For quite a while now, Australian poker players haven’t been able to play poker online. Ever since 2001 when the country enacted a law prohibiting all unlicensed online gaming websites on which games are played for real money from providing their services to Australian players, most international gambling websites became unavailable for players in Australia.

If you're looking for the best Australian online poker sites, you're in the right place. At PokerSites.com.au we're on hand to find you top real-money Hold'em, juicy Omaha cash games, and the sweetest satellites on the Internet. Online Poker Laws In Australia. Australians have enjoyed poker online since the boom of the early 2000s. But strictly speaking, Australia is in a legal 'grey area' when it comes to Internet gambling. Under the Interactive Gambling Act 2001 Aussies have been prohibited from playing online at sites based in Australia. No such rules prohibit them.

There is, however, a legally grey area in this law, and although most international websites do not accept Australian players, there are still some that do. Allow me to explain the situation in detail and introduce you to some of the best Australian online poker sites where you are still welcome to play.

These are my top picks for reliable online poker sites that accept Australian players in 2020:

Ignition Poker

Ignition Casino Poker

Online Poker Sites Australia Sites

• Bonus Package:A$1,350 in Welcome Bonuses
• Bonus:100% up to A$1,000
• Bonus Code:Not required
• Last Checked:November 2020
• Compatible on:Mobiles, laptops, desktops

Ignition Casino is the number one recommended poker room for players in Australia. It was formed in 2016 when the company acquired Bovada Poker, a well-established poker site. In its first year, the website already had a player base of over 2500 real-money players, as well as around 1500 players on a weekly basis, making it one of the biggest fish in the sea.

The website is available to USA and Australian players, and it constantly receives praise from the Australian gaming community. All this makes it one of the best Australian online poker sites.

Deposit and Withdrawal Options

Since there’s only Bitcoin, Mastercard, and Visa on offer, you could say that the deposit options are fairly limited. The casino uses these options for a good reason — they are the quickest and safest methods for transferring money today. When you deposit money using one of these options, you will see that deposits are almost instantaneous. Bitcoin deposit limits range from $20 to $5000 while Mastercard/Visa deposits are between $20 and $1000.

When withdrawing money, you can choose one of the two options — Bitcoin and withdrawal via cheque. Bitcoin withdrawals are very quick and you can withdraw $20-$3000. If you choose the cheque method, expect to receive the money in approximately 10 days.

Security and Software

Ignition Casino is licensed by the Kahnawake Gaming Commission, a respected company that ensures each game is fair and safe. The 128-bit SSL encryption is there to make sure that every transaction remains as safe as possible. Also, the casino uses a random number generator to ensure the fairness of the games.

Their games use software from several developers, providing only the best graphics and smoothest gameplay to give you the best experience possible. The games can be played in your browser, so you don’t have to download anything. Just log in from your PC or mobile device and you’ll be good to go.

Bonuses

A welcome package of up to $2350 in bonuses is promoted but we would advise players to take advantage of the 100% welcome deposit bonus that will match your first deposit 100% up to $1000. The referral bonus gives you 200% of the money your friends deposited the first time (up to $100), and the weekly bonus offered every Monday is a 100% match bonus worth up to $100.

These and other available bonuses come with wagering requirements of 25x you have to meet before you can withdraw the money won with bonus funds.

Ignition Poker Screenshots

Read the full Ignition Poker Review

Juicy Stakes Poker

Juicy Stakes

• Bonus Package:200% Poker Bonus
• Bonus:200% up to $1,000
• Bonus Code:1000JUICY
• Last Checked:November 2020
• Compatible on:Mobiles, laptops, desktops

Juicy Stakes is a popular online poker site in the United States and Australia. The website was set up in 2013 and it currently holds a license from Curacao. For over seven years now, Juicy Stakes Poker has provided players from the United States and Australia with a great selection of poker games, a worthwhile welcome package, and various low and high-stake games. The poker site offers a great mobile experience, a very beneficial tournament system, and an instant play platform that will make your experience worthwhile.

