In this expert guide, we’ll go through everything from the best sites for newcomers in 2024 to gambling bonuses, games, and special offers these operators provide for Aussie players.
How Our Team Ranks The Best Australian Casino Sites
With the number of AU online casinos increasing yearly, you’ll need a detailed guide when choosing the best options for your gaming needs. While this is no easy task, our team may be able to help, and that’s not just because we trust in our online casino reviews ourselves.
You can take our word for it and still see for yourself how we rate the best Aussie gambling sites in 2024. To do that, here’s a brief overview of our ranking methods you can use to get a sense of our methodology:
Using Convenience
The first thing we do when visiting the site is to check its usability and features that enable players to have a grand experience. By this, we mean checking customer support, easiness of on-site navigation, game filtering options, and player engagement features like live chats. Moreover, we focus on how the site functions on a mobile, which is how most players visit online casinos these days.Gambling License
Perhaps the most important thing for all AU online casino reviews is checking whether the site has a proper license or not. This can be crucial since you can feel safe and secure if the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) approves the site. Along with this license, we also look into the site to see if they have some sort of approval for their casino software. You can never be certain that the games offered are fair these days, so spotting a confirmation from eCOGRA or iTechLabs is a nice touch.Security
Another thing you’ll want to look into is security, and our team always prioritizes this after checking the license and the layout. You can rest assured that the Aussie casinos on our list have been thoroughly checked for SSL encryption and other security protocols. Plus, we do our best to verify if the information provided by the player is safely stored on the site and check previous player statements before approving them.Game Options
Well, once we are all set in terms of security and licenses, there comes a time for our team to investigate further. We can do this by checking the games they offer and looking for top-notch providers. We also always test the “Original” games, which can be found on many modern sites, especially decentralized crypto ones.Customer Support
For players that don’t have much previous experience, customer support is everything. Once we check in on the site, the next step we take is to see if the customer support team will respond immediately after our inquiry or if they need some time to cater to our needs. If the site’s team responds within 24 hours, we can proceed by adding the site to our list. Of course, it’s also important for our team to secure you a site that truly cares for the players, so we want to ensure they offer all sorts of customer support like live chats, email support, on-site support forms, and FAQ sections.Banking Options
As the final step, all that’s left at this point is for our team to evaluate the payment options. We know that Aussie players prefer casino sites that allow credit card payments and e-wallets, but crypto casinos are also flourishing these days. So, our team tends to try and go for a compromise by picking sites that offer all these different payment options to players.Top Australian Online Casino Picks by Category
Let’s get straight to the point - we know all of you are looking for that extra something in an online casino and that you have particular favourites among the options. So, some players are looking for the best sites that offer popular pokies for Aussie players, while others look for specific payment casinos and sites with provably fair games. At this point, we have to think of all our readers, which is why we divided the best Aussie casino sites into several categories based on how we rate them:
The best online casinos in Australia this month
Category | Casino | Bonus |
---|---|---|
Best AU Online Casino | Hellspin Casino | 300 AUD + 100 FS |
Best Bonuses | Ricky Casino | 7,500 AUD + 550 FS |
Most Popular Online Casino | Playamo Casino | 1,500 AUD + 150 FS |
Best Casino to Play Pokies | Woo Casino | 300 AUD + 200 FS |
Best Payout Casino | FastPay Casino | 150 AUD + 100 FS |
Best Crypto Casino | 21bit Casino | $2,000 + 200 FS |
Most Popular Casino Games In Australia
Out of all the gambling games available to online players in 2024, most of you are probably looking for online pokies. Let’s face it - it’s simply fun to spin the reels of your favourite slot, but new types of games are emerging almost every day. So, let’s take a look at the sites we’ve tested and the games we find to be the most desirable for Australian players:
Pokies (Online Slots)
- Popularity: We think that online slots are simply so engaging and exciting with new bonus features and innovative in-game win chances that you can get, which places sites with online pokies pretty high on our list.
- Diversity of games: As we searched through all the different sites we could find for the Australian market, we stumbled upon the different types of online slots games, including video slots, classic fruit games, bonus-buy games, and Megaways slots.
- Special appeal: Online slots may be RNG-generated, but they offer a wide range of different tactics from buying into the bonuses to doing bonus hunts and featuring a variety of bonus types and features, which makes them exciting for Australian players.
Table Games
- How they work: Another pretty popular category for Australian players is table games, and these are pretty much like live casino games, only you won’t play against other players, but on regular RNG-generated versions of these.
