Year in Review for Gambling in Australia
The last months of 2024 saw the casino and online casino industry in Australia undergo significant changes with legislative initiatives, new records of local operators and disruptions that resulted in restrictions and bans on some of their services. These developments have a significant impact on users and visitors to establishments, the brands themselves and society as a whole.
To understand the context of gambling development in Australia, we need to look at the statistics. And it does not speak in favour of the responsible attitude of the residents themselves in recent years. The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare conducted a study, the results of which showed that the total amount of money lost in online casinos and land-based establishments was about 25 billion dollars. Such an impressive amount emphasises the scale of involvement of the population in gambling and the popularity of this type of leisure. But it also highlights the need to take additional measures to mitigate potential risks and consequences.
An additional survey was also conducted in 2024, which showed that about 70 per cent of Australian adults engage in gambling at least once a year. Poker machines and Website online casinos are the most popular. The survey also shows that the young audience of projects and brands operating in the country has increased significantly. Therefore, local media and activists have become more active in promoting information campaigns on the prevention of gambling addiction.
Changes in Legislation
Of course, all these factors could not but cause a reaction from the Australian authorities. Let's consider the main consequences that the industry has met and that may affect its development in 2025.
Stricter Regulations for Video Games with Gambling Elements
From 22 September 2024, new rules came into force in Australia that regulate the release of video games with elements of or references to the gambling industry and its gaming processes. According to the official wording, any game with ‘simulated gambling’ must automatically be given an 18+ age rating to restrict access to minors. Even games where casino elements are presented in a minor form, such as mini-games in role-playing projects, fall under these rules. According to experts, such changes may have a negative impact on game developers, who will be forced to reconsider their approaches to the story components of their products and the integration of gamification elements into them. Some companies have already announced the revision of their projects to meet the new requirements.
Blocking Illegal Online Casinos
Australian authorities continue to actively fight the activities of illegal online casinos, which due to the development of technology literally flooded the local market. According to the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA), the organisation has blocked more than 1,000 illegal gambling sites and affiliate resources since November 2019. In particular, the operations of such resources as Playzilla, Wazamba, Zet Casino and other scammer projects have been stopped.
Such measures allow to protect Australian consumers from the risks associated with unlicensed platforms. In 2024, the ACMA announced it will strengthen blockchain enforcement, including by introducing new technologies to track illegal traffic. Authorities are also conducting outreach to internet service providers to improve the effectiveness of blocking.
Banning Online Gambling Adverts
The Australian government is considering a complete ban on advertising online casinos and other gambling games on the Internet. The initiative has already been supported by former and current officials, as well as public figures. They have planned a number of initiatives that, which call for a gradual introduction of the ban over a period of three years. The main goal of these measures is to gradually reduce the impact of gambling on the interest of the population and reduce the social problems associated with them. According to statistics, it is online advertising that brings young audiences to websites and establishments. This is a major concern for parents and community organisations. There are also discussions about the possibility of introducing fines for operators who will violate the new rules.
Banning the Use of Credit Cards for Gambling
Gambling addiction inevitably leads users into financial problems. To counteract the problems associated with gambling, Australian authorities are planning to ban the use of credit cards for online gambling. By crossing the line, users will no longer use the limits.
Such restrictions will help reduce the amount of money lost and prevent debt accumulation among users. The ban is expected to come into effect soon after the necessary legislative procedures are finalised. According to preliminary data, the new rules may be supplemented by another verification stage during registration. For this purpose, users will need to enter the online casino system of identification data of banking systems. According to experts, such an innovation will help to reduce the level of gambling addiction and financial risks for the local audience.
Increased Attention to Licensing
There has been a significant increase in regulatory control over the licensing of online casino operators. The main goal of the Australian authorities is to ensure maximum transparency of foreign companies that provide services in this area, as well as the introduction of mandatory verification for all new and existing operators. This approach includes a full audit of financial statements and timely provision of full details upon request, impeccable compliance with legislation to protect the rights of users and reduce the negative impact on the community. By strengthening licensing measures, the government will be able to reduce fraud as well as ensure the safety of local residents who are addicted to gambling.
External and Internal Factors
In addition to legislative changes, the gambling market itself in Australia is undergoing many changes. In the next part of the review, let's take a look at the most high-profile end-of-year developments faced by local users and operators.
Public Debate and the Experiences Of Others
Any context will be unrepresentative unless it is compared to global trends in gambling development. Tim Costello, chief advocate of the Alliance for Gambling Reform, paralleled the place of gambling in the lives of Australians with the issue of gun control in the US. In this way, he wanted to emphasise the cultural specificities of the phenomenon, within which gambling, which is already part of the national heritage, cannot be completely excluded. Costello's position has met with strong condemnation from activists who see gambling as a relic of the past that negatively affects the future of new generations.
