Australia has more poker machines per person than any country in the world, excluding casino-tourism destinations like Macau and Monaco. It has nearly 200,000 machines – one for every 114 people. Underage gambling is 'normalised' in Australia, with a landmark study showing one in six people aged 16 to 17 placing bets or wagering money. While most underage gambling activity involves private.
Australians bet on everything and the many land-based casino venues available to us around the country means there are plenty of options for playing roulette. This page details the current gambling regulations and laws in our country for all punters to better understand the legal gambling age and which land-based casino venues are safe and legal to play at.
Australian gambling laws
The Australian and state governments regulate real money gambling and use this form of entertainment as a major economical and tourism draw-card. Melbourne, Victoria owns the largest land-based casino in the Southern hemisphere, Crown Casino, with the entire entertainment complex occupying an area of 510,000 squared metres, making it also one of the largest casinos in the world.
Casinos around our country are all governed by their respective state gaming regulatory bodies (discussed below), but the legal gambling age limit is fixed to 18 across the entire continent. While there is a want to keep gambling as an enjoyable and clean form of entertainment, there is always the potential for illicit and dangerous betting, so governmental laws are enforced in order to attempt to restrain the negative side-effects of this activity.
Below are the links to each Australian state and territory’s gaming regulatory body:
- Australian Capital Territory – The ACT Gambling and Racing Commission
- New South Wales – Office of Liquor, Gaming and Racing
- Northern Territory – Licensing Commission
- Queensland – Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulation
- South Australia – The Independent Gambling Authority
- Tasmania – Tasmanian Gaming Commission
- Victoria – Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation
- Western Australia – Department of Racing, Gaming and Liquor
What about online gambling?
In Australia, online gambling is covered under the laws of the Interactive Gambling Act 2001 (IGA). While the original wording of the IGA banned online casino operators from operating within our borders or from advertising services to Australian players, the laws were filled will all kinds of loopholes that allowed offshore casino sites to continue to service the Australian market. In September 2017, those loopholes were closed with the introduction of the Interactive Gambling Amendment Bill, which was implemented to ban offshore gambling sites from offering their services to Australian players unless they have an Australian-issued license to do so.
The technicality here is there is nothing in the IGA amendments that punishes Australian players who continue to frequent offshore casino sites. With many foreign casinos choosing to continue to service the Australian market, there are still choices available to Aussie residents who want to play online, with the risk completely on the operator. It’s important to note that licensed online casinos must adhere to strict rules and regulations set by their country of jurisdiction, including adhering to minimum gambling age requirements. All Australians who choose to play at online casinos must be at least 18 years of age, regardless of where the casino is located.
Read more about Australia’s online gambling laws.
Why 18?
Across Australia, the age at which you can start to legally gamble on any form of real money betting, including lotteries, bingo halls, sport and race betting, and casino betting, is 18.
In America, the legal gambling age is dependent on what state you reside in, with states setting the age restriction level at 18, 19 or 21.
In Britain, the age limit is also set at 18, although exceptions do exist for national lotteries and scratch-cards, where those who are 16 or older can partake in such betting.
Australia is consistent with it’s laws and rules relating to activities and actions considered to be adult-based, such as drinking alcohol, gambling, voting and being prosecuted by the law – actions which are widely accepted to have the need to be regulated based on age. A 15-year-old teenager’s brain is much less developed than that of a 23-year-old, as is his/her maturity level, social awareness, and many other important factors; and so this has an immediate effect on the decisions the teenager is prone to make.
In regards to the age of criminal responsibility across Australia, from 14 years to 18 years of age (17 in Victoria), those who commit a crime may be held fully responsible for their actions, but are prosecuted under a different set a criminal sanctions than an individual over 18 who commits the same offence – the 14 to 17-year-old (or 18) is still treated as a child/juvenile (information gathered from the Australian Institute of Criminology). This is one of the most difficult areas of criminal justice – deciding when an individual should be regarded as a fully responsible adult – and it subsequently has vast effects on other areas of the law, such as gambling.
Penalties of under-age gambling
One of the main reasons behind the enforcement of gambling laws is to protect children from obsessive gambling and becoming addicted. Back in 2007, Britain allowed children of any age to play five-pound slot machines games, and still allow individuals 16 years and over to buy lottery tickets, scratch-cards and partake the football pools. It was found in an expert study (by David Cameron) that three-and-a-half per cent of British children aged between 11 to 15 (around 100,000 children at the time) were considered ‘problem gamblers’.
