Australia is another of the world's online poker markets that has had many ups and downs when it comes to regulation and legality within the country. Although there are certain restrictions on operators providing their services within Australia it is not illegal for Australian residents to play online poker. On this page we've listed the top sites accepting Australians and provided a detailed account of current laws and an overview of how legislation has impacted the local market. Although there aren't a lot of viable options for Aussies there are still a number of high quality, trustworthy sites that continue to operate real money games online.
Online Poker In Australia
Perhaps the most significant event in Australia's gambling history was the introduction of the IGA (Internet Gambling Act) which was passed in 2001 and created new laws in relation to online gambling. Some of the most significant elements of the bill that were passed into Australia law included:
- Making it an offence for on or offshore company to offer online gambling to Australian citizens
- Criminalizing advertising related to offshore gambling sites offer real money in the Aussie market
Although there were many other rules entrenched in the bill these two main points were most relevant to Aussie players and the introduction of this legislation caused many sites to cease operations in Australia. What's important about this law is that although it's illegal for operators to be in the market it is not illegal for the average Australian to sign up and play real money games, essentially rendering the legislation useless for operators that were willing to continue in the market. What's even more interesting about the Australian governments stance on online gambling is unlike the United States sports betting is completely legal and is in fact offered through a number of websites that have ties to the government as a regulatory body.
Overall, while tough on the surface the IGA did little to deter offshore operators from continuing to operate within Australian borders and since the laws do not affect individuals the market is still thriving with sites.
Poker Deposits from Australia
Australian players have a number of different options when it comes to depositing and withdrawing from online poker websites. Below we've listed some of the more popular options with brief descriptions of the services provided by the merchants in facilitating quick, safe and easy banking with the major poker sites:
Credit Cards - Using your Visa, MasterCard or American Express still remains one of the best options for Aussies to deposit money at poker sites. Deposit limits typically range from $25 minimum up to $2,000 maximum per transaction and this is a quick and convenient method for funding your poker account.
eWallets - Another viable option is the use of eWallet providers including Neteller, Moneybookers and Web Money that allow you to create and fund a virtual account to transfer money to the poker sites. This is a great option since you can also easily cash out to these accounts and manage your bankroll online.
eChecks - Australian players can also take advantage of eChecks which is basically the same as writing a normal check except it's in an electronic format. Using eChecks, your deposit is credited right away and then your bank account is debited a few days later in the amount of the deposit.
uKash - a voucher based system that can be purchased wherever you see an epay sign or directly through your bank account online using the Prepaid4.me software. uKash vouchers are available in various values and are a great way to quickly fund your account using cash at a local store or through a bank account.