Is online gambling legal in Western Australia?

Only what is listed as legal above is licensed. Anything else offered to you online is unlicensed and gives you no protection.

Online sports betting is legal on sites licensed in Western Australia. Online casino is banned in Western Australia. Online poker is banned in Western Australia. The lottery is legal on sites licensed in Western Australia.

The minimum age on record for gambling in Western Australia is 18+.

We have no record of how gambling winnings are taxed in Western Australia.

Always verify a casino holds a valid Gaming and Wagering Commission of Western Australia licence before depositing.

Gaming and Wagering Commission of Western Australia's website

If a site isn't on the regulator's licensee register, ask the regulator before you play: an unlisted site is usually not licensed here (a register can lag behind a new licence). An unlicensed site is outside the regulator's supervision, so you cannot complain to the regulator about it.

1. 1

   1. Direct Complaint to the Operator

   The first step is to lodge a formal complaint directly with the customer service or disputes department of the betting operator. They are required to have internal procedures to handle such complaints.

2. 2

   2. Escalate to the Gaming and Wagering Commission

   If the dispute cannot be resolved with the operator, a player can lodge a formal complaint with the regulator. The Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries, which oversees the GWC, provides a formal process for gambling-related complaints.

3. 3

   3. External Legal Action

   For matters that cannot be resolved through regulatory channels, a player may consider seeking resolution through the Western Australian court system.

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  Check for an Australian Licence

  Scroll to the bottom of the website or app and look for a statement indicating the operator is licensed by an Australian state or territory regulator (e.g., 'Licensed and regulated by the Northern Territory Racing Commission'). Avoid any site that mentions a licence from Curacao, Malta, or Gibraltar.

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  Verify BetStop Registration

  All legal Australian online and phone betting services must be registered with BetStop, the national self-exclusion register. The operator's website should provide information about and links to BetStop for responsible gambling.

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  Look for '.com.au'

  While not a perfect guarantee, legal Australian operators almost always use a .com.au domain. Be very cautious of sites using domains like .ag, .io, or .bet that heavily target Australian customers.

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  Confirm AUD Currency and Payment Methods

  Licensed operators will transact in Australian Dollars (AUD) and offer familiar, secure Australian payment methods like POLi, BPAY, and PayPal alongside debit cards. Illegal offshore sites often push users towards cryptocurrency or obscure payment processors.

• Myth

  Because sports betting apps work in Perth, online casinos must be legal too.
  Reality

  This is false. The federal Interactive Gambling Act 2001 makes it illegal for any company to offer online casino or poker games to Australian residents. While sports betting is legal, any site offering casino games is operating illegally in Australia.

• Myth

  I have to pay income tax on my big lottery win.
  Reality

  No. In Australia, gambling winnings are considered the result of good luck, not income from employment or a profession. All winnings from lotteries, sports betting, or the casino are tax-free for the player.

• Myth

  All pokie machines are the same.
  Reality

  Western Australia has a unique and strict policy that electronic gaming machines (pokies) are only legal inside the Crown Perth casino. Unlike in states like New South Wales or Victoria, they are not permitted in pubs or clubs.

What you can expect from a licensed site's offers in Western Australia. The rules operators must follow are on the operator page.