Gambling Laws and Regulations Report 2026 Australia

Each Australian state and territory has its own gambling authority overseeing land-based and permitted online gambling activities (e.g., sports betting, lotteries).
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Enforcement action by the ACMA is also likely to continue following the implementation of various legislative changes, including in relation to illegal gambling sites and following the recent commencement of the NSER. AUSTRAC has also recently commenced the first prosecution of a prominent licensed club group for alleged breaches of the AML/CTF Act related to its operation of gaming machines. The introduction of the power for particular regulators to issue penalty infringement notices for certain gambling-related offences as an alternative to commencing court action has been a recent development in this jurisdiction. Have fines, licence revocations or other sanctions been enforced in your jurisdiction? State and territory laws often also contain a range of offences in relation to unlawful gambling, which can include organising the unlawful event, as well as participating in it. Legislation prohibits bets being taken by a Corporate Bookmaker on the outcome of a lottery (that is, ‘synthetic lotteries’).
Retail Wagering is offered by state and territory-based totalisator agency boards (TABs) pursuant to sole licences in the relevant state or territory, thereby providing them with a form of ‘retail exclusivity’. Bingo is often regarded as minor gaming and may be conducted for fundraising or charitable purposes, typically by a community or other not-for-profit organisation. Corporate Bookmakers typically also offer ‘totalisator-derivative’ or ‘tote odds’ type betting. Corporate Bookmakers offer fixed-odds betting online and over the telephone on sport, racing and other approved events, whereas On-course Bookmakers offer fixed-odds betting on-course and, subject to approval, also over the telephone and in some instances online on similar events as a Corporate Bookmaker. 2.1 What regulatory licences, permits, authorisations or other official approvals (collectively, „Licences“) are required for the lawful offer of the Relevant Products to persons located in your jurisdiction? Set out below is a list of the primary legislation governing gaming, betting, lotteries and social/skill arrangements for each Australian state/territory, as well as at the federal level. Using these powers, the federal government has enacted legislation regulating, amongst other things, interactive gambling, anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing (AML/CTF) and consumer and competition protections (also known as anti-trust matters in some other jurisdictions).
Each of Australia’s eight mainland states and territories separately regulates gambling activities within each of their respective jurisdictions. If games are not entirely skill-based (that is, there is an element of chance), then they will be subject to the relevant gaming laws. Any skill games and competitions with no element of chance are not typically regarded as gambling, but may still fall within certain gaming regimes when operated in a land-based context. Any skill games and competitions with no element of chance are not typically regarded as gambling, but may fall within certain ‘interactive gaming’ regimes when operated online and be regulated by state and territory gambling regulators.
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