Deposits and Withdrawal Options

Juicy Stakes makes it easy to deposit and withdraw your money. The majority of depositing requests are processed instantly. You can deposit between $25 and $5,000 for most payment methods, and reference the exact limits in the cashier section. Withdrawals are usually processed using popular payment methods as Skrill, Neteller, Check, Bank Wire, and even Bitcoin. The withdrawals are usually fixed at $2,560, but some fees may apply.

Security and Software

Juicy Stakes Poker takes the safety of players seriously. The online poker site runs as a licensed card room and is part of the Winning Poker Network, which is one of the world’s largest and safest poker ecosystems available to US and Aussie players.

The website uses state-of-the-art 256-bit SSL technology encryption to protect player data and personal information with each transaction. Meanwhile, the website is updated in real time to guarantee that all necessary web standards have been met. Players can enjoy a compatible and fulfilling experience playing at the poker room from their PCs and Mac devices as well as enjoying smooth gameplay regardless of the operating system.

Bonuses

Juicy Stakes Poker players stand to benefit from a great welcome package that allows players to claim up to $1,000 matched at 200%. To release the bonus funds, players need to earn Frequent Player Points (FPP) where every 83.335 FPPs are worth $5 of bonus money released. There are various other promotions to take part in, including the Daily Freerolls, Depositor Freeroll, and more!

Countries accepted (from this site):

• United States
• Australia
• Canada
• New Zealand
• South Africa

Countries restricted (from this site):

• United Kingdom

Read the full Juicy Stakes review.

Juicy Stakes Poker Screenshots

Americas Cardroom

(No longer accepts Australian Players)

• Recommended Bonus:200% up to A$1,000 (With crypto)
• Alternative Bonus:100% up to A$1,000
• Bonus Code:CRYPTO (if using crypto)
• Last Checked:November 2020
• Compatible on:Mobiles, laptops, desktops

Online Poker Sites Australia Free

Americas Cardroom has existed for around 16 years, and even though it encountered some problems in 2006, it managed to overcome all obstacles and become one of the top poker websites once again.

This website is for poker only and there are thousands of players online at any time. Americas Cardroom hosts many cash and sit and go tournaments, so if you are a fan of competitive poker, this is the right place for you.

Deposit and Withdrawal Options

Accepted deposit options are Bitcoin, cryptocurrencies, Ria, and money transfer. Bitcoin seems to be the best option, as you can deposit $10-$25.000 in BTC.

For withdrawals, you can choose between Bitcoin, cryptocurrencies, money transfer, and bank draft payment. With Bitcoin and crypto payouts you can withdraw $50-$10.000, and for money transfer and bank draft, the thresholds are $100-$350 and $100-$3.500, respectively.

Security and Software

This site uses 256-bit SSL technology to encrypt players’ personal information and every transaction. Their dedicated customer support team is ready to assist you every day, all day. The site is also part of Winning Poker Network, the biggest network up to date.

The service uses its own proprietary software, and you can play the games by downloading the client that is around 120 megabytes in size. It can be installed on PCs and Mac devices, and there are also Android and iOS versions, so all you need to do is download and play instantly.

Bonuses

All new players receive a 100% bonus worth up to $100. Once you register and make a deposit, you will receive $2 to $6 each day for the next 20 days if you log in every day to claim the rewards.

If you choose the VIP programme, you will receive points for each $1 you stake. These bonus points will give you more cash prizes and help you advance through the VIP programme if you play on a daily basis.

Read the full Americas Cardroom Review

Americas Cardroom Screenshots

Legal Situation Regarding Australia Poker Sites

In 2001, under the Interactive Gambling Act 2001, the country made some interactive gambling activities illegal for players stationed in Australia, including online casinos. This means that it is an offence to provide players in Australia with a prohibited or unlicensed regulated gambling service or provide an Australian-based gambling service to players in certain countries.

Unfortunately, the law applies to both international and Australian online poker sites. This law was enforced to protect Australians from the harmful effects of gambling. It is important to mention that this law is targeting online gaming service providers and not the users themselves.

You can still play on unlicensed online poker sites, although that’s not advisable. Such websites can simply decide not to pay out your winnings. In case that happens, you’ll have no one to turn to. You can take certain precautions while playing on such sites, like getting your money as soon as you win it, or, even better, you can play on some of the websites I recommend below.

Why Are These Sites Recommended for Australian Players?

