The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) looked into 411 enquiries and complaints about interactive gambling in the July to September 2025 quarter (ACMA, accessed 5 October 2026). The number matters because a complaint goes to different offices depending on who licenses the provider. To complain about a betting company in Australia, start with the company, then the regulator that licensed it. A complaint about an illegal website goes to the ACMA.

Complain about a betting company in Australia: start with the licence

There is no single office for every betting complaint. States and territories license wagering providers, and the ACMA enforces the Interactive Gambling Act 2001 (the Act). A dispute about how a provider handled a bet should be lodged with the authority that licensed it. A breach of the Act should be reported to the ACMA. Writing to the wrong one costs time.

Two questions sort most cases. Is the provider licensed in Australia? And what is the complaint about? The first decides who has any power over the provider. The second decides which office the complaint goes to. A complaint can only go further if there is a licensing authority to take it to.

Your situationWhere to lodge the complaintWhat they can do
Dispute with a licensed bookmaker about how a bet was handledThe provider first, then the authority that licensed itDepends on the authority; the Northern Territory (NT) Wagering Commission can declare a wager void or valid
Licensed provider ignores BetStop, offers credit or advertises banned servicesThe ACMAInvestigate a breach of the Act
Illegal gambling websiteThe ACMAInvestigate and have the site blocked; it does not recover money
Suspected scamYour bank or card provider, Scamwatch, IDCAREReport, ask the bank to stop transactions
Card payment to a gambling siteYour bankSay whether a chargeback right exists

The ACMA’s register of licensed interactive gambling providers lists each provider’s licence holder and licensing authority (ACMA, accessed 6 October 2026). The Queensland Government adds that the authority should also be shown on the provider’s own website (Queensland Government, 6 December 2024). The steps for using the register are in how to check a betting site’s licence on the ACMA register.

If the provider is not on the register, there is no Australian licensing authority to take a dispute to. A licence issued in another country is not an Australian licence. What an offshore gambling licence does and does not cover explains the detail. The route for that case is the ACMA, covered below.

Step 1: complain to the betting company in writing

The Northern Territory and Queensland both expect the company to hear the complaint first. The NT Government says a person must first make every reasonable effort to resolve a complaint directly with the bookmaker or operator (NT Government, page updated 25 June 2026). Queensland gives the same advice: talk to the business first so it can explain or investigate (Queensland Government, 6 December 2024). The first complaint therefore does two jobs. It gives the provider a chance to fix the problem, and it creates the record a regulator will ask for.

  1. Make the complaint in writing, by email or through the account messaging system.
  2. Say what happened, which bet or account is involved and what outcome you want.
  3. Ask for the dispute reference number. The NT Wagering Commission asks for it later.
  4. Keep every email, message and dated screenshot.
  5. Check the provider’s terms and complaints policy for how long it takes to reply.

The regulator pages cited here set no deadline for the provider’s reply. The terms and the complaints policy are where that timeframe is written. Keep the dates anyway.

Step 2: the regulator that issued the licence

Many online wagering providers are licensed and regulated by the Northern Territory Government, according to the Queensland Government (Queensland Government, 6 December 2024). That makes the Northern Territory (NT) Wagering Commission, called ‘the commission’ below, a frequent regulator for a complaint. The commission is the body to approach if the provider’s licence was issued in the NT. A provider licensed elsewhere answers to a different authority. Which one is shown on the register, where the NT body can still appear as the Northern Territory Racing and Wagering Commission.

Time limits matter here. The NT Government says a complaint must reach the commission within 60 days of becoming aware of the issue and no later than two years after it occurred. After 60 days, the person must give a reason for the delay, and the commission may allow a late complaint only within two years of the issue (NT Government, page updated 25 June 2026). These limits come from the NT page. They should not be assumed to apply in other states or territories.

