Australian Casino Games: A Guide to Games, Rules and Legal Availability

Where casino games are available in Australia

Land-based gambling is regulated by state and territory authorities. Casino table games may be offered at authorised casinos, while gaming machines can also be found in some other licensed venues. The games operating at a particular venue depend on its authorisation and current offering.

An Australian theme or familiar game name does not establish where a game comes from, whether a venue is authorised or whether an online service can lawfully be offered. Check the venue and the type of activity separately.

How to check a licensed physical venue

Start with the venue’s name, the company operating it and the state or territory in which it is located. The federal Department of Social Services provides a starting point for finding the relevant gambling regulator. Queensland’s government, for example, publishes information about its casino regulation and operators.

Check the authorisation for the activity you are interested in: a liquor, hotel or wagering licence is not proof of casino authorisation. A licence also does not guarantee that every game is currently operating or that gambling is risk-free.

This guide is for adults aged 18 and over. Entry and identification procedures should be checked with the individual venue. As a local example, Crown Melbourne’s responsible-gambling code bars under-18s from the casino gaming area and says proof of age can be required.

• Identify the venue, operating company and jurisdiction.
• Find the relevant state or territory gambling regulator.
• Check the authorised activity, current status and any published conditions or decisions. Contact the regulator if anything is unclear.
• Ask the venue about current game availability, identification and other entry conditions.

Real-money online casinos and licensed wagering

For online casino games in Australia, the key distinction is that operators cannot lawfully offer prohibited real-money online casino services to customers physically in Australia. The Australian Communications and Media Authority, or ACMA, identifies online pokies, poker, blackjack and roulette among prohibited services.

An overseas licence, an Australian-dollar deposit option or access to a website does not change that prohibition. ACMA warns that illegal operators may withhold winnings and that customers can have limited options for recovering their money.

Some Australian-licensed online wagering services are permitted under separate rules. A licence to offer sports or racing wagers does not authorise an operator to offer prohibited online roulette or other online casino games. This is general information about providers, not a complete assessment of every possible legal issue affecting an individual player.

Social casino-style games are a separate question

Some social casino-style games use virtual currency and do not let users win real money, although they may sell optional in-game purchases. ACMA’s 2023 market snapshot described services that fell outside the relevant Interactive Gambling Act definition because they did not involve playing for money or anything else of value.

A label such as ‘social’, a free download or the use of virtual coins does not settle the legal status of every product. Check what users pay, what they can win and whether rewards can be transferred or redeemed. A particular product may need a separate legal assessment; optional purchases alone do not automatically make it a real-money casino.

Australian computer-game classification guidelines introduced from 22 September 2024 require a minimum R 18+ classification for games containing simulated gambling. Previously classified games are not necessarily reclassified automatically, so check the product’s classification as well as its purchase settings.

Pokies and other gaming machines

Australian pokies are gaming machines on which a player stakes credits and receives an outcome determined by the machine’s game. Many use paylines: patterns on which specified combinations of symbols may pay. The paytable explains winning combinations and features, which can include additional spins.

The total stake may depend on both the number of lines selected and the credits placed on each line. For example, on a hypothetical machine that allows these settings, playing 10 lines at two credits per line would stake 20 credits in total. Check the credit value and total shown on the screen before playing.

A random number generator determines outcomes. Previous losing spins or a near miss do not mean a win is due. A machine may display a payout even when the amount returned is less than the stake; that play is still a net loss.

Terminology matters in Western Australia. WA policy prohibits poker machines but separately allows certain electronic gaming machine games to be approved for the casino. It is therefore misleading to say either that all pokies are permitted there or that WA has no electronic gaming machines.

Roulette: betting on a wheel

Roulette is one of several casino table games in Australia. Players choose a number or group of outcomes before a ball lands on a numbered wheel. A bet on one number differs from a bet covering a group: the applicable payout and the number of outcomes covered are different.

Before placing a bet, look at the table’s payout rules and the number of zero pockets. The Victorian regulator’s approved variations include single-, double- and triple-zero forms, but approval of a variation does not mean it is operating at every venue. Zero pockets matter because they affect the possible outcomes and the game’s mathematics.

Blackjack: playing a hand against the dealer

In blackjack, each player competes against the dealer, aiming for a stronger qualifying hand without exceeding 21. Depending on the rules, a player may decide whether to take another card or keep the current hand. Other decisions may also be available.

Read the table rules before playing. Dealer actions, payouts, available decisions and side bets can differ between variations. Player decisions can affect the results, but knowing a strategy does not remove chance or guarantee a profit.