- Types of table games: Some games that stand out in this category include table roulette, craps, blackjack, and baccarat. You can find Evolution’s First-person games on various Aussie casinos.
- RTP: Most table games developed by popular provider brands like Evolution Gaming and Ezugi offer an RTP rate of around 96%.
Card Games:
- Video poker games: Video poker is one of the go-to options for Aussie pokie lovers who want to combine the appeal of playing video poker and playing poker games without any rush or pressure of playing against other players.
- Live poker: Among live poker games, you can find all the different types that are available in real casinos, including Omaha Hi-Lo, Texas Hold’em, Three Card Poker, Caribbean Stud, and all the other versions.
Game shows:
- What makes them special: As one of the most recent discoveries, live game shows are games developed by popular providers to bring you the best of both worlds. You can get a slot-like gaming experience combined with the live casino and the thrill of playing live and together with other players.
- In-game features: One thing that makes these games, so special is the plethora of different in-game bonuses, as you can see from releases like Sweet Bonanza Candyland, Crazy Time, Monopoly Live, Cash or Crash, and Gonzo’s Treasure Hunt.
Live dealer games:
Game types: Live dealer games lobby makes the centre of every casino’s offer, and these include all sorts of different releases from roulette to blackjack, poker, baccarat, and craps. They are pretty much the same as table games, only you could refer to these as the “real thing”.
Live streams from real casinos: Most live dealer games use live streams from brick-and-mortar casinos or at least live gaming studios, and that’s what makes them so special for Aussie players.
Best Game Providers For Australian Casinos
Even when you’ve properly filtered all the AU casinos that look promising and player-focused, it takes a trained eye to verify the game software. So, we’ve decided to do our thing and let you know about the most influential casino software providers that Aussie players simply love.
Microgaming
Also, they pioneered games with exciting bonus rounds like Immortal Romance, Jurassic Park, and Break the Bank.
NetEnt
They were recently acquired by the major brand Evolution Gaming, but that doesn’t stop you from playing their old-school games on Aussie casinos from our list.
Evolution Gaming
Next up on our list is Evolution Gaming, a brand that made it all possible for players to enjoy a premium live casino experience. They feature both regular live dealer games and game shows, and you can safely say that they took over the scene completely.
They now have hundreds of different games, and some of the options that stand out include Lightning Roulette, XXXtreme Roulette, Infinite Blackjack, Side Bet City, and others.
You can also try their game shows that are based on providing players with a genuine live casino experience, only in a different way, closer to pokie games. Out of all these, we would suggest you try casinos that offer Crazy Time, Cash or Crash, Monopoly Live, and Mega Ball Live.
Playtech
Pragmatic Play
Among online pokies that became the favourites of Australian online casino players, Pragmatic Play slots are pretty high-ranking.
They mastered some of the best in-game features that players can experience in the current online slot scene, including the Pragmatic Replay feature so you can witness your wins all over again and the famous bonus buy feature.
They were actually the first brand to offer bonus buy slots to the public, which is why you’ll always be coming back to their games if you are a real pokie lover.
Aristocrat
As a domestic pokie brand, the Australian Aristocrat offers something different for all the slot lovers among Australian players. Not only does it deliver exceptionally well-crafted slots, but it does that in a way that resembles real casino slot machines and not just online games.
Some of their most famous games for the online casino market include The Dragon Link slot, Buffalo Gold Revolution, Choy’s Kingdom, and Timber Wolf.
Best Bonuses On Australian Online Casinos
So, let’s take a look at some of the best offers that you may experience playing on these sites:
Welcome Bonus
The welcome bonus is a special type of casino promotion available only to newcomers, so as soon as you register on the site, you’ll be able to grab it. However, it’s pretty different depending on which site you decide to play on.
It could be a deposit match where you receive 50%, 100%, or even 200% or more on your first deposit, or some free spins and even free money prizes.
The most common type of welcome bonus is a 100% deposit match bonus, which allows you to double up your initial deposit on the site.
No Deposit Bonus
Moving on, we have the no-deposit bonus, and this is not strictly related to the moment when you decide to join the site, but rather depends on the operator. You may find some no-deposit free spins or other promotions like free playing balance and even tournaments with the chance to win exclusive prizes.
While it sounds almost too good to be true, it is really the case, but you’ll need to read through the terms and conditions to be able to properly wager the no-deposit bonus.
Weekly Deposit Bonus
As a bonus that’s pretty similar to a welcome prize, the weekly deposit bonus, or “regular” deposit bonus, as some players prefer to call it, could occur at any point.
