By its March 2026 update, the ACMA had blocked 1,564 illegal gambling and affiliate websites since November 2019. A site that still loads on your phone is not licensed for that reason.

An illegal gambling site is a service that the Interactive Gambling Act 2001 (the Act) stops providers offering to people in Australia: online casino games and pokies, online in-play betting, and betting or lottery services without an Australian licence. If you use one, the ACMA says you risk losing your money, and Australian regulators will not be able to help if the provider withholds your winnings. This guide gives general information and is not legal advice.

It covers what the ACMA checks, what you risk, how to check a provider, how betting scams work and where to complain. If gambling is affecting you or someone close to you, the National Gambling Helpline on 1800 858 858 is free and confidential.

What counts as an illegal gambling site in Australia

The Act works by limiting what providers may offer, so the useful question is what a service is, not who is using it. According to the ACMA, the prohibited services are online casinos, in-play sports betting, sports betting services that do not hold an Australian licence and betting on the outcome of a lottery (ACMA, accessed 5 October 2026). Its guidance for consumers puts the same list in everyday words: slots (pokies), casino-style games such as poker, blackjack and roulette, scratchies, in-play betting on sporting events, and betting and lottery services not licensed in Australia (ACMA, accessed 5 October 2026).

The licensed side is narrower. GambleAware NSW places online sports and race betting and lotteries there and says that offshore gambling operators are not allowed to offer services to Australians (GambleAware NSW, accessed 5 October 2026). The detail of what is licensed, and how to check it, sits in what is licensed in Australia and how to check.

A site can look Australian without being licensed here. The ACMA says some online gambling services ‘look like they’re legal in Australia’ and some even target Australian players (ACMA, accessed 5 October 2026). A local-looking name, an Australian dollar balance or a claim of a licence proves nothing on its own.

This guide describes what the Act stops providers offering and the risks the ACMA names for players. It does not tell you what the Act means for you personally. For the wider legal picture, read what Australia’s online gambling laws license and ban.

What the ACMA actually checks

The ACMA investigates anyone who breaks the rules for online gambling services, including those who provide or advertise illegal ones. Its tools include formal warnings, infringement notices, referral of a matter to police or prosecutors, adding company directors to its Movement Alert List and asking internet service providers to block a website (ACMA, accessed 5 October 2026). The penalties it lists reach $2,347,500 a day for an individual and $11,737,500 a day for a company. They apply to those who provide or advertise the service.

Blocking has its own legal basis. The ACMA asks providers to block websites under section 313 of the Telecommunications Act 1997, for breaches of the Act (ACMA, accessed 5 October 2026). Its March 2026 update puts the total at 1,564 illegal gambling and affiliate websites blocked since its first request in November 2019, and notes that over 225 illegal services have pulled out of the Australian market since new rules were enforced in 2017 (ACMA, accessed 5 October 2026). Those totals are as of March 2026. A blocked site is one the ACMA has already acted on. A site that is not blocked has not been approved.

The limit of that work matters just as much. The ACMA states that if you use an illegal service, Australian regulators will not be able to help you if you believe the provider has treated you or another player poorly, or if the provider withholds your winnings (ACMA, accessed 5 October 2026). Enforcement targets the operator. It is not a refund service.

One change is on the way. A ministers’ media release of 2 July 2026 said the Interactive Gambling Amendment (Gambling Reform) Bill 2026 would allow banks and payment systems to block transactions to illegal gambling operators (Ministers’ media release, accessed 5 October 2026). A later ministerial release, from August 2026, says the Bill has passed Parliament (Minister’s media release, accessed 6 October 2026), and the Department of Infrastructure says the reforms begin from 1 January 2027 (Department of Infrastructure, accessed 5 October 2026).

What you risk on an illegal site

The ACMA’s warning is short: ‘If you gamble online using a company that operates illegally, you risk losing your money.’ It lists real-life examples that customers have complained about:

  • The operator accepts a deposit, but you cannot access your winnings.
  • The operator closes its services or moves them elsewhere, and your money disappears.
  • The operator keeps withdrawing money from your bank account after you stop using it, without your permission.

The ACMA’s own conclusion is that you are unlikely to see your money again in these situations (ACMA, accessed 5 October 2026). The practical steps after a withheld win are set out in what you can do when an online casino won’t pay out.

Blocking adds a second risk. The ACMA says these websites may be blocked, which means you may not be able to log in and reach your existing account. Nothing in this guide explains how to get around one.

GambleAware NSW describes the stakes as your money, your data and your financial security (GambleAware NSW, accessed 5 October 2026). Safeguards belong to licensed providers. BetStop applies to licensed Australian online and phone wagering providers, and identity checks before an account opens and the ban on paying with a credit card are rules for licensed wagering too.

How to check who licenses a site

A site can look legitimate and still lack the protections that matter. GambleAware NSW says a provider must be on the register of licensed interactive gambling providers to operate in Australia, and Scamwatch also points people to the ACMA’s website to verify a service before signing up (Scamwatch, accessed 5 October 2026). The check takes a few minutes:

  1. Find the operator’s legal name and any licence number the site claims, usually in its terms and conditions or footer.
  2. Open the ACMA’s check if a gambling operator is legal page and look for that provider.
  3. If the provider is not listed, treat it as not licensed to operate in Australia, whatever licence claims the site makes.
  4. Ask what the site sells. A site offering online pokies or casino-style games cannot be licensed for them, because the Act bans offering those services.