There are a lot of websites online where you can play poker for real money. Testing each of them can be a tiresome task, which is why I’ve done the tedious work for you to enjoy.

While testing these websites, I always put the security of players above everything else. This means that the sites mentioned here provide proper payouts and are considered legal poker sites in Australia.

Aside from being secure when it comes to playing with real money and protecting your personal data, these websites also provide new players with great bonuses. First-time players, as well as loyal users, can enjoy welcome deposit bonuses and tiered and flat loyalty bonuses.

Each of these websites is a high-quality platform that offers fair odds and great payout ratios. All of them pay out at reasonably fast rates, 1-4 days, and you can collect your money via credit and debit cards, as well as cryptocurrencies and bank transfers.

Top Australian Deposit and Withdrawal Options

The two poker rooms that I have tested and recommend in this article all offer great options when it comes to making your first deposit and withdrawing your winnings when you are ready. My recommended online poker sites offer home currency deposits and receiving your winnings is just as easy in your home currency as well. As is the case with Australian land based poker rooms, the real money online poker sites in Australia are quick to deposit your winnings within a reasonably quick timeframe which is anywhere between 1 to 3 days in some cases.

Deposit options range from the usual favorites such as debit and credit card, e-cheque, wire transfer, bank transfer, and e-wallet options such as PayPal, Payoneer, and Skrill. These options are all designed to be easy to the player and provide a stress-free deposit/withdrawal experience.

The speed in which these options can be carried out varies from site to site but the ones that I recommend all pay-out within a reasonable timeframe which is anywhere from 1-4 days on average. When it comes time to collect your winnings, the choices recommended here offer withdrawal options that include debit card, credit card, bank transfer and e-wallet transfer.

The deposit and withdrawal options are designed to be safe and secure with your personal safety and protection at the very heart of how these online poker websites operate. In addition to testing the security features of these sites, I also test for information security and keep a hawk eye out for any public complaints so you can rest assured that your banking details are safe.

In Australian real money online poker rooms, you can get a part of the action for a deposit as low as $10 AUD in some cases and make a withdrawal of the same amount. Ignition Poker and Americas Cardroom both offer welcome bonuses and ongoing player loyalty bonuses as well.

How I Rank These Sites Fairly

Choosing the right online poker site can be tricky given the massive amount of choices available on the internet. That’s why I have spent countless hours testing the sites out there so that you don’t have to. Security is my main testing criteria and I go the extra mile to test the robust security features of the sites I recommend in addition to trying to poke holes in everything from deposit requirements to infrastructure. It is vitally important to steer clear of any sites that are less than reputable and sticking to the sites that I’ve filtered my ongoing search down to, means that you don’t have to worry about being paid properly or playing on a site that is against the law.

My stringent testing criteria is incredibly thorough and you can rest assured that any online poker site that has passed my criteria is of the highest quality and offers a fantastic balance of fair odds and great pay-out ratios.

Massive Bonuses for Everyone

Face it – we all love a free deposit bonus. And one of the main things that I am extremely big on when it comes to testing is the size and regularity of the available bonuses for first timers and loyal players alike. You want the absolute best for your money and I want to make sure that you are receiving the best bonuses available.

All of the no deposit bonus poker sites that I suggest offer great welcome deposit bonuses in addition to tiered and flat loyalty bonuses for returning players. The welcome bonus offer on real money Australian poker sites usually follows a match deposit pattern where the site will match your initial deposit with real money to be used for in-game play.

Is It Safe to Gamble With Real Money on These Poker Rooms?

Gambling on poker websites is perfectly safe providing you play on the sites that I have personally tested and recommend. As is the case with most things online, you have to make sure that you are not setting yourself up for disaster by not protecting yourself when online and making sure that you are able to have fun whilst keeping your personal details safe and secure.

That being said, by remaining diligent and by sticking to the sites that I recommend, you can rest assured that they have been tested for payouts and overall security.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, they do. Both of these websites accept Bitcoin among other cryptocurrencies.

There are none. Australian citizens cannot own any web-based poker rooms inside the country, but there are international websites that cater to Australian players.

Since the 2001 legislation was passed and online casino establishments were banned, many online casinos restricted access to Australian poker players.

