In April to June 2026 the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) completed 30 investigations involving 76 gambling sites, according to its quarterly report. Checking whether a betting site is licensed in Australia takes a few minutes, and it is worth doing before you deposit.

The short answer: search for the provider in the register kept by the ACMA, compare the company and the web address with the site in front of you, then confirm with the authority that issued the licence. That authority is usually a state or territory, often the Northern Territory. A site that offers online casino games or real-money pokies cannot hold an Australian licence for them.

This guide gives general information and is not legal advice. It names no provider.

What can and cannot be licensed in Australia

The register is only useful for services that can be licensed at all. According to the ACMA, the Interactive Gambling Act 2001 (the Act) bans online casinos, in-play sports betting, betting on the outcome of a lottery and sports betting services that do not hold an Australian licence (ACMA, accessed 5 October 2026). Its consumer guidance puts the list in everyday words: pokies; casino-style games such as poker, blackjack and roulette; scratchies; and in-play betting on sporting events (ACMA, accessed 5 October 2026).

On the licensed side, GambleAware NSW says online sports and race betting and lotteries are legal through licensed Australian operators (GambleAware NSW, accessed 5 October 2026). The table sets the two sides next to each other. The wording is about providers: the Act stops them offering certain services to people in Australia.

ServiceCan hold an Australian licence online?
Online sports bettingYes, licensed operators only
Online race bettingYes, licensed operators only
LotteriesYes, licensed operators only
Online casino games and pokiesNo, banned
Online in-play sports bettingNo, banned
Betting on a lottery outcomeNo, banned

Source: ACMA and GambleAware NSW, as of 5 October 2026. GambleAware NSW calls these services illegal in Australia. The wider picture of what is licensed is in which gambling services are licensed in Australia.

How to check a betting site’s licence in five steps

Each step ends with the same question: who licenses this provider, and who would take a complaint?

  1. Find out who runs the site. Look in the footer, the ‘About’ page and the terms and conditions for a company name, not just a brand name, and for the name of the licensing authority. The Queensland Government says the licensing authority should be displayed on the provider’s website (Queensland Government, 6 December 2024). Scamwatch lists it as a warning sign when it is not clear who runs the service, because then you cannot check whether it is legal in Australia (Scamwatch, 13 July 2026). No named company means the check cannot start.
  2. Search the ACMA register. Open the ACMA page on checking whether a gambling operator is legal and look for the company (ACMA register page). GambleAware NSW says a provider must be on the register of licensed interactive gambling providers to operate in Australia, and Scamwatch tells people to use the ACMA website before they sign up or pay. The register shows which providers hold an Australian licence, listing each one’s trading name, licence holder and licensing authority (ACMA register). The licence holder column is the company name to match in the next step.
  3. Match the details. Compare the company named in the register with the company named on the site. Where the licensing authority’s own list includes a website address, compare it carefully with the address in your browser. Scamwatch warns that fake sites can use professional-looking branding and fake reviews to look trustworthy.
  4. Confirm with the authority that issued the licence. Licensing is handled by states and territories, so the register is the first list and the licensing authority’s own list is the second. The next section covers the Northern Territory and Victoria.
  5. Decide what to do with the result. A match means there is a licensing authority to complain to if something goes wrong; the route is in who to complain to about a betting company. No match means no Australian licensing authority stands behind the site, which is covered further down.

Who issues the licence and what the ACMA actually checks

The ACMA enforces the Act. It keeps the register of licensed interactive gambling providers, investigates breaches and asks internet service providers to block illegal websites (ACMA, accessed 5 October 2026). It does not issue the licences for betting. That is the job of the states and territories. The register shows which providers hold an Australian licence. The authority that licensed it deals with licence-related complaints.

The Queensland Government says many online wagering providers are licensed and regulated by the Northern Territory Government. The licensing body there is the Northern Territory Wagering Commission, and sports bookmakers and betting exchange operators are licensed under the Racing and Wagering Act 2024 (NT Department of Tourism and Hospitality, accessed 5 October 2026).

The Commission publishes a list of licensed wagering operators with five columns: number, company, trading as, website and comments. The list has a ‘last updated’ label but no date, so treat it as a guide to check against the register, not a replacement for it. The ‘trading as’ column explains why the company name in the footer often differs from the brand on the screen. A ‘Not currently trading’ note in the comments column means the licence exists but the service is not running.

Victoria works differently. The Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission publishes an approved bookmakers report, last updated on 29 May 2026 (VGCCC, accessed 5 October 2026). Other states and territories license their own operators, and the register is the place to start for any provider.

Blocking is a separate tool. A site that is absent from the ACMA’s list of blocked websites is not necessarily licensed: the list records action taken, not permission given.