The commission asks for these details:

  1. A summary of the complaint and the outcome you want.
  2. Details of the wager in dispute.
  3. The dispute reference number from the wagering operator.
  4. The history of your contact with the operator.
  5. The name of the wagering operator and your betting account details.
  6. Any documents that support the complaint.

The NT page directs complainants to its wagering complaint form. After a complaint, the commission can take no action, direct a licensee to take action, declare a wager void or valid, schedule a hearing or take disciplinary action (NT Government, page updated 25 June 2026). That range is the point. The commission rules on a licensee’s conduct and on a disputed wager, and it does not promise an outcome. The NT page says most complaints are resolved within six months of being lodged, and that complex matters can take longer. The commission must give the parties notice of its decision (NT Government, page updated 25 June 2026).

The commission cannot investigate every dispute. The NT page lists complaints about matters more than two years old, requests for compensation or damages, customer service disputes, bets that were never accepted, processed or refused, accounts the operator has restricted or closed, and complaints about BetStop. For those, it suggests independent legal advice (NT Government, page updated 25 June 2026). More on the licensing system is in which gambling services are licensed in Australia.

What your own state’s regulator can deal with

Living in a state does not make its regulator responsible for every provider. NSW states the rule plainly: online wagering operators are licensed in different states and territories, and complaints go to the authority where the operator is located (GambleAware NSW, accessed 5 October 2026). Three states say more.

Victoria. For online wagering providers licensed outside Victoria, the Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission (VGCCC) deals only with a listed set of matters. They are inducements, direct marketing, deposit limits, account closure, betting activity statements and account records, training requirements and gambling advertising messaging and taglines. For anything else, it points people to the regulator of the jurisdiction that issued the licence (VGCCC, page dated 9 January 2025). Its page says tip-offs and complaints can be made by phone or mail, and that a person unsure which to make can call 1300 599 759. A person does not have to give personal details, although it helps. For disputes over money or contracts, the VGCCC points to Consumer Affairs Victoria, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) or independent legal advice (VGCCC, page dated 9 January 2025).

New South Wales. According to GambleAware NSW, a breach of NSW gambling laws by a NSW casino, club, pub or TAB agency can be reported to Liquor & Gaming NSW, which lists its contact details on its contact page.

Queensland. The Queensland Government says to complain to the government agency that issued the provider’s licence. For a Queensland licence holder, that is the Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulation (OLGR) (Queensland Government, 6 December 2024).

In other states and territories, the gambling regulator’s own website explains how to lodge a complaint. Check it before you write.

How to report an illegal gambling site to the ACMA

A different route applies when the website is not licensed in Australia. The ACMA’s page for consumers invites a complaint if you think a website offers illegal gambling services, and you do not have to give your name (ACMA, accessed 6 October 2026). This is a report, not a claim. The risks of illegal gambling sites explain why the difference matters.

The Act is aimed at providers. It sets out what a provider may not offer to people in Australia, and the ACMA enforces it against the provider. So the ACMA’s tools are directed at the website. According to the ACMA, it investigates a provider that breaks the rules and can issue a formal notice, an infringement notice, refer the matter to police or the Director of Public Prosecutions, or ask internet service providers to block access (ACMA, accessed 6 October 2026). The ACMA also lists civil penalties of up to $2,475,000 a day for an individual and $12,375,000 a day for a corporation (ACMA, as of 6 October 2026).

What the ACMA does not do matters just as much. Its guidance says Australian regulators will not be able to help if you believe an illegal service provider treated you poorly or if it withholds your winnings (ACMA, accessed 6 October 2026). It also warns that you are unlikely to see your money again. For problems recovering money from an overseas gambling website, the ACMA lists three options: seek independent legal advice, complain to the ACCC or contact the relevant licensing authority (ACMA, accessed 6 October 2026).

A complaint to the ACMA can lead to an investigation and a block. It is not a way to recover a balance. The ACMA also warns that a blocked website may leave you unable to log in to your existing account (ACMA, accessed 6 October 2026).

