Owning and trading crypto is legal in Australia. Gambling with it mostly is not. Since 11 June 2024, licensed Australian wagering providers have been barred from accepting digital currency such as cryptocurrency. Online casinos and online pokies cannot legally be offered to people in Australia, whatever the payment method and wherever the operator is licensed. The law targets the people who provide these services, not the people who use them. But a player who uses an offshore crypto casino has no Australian regulator to turn to. The newest change is the Interactive Gambling Amendment (Gambling Reform) Bill 2026, which passed Parliament on 19 August 2026. From 1 January 2027 it requires banks and payment providers to block transfers to illegal gambling operators. Under that rule, "funds" includes digital currency.
Time left until 1 January 2027 · start of day UTC
The short answer by activity
| Activity | Legal status in Australia (as of October 2026) |
|---|---|
| Buying, holding or trading crypto | Legal. Crypto service providers are regulated by AUSTRAC for anti-money laundering purposes |
| Betting with crypto at a licensed Australian bookmaker | Not possible. Since 11 June 2024, wagering providers must not accept digital currency, credit cards or payments linked to a credit card |
| Offering online casino games or pokies to people in Australia | Prohibited under the Interactive Gambling Act 2001, including for operators with an overseas licence |
| Playing at an offshore crypto casino as an individual | The Act targets providers, not customers. You get no Australian consumer protection, and from 2027 payments to these sites are meant to be blocked |
| Advertising illegal gambling services to Australians | Prohibited. Under the 2026 reforms, an ad counts as published in Australia if any Australian end-user can access it |
What the Interactive Gambling Act actually prohibits
The Interactive Gambling Act 2001 (IGA) is the federal law for online gambling. Section 15(2A) says a person must not provide a prohibited interactive gambling service that has an "Australian-customer link." Under section 8, a service has that link if any of its customers are physically present in Australia. Where the operator is based, and whether players pay in dollars or crypto, does not change this.
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) enforces the Act. It has issued formal warnings under section 64A to overseas operators of online casinos that served Australians, including one dated 2 September 2026. It also asks internet service providers to block illegal gambling and affiliate websites. ACMA reported 1,178 blocked sites in March 2025. Trade press reporting of ACMA's announcements put the total at 1,822 by late September 2026, counted from the first blocking request in November 2019. Reports also say more than 230 illegal services have left the Australian market since ACMA began enforcing the current rules in 2017.
Why "it isn't illegal to play" is only half the answer
We found no provision in the IGA that penalises a customer for using a prohibited service. Its offences and civil penalties apply to providers and advertisers. Older guides went further and said offshore casinos "legally accept" Australian players. That is wrong. An offshore casino that takes Australian customers is breaking Australian law even if it holds a licence somewhere else. For the player, this means:
- No domestic recourse. If a withdrawal is refused or an account is closed, no Australian regulator or ombudsman can step in.
- BetStop does not reach them. The national self-exclusion register covers licensed online and phone wagering providers only.
- Access is shrinking. Blocked domains, and from 2027 blocked payments, make these sites harder to reach and to pay.
The 2024 crypto ban for licensed bookmakers
The Interactive Gambling Amendment (Credit and Other Measures) Act 2023 received Royal Assent on 11 December 2023. Its payment ban took effect on 11 June 2024. Since then, wagering operators cannot accept payments from customers in Australia made with:
- a credit card
- a payment linked to a credit card, including through a digital wallet
- digital currency, such as cryptocurrency
The Act created a new criminal offence and civil penalty provision and gave ACMA stronger enforcement powers. As a result, licensed Australian bookmakers do not offer crypto betting.
Does Australia's crypto gambling law reach you?
Answer a few questions about what you plan to do with crypto to see what the law says and what changes from 1 January 2027.
What are you planning to do with crypto in Australia?
- Buy, hold or trade it → Legal, with records to keep
- Bet with it at a licensed Australian bookmaker → Not possible
- Play at an offshore crypto casino → next question
- Offer or advertise online casino games to people in Australia → Prohibited
Are you counting on BetStop self-exclusion to limit your gambling?
- Yes → BetStop will not cover this
- No → next question
How would you fund the casino account?
- By sending crypto → No penalty for you, but no protection and a likely CGT event
- By card or bank transfer → No penalty for you, but no protection and payments blocked from 2027
Buying, holding and trading crypto is legal in Australia. Since 31 March 2026, AUSTRAC has regulated crypto exchanges as virtual asset service providers. The ATO treats crypto as a CGT asset and asks holders to keep records of every transaction.
Since 11 June 2024, licensed Australian wagering providers must not accept digital currency such as cryptocurrency, credit cards or payments linked to a credit card. Licensed Australian bookmakers do not offer crypto betting.
The Interactive Gambling Act 2001 bars providing online casino games or pokies to customers in Australia, including for operators with an overseas licence. Under the 2026 reforms, an ad counts as published in Australia if any Australian end-user can access it.
BetStop covers licensed online and phone wagering providers only. It does not reach offshore casinos. Gambling Help Online (gamblinghelponline.org.au) offers free support.