Public debate on the issue continues, with many experts openly advocating even more stringent legislation on gambling services. One of the most controversial issues is the proposal to organise a common national register, which would contain the data of all users of gambling sites and casino visitors. With its help it will be possible to monitor the activity level of potentially addicted persons and prevent them from developing gambling addiction. Opponents of this initiative link it to a direct violation of privacy and personal freedom. Therefore, as an alternative, the experience of the UK is discussed, where self-exclusion programmes for addicted users are successfully operating.
Choosing the Best Online Casino
It was Wild Card City, a popular online casino in Australia, which offers local audiences a wide range of activities in the gaming lobby, as well as a large number of bonuses and promotions. Due to the high level of service and quality of the provided services, the project quickly became a favourite of users.
In 2025, Wild Card City is expected to completely revamp its entertainment catalogue, adding new online pokies and Live casino games with real dealers. The project team has also strengthened security measures by introducing two-factor authentication to protect user accounts. These changes have already met with positive feedback from local audiences and industry experts.
Impact of Technology on Market Development
In 2024, websites that pioneered the use of artificial intelligence to create personalised user experiences stood out in the local market. Today, such systems analyse audience preferences and the activity level of each participant to offer entertainment and environments that match their interests and capabilities. But from experts and public figures, there are concerns that this approach will encourage the growth of gaming addiction due to greater engagement.
Victoria Imposes Restrictions on Online Pokies
The state of Victoria became the first in Australia, who decided to introduce restrictions on the amount that each user can bet during the day. Thus, for poker it will be reduced from $1000 to $100. Control over the level of activity will be done through a special card, which must be inserted into the land-based casino machine for the system to fix the limit for one gaming session per day. If desired, the user can set the limit himself, as well as receive up-to-date information about all the activities available in the casino system.
The first casino that introduced this restriction was Crown in Melbourne. Its owners have already installed such a control system on more than 3,000 pokies game machines in accordance with the recommendations of the Royal Commission 2021 to review the casino licence. All remaining establishments in Victoria are expected to be equipped with the cards in 2025. The government assures that the pilot programme will be introduced in stages to make it easier for both users and operators to adapt to the new conditions.
Another big winner was a Victoria resident who accidentally switched on the TV after buying a ticket and earned more than $12 million on his combination. According to the lucky man, he ‘can't remember the last time’ he watched the lottery on TV. The Lara resident became the only Division One entrant in all of Australia in Powerball.
Bans in Western Australia
The gambling agency run by the Western Australian government has planned a series of actions to help keep gambling-related services ‘highly profitable’. This is in the face of a federal enquiry that has ruled that such projects should be banned because of their harm to the community.
Western Australia is now the last state to still have a WA Tab company that is owned by state authorities. It operates under a licence issued to the management company Racing and Wagering Western Australia (RWWA) and has a different profit sharing scheme. Whilst taxes are still paid to the state government, the main revenue is returned to the gambling industry.
What this means. The agency masters these funds and uses them to finance promotions: welcome bonuses, freespins, free bets. They are offered to users as an incentive to register on the site. Most often they are lost, which means that all the money stays in the online casino system.
This policy led to a high-profile federal investigation that took 18 months and involved two parties. The process was led by the late late Labour MP Pat Murphy, who called for an ‘urgent’ ban on all gambling rewards and incentives. He said that despite attractive terms and conditions, bonuses increase potential losses by encouraging riskier betting and increased spending on gambling.
Independent federal MP for Curtin County (WA) Kate Cheney, who was also involved in the federal enquiry, said the project's activities were in complete contravention of local laws, despite being under its auspices. In her opinion, the organisers are only increasing their profits by manipulating the vulnerability of users. Cheney's criticism was shared by Greens MP Brad Pettitt, who said the targeting of incentives was inappropriate.
Western Australia is much more vigilant than other states in controlling the activities of projects related to gambling services. Therefore, it is not possible to play the pokies game outside of licensed casinos in the state. It turns out that WA Tab is a company with a de facto state status, which receives funding from taxpayers and engages in unethical targeted advertising. Experts are already calling for the brand to be banned nationally.
The reaction was immediate: the other day a spokesperson already RWWA said that WA Tab has already reduced the number of promotions with bonuses and gifts and focused on personalising offers to users who value and use them, taking into account their specific betting preferences." The company also unveiled its annual report, which said the WA Tab's strong retail performance was due to heavy spending on advertising campaigns - totalling $13.8 million. The official explanation is a desire to create a suitable experience for all users regardless of their level of knowledge and betting preferences.
Also RWWA CEO Ian Edwards expressed the opinion that the spread of restrictions on advertising, will reduce the profitability of casinos due to lower audience reach. And with it, the amount of taxes that the industry currently brings to the country's coffers. So far, the potential changes are only being discussed, but according to experts tightening bonus policies would have serious implications for the online gambling industry across the country.
