Gambling continues to be a popular pastime among adults in Australia. An estimated 39% of the population are pretty enthusiastic about participating in various gambling games. If you want to gamble in Australia, you need to get familiar with specific rules, laws, and regulations.
The first gambling event in Australia was horse racing, and it took place at Hyde Park in Sydney in 1810. The first lottery game was in 1880, and the first slot machines appeared in clubs and pubs in the 1950s. That’s when Australians began their love affair with pokies.
Generally, all Australian territories have the permission and right to rule independently and make decisions about gambling regulations. However, the Interactive Gambling Act exists to protect Aussies from the harm that gambling can potentially cause.
Australia has a lot of games to offer, so if you are interested in gambling in traditional or online casinos, you have to be at least 18 years old.
Some of the most popular types of games to gamble on among Australians are:
- Lottery
- Sports betting
- Slots
Undoubtedly, the most popular form of wagering in Australia is slots, a.k.a. pokies. The love that Aussies have for these machines is indescribable.
Although the majority of gamblers love to play the lottery, Australians are absolute suckers for the pokies. Slots are a special thing altogether for them, and you will simply never meet an Aussie who disagrees with this statement.
Land-Based Casinos in Australia
Although most Aussies nowadays don’t have a problem with gambling, it hasn’t always been that way. There was, and there will always be, a group of people who simply fail to understand the hype and love for gambling that the players have.
There are so many things people do in their free time to make their life more enjoyable. And if you were given a chance to have fun while also getting some extra money, wouldn’t you take it?
In Australia, gambling is perceived as a hobby or recreational activity. Residents are very aware of the fact that gambling is not a way to earn money, and maybe that’s the biggest reason why the money you win by gambling is not subject to taxes.
The first casino to open in Australia was the Wrest Point Hotel Casino in Tasmania in 1973. Before that, there were few failed attempts to attain a regular casino license because casinos were considered difficult to control and destructive.
However, many things have changed since then. Currently, there are more than 20 casinos spread all over eight states in Australia, as well as hundreds of small venues that offer Ausies’ ultimate favorite game, pokie.
Finally, as technology evolves and as online casinos started to appear, Aussies did not hesitate in making a shift from going to a physical casino to sitting on a couch and gambling online.
Online Gambling in Australia
With the rising fame of gambling online worldwide, Aussies were quick to hop on a wagon to experience all of the perks that Australian online casinos bring to the table.
There are no laws regarding placing a bet online in Australia; therefore, the biggest worry you have is finding a safe place to play. As long as you are at least 18 years old, you won’t be facing any legal consequences.
Although bingo and keno are very popular games among Australians, it is online pokies that are the main draw and attraction for Australian players.
Gambling on offshore sites is legal but is not recommended. If you really like some site that operates offshore, you need to check if the site is licensed and regulated by the relevant gaming authority.
Be careful. Many sites look like regular and legal sites but are actually scams. You must make sure that your personal and bank data stay intact.
Gambling online is an enjoyable and entertaining activity. Still, you need to be very careful due to many cybercriminals and viruses lurking in the shadows and waiting for you to make a mistake and misuse your data.
Finally, the future of online casinos in Australia would appear to be bright. The country’s love and devotion to online slots seem to suggest that the market is set to continue to blossom.
The Future of Gambling in Australia
Gambling has been one of the most popular activities in Australia since the 1700s. It would appear that gambling laws did not have the desired effect on problem gambling that exists with playing video poker in Australia.
Apparently, the firm Maurice Blackburn wants to take legal action against pokies in the whole country. They claim that slot machines are designed to be addictive and deceitful, hence inherently illegal.
Although slot machines are addictive to some extent, many consider that these claims are utter nonsense. It’s ultimately up to the player to control how much they spend time and money on gambling.
Finally, we have yet to see the results of these claims, but for now, only adults are responsible for spending money on gambling and not knowing when to stop.