In Australia, it is considered a criminal offence for anyone under 18 to partake in real money gambling, and individuals under that age bracket caught engaging in such activities can be prosecuted accordingly – they may be subject to fines and court-ordered measures like care and control, supervision and assessment orders.
Gambling in a positive light
When people mention the word gambling, it is often thought of with negative connotations; however it doesn’t have to be. Gambling should be considered an enjoyable form of entertainment once you are legally allowed to do so. Obviously, maintaining a suitable bankroll limit and knowing when to stop is imperative, and if we ever find we are no longer enjoying gambling, this is a good indicator to stop. There are multiple government-owned gambling help services, such as Problem Gambling Victoria if we feel we are no longer in control of our actions.
Games like roulette, blackjack and poker are thoroughly enjoyable, and when cash is on the line, it often makes it all that more exciting.
Gambling is an activity undertaken by many Australians. Over 80% of Australian adults engage in gambling of some kind, which is the highest rate of gambling in the world.[1] This number includes some 4% of the adult population who play the pokies once a week, accounting for some 62% of locals' annual gambling spend.[2]
Gambling is a significant public health issue, with around 80,000 to 160,000 (or 0.5 - 1.0%) of Australian adults experiencing significant problems from gambling and a further 250,000 to 350,000 (or 1.4 - 2.1% of adults) experiencing moderate risks that may make them vulnerable to problem gambling.[3]
Revenue[edit]
In 2015–16, gambling revenue made up 7.7% of state and territory taxation revenue. The rate was lowest in Western Australia (2.5%) and highest in the Northern Territory (12.0%). Gambling revenue made up 2.5% of total state revenue when other revenue sources were taken into account. The rate was lowest in WA (0.9%) and highest in Victoria (3.2%). Gambling revenue as a portion of state taxation revenue has fallen for all states and territories between 2006–07 and 2015–16.[4]
Total Australian gambling revenue in 2008-09 was just over $19 billion and the share of household consumption was 3.1%[3]
New South Wales[edit]
New South Wales has a long history of gambling; Australia's first official horse racing meeting occurred in 1810 at Hyde Park in Sydney; the first official Australian lottery occurred in 1881 at the Sydney Cup; and registered clubs operated the first legal poker machines in Australia from 1956.[5]
Approximately 95,800 of 'pokies' are in NSW, a state total beaten only by Nevada, which operated 181,109 gambling machines in 2014.[6]
Between 1 December 2017 to 31 May 2018 NSW Clubs made a net profit of $1,945,161,625 and hotels made a net profit of $1,169,040,731 from pokies alone.[7]
Fairfield[edit]
Fairfield had the highest poker machine revenue in the state for 2013, generating $298 million in clubs and $93 million in pubs, from the start of the year to August.[8] This figure is $123 million greater than the combined total of profits generated from poker machines in the City of Sydney.[8]
Hunter Region[edit]
From January to March 2013 poker machines in the Hunter region had a turn over of $4.5 billion, showing an increase of $500 million since 2010.[9] Daily figures show a spend of $12.5 million, working out to be $8682 per minute.[9] The Office of Liquor Gaming and Racing found that Newcastle was the Hunter Regions most profitable location with the 3206 poker machines averaging $44,963 each.[9]The top five most profitable clubs for gaming revenue in the Hunter region in 2010 were:[10]
- 1. Western Suburbs Leagues Club (Wests), New Lambton
- 2. Wests (formerly Club Phoenix), Mayfield
- 3. Wallsend RSL & Community Club, Wallsend
- 4. Belmont 16 Foot Sailing Club, Belmont
- 5. Cardiff Panthers, Cardiff
The top five most profitable hotels for gaming revenue in the Hunter region in 2010 were.[10]
- 1. The George Tavern, East Maitland
- 2. Bay Hotel Motel, Bonnells Bay
- 3. Hotel Jesmond, Jesmond
- 4. The Lake Macquarie Tavern, Mount Hutton
- 5. Warners Bay Hotel, Warners Bay
