Australia regulates land-based and online gambling through different systems. Pokies in pubs and clubs, casinos, TABs and lotteries are licensed by state and territory governments. Online gambling is shaped by the Commonwealth Interactive Gambling Act 2001, which allows licensed online wagering and lotteries but prohibits online casino games. The result is that the same game, a pokie for example, sits in a regulated venue on one side and in an unlicensed offshore website on the other.

This page compares the two on regulation, game returns, identity checks, self-exclusion, payments and spending data.

Side-by-Side Comparison

Factor	Land-based (venues and casinos)	Online, Australian-licensed (wagering, lotteries)	Online casino (offshore)
Regulator	State or territory regulator	State or territory licence; ACMA for IGA rules	Overseas licensing body only
Pokies and table games	Legal in licensed venues and casinos	Not permitted	Offered, but prohibited under the IGA
Age checks	ID checks by venue staff	Identity verified before the first bet	Usually at KYC, often before first withdrawal
Self-exclusion	State venue programs	BetStop national register	Casino’s own tools only
Credit	Restricted by state law	Credit cards and crypto banned since 11 June 2024	Cards and crypto commonly accepted
Game returns	State minimum return rules for machines	Not applicable to wagering odds in the same way	Set by the game provider; RTP shown in game rules
Opening hours	Limited by venue licence	24/7	24/7
Complaints	State regulator	State regulator, ACMA	Overseas regulator or ADR

Game Returns: Venue Pokies vs Online Pokies

State laws set a minimum return to player for gaming machines in venues. In Queensland, for example, Gambling Help Queensland explains that machines are programmed to return between 85% and 92% over the machine’s life. Online pokies from major providers usually publish RTPs in the mid-90s; Gates of Olympus, for instance, has a default RTP of 96.50%, with lower versions available to casinos.

Two points limit how much that difference means:

• RTP is a long-run average over millions of spins; a session can end far above or below it.
• Online pokies run faster than venue machines, so more spins per hour can offset a higher RTP. At A$1 per spin and 600 spins per hour, a 96% RTP game has an expected cost of about A$24 per hour; at 1,000 spins per hour it is about A$40.

More detail is in our guides to RTP, online vs pub pokies and the house edge.

Where Australians Spend: Official Figures

The Australian Gambling Statistics, reported by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW), show net losses on legal, regulated gambling in 2022–23:

Product	Net losses 2022–23 (real, 2022–23 dollars)
Gaming machines (pubs and clubs, excluding casinos)	A$15.76 billion
Wagering (racing and sport)	A$8.40 billion
Casinos	A$3.61 billion
Lotteries	A$3.11 billion
Keno	A$0.47 billion
Interactive gaming (legal, regulated)	A$0.04 billion
Total	A$31.47 billion

These figures cover legal gambling only. Losses at offshore online casinos are not included, so official data understates total online casino play. More figures are on our gambling statistics page.

Payments and Spending Control

Control	Land-based	Online licensed wagering	Offshore online casino
Cash only possible	Yes	No	No
Deposit limits	Pre-commitment where a state scheme exists	Must be offered; increases take 7 days	Optional, set by the operator
Monthly activity statement	Not standard	Required since 31 July 2022	Not required
Card restrictions	Credit card use restricted	Credit cards banned	Accepted by many sites

Online play leaves a full transaction record, which helps with budgeting if you review it. Our guide to tracking your spending explains how to use bank and casino records.

Access, Staff and Environment

Factor	Venue	Online
Access	Limited by opening hours and travel	Any time, from a phone
Staff intervention	Venue staff trained in the responsible service of gambling under state rules	Licensed wagering staff must complete responsible service training (National Framework, since 30 March 2023); offshore staff are not covered
Alcohol	Often served in the same venue	Not regulated at home
Visibility to others	Play is visible to staff and other patrons	Private, which makes spending easier to hide
Speed of deposit	Cash or card at the venue	Seconds, from a saved card, wallet or crypto

Online play removes most of the natural pauses that venues create, such as travel, closing time and running out of cash. That is why limit tools and time checks matter more online; see reality checks and setting limits.

Protection When Something Goes Wrong

• At a venue, a disputed payout can be referred to the venue manager and the state regulator.
• With a licensed betting app, the state regulator and ACMA handle complaints.
• At an offshore casino, the route is the operator, then its licensing body or an ADR service. Australian regulators cannot order payment. See offshore casinos.

Harm and Help

The AIHW reports that high-risk gambling rose from 1.1% of adults in 2018 to 1.8% in 2022 (HILDA Survey). Harm can come from either channel. Venue self-exclusion does not block online sites, and BetStop does not block venues or offshore casinos, so people who want to stop usually need tools for each channel. See self-exclusion options and BetStop.

Source for spending data: AIHW: Gambling.

This guide is part of our online gambling in Australia section, which covers the law, licences, complaints and player protections.

Frequently Asked Questions

Gambling is for adults 18+ only. Free, confidential help is available from Gambling Help Online on 1800 858 858.