The ACMA pages cited here do not say whether a person who complains is told the result, so none is promised. Keep a copy of what you sent.

Complaints about BetStop, credit and advertising

Some complaints about licensed providers belong to the ACMA rather than to a state. A person who believes a wagering provider has breached self-exclusion laws can make a complaint to the ACMA, according to its page on BetStop – the National Self-Exclusion Register (ACMA, accessed 6 October 2026). Once someone is registered, licensed providers must close their accounts, refuse bets, not open new accounts and not send marketing messages.

Two more areas sit under the Act. Providers must not promote or offer credit for online sports betting, and credit card and digital currency payments for online wagering have been banned since 11 June 2024 (ACMA, accessed 5 October 2026). Providers must also not advertise banned services (ACMA, accessed 5 October 2026). The route in each case is a complaint to the ACMA under the Act.

If it looks like a scam: your bank, Scamwatch and IDCARE

A site that takes deposits and never pays may be a scam, and that changes the order of steps. Scamwatch says to contact your bank or card provider immediately to report the scam and ask them to stop any transactions. It lists IDCARE on 1800 595 160 and warns about follow-up scams, including offers to recover your money for a fee (Scamwatch, page dated 13 July 2026). Paying a recovery service is a risk, not a remedy.

Reporting to Scamwatch still has a use. With your consent, it can use your report to work with other organisations and remove scam websites, scam ads and contact details (Scamwatch, page dated 28 January 2026). That helps the next person. The Scamwatch pages cited here do not promise to recover an individual’s money.

A card payment raises one more question for the bank. The Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA) explains that a bank must claim a chargeback on your behalf if a chargeback right exists under the card scheme rules and you paid for goods or services you did not receive (AFCA, accessed 5 October 2026). Whether such a right exists for a gambling payment depends on the scheme rules, and the bank can say. AFCA looks at whether the bank made reasonable efforts to submit and follow up a chargeback request. That is a complaint about the bank, not a way to settle a dispute with a betting company.

Where to complain and where to get help

To complain about a betting company in Australia, write to the provider, then to the authority that licensed it. Report an illegal website to the ACMA. Tell your bank at once about a suspected scam. Nothing on this list promises a refund. This guide gives general information and is not legal advice.

A dispute over money can be the point at which a person sees how much they have spent on gambling. 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 (Gambling Help Online, accessed 5 October 2026).

Frequently asked questions

Who regulates online betting companies in Australia?

States and territories license wagering providers, and the ACMA enforces the Interactive Gambling Act 2001. The Queensland Government says many online wagering providers are licensed and regulated by the Northern Territory Government. The ACMA’s register shows which authority licenses a given provider.

How long do you have to complain about a betting company licensed in the Northern Territory?

The NT Government says a complaint must reach the commission within 60 days of becoming aware of the issue and no later than two years after it occurred. After 60 days, you must give a reason for the delay. Complain to the bookmaker first.

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

The ACMA can investigate an illegal site and have it blocked, but its guidance says Australian regulators will not be able to help if the provider withholds your winnings or treats you poorly. It warns that you are unlikely to see your money again.

Do you have to give your name when you report an illegal gambling site to the ACMA?

No. The ACMA says you do not have to give your name when you make a complaint about a website you think offers illegal gambling services. Keep your own records of what you saw and when.

Is there a gambling ombudsman in Australia?

Complaints about a licensed provider go to the authority that licensed it, and complaints under the Interactive Gambling Act go to the ACMA. If a provider is not on the ACMA’s register, there is no Australian licensing authority to take a dispute to.

Can you complain to your own state’s regulator if the bookmaker is licensed elsewhere?

Only for some matters. Victoria’s regulator, for example, deals with a listed set for providers licensed elsewhere, such as inducements, direct marketing, deposit limits and account closure. For other matters it points people to the regulator of the jurisdiction that issued the licence.

Sources