You don’t have to be a new player on the site to use it, and that’s where all the appeal comes from. Plus, our team of dedicated experts tried to go the extra length to give you a list of Australian casinos with the best weekly deposit deals, so make sure to check these out.
Free Spins
Finally, free spins can be won on most Aussie casinos listed by our experts, and all you have to do is look for the best prizes. Free spins can range from those that can be won just for joining the site to those you get as a tournament reward or even a no-deposit bonus.
You should also check the duration of the free spins and make sure that you are using the bonus on time, as well as see the RTPs and bonus features of online pokies that you can spin with them.
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Australia Online Casino Payment Options
This next part is crucial for your gaming experience, so we’ll discuss the main payment options available to Aussie players.
After all, 2024 brings a lot of different methods you can use for online casino deposits and withdrawals, so it would be a shame not to get the most out of them and use all the deposit bonuses.
Credit and Debit Cards
As one of the most commonly used options for online casino sites, credit and debit cards have always been extremely popular. Because they are so easy to manage for both deposits and withdrawals, most Aussie casinos take MasterCard, VISA, and Maestro.
You can also use direct bank transfers with your credit card, which makes things even better.
E-Wallets
This option is often overlooked, but e-wallets like Skrill, Neteller, and EcoPayz offer much faster processing time than traditional credit cards.
Plus, you can get extremely low payment fees, which makes things even more convenient. The processing time for e-wallets is usually within a few hours, while withdrawals mostly take up to 24 working hours.
The fees can range from 1% to 3% of the transaction value, but this also depends on and varies from one option to another.
Bank Transfer
Last but not least is the banking wiring option. It’s not that popular among users nowadays, but it’s still one of the safest and most accepted methods. Wiring is safe and secure but takes longer than any other payment method.
Cryptocurrencies
As one of the most popular options in 2024, cryptocurrencies are simply the most convenient way of playing online casino games. You can deposit swiftly and securely without submitting your payment information to the site.
On top of that, crypto sites accept various coins like BTC, ETH, Litecoin, XRP, and others, so you can always find the option you like the most.
What’s more, is that you can even find some exceptional provably fair games which are often developed by the operator itself. So, these come with lower production costs, and that means a lower casino edge and more winning chances for you!
Prepaid Cards
Prepaid cards like GPay, Paysafecard, Revolut, or Travelex can make all the difference when it comes to making online casino deposits. This includes managing your payments and cashouts without breaking a sweat or worrying about your personal or payment details.
Our Online Gambling Tips For Australian Players
Let us break it to you real quick – there’s no real tip or piece of advice for winning on online casino sites. Even so, we can give you a few tips and pointers on playing with the highest chance of winning, so let’s go straight to our tips:
Always Gamble Responsibly
One of the key pieces of advice we can give you is to always gamble responsibly. You should always set up a limit loss, after which you’ll step away, since chasing your losses only leads to problem gambling.
In that case, you should turn to safer gambling organizations like TAS or NSW. We can also help you by giving you our list of recommended casinos to play at. You can use their responsible gambling protocols and gamble in correlation with props recommended by BeGambleAware or other major companies.
Pick A Site Wisely
We already talked about this – it is important for you to pick a site wisely and ensure it has all the required licenses and documentation. This includes the ACMA approval but also involves regulatory bodies like eCOGRA.
Make sure to also only join sites that have been rated and verified for their fairness, which prevents making mistakes like being unable to get a hold of your winnings.
Get To Know The Regulations
You should always keep in mind the domestic gambling rules, since you may not be allowed to gamble on sites that are based in Australia. However, you can gamble on offshore casinos, and it’s crucial to visit the website of a local governing body or authority to inquire about the rules.
Read the T&Cs
Going through the terms and conditions of the site can save you from any unwanted issues you might have when playing, including withdrawal limits, bonus wagering, and more.
Each site has its own set of rules and terms you should meet and respect, which is why it’s so important to keep these in mind.
Protect Your Data
Keeping your personal information safe when gambling online is even more important than winning since there have been numerous cases of identity theft or even worse situations.
That being said, you should only gamble on sites that have been verified for the security of player information, or at least pick decentralized gambling sites and crypto casinos.
Know Your Games And Bonuses
Finally, we can only recommend you stay informed about the games you play and their rules. This way, you’ll avoid any unpleasant surprises, and the same can be said for the bonuses.
Every site will be happy to call you their mate, but that’s different on paper and in reality, so make sure to understand the bonus before claiming it.