Central Coast Region[edit]
According to the latest figures from Liquor and Gaming NSW there are 4,046 poker machines in 39 clubs on the Central Coast, and 626 poker machines in 29 hotels; making a total of 4,672 poker machines on the Central Coast. That means 2.37% of the total number of poker machines in Australia are on the NSW Central Coast.[11]
Gosford has approximately 1928 pokies, spread across 37 venues. That is the equivalent of one poker machine for every 71 adults. In 2010–11, venues in Gosford made approximately $95,865,000 in profit from pokies. That equates to $700 for each adult member of Gosford's population.[12]
Wyong has approximately 2608 pokies, spread across 35 venues. That is the equivalent of one poker machine for every 47 adults. In 2010–11, venues in Wyong made approximately $123,159,000 in profit from pokies. That equates to $1,000 for each adult member of Wyong's population.[12]
The Central Coast has a higher prevalence of problem gambling than the NSW average. Young men between the ages of 18-24 living on the Central Coast are the biggest players of poker machines in NSW and are the highest risk group for problem gambling.[13]
In 2008 Central Coast Gambling Help carried out a survey of 200 young people aged from 13-24 and found:
- 96% of people from 18-24 had gambled for money or possessions
- 62% of those under 14 years old and 77% of those aged up to 17 had gambled for money or items, including mobile phones and MP3 players
- 25.5% of 14- to 17-year-olds and 55% of 18- to 24-year-olds had lost more than they had intended
- and 6% under 18 had played a poker machine[14]
Regulatory authorities[edit]
Since the introduction of new gambling services, including online gambling, the Commonwealth has taken a more active role in the regulation of gambling, but the Australian gambling industry is also regulated by State and Territory authorities:[15]
- Australian Capital Territory - ACT Gambling and Racing Commission
- New South Wales - New South Wales Office of Liquor, Gaming and Racing
- Northern Territory - Licensing Commission
- Queensland - Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulation
- South Australia - Independent Gambling Authority
- Tasmania - Tasmanian Gaming Commission
- Victoria - Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation
- Western Australia - Department of Racing, Gaming and Liquor
Key legislation[edit]
Traditionally gambling has been legislated at a state and territory level rather than by the Commonwealth:[16]
- Australian Capital Territory
- Betting (ACTTAB Limited) Act 1964
- Casino Control Act 2006
- Gaming Machine Act 2004
- Interactive Gambling Act 1998
- Lotteries Act 1964
- Pool Betting Act 1964
- Race and Sports Bookmaking Act 2001
- Racing Act 1999
- Unlawful Gambling
- New South Wales
- Betting Tax Act 2001
- Casino Control Act 1992
- Charitable Fundraising Act 1991
- Gambling (Two-Up) Act 1998
- Gaming and Liquor Administration Act 2007
- Gaming Machines Act 2001
- Gaming Machines Tax Act 2001
- Liquor Act 2007
- Lotteries and Art Unions Act 1901
- Public Lotteries Act 1996
- Racing Administration Act 1998
- Registered Clubs Act 1976
- Totalizator Act 1997
- Unlawful Gambling Act 1998.
- Northern Territory
- Gaming Control Act 2005;
- Gaming Machine Act 2005;
- Northern Territory Licensing Commission Act 2001;
- Racing and Betting Act 2004;
- Soccer Football Pools Act 2004;
- Totalisator Licensing and Regulation Act 2004; and
- Unlawful Betting Act 2004.
- Queensland
- Brisbane Casino Agreement Act 1992
- Breakwater Island Casino Agreement Act 1984
- Cairns Casino Agreement Act 1993
- Casino Control Act 1982
- Charitable and Non-Profit Gaming Act 1999
- Gaming Machine Act 1991
- Interactive Gambling (Player Protection) Act 1998
- Jupiters Casino Agreement Act 1983
- Keno Act 1996
- Lotteries Act 1997
- Wagering Act 1998.
- South Australia
- Authorised Betting Operations Act 2000
- Casino Act 1997
- Gaming Machines Act 1992
- Lottery and Gaming Act 1936
- State Lotteries Act 1966
- Tasmania
- Gaming Control Act 1993
- TT-Line Gaming Act 1993
- Victoria
- Casino control Act
- Casino (Management Agreement) Act 1993
- Gambling Regulation Act 2003.
