Key Facts of Australian Online Casinos
Almost every aspect of Australia seems to be a mystery, and Australian online casinos are no exception. We've therefore compiled this brief guide around online casino facts, to shed some light on important aspects of the country's online casino industry.
Taxes
Online gambling isn't regarded as a profession in Australia. As a result, punters don't pay any form of gambling tax to the government. Apart from the usual transaction charges, no deductions are made on deposits, withdrawals and winnings.
Safety of Online Casinos
Contrary to popular belief, safety is a major issue in the country's virtual gambling industry. To maximise security measures, players have to adhere to the following rules:
- Interact only with offshore casino sites that have been approved by the state.
- Players should ensure that online casinos comply with state regulations.
- Players should stay away from unlicensed gambling websites.
Deposits and Withdrawals
Due to regulations, most local online casinos don't allow Australians to open real-money accounts. However, offshore casino sites don't follow these regulations. As a result, locals may deposit and withdraw money from their accounts seamlessly. In fact, several offshore gambling sites allow players to transact in Australian dollars. Many of these sites also provide locally-popular payment methods such as Poli, BPAY and PayPal. 
Online Gambling Laws
The state and territory governments were in charge of regulating virtual gambling. However, in 2001, the Australian Common Wealth parliament passed the Interactive Gambling act to take charge of virtual gambling, with an emphasis on online casinos. The purpose of the act was to minimize gambling issues in the country. Although locals continue to play casino games online, the act has made it rather difficult for local and certain offshore sites to advertise their services to locals.
Popular Games
Pokie is a term you will often hear gamblers throwing around. The term basically means slot machines. Pokies are so popular among Australian players that hundreds of variations are available to meet the population's needs.
Baccarat is as popular in the Australian virtual gambling space as it is elsewhere. Locals goes as far as playing the game online with live dealers, to combine convenience with social interaction.
BlackJak in an equally popular game in the country, in fact there are many variations of the game across different states and these variations can also be found online. Pontoon is the most popular local variation of Blackjack.
Rogue Casinos
Since gambling laws are so stringent in the country, the state and local government are always on the lookout for gambling sites operating recklessly and not complying with regulations. These sites are labelled "Rogue Casinos". These gambling houses must be avoided, because they don't payout winnings and their games aren't fair.
Despite strict rules, Australia remains one of the biggest players in the virtual gambling space. One of the online facts is that about 39% of the population gambles online and the regular gambler spends an average of AUD 1292.25 per year on gambling sites.