They can play on Ignition Poker and Americas Cardroom. There are also many unregulated online poker websites out there but I0 can’t be sure they are safe, which is why I recommend these two.

Online poker was banned in 2001 when online poker sites were proclaimed illegal in Australia. However, since there are so many eager players, there are still some methods Australians can use to play poker online.

Unfortunately, at the moment, there aren’t any Australian poker sites that accept PayPal. Still, there are plenty of alternatives payment methods that retain a low fee especially if you're open to using cryptocurrency.

Gambling in a number of different forms has become an insanely popular pastime for Australians with online poker being one of the leading options. Thanks to the rather liberal laws pertaining to the online poker and online gambling industry, the activities have been able to thrive. In fact, it would be safe to say that the online poker boom in the country is now in full swing.

Here is a list of the best legal online poker sites in Australia for November 2020:

Contents

• 4 The Interactive Gambling Amendment Bill
• 5 Finding the Best Legal Poker Sites in Australia

Ignition Poker

• Generous Welcome Bonus
• Huge Playerbase
• Amazing Platform Software

• Mobile Friendly Platform
• Large New Player Bonus
• Great User Interface

However, as good as things have gotten for the industry, the gambling operators as well as the poker players, this was not always the case. Fortunately, the online poker operators and other stakeholders in the gaming industry were able to find workarounds and now Aussie players have access to a number of legal online poker sites including:

• Ignition Casino Poker Room
• BetOnline.AG
• 888poker
• Bet365
• William Hill Poker
• Bodog
• Americas Cardroom

The existence of all these outstanding legal online poker sites in Australia is enough proof that online poker is truly coming back to the land down under. As such, the country’s residents can indulge in online poker action at whichever of the listed sites without worrying about being prosecuted. Moreover, Australians are even allowed to play on poker sites that are located in other jurisdictions and they are able to perform financial transactions without any problems. That said, it may be a little surprising for some people that there are questions regarding the legality of the activity. Well, there is a good reason for that, and it starts with the Interactive Gambling Act (IGA).

What Is the Interactive Gaming Act?

Dating all the way back to 2001, the Interactive Gambling Act (IGA) was aimed at preventing online gambling operators in Australia from accepting bets from Aussie players as well as ensuring that both the local and international or foreign gambling operators were not able to advertise their services in the country. The IGA was officially passed in June of 2001 by the Australian Commonwealth Parliament before going forward to receive assent in July of the same year.

Unsurprisingly, this piece of legislation turned out to be ineffective and therefore offshore online gambling operators were still able to exploit a number of loopholes that allowed them to keep serving Aussie gamblers. This went on until, in 2017, when the Interactive Gambling Amendment Bill was passed – the amendment effectively firmed up the language of the original 2001 law thus preventing the offshore gaming providers from continuing to offer their services to Australians.

The Interactive Gambling Amendment Bill

Proposed by the country’s Minister for Human Services in 2016, the amendment bill seeks to close all the loopholes in the Interactive Gambling Act of 2001. The amendment brought a plethora of changes to the gaming market in Australia after it was passed in 2017 and key among them was the ban on online poker and casino games or sites that had not been licensed by the country’s government.

Did It Work?

Well, now more than ever, the legality of online poker in the country remains in a state of flux following the passage of the Interactive Gambling Amendment Bill – this is despite the fact that the amendment was meant to clear up the ambiguity and vagueness that punched loopholes in the 2001 Interactive Gambling Act. Now, while it is possible that the state and territorial governments, which are responsible for the gambling regulations, achieved their goals to prohibit the provision and advertisement of real money interactive gambling services to the country’s citizens, it did consider some other implications.

As such, for Australians, accessing and using online poker sites is not illegal. In other words, it is perfectly legal for Aussie poker enthusiasts to play at foreign-based online poker sites without any fear of the government trying to stop them. Instead, the online poker operators are the ones that are targeted by the Australian governments and they risk being slapped with fines of over $1 million if their violations of the gambling law are ascertained to be severe enough.

