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Several online poker supporters in Australia have recently revived the fight for online poker. The game has been illegal in the eyes of the Australian government since 2017, but several staunch allies have continued to meet with lawmakers. And according to those online poker supporters, there is a chance for the government to exempt online poker from current laws as a game of skill.

Online poker is a virtual representation of the same poker games popular in Australia and around the world. It allows you to play poker under the same rules as at a live casino or at a home game with your friends — except at your convenience on your computer or mobile device. Poker machines, including online, comprise a majority of 56.7% of all the dollars gambled in Australia – easily more than double all forms of betting at 20.7% including sports betting (5.2%) and horse racing, harness racing and greyhounds (15.5%) of the overall gambling pie. Australia Poker Sites Australia online poker is alive and well. But be sure to read our guide before you play - we list the top Australian real money poker sites! Australia Sports Betting Bet. Australia has domestically based online poker rooms, but the Interactive Gambling Act of 2001 (IGA) bars these sites from accepting Australian players. Australians can play online poker legally through licensed offshore gambling sites.

Remembering the Aussie Poker Boom

The law in place at the time was the Interactive Gambling Act of 2001. It was an ambiguous law in many respects, and online poker and casino games thrived through the 2000s and 2010s through loopholes in that law.

Online poker reached new heights of popularity after Aussie Joe Hachem won the 2005 World Series of Poker Main Event for $7.5 million. He posed for his winner photos draped in the Australian flag, and he became a member of Team PokerStars, a sponsored pro and ambassador for poker around the world.

Australian casinos saw more poker business than ever, especially with new tours like the PokerStars-sponsored Australia New Zealand Poker Tour (ANZPT). Poker allowed casinos to build and/or grow empty casino spaces into thriving poker rooms.

Even as other parts of the world began to change, online poker in Australia maintained its popularity. As the United States government seized the world’s top online poker sites – PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker, Absolute Poker, UltimateBet – in 2011 and forced all major operators out of the US market, Australia barely blinked. And as European countries like France, Italy, Spain, and Portugal closed off access for their players to dot-com sites in favor of regulated markets, Aussies kept playing on PokerStars and its competitors.

Aussies loved online poker. And poker loved the Aussies.

Remembering 2017

As members of the Australian Parliament watched other countries limit and regulate online poker, several members wanted to take a different approach. They wanted to ban the games altogether, ignoring the many studies and internationally-recognized standard that poker was more a game of skill than chance.

In 2016, Human Services Minister Alan Tudge and Communications Minister Mitch Fifield took charge of an effort to ban online poker and casino games. The lone voice of David Leyonhjelm in Parliament in support of legal online poker was largely ignored.

Not only did the duo of Tudge and Fifield find serious support in Parliament, they were able to pass the Interactive Gambling Amendment Bill 2016 (IGA) in August 2017.

The new law included these provisions:

• Online poker/casino operators must hold licenses to operate (though no states or territories had licenses to offer)
• Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) given authority to impose civil penalties
• Operators forbidden to provide lines of credit for online gambling
• ACMA given authority to notify Department of Immigration and Border Protection of names of offshore gambling operator principals to place on Movement Alert List

Before the law even fully made its way through Parliament, major poker operators knew that any gray areas in the law were gone.

888poker announced on January 13, 2017 that it would no longer be open to Australian players as of January 16. PokerStars warned players as far back as November 2016 that a withdrawal from the market might be inevitable. Eventually, the largest poker site in the world did officially leave on September 11, 2017. That was just days after PartyPoker left Australia on August 31, 2017.

Even offshore companies like the Winning Poker Network, home of Americas Cardroom and several other online poker skins, were intimidated by the bill and left the market in the summer of 2018.

Enter Australian Online Poker Alliance

A grassroots organization had been in place to fight the changes, to at least work to exempt online poker. And sites like PokerStars supported those efforts. “The Australian Online Poker Alliance has done great work lobbying on behalf of Australian poker players this year,” PokerStars noted upon its exit from the market. And they requested that players join forces with the AOPA to help.