- Western Australia
- Betting Control Act 1954
- Bookmakers Betting Levy Act 1954
- Casino (Burswood Island) Agreement Act 1985
- Casino Control Act 1984
- Gaming and Betting (Contracts and Securities) Act 1985
- Gaming and Wagering Commission Act 1987
- Gaming and Wagering Commission (Continuing Lotteries Levy) Act 2000
- Racing and Wagering Western Australia Act 2003
- Racing and Wagering Western Australia Tax Act 2003
- Racing Restriction Act 2003
- Racing Bets Levy Act 2009
Online gambling[edit]
The Interactive Gambling Act (2001) was passed by the Australian Commonwealth Parliament on 28 June 2001.[17] It received assent on 11 July 2001[18]
The Act is targeted at online gambling operators, making it an offense for them to offer 'real-money' online interactive gambling to residents of Australia. It also makes it illegal for online gambling operators to advertise 'real-money' interactive gambling services (such as online poker and casino) to Australian citizens.[17]That being said, the amount spent on online gaming by Australians reached some $800 million by 2010, according to the official 2010 Productivity Report of the Australian Government.[2]
Accessing and using the interactive gambling services is not an offence. It is also allowed to companies based in Australia to offer their gambling services to gamblers located outside Australia with the exception of those countries that were called 'designated countries'.[19]
Taxation laws on gambling in Australia[edit]
Gamblers' winnings in Australia are not taxed. There are 3 main reasons for that:
- Gambling is not considered a profession, it's treated as a hobby or recreational activity.
- The Australian government views gains from gambling activities not as income, but as a result of good luck. Even if someone wins big, they also lose a lot in other gambling sessions.
- The government taxes gambling operators instead.[20][21]
Taxation of gambling operators in Australia differs from state to state and different gambling services are taxed in a different way. There are taxes on the turnover, on player loss and net profit. As gambling operators need to obtain a license to offer their services, certain fees must also be paid at this stage of gambling business development.[22]
The use of different tax rates and tax bases makes it difficult to compare taxes across states. For example, the ACT's keno tax rate of 2.53% of turnover is equivalent to a tax rate on gross profits of 10.12%.[23]
Tax rates (2015–16)[24]
| EGMs in hotels | EGMs in clubs | EGMs in casinos | Keno | Table games in casinos (and keno in casinos in some instances) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NSW | 0-50% of quarterly player loss, depending on quarterly player loss | 0-28.05% of quarterly player loss, depending on quarterly player loss (the rate peaks at 28.05% for $250,000-$450,000, then falls to 18.05% before rising to a maximum of 26.55% above $5 million) | 16.41-38.91% of gross revenue, depending on gross revenue, plus 2% Responsible Gambling Levy on gross gaming revenue | 8.91%-14.91% of player loss, depending on player loss | 16.41-38.91% of gross revenue, depending on gross revenue |
| Victoria | 8.33-62.53% of monthly average player loss (per machine), depending on by monthly average player loss, times by the average number of machines | 0-54.20% of monthly average player loss (per machine), depending on monthly average player loss, times by the average number of machines | 31.57-51.57% of gross gaming revenue, depending on gross revenue, plus a 1% Community Benefit Levy | 24.24% of player loss | 21.25-41.25% of gross revenue, depending on gross revenue, plus 1% Community Benefit Levy |
| Queensland | 35% of monthly taxable metered win (amount bet minus payout), plus Health Services Levy of 0-20% of monthly taxable metered win, depending on monthly metered win | 0-35.00% of monthly taxable metered win, depending on monthly metered win | 30% of monthly gross revenue (Gold Coast and Brisbane casinos), 20% of gross revenue (Townsville and Cairns casinos) | 29.40% of monthly gross revenue, excluding casino commissions (Jupiters Casino), 20% of monthly gross revenue (Gold Coast and Brisbane casinos), 10% of gross revenue (Townsville and Cairns casinos) | 20% of monthly gross revenue (Gold Coast and Brisbane casinos), 10% of gross revenue (Townsville and Cairns casinos) |