The Act targets providers, not players, but no Australian regulator or ombudsman can step in if a withdrawal is refused. On the ATO's general disposal rule, sending crypto to a casino for playing credit is likely a CGT event, win or lose. From 1 January 2027, banks and payment providers must block transfers to illegal gambling operators, and "funds" includes digital currency.
The Act targets providers, not players, but no Australian regulator or ombudsman can step in if a withdrawal is refused. From 1 January 2027, banks and payment providers must block payments to illegal gambling operators as far as reasonably practicable. Gambling wins are not taxable income unless you run a gambling business.
This is general information on the federal rules in the article only: it does not cover state or territory laws, transfers between self-custody wallets, or your own tax position, and it is not legal or tax advice.
What the 2026 Gambling Reform Act changes
The Interactive Gambling Amendment (Gambling Reform) Bill 2026 was introduced on 2 July 2026, passed Parliament on 19 August 2026 and was reported to have received Royal Assent on 26 August 2026. Procedural provisions started at assent. Most of the substantive reforms start on 1 January 2027.
Payment and access blocking
Schedule 2 targets illegal offshore gambling. According to a law-firm summary of the Act:
- Authorised deposit-taking institutions and payment system participants must prevent payments or transfers to designated interactive gambling services "as far as reasonably practicable." "Funds" includes money and digital currency.
- They are not required to block winnings that illegal operators pay to Australian customers.
- Internet service providers, domain name system providers, app distribution services and search engine providers must likewise prevent their services from being used for illegal gambling.
- Trade reporting says a financial institution that blocks a payment in the reasonable belief that it relates to an illegal service is protected from liability.
The Act includes digital currency in "funds," so in principle the duty to block covers crypto transfers made through regulated payment channels. How this will work for transfers between self-custody wallets is not yet clear from the published summaries.
Other measures
- BetStop: Wagering providers must not contact people registered on BetStop and have at most 7 days to close their accounts and pay out any balance.
- Keno: Keno-type lotteries that allow frequent, repeated play in a short period will be prohibited online.
- Advertising: Wagering ads are restricted during live sport broadcasts, capped at 3 per 60-minute block between 6:00am and 8:30pm, and limited on radio during school pick-up times. Online ads must meet a "triple lock": the user has a registered account, has confirmed they are over 18, and has had the chance to opt out.
Bills still pending
The Interactive Gambling Amendment (Know Your Losses Activity Statement) Bill 2025 is a private member's bill introduced by Rebekha Sharkie on 10 February 2025. It would require wagering operators to show customers their net losses in a banner that cannot be hidden. We found no record that it has passed. A separate private member's bill, the Interactive Gambling Amendment (Stop the Gambling Ads) Bill 2026, was still before the House of Representatives.
AUSTRAC and crypto on-ramps
AUSTRAC is Australia's anti-money laundering regulator. Its new virtual asset regime took effect on 31 March 2026 under the AML/CTF Amendment Act 2024. It replaced the term "digital currency exchange" with "virtual asset service provider" (VASP) and covers:
- exchanges between crypto and fiat currency
- exchanges between different crypto assets
- transfers made on a customer's behalf
- safekeeping
- some services connected with offering virtual assets
Registered digital currency exchanges automatically became registered VASPs on that date. Law-firm summaries say the travel rule applies from 1 July 2026: providers must collect, verify and pass on sender and recipient details when they move crypto for customers. If you buy crypto through a registered Australian provider and send it to a casino, that transfer leaves a record with a regulated business.
Tax: two separate questions
Gambling winnings. The ATO's position, set out in ruling IT 2655 and in its public guidance, is that betting and gambling wins are not taxable income unless you run a betting or gambling business. Courts look for system and organisation, scale, record-keeping and a profit motive. Most recreational players are not running a business.
The crypto you gamble with. This is the part most players miss. The ATO treats crypto as a CGT asset. Using crypto to get goods or services, or exchanging it for something else, is generally a disposal, so a capital gain or loss can arise. On that general rule, sending crypto to a casino in exchange for playing credit is likely a CGT event, whether you then win or lose. Withdrawn winnings paid in crypto create a new cost base. We found no ATO guidance specific to casino deposits, so get advice from a registered tax agent.
The ATO asks crypto holders to keep records of every transaction. It also suggests exporting your transaction history regularly, because platforms can close or accounts can be lost.
Practical checks
- Check ACMA's blocked list. ACMA publishes the names of the gambling sites it has asked internet providers to block. If a site is on it, it is operating illegally in Australia.
- Treat any deposit to an offshore casino as unrecoverable if there is a dispute. No Australian body can help you get it back.
- Use BetStop for licensed wagering, but know that it does not cover offshore casinos.
- Keep transaction records of dates, amounts and AUD values for every crypto movement. They matter for CGT whatever the gambling outcome.
- If gambling is causing harm, Gambling Help Online (gamblinghelponline.org.au) offers free support.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Limitations: the summary of the 2026 Act relies on law-firm and trade-press summaries, not on the Act's text.