Public relations expert Joseph Del Luca headed up the group. The AOPA made loud and public calls to the ACMA and the Morrison government to work to amend the IGA. He and the thousands of players who joined forces with him online simply wanted a carve-out from the IGA for online poker.

Since then, however, the movement lost steam. The AOPA site is no longer active, nor or other sites that once advocated for legal online poker in Australia.

Faint Voices of Reason

There have been some recent updates to an ongoing thread on the Two Plus Two online poker forum.

A player named “risk2Dupside” created some stickers and distributed them to players at the January Aussie Millions this year. The sticker read: “Aussies love online poker. Amend the Interactive Gambling Act!”

Another poster named “SwoopAE” posted this month that he had been unable to reach Del Luca in recent months. He offered to reach out to organizers of the Australian Poker Tour, WPT League, and others to offer stickers. Others were on board with starting a social media campaign.

On February 13, Del Luca finally commented and apologized for being away. He noted that he is counting on Communications Minister Paul Fletcher to introduce legislation to Parliament to exempt online poker from current laws. His hope is that progress can be made with no major elections on the horizon.

Ten days later, Del Luca reported that he has a meeting with Fletcher on March 18, 2020.

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One of the most important criteria that serious punters utilise when choosing the sports betting sites they will frequent is what sports are offered. Some sites will focus primarily on matches, games, events, and races held in Australia, while others will have a much broader reach, including sports and leagues from the US, Asia, Europe, and/or South America. Before joining any site, make sure that it has the sports, leagues, and specific events on which you want to bet.

Also, it’s a good idea to join and use more than one sportsbook. In doing so, you’ll give yourself the best chance of finding the most advantageous odds, getting the best bonuses, and discovering the finest deals. One site may have low vig on certain sports, another may offer a unique sport-specific promotion, while yet another may have a special free bet offer running. Look for special promotions and specific deals that will give you an edge when it comes to betting.

Online Betting Poker Australia Online

Sports Offered

Racing – Horse and Dog Tracks

It’s a common occurrence to be able to also bet on horse and dog races. Although race books are usually separate from sportsbooks, they are easily accessed. Many sports betting sites include thoroughbred, harness, and greyhound racing from Australian tracks. They may also cover races at various tracks around the globe, including those in the US, UK, New Zealand, Asia, various parts of Europe, and South America. However, the extent of races offered does vary a lot from sports bets site to site and some will offer fewer than 20 per day, while others will provide hundreds and some more than a thousand races on which one may bet.

There are various sports that you will always find at Australian sportsbooks. Those are those that Australian sports bettors love to wager on, such Australian Rules Football (AFL), National Rugby League (NRL) and Rugby Union (RU), cricket, and soccer. Every online sports bet site carries these.

Other sports punters are likely to find include tennis, auto racing, golf, swimming, cycling, boxing, and MMA. Games associated with North America, such as baseball, football, basketball, and ice hockey, are also usually available to bettors. Often you’ll be able to bet on NCAA football and basketball as well as the NFL, NBA, and WNBA. Some books will also provide sports betting opportunities on baseball, football, basketball, and hockey if they are played in other regions, such as Asia, Europe, and South America. One case in point is basketball. You’ll find that various sports betting sites in Australia will provide access to games in Australia, Europe, Japan, and Mexico.

Australian sportsbooks also tend to give bettors plenty of chances to wager on soccer around the world. This includes World Cup, Champions League, Europa League, and various international tournaments. Featured leagues may include the English Premier League, Ligue in France, Bundesliga in Germany, Serie A in Italy, La Liga in Spain, and MLS in the US.

Sports Betting Online

Kinds of Bets Offered

If you enjoy playing the basic bets, that is moneylines, point spreads, and totals, then you’ll find them readily available at all Australian sports betting online sites. These are bread and butter bets that serve as the foundation for successful sports betting. If you wager on baseball, you’ll be able to play runlines, and if you enjoy betting in ice hockey, you can wager using the puckline. Also, three-way betting is on-hand for various sports such as soccer and ice hockey.

