Australia’s first land-based casino, opened in 1973. The casino has managed to keep its reputation as one of the best land-based casinos in the country. This venue provides endless fun and casino entertainment complemented by the picturesque River Derwent landscapes.
A waterfront casino and bar will satisfy the needs of both first-time players and experienced ones. It has a wide range of classic table games and various poker versions. Some of the most popular games at Wrest Point include American Roulette, Blackjack, Baccarat, and Federal Pontoon. However, slot enthusiasts will also feel great here as they can spin reels on almost 1,000 gaming machines. Finally, you can also bet on the outcomes of the Big Wheel.
Crown Casino
The largest land-based casino in Australia is in Melbourne. Crown Casino is not only the most extensive casino complex in the country but also a world-famous entertainment centre. Crown Melbourne offers a wide array of gaming options in a luxurious and vibrant setting, providing unparalleled casino experiences.
The casino floor is home to the most popular games ranging from Blackjack, Poker, Baccarat, and Roulette to pokies and automated table games. You can also play Crown Pontoon, Pai Gow, Tiger Baccarat, Sic Bo, and the Big Wheel.
This complex has three hotels, nightclubs, restaurants, bars, a sports hub and a golf club. Crown is also home to the best shopping in Melbourne, with an impressive selection of world-leading designers and brands.
Treasury Casino
Heading to Brisbane? Check out the Treasury Casino at the heart of the city, which offers 24/7 premium entertainment. Treasury Brisbane was opened in 1995 and boasts a five-star hotel, several restaurants, luxurious bars and non-stop excitement on the casino floor.
Treasury casino has three floors packed with various gambling options. Experience the thrills of the casino while playing Blackjack, Poker, Roulette, Baccarat, different dice games, The Wheel, or Casino War. Players who like pokies can choose from more than 1,300 electronic gaming machines on the Main Gaming Floor. If you wish to feel like a VIP, visit four private gaming areas open 24/7, where you can play table games and slot machines.
Most Famous Gamblers
Kerry Packer
Kerry Packer started his gambling career when he inherited a family’s fortune. Packer’s father left him $100 million in assets, including casino investments and television. Packer had a long streak of bad luck in 1990 when he lost a total of $28 million in less than a month. However, he knew a lot about horse racing and cricket, which helped him earn good money.
Still, his most significant success was achieved at the MGM Grand Casino when he scooped more than $33 million playing various table games and slots. Another success was winning 20 baccarat hands in just 20 minutes, each worth $115,000. Packer is also famous for founding World Series Cricket. He died in 2005. His son James is one of the world’s richest casino owners.
Zeljko Ranogajec
Zeljko Ranogajec, also known under the pseudonym John Wilson, is an Australian businessman and professional gambler. Some say he is the biggest racing gambler in the world, with an estimated betting turnover of $1 billion per year. He started counting cards in Blackjack in the Wrest Point casino. He even left school to pursue a gambling career and worked with the famous Alan Woods.
Being one of the most skilful Blackjack players, he was eventually banned from most land-based casinos in Australia. He then moved to the States and started exploring other areas of gambling. He was named a member of the Blackjack Hall of Fame in 2011. One of his most significant wins was in 1994, when he won $7.5 million from a Keno jackpot.
David Walsh
David Walsh is an Australian professional gambler, also known for his extravagant lifestyle. He studied computer science and mathematics at the University of Tasmania. The education helped him develop a successful betting system for horse racing and other sports. He earned millions using his system that calculated odds and made him the leader of the world’s biggest gambling syndicate.
He became a close friend of Zeljko Ranogajec, who heard about his computing skills and approached him to learn more. In 1987, they tested Walshe’s computer program for horse racing for the first time and won. Walsh and Ranogajec spend years improving and developing this system while winning money. David Walsh founded the Museum of Old and New Art (MONA), which opened in 2011 in Hobart. He borrowed $80 million from Ranogajec to fund this project.
Fun Facts
Online casinos launched for the first time in Australia in 1994, which means that Australians have been enjoying the convenience of gambling from home for more than 25 years. Not all countries in the world had such luxury. What made this possible for Australia were laws passed in Barbuda and Antigua, one of the first jurisdictions to issue the licenses for online gambling. To this day, many gambling companies in Australia still operate under the Caribbean government’s regulations.
One of the world’s largest casino scams was carried out by an Australian player who got away with $32 million by manipulating the surveillance system at the casino. The player’s identity still remains unknown, though it’s believed that this person was a regular VIP player at the casino who would usually play high stakes games.
According to an official study done in 2013, Aussies are the biggest gamblers on the globe – 80% of the adult population takes part in the activity in various forms. Statistically, Australian folks wager more money per capita than any other country in poker, sports betting, online casinos and land-based casinos.
Eight out of nine gamblers in the Land Down Under are men. However, an increasing number of Australian women are getting interested in betting. It’s intriguing that the Australian nation enjoys wagers so much, even more compared to similar Western nations. Some assume it’s because the distances are so large between populated places that the convenience mobile gambling provides is even handier in Australia than it is Europe and North America.
An estimated 6.8 million Australians are regular gamblers, spending money on one or more gambling activities in a typical month, according to a 2017 analysis by the Australian Gambling Research Centre (AGRC), part of the Australian Institute of Family Studies.
There are close to 200,000 slot machines in Australia, and 100,308 of these are found in New South Wales.
FAQ
What is an AUD online casino?
An AUD online casino is simply an online casino that allows players to deposit, wager and withdraw in the Australian currency. There are a few casinos out there that support nothing but Australian Dollars, while most of them support multiple currencies, including AUD.
Is online casino gambling legal in Australia?
Online casino gambling laws in Australia are not fully transparent at the moment. Gambling operators are not allowed to operate online casinos locally, but Australian players have unlimited access to online casinos run by operators located overseas. The operators are the ones that may have trouble with the authorities for providing online gambling services, but the players can continue playing as long as they play at licensed venues run by trusted operators.
Can I legally deposit money to online casinos in Australia?
Yes. There are many payment processors that make both the deposit and withdrawals process very easy. While the government may look down upon on some Australian banks allowing transactions with online sites, you can use various alternative, third-party processors that cater to Aussies and allow for smooth and simple transactions with minimum waiting time.
Do I have to pay taxes on my gaming winnings in Australia?
At this point, there are no tax obligations to players in Australia. Since gambling is not considered a profession but a game of luck, your winnings are yours, as well as your losses. Nevertheless, gambling operators, such as casino owners and betting companies, are taxed, and each state and territory has different rates of taxation, but players aren’t required to pay anything on account of taxes.
What is the best online casino in Australia?
It is hard to determine the single best online casino in Australia and just name it. While we can objectively point out the qualities of any casino online, some of the factors that lead to it being better or worse than others are based on subjective values. Our experts monitor the market and provide unbiased reviews for many online casinos. It is up to you, the players, to decide which casino suits you best. We give you recommendations based on ratings, which you can then further use as you please.
Are online pokies better than land-based pokies?
Aussies spend a lot of time playing pokies and wondering which version of the game is best comes quite expectedly. We would say that, because of their convenience, online pokies are indeed superior to land-based pokies. While you have to go to a venue to play land-based pokies, hundreds of online pokies are already at your disposal, at your house, as close by as your PC, laptop, tablet or smartphone. Additionally, you can play online pokies 24/7, 365 days a year. The choice of games itself is much larger at Australian virtual casinos than at any bar or physical casino and there is no waiting in a queue to play, just click and you are in the game, spinning those reels.