However, the government believes that the potential losses are justified. The interests, health and welfare of the public should be at the forefront, not the profits of projects, even if they have a state licence. The promotion of gambling should be stopped to limit the incentives and ensure a responsible, harm minimising approach to this leisure activity.
A spokesperson for the RWWA said the company recognises its ‘moral and social obligations to promote and encourage responsible behaviour in the community and among our users.’
Victories and Losses at Casinos
But it wasn't just restrictions and disruption that the gambling industry remembered in 2024. Let's take a look at what delighted and frustrated Australian users.
Powerball Lottery Jackpot Reached $100 Million
At the end of December, the Powerball jackpot rose to $100 million, considering the draw was never held. In the last draw, the winning numbers with $50 million in prize money were 11, 22, 30, 31, 19, 15 and 3. The Powerball multiplier was 2, which doubled the size of the jackpot. According to the expectations of the lottery organisers, the upcoming draw will be the sixth largest ever.
The last person to win the record $100 million jackpot was a single mother from Aspley in north Brisbane. Only two lottery fans in Australia have ever achieved such success.
The Star Has Been Fined $15 Million
The legendary Star Sydney Casino has been fined a hefty sum of $15 million. For now, the project's licence has been temporarily suspended. The team will be able to maintain legal status only after a lengthy investigation into the legality of the casino's activities.
With such news was made by the independent commission on casinos in the state of New South Wales. According to representatives of the team Star will not only have to pay a large fine, but also to undergo a number of inspections regarding the fulfilment of the conditions of the licence. Such consequences mean that the casino was found to have problems with management and fulfil the requirements of responsible gambling. The establishment itself remains open for the time being, but will be under strict oversight by the regulator.
According to Philip Crawford, chief commissioner of the NICC in the work of Star were found repeated violations of compliance requirements, as well as errors in operations and business processes that contradict the requirements of local legislation.
Recall that back in April 2024, Star Casino in Sydney experienced a software glitch. Due to this, many visitors received m millions of dollars in cash within weeks. Such consequences led to large financial losses and questioned the reliability of the payment services used, as well as led to a lengthy internal investigation to find the cause of the breach. On the initiative of management, an independent commission was set up to analyse the context of the incident and additional security measures were introduced. The incident sparked a wave of public criticism and prompted a review of risk management approaches at the country's major casinos.
But stricter oversight of internal processes and enhanced security measures did not prevent the violations uncovered in the first investigation. Yes, the company was able to address numerous management and compliance deficiencies, but many of the risks and areas of the establishment's operations were never corrected. Incidents such as these are yet another reminder of the importance of timely reforms to the systems, policies, processes and culture that support a business as complex as the gambling industry.
Local User Losses
The year was also marked by a rather ‘careless approach’ by Australians to managing their own bankroll, which translated into a large amount of losses. Many activists blame the local government for creating such an uncontrolled environment for projects and allowing locals to relax, which can have a negative impact on their level of involvement in gambling.
According to a new report from the Grattan Institute think tank, the average Australian loses $1,635 a year to gambling. On average, this is more than the amount of utility bills for the same period. In comparison, in countries with similar gambling legislation and regulation, these costs are much lower.
It is predicted that next year local residents could lose $24 billion on gambling. Half of this amount - $12 billion - could be lost on online pokies. Betting on sports, horse racing, other casino games, as well as lotteries and keno are also popular with local audiences.
Fine for Mortdale Hotel
One of Sydney's largest hotels has been fined for breaking state gambling laws by forcing visitors to exit through a gaming room. The current licence of the project was temporarily suspended, as such actions, according to the authorities stimulate guests' interest in the casino and motivate to gamble, being a tool of visual advertising.
The Mortale hotel is located in the south of Sydney, a region that already attracts gambling enthusiasts. The amount of the fine was $2250. The very logistics of the facility were compromised - the exit door from the main bar area was locked and the only way to leave the hotel was through the gaming room. Hotel licensee Paul Whitehead was convicted after pleading guilty to violating state gambling laws in Downing Centre Local Court last week.
To summarise the digest, it is a fact that the casino and online casino industry in Australia is in a state of significant change. Tougher legislation aimed at protecting consumers and technological disruptions suggest the need for operators to constantly monitor changes and quickly adapt to new conditions. Users are also advised to be equally switched on, as it is important to be aware of all current changes and to exercise caution when choosing game formats.
The Australian government and regulators continue to endeavour to create a safe gambling environment. We encourage all casino and online casino enthusiasts to act responsibly, monitor their activity levels and set reasonable limits on gaming sessions to minimise risk and enjoyment.