Some sites include a full range of proposition bets and exotics. For those Australian sports bettors who love the challenge of the parlay, you’ll certainly find plenty of opportunities to make this popular combination wager. Plus, you’ll be able to bet using teasers, reverse bets, and, at some online sportsbooks, pleasers.

Online Betting Poker Australia Game

Although proposition bets, which are also known as props, tend to be fairly risky wagers, many bettors love to play them. Some challenging props that you may find on a per game basis include picking the winning margin, determining the exact score, choosing who will score first, and betting on player totals. Many sites will offer a dozen or more props on one contest.

By the way, if you’re betting on sports online in Australia, you will not be able to make a live wager through the book’s website. That type of live betting is not allowed. Anyone placing a wager on a game that is in progress may do so over the phone and not online.

Special Promotions and Bonuses

There’s a lot of great bonus action for sports bettors who frequent Australian books. Included are welcome and first deposit bonuses, which can be to 100% or more on your first deposit, and reload bonuses, which you can qualify for whenever you deposit more money in your sports betting online account.

You’ll also be able to access an array of rewards and enjoy various special promotions. Free bets may be awarded for using a site’s mobile betting app the first time, trying a new feature that the book is offering, or making a first wager on an online casino game or at the horse book.

Australian sports betting sites often give cash back on specific races where you bet the favourite, and if they lose, you’re refunded you wager. They may also compensate you for a percentage of your weekly or monthly losses. Special codes are required for certain promotions, and if there is a contest, fantasy league, or drawing for prizes, you may have to opt in to be eligible to win.

Utilizing Australian Sportsbooks

Sports betting Australia sites are extremely active. They provide punters with a wide range of betting opportunities. Australian markets are always highlighted, but most quality sportsbooks also provide bettors with the chance to wager on leagues and sports around the world.

There are also a lot of chances to add extra cash to your bankroll by qualifying for bonuses, free bets, and special promotions. For sports bettors who are interested in discovering value, taking advantage of deals, and accessing the best lines, the Australian sportsbet marketplace awaits you. Be sure you take advantage of the opportunities available at various books. Make smart choices and look for and exploit every possible advantage that you can get. Place your bets and the best of luck to you!

Sports Betting FAQ

How does sports betting work?

Sports betting can be easily defined as betting on the outcome of an event. If the betted event occurs, then the bettor is the winner. If it fails to happen, then the bettor loses the money. You can place bets on the outcome of events of all kinds of sports from athletic sports such as football to non-human sports such as horse racing.

What sports can I bet on?

The more common sports that Oz bettors wager on are AFL, NRL and RU, cricket, and soccer. You can also bet on tennis, auto racing, golf, swimming, cycling, boxing, and MMA. Some bookmakers will even allow you to bet on games associated with North America, Europe, Japan, and Mexico.

Where can I find a good welcome bonus?

Sportsbet, Ladbrokes and Bet365 have great sign up bonuses such as a $250 matchbet offer, first bet match up to $250 and 100% up to $200 respectively. Each of the sites are compatible with iOS, Android, Windows and Mac devices.

Can betting be profitable?

Betting can definitely be profitable as it has more to do with skill than luck. Beginners might not find as much success as veteran bettors, but with practice you will be able to start raking in the cash. It is important to look at guides when betting your first few times, but eventually you won't need it.

Do the odds change?

Yes, odds change depending on two factors, the number of bets for a specific outcome and if something has happened to one of the players. To stay on top of changes to the odds, it is important to keep up with the news surrounding the particular match. The media has a lot of influence on the popularity of athletes in their matches.

Are the odds different site to site?

The odds can differ across a myriad of websites so it is important to do your research before placing a bet. It is always good to keep tabs on the websites that you trust to make sure you are placing your bets in the most favourable way.

Should I use a system?

It is important to have a strategy when becoming a bettor as you want to do your best to increase your betting account balance. There are plenty of ways to come up with your own system, but for the first few times it is important to check out a few guides on the better strategies out there.