Baccarat: player, banker and tie bets

A standard baccarat bettor typically chooses whether the player hand will win, the banker hand will win or the result will be a tie. Under the applicable rules, the hand closest to nine wins. ‘Player’ is the name of one of the hands; it does not necessarily mean the bettor is playing that hand.

The game follows rules for when additional cards are drawn, so a standard bet involves fewer decisions during the hand than blackjack. Check the specific table’s payouts, any commission and the rules for tie or side bets rather than assuming they are the same everywhere.

Poker and other casino formats

Poker can mean different things in a casino. In player-versus-player poker, participants compete for a pot against one another. Some poker-labelled table variants instead use different rules and involve play against the house.

Before joining a game, check the variant, hand rankings, betting rules and any fees or rake. Rake is the amount taken under the game’s stated fee rules. Both skill and chance matter, but the decisions and costs are not identical across poker formats.

Regulators also approve other games and variations. An approved rules list is useful for understanding a format, but it does not establish that a particular table is open or that a game is currently offered.

How to compare game costs and risk

Return to player, or RTP, is the theoretical proportion of total stakes returned as prizes over a very large number of plays under the relevant assumptions. House edge is the expected proportion of stakes retained by the operator over the long run under the applicable rules and assumptions.

For illustration only, a hypothetical game with 90% RTP has a corresponding 10% house edge. Across $100 in total wagers, its theoretical average return would be $90 and average loss $10. An individual session can differ substantially: RTP is not an entitlement or a prediction of what any player will receive.

Total wagers include money staked again after a payout, not just the amount initially brought to a venue. In games involving decisions, a theoretical return can also depend on assumptions about those decisions. Do not assume one RTP or house edge applies to every version of a game.

Consider the practical cost of play as well as the rules. A modest individual stake can add up when repeated frequently, while table fees or poker rake are additional details to understand before joining.

• Rules and payouts: check the exact game and variation.
• Total stake and limits: read the whole amount at risk on each spin, hand or bet.
• Pace: consider how quickly plays can be repeated.
• Fees or rake: ask what is charged and how it is calculated.
• Decisions: make sure you understand the choices the game requires.

Safer gambling and support

Choosing not to gamble is always an option. If you do play, decide on money and time limits beforehand, take breaks and avoid chasing losses. These steps can help you manage play, but limits and knowledge do not guarantee protection from harm.

Gambling Help Online offers free, confidential support on 1800 858 858, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It can also help people concerned about someone else’s gambling. A venue or gambling counsellor can explain local self-exclusion arrangements; their scope and conditions vary.

BetStop is a free national self-exclusion service for licensed Australian online and phone wagering, with periods from three months to a lifetime. It does not cover land-based casino play or prohibited online casino services. Someone seeking exclusion from both wagering and a physical venue may need separate arrangements.

FAQ

Are online casino games legal in Australia?

Operators cannot lawfully offer prohibited real-money online casino services, including online roulette and pokies, to customers physically in Australia. Some licensed online wagering is permitted under separate rules; it is not the same as authorisation to offer online casino games.

How are pokies different from table games?

Pokies use machine-generated outcomes and a paytable, with players selecting a stake and sometimes lines or features. Table games such as roulette and blackjack follow different rules and offer different choices. Neither format guarantees a return.

Which casino games are easiest to learn?

A simple roulette bet or standard baccarat bet can be explained with relatively few choices, while blackjack and player-versus-player poker involve more decisions. That is a comparison of complexity, not a claim about winning chances or safety. Pokies can have simple controls but allow rapid repeated spending.

How can I check whether a casino is licensed?

Identify the venue, operating company and state or territory, then consult the relevant gambling regulator’s casino information and published decisions. If the venue’s status or authorised activity is unclear, contact the regulator. A liquor or wagering licence alone is not proof of casino authorisation.

Does RTP tell me what I will get back?

No. RTP is a theoretical long-run proportion of total stakes returned as prizes, not a promise for an individual session. Total stakes can include money won and then wagered again, and actual results can vary substantially.

Are pokies allowed in Western Australia?

WA policy prohibits poker machines, including fruit machines or similar machines, but separately permits certain electronic gaming machine games to be approved for the casino. Not every electronic gambling machine is therefore the same as a poker machine under that policy.

Does BetStop exclude me from casinos?

BetStop covers licensed Australian online and phone wagering, not land-based casinos or prohibited online casino services. Ask the venue or a gambling counsellor about local venue self-exclusion. The conditions and participating venues can vary.