Online Gambling Laws And Regulations in Australia
Based on our experience playing in Australian online casinos and knowledge of the laws and regulations, we’ll drive into the unknown regarding AU gambling regulations.
The Interactive Gambling Act 2001 (IGA)
This act was passed to prevent online casino operators from offering their services to Australian players years ago, and it’s still currently in use. So, this prevents you (or should we say it protects you) from joining shady domestic casinos, leaving you with offshore gambling options.
Additions to the IGA
Additional provisions to the mentioned law have been passed in the last couple of years, enforcing even more restrictions on players. They used to execute laws in sort of “grey areas” of AU online gambling.
Once again, you won’t be restricted from accessing offshore casinos if you can find reputable sites.
State and Country Regulations
Like it’s the case in many other countries like Canada, each Australian state has its own gambling regulations. So, we advise you to always double-check these before joining a site and officially starting your gambling session.
Penalties For Breaching The Rules
If a domestic online casino operator offers games to Aussie players, they will surely be severely legally prosecuted. However, you may end up getting the lower end of the deal yourself, so make sure not to go around any IGA regulations.
The Role of ACMA
The ACMA authority is the central piece of online gambling in Australia, and it provides all the gambling licenses, regulations, and even punishments to players.
Of course, it watches over and regulates the software providers as well as online casino operators themselves.
Player Protections
Don’t think ACMA is a bad authority for local players just because it forbids you from entering shady sites. It’s all in the effort to create a safer gambling environment for players, which is why they also provide free consultations, self-exclusion programs, and gambling awareness courses to help players prevent problem gambling.
Gambling Support And Addiction Prevention
While online gambling and pokies in particular are popular in Australia, there are some rules you always have to follow. The country’s regulatory bodies always do their best to keep players protected and safe, which is why you have multiple options for dealing with gambling issues:
Gambling Help Online
You can always refer to Gambling Help Online and their site for further information on how to treat and deal with problem gambling. They offer their own programs for player protection and addiction prevention, so you can contact them over the phone line 1800 858 858 or visit www.gamblinghelponline.org.au.
Lifeline Australia
Not only does this organization care for players dealing with problem gambling, but they deal with all sorts of mental illnesses and issues. You can contact them by dialling the following number: (02) 6215 9400.
Relationships Australia
If you need safer gambling counselling, this organization has all the services you may need, and it’s pretty easy to reach them through their site – https://relationships.org.au/.
Gamblers Anonymous
Finally, the Gamblers Anonymous organization is specifically dealing with these types of issues and Aussie players can turn to their representatives for getting the much-needed help on this page – www.gaaustralia.org.au.
Blacklisted Australian Casinos
We don’t know if you heard about all the scams taking place in this industry, but we surely did. So, we think it’s our obligation to point out some of the shady business going on in the Australian iGaming scene, and we’ve created a blacklist of certain casino sites to support that goal.
Here’s a list of the reasons why we blacklist certain Aussie casinos:
- Fixed games: Playing rigged games is the key reason our team decides to place a site on our blacklist, mostly due to fixed RTP rates or tampering with the game software.
- Site refusing to pay: Another reason why we decided to put a site on our blacklist is if it refused to pay out a player for any reason. You deserve to get your winnings from your gambling sessions, so we do what we can to prevent you from facing any issues in that sense.
- Low-end customer support: If the site’s customer support team is often unresponsive and you simply can’t reach it, it could cause problems for you as a player so we immediately place those sites on our blacklist.
- Zero privacy policies: Should the site in any way harm our readers and players by violating their privacy policies, it’s a clear red flag that makes us ban the site.
Getting Started On Australian Online Casinos
Alright, so now that we’ve let you know what you shouldn’t do in any case, let’s move on to the fun part – giving you some essentials on properly playing on AU casinos. So, here’s a list of steps you can follow created by our team of gambling experts:
- Find a reputable site and join – The first step is to always find reputable and verified casinos to join and fill out their registration form so you can become a new member and play your favourite casino games. If you can’t decide or find reliable casinos, you can always rely on our list of the best Australian online casinos.
- Choose your payment method – The next step would be to find a reliable payment method to use and get ready to make your first deposit. If you are going to use cryptocurrency, that involves creating a wallet and visiting a crypto exchange.
- Grab the welcome bonus – Once you’ve successfully registered as a new player and have made your first deposit, you can get the welcome package deal and start playing.
- Explore the games and play responsibly – Finally, we can only advise you to check out the site’s game categories, especially if you are joining one of the sites recommended by our experts, and play responsibly while setting your limits.