This guide does not describe the register’s layout, so read it on the ACMA page itself. The full method for betting sites is in how to check whether a betting site is licensed in Australia.

Overseas licences raise a common question. The ACMA describes the banned betting services as those that do not hold an Australian licence, and a licence from another country is not an Australian one. That is all this guide says about foreign licences. It passes no judgement on other regulators, and the detail is in what an offshore gambling licence means in Australia.

Betting scams and fake gambling sites

An illegal operator and a scam are different problems. An illegal operator breaks the Act and is a matter for the ACMA. A scam is fraud, and the people to call are your bank, Scamwatch and, where money has gone, the police. Scamwatch describes gambling and betting scams as fake betting offers, fake tipping services, copies of real betting businesses and illegal online gambling games.

Scamwatch says one type of gambling scam is often known as ‘scambling’, where scammers create fake online pokies or casino-style games. You may have some early wins, but eventually the scammers suspend your account and demand payments for fake fees or taxes (Scamwatch, accessed 5 October 2026). Warning signs it lists include:

  • Promises of easy money, sign-up credits or guaranteed wins.
  • Repeated small payments before any withdrawal.
  • Fees demanded to release winnings.
  • No clear owner or operator behind the service.
  • Customer support that is unresponsive, vague or disappears when you ask to withdraw.

The scale is growing. On 30 March 2026 the ACCC reported that Scamwatch received reports of $2.4 million in losses to betting and sports investment scams, almost triple the amount lost in the previous year, and a 19.6 per cent rise in reports between 2024 and 2025 (ACCC, accessed 5 October 2026).

If money has already gone, contact your bank or card provider immediately and ask them to stop any transactions. IDCARE offers support on 1800 595 160, and the scam should be reported to Scamwatch. Be wary of anyone who then offers to recover the money, because follow-up approaches are a known pattern (Scamwatch, accessed 5 October 2026). More on the numbers is in betting and sports investment scams and their warning signs.

Where to complain and where to get help

Which complaint path applies depends on who runs the site. A complaint can only go further if there is a licensing authority to take it to.

If you think a website offers illegal gambling services, you can make a complaint to the ACMA, and you do not have to give your name (ACMA, accessed 5 October 2026). A complaint can lead to an investigation and a block. It is unlikely to return your money.

If the provider is licensed, complain to the provider first. If that fails, the next stop is the regulator in the state or territory that licensed it. In the Northern Territory that is the Northern Territory (NT) Wagering Commission, and its complaints page gives the time limit as 60 days of becoming aware of the issue, but no later than two years from the date it occurred (NT Government, accessed 5 October 2026). Other jurisdictions differ, and who to complain to about a betting company or an illegal site walks through them.

Whichever path applies, keep every email, screenshot and bank statement, and note the date on each. Records matter more than memory a month later.

If gambling is affecting you or someone close to you, the National Gambling Helpline on 1800 858 858 and Gambling Help Online offer free and confidential support by phone, chat and email. Tools such as BetStop, the National Self-Exclusion Register, are explained in tools and support for gambling harm, and safer gambling and where to get help covers what to do next.

Frequently asked questions

What makes a gambling site illegal in Australia?

A site is illegal when it offers a prohibited service to people in Australia, such as online casino games, pokies or in-play betting, or betting without an Australian licence. The ACMA notes that some of these sites look legal and even target Australian players, so the test is the service and the licence, not appearance.

How can you tell whether a gambling site is licensed in Australia?

Check whether the provider appears on the ACMA’s register of licensed interactive gambling providers. GambleAware NSW says a provider must be on the register to operate in Australia. A claim on the site is not proof, and a site offering online pokies cannot hold a licence for them.

Can the ACMA get your money back from an illegal gambling site?

The ACMA investigates illegal sites and can have them blocked, but its guidance says Australian regulators will not be able to help if an illegal operator withholds your winnings or treats you poorly. It also warns that you are unlikely to see your money again. A complaint can still lead to action against the site.

What happens to your account if the ACMA blocks a gambling website?

The ACMA warns that you may not be able to log in and reach your existing account. Keep records of deposits, withdrawals and messages with the operator.

Does an overseas gambling licence count in Australia?

The ACMA describes the banned betting services as those that do not hold an Australian licence, and a licence from another country is not an Australian one. This guide makes no judgement about foreign regulators. It only says that a provider must be on the ACMA’s register to operate here.

How do you report an illegal gambling site?

Make a complaint to the ACMA through its page on illegal gambling operators. You do not have to give your name. A report can lead to an investigation and a block, but it is not a way to claim money back. For payments you did not authorise, contact your bank or card provider straight away.

Does BetStop cover offshore gambling sites?

BetStop applies to licensed Australian online and phone wagering providers. A site with no Australian licence falls outside that description, so BetStop is not a safeguard against it. If gambling is causing harm, the National Gambling Helpline on 1800 858 858 can talk through other options.

What is ‘scambling’?

Scambling is a term for fake online pokies and casino-style games that exist to take money. Scamwatch describes early wins followed by a suspended account and demands for fake fees or taxes. Because it is a scam, contact your bank and report it to Scamwatch.

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