What does not prove a site is licensed

A statement on a site is where the check starts, not where it ends.

  • A licence badge or a line in the footer. The Queensland Government says the licensing authority should be displayed, which tells you where to look, not whether the claim is true.
  • An overseas licence. The ACMA describes the banned betting services as those that do not hold an Australian licence. GambleAware NSW says offshore online gambling companies are often licensed in small jurisdictions where regulation standards are minimal (GambleAware NSW, accessed 6 October 2026), and that offshore gambling operators are not allowed to offer services to Australians (GambleAware NSW, accessed 6 October 2026). What an overseas licence means is a separate topic.
  • An Australian look. GambleAware NSW notes that many sites look Australian but are run offshore. An Australian domain name, prices in dollars or local payment methods are not evidence of a licence.
  • Access from Australia. The ACMA says you might be able to reach illegal services, but they will not give you the same customer protection as a licensed service (ACMA, accessed 5 October 2026).
  • Reviews and rankings, including on affiliate sites. They are opinion. The register is the record.

A site can look Australian and still not hold an Australian licence. The register is the quickest way to test the assumption.

If the site is on the register

Being on the register means the provider holds an Australian licence, and the licensing authority named in the register is the body that issued it. If something goes wrong, there is a body to complain to: first the provider, then that authority.

Licensed wagering providers also have to follow rules that give customers protections an illegal site does not offer. BetStop, the National Self-Exclusion Register, covers all licensed Australian online and phone gambling providers (BetStop, accessed 5 October 2026). From 11 June 2024 you cannot use a credit card or digital currency to place bets (ACMA, credit ban). From 29 September 2024 an identity check must be completed before an online gambling account is created (AUSTRAC, accessed 5 October 2026). The National Consumer Protection Framework adds further rules, including on inducements and deposit limits (Tasmanian Treasury, accessed 5 October 2026).

A licence is not a recommendation. It does not guarantee a win or a payout, and it says nothing about how much is safe to bet. It says that an authority exists and that rules apply.

If the site is not on the register

If the provider is not on the register, there is no Australian licensing authority to take a dispute to. That describes the position of the site. It is not a verdict on any particular brand.

The ACMA warns that when an illegal operator withholds your winnings or shuts down, you are unlikely to see your money again (ACMA, accessed 5 October 2026). GambleAware NSW puts it as no protection under Australian law. The wider consequences for your money are in what an illegal gambling site means for your money.

Before you conclude that a site is unlicensed, check three simple causes. You may have searched for the brand instead of the company. The licence may be inactive, as the Northern Territory list shows with its ‘Not currently trading’ note. The site may be a fake with a similar web address.

Scamwatch’s warning signs are worth keeping in mind alongside the check. They include contact through social media, a messaging app or a casino ad, promises of easy money, sign-up credits or guaranteed wins, pressure to keep paying small amounts before you can get your winnings, and support that is vague or vanishes when you ask to withdraw. One more sign connects to step one: it is not clear who runs the service, so you cannot check whether it is legal in Australia. How these schemes work is in how betting scams work and what to do next.

If you already have an account or a balance, nothing here promises that money can be recovered. Keep your records and use the complaint routes below.

Where to complain and where to get help

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. The ACMA also says you are unlikely to see your money again when an illegal operator keeps it.

If the provider is licensed, start with the provider and then the authority that licensed it.

A licence tells you who supervises a provider. It does not tell you how much is safe to spend. 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.

Frequently asked questions

Who licenses online betting sites in Australia?

States and territories license online betting providers, and the Northern Territory licenses many of them, according to the Queensland Government. The ACMA enforces the Act and keeps the register of licensed providers. The register and the licensing authority’s own list are the two official places to check a provider.

Does the ACMA issue gambling licences?

No. The ACMA enforces the Interactive Gambling Act 2001, investigates breaches, asks internet service providers to block illegal websites and keeps the register of licensed providers. The licence itself comes from a state or territory authority, such as the Northern Territory Wagering Commission for many wagering providers.

Can an online casino hold an Australian licence?

Not for online casino games or pokies. The Act bans providing them to people in Australia, and GambleAware NSW says a site offering real-money pokies or online casino games is an illegal service here.

Is a betting site legal in Australia if it holds an overseas licence?

The ACMA describes the banned betting services as those that do not hold an Australian licence, and an overseas licence is not an Australian one.

What does it mean if a betting site is not on the ACMA register?

It means no Australian licensing authority stands behind the provider, so there is no authority to take a dispute to. It is not a finding about any named brand.

What does ‘trading as’ mean on a list of licensed operators?

It shows the brand name a licensed company uses with customers. The Northern Territory list has separate columns for the company and its ‘trading as’ name, so the licensed company can differ from the brand on the site.

Sources