| Western Australia | N/A | N/A | 12.42% flat rate on gross gaming revenue, plus 2% Burswood Park Levy on gross revenue | 9.37% of player loss (domestic), 1.75% of player loss (international business) | 9.37% (domestic), 12.92% (fully automated table games) |
| South Australia | 0-65% of annual net gambling revenue, depending on annual net gambling revenue | Up to 41% of net gambling revenue | 41% of net gambling revenue | 3.41% of net gambling revenue (table games), 10.91% of net gambling revenue (fully automated table games) | |
| Tasmania | 25.88% of gross profit, plus 4% Community Support Levy | 25.88% on gross profit | 5.88% of gross profit | 0.88% of annual gross profit | |
| Northern Territory | 12.91-42.91% of monthly gross profits | 11% of gross profit (Lasseters Casino), 15% of gross profit (Skycity Darwin Casino), plus a 10% Community Benefit Levy | 10% of gross profit, reduced by the GST amount | The GST rate only | |
| Australian Capital Territory | 25.9% of gross monthly revenue, plus 0.6% Problem Gambling Assistance Fund Levy | 10.9% of gross revenue | 2.53% of turnover |
Australia Casino Online
| Forms of taxation | Gambling Activity |
|---|---|
| Turnover tax | Bookmakers (racing) |
| Bookmakers (sports betting) | |
| Totalisator wagering on racing | |
| Lottery subscriptions | |
| Draw card machines | |
| Keno | |
| Tax on player loss | Totalisator wagering on racing |
| Sports betting | |
| Poker machines in hotels, clubs, casinos | |
| Casinos | |
| TAB sports betting | |
| Keno | |
| Net profits tax | Poker machines |
| Off-course totalisator investment | |
| Licence Fees | Casinos |
| Poker machines | |
| Lotteries | |
| Racing | |
| Bookmakers | |
| Sports betting | |
| Minor gambling (bingo, raffles) |
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^Bryant, Nick 'Australia in thrall of gambling mania', BBC, 30 January 2007
- ^ abAustralian Gambling Habits
- ^ abProductivity, Commission. 'Productivity Commission Inquiry Report'. pc.gov.au/. Australian Government. Retrieved 22 January 2015.
- ^Fourth social and economic impact study of gambling in Tasmania (2017), Volume 1: Industry trends and impacts(PDF). ACIL Allen Consulting. pp. 57–60. Retrieved 17 January 2018.
- ^Australian Institute of Gambling Research. 'Australian Gambling Comparative History and Analysis'(PDF). www.vcgr.vic.gov.au. Victorian Casino and Gaming Authority. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
- ^Ziolkowski, S. 'The World Count of Gaming Machines 2013'(PDF). www.gamingta.com. The Gaming Technologies Association. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
- ^McNally, Caroline. 'Gambling in Australia'. problemgambling.net.au. Central Coast Gambling Help.
- ^ abNeedham, Kristy. 'Punters in west pile money in pokies', 'The Sydney Morning Herald', Australia, 23 March 2014. Retrieved on 10 September 2014.
- ^ abcPage, Donna. 'Hunter punters blow $8682 a minute on pokies', 'Newcastle Herald', Australia, 4 October 2013. Retrieved on 9 September 2014.
- ^ abPage, Donna.'How the Hunter gambled $4bn', 'Newcastle Herald', Australia, 26 July 2010. Retrieved on 9 September 2014.
- ^Office of Liquor and gambin NSW 2018 https://www.liquorandgaming.nsw.gov.au/resources/gaming-machine-data
- ^ abMarkham, Francis. 'Who wins big from gambling in Australia'. theconversation.com. The Conversation. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
- ^ACNielsen. 'Prevalence of Gambling and Problem Gambling in NSW – A Community Survey 2006'. www.olgr.nsw.gov.au. NSW Office of Liquor, Gaming and Racing. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
- ^McNally, Caroline. 'Gambling in Australia'. problemgambling.net.au. Central Coast Gambling Help. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
- ^Parliament Library: Gambling Policy and Regulation
- ^Australian Gambling Statistics, 1986-87 and 2011-12, 29th Edition, 2004, p. 7.
- ^ abInteractive Gambling Act Receives Assent
- ^Interactive Gambling Act 2001: Compilation
- ^Review of the Interactive Gaming Act 2001
- ^Australia’s future tax system - Report to the Treasurer 2009[permanent dead link]
- ^Australian Gambling laws: Taxes
- ^ ab'Australian Gaming Council: Gamblng Taxes'(PDF). Archived from the original(PDF) on 22 March 2012. Retrieved 3 November 2011.
- ^Joint Select Committee on Future Gaming Markets: Final Report. Parliament of Tasmania. p. 146. Retrieved 11 January 2018.
- ^Joint Select Committee on Future Gaming Markets: Final Report. Parliament of Tasmania. pp. Tables 6–10. Retrieved 11 January 2018.
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