On the same note, one of the supposed aims of the Interactive Gambling Act was the protection of Australian residents from the potentially harmful effects of online gambling. As mentioned above, there is no clause in the bill that outlaws the access and use of gambling services from online poker sites and casino. Technically, this implies that participating in online gambling is completely legal in Australia – it is only the provision and advertisement of such services that is frowned upon. To make things even more complicated is the fact that there are literally hundreds or even thousands of offshore online poker operators that gladly cater to Australian players.

More Implications

Naturally, restricting the players from playing online poker is most likely to drive the gambling activity underground as we have seen in a number of countries were gamblers are not allowed to play. It goes without saying that this is definitely neither a perfect nor an ideal situation especially for the online poker players simply because their choices of sites are quite limited. Still, the consolation is that, compared to several other jurisdictions all around the world, Aussie online poker players have access to a decent selection of online poker rooms to play at. There may be a few shortcomings with regards to the number of games that are available since some big online poker titles are missing, but most gamers have been able to survive without them.

All things considered, it will not be surprising at all if the country decides to regulate online poker in the near future. By doing so, the players will be able to access more and even better gambling sites while the government will be able to benefit from increased tax revenue from the online poker sites. Furthermore, the regulatory authorities, as well as the state and territorial governments, will have much more control over the activity.

As it stands, there has not been any substantial legislative move towards a future with regulated online poker. According to a parliamentary report from October 2017, if that was to be considered, any steps taken towards such a future should be pursued cautiously and strong measures must be included to protect all the consumers. Meanwhile, Aussie poker players can settle for the freedom that they’re currently enjoying as they wait for lawmakers to make a decision that will hopefully favor the beloved game.

Finding the Best Legal Poker Sites in Australia

When it comes to the online poker sites that you should play at, it is always best to stick to recommended sites – such as the ones listed on this site for Aussie poker players. Nevertheless, the whole point of having access to the internet is being able to make choices based on your own tastes and preferences. Even so, finding a great online casino especially in the case where there are legal ambiguities involved can be very tasking, to say the least, unless of course, you have the right pointers on what exactly to keep an eye out for. So, here are some of the things that you and your fellow Aussie online poker players should keep in mind when surfing the internet for poker sites.

Legal Gambling Jurisdictions

As you may have gathered as you were going through this article, perhaps the biggest setback of the Interactive Gambling is the fact that the online poker websites that are currently available for Aussie players are not regulated. Therefore, the players are not able to get any recourse from the country’s competent and reputable gambling authorities in case any issue comes up in the course of the gambling activities. That said, the players have to be very careful when choosing online poker sites.

In fact, the only way to be sure that the poker site you have chosen is reputable and safe is to check if it is licensed in any of the legal gambling jurisdictions. These include:

Gibraltar Gambling Commission – This licensing authority has a great reputation in the world of online gambling which means that the sites licensed by it can be trusted and in case any issue arises, it will be handled appropriately.

United Kingdom Gambling Commission – Known for having some of the most solid and robust industry-defining set of standards for online poker platforms, this authority definitely only associates with reputable and trustworthy online gambling platforms.

Isle of Man Casino Control Commission – The body is known for its high standards and no-nonsense approach when it comes to the licensing of online gambling sites. You will not go wrong with any of its sites.Alderney Gambling Commission – Even though it is not nearly as popular as the licensing bodies listed above, this gambling authority certainly has what it takes. In fact, it has issued online gambling licenses to some of the world’s leading online poker sites.

Currency and Financial Transactions

Since all of the online poker sites that Aussie players have access to are offshore, one of the worries that many of these players have is whether their Australian dollars are valid options for banking at the poker sites. Well, a decent number of the sites allow players to make deposits and withdrawals using Australian dollars – these sites automatically convert the funds to and from US dollars or whichever currency they use by default. This makes deposits and withdrawals a breeze for all players.

Australian Online Poker Sites

As for deposit methods, the very best ones are those that are acknowledged as legitimate by the country’s government. There are, of course, a number of these available and players need to make sure that they choose the most convenient, accessible and reliable ones. Fortunately, most, if not all of them are quite easy to handle for both deposits and withdrawals. Some of the most popular ones include:

• MasterCard
• Visa
• Ukash
• Neteller
• POLi
• Entropay
• Skrill

Online Poker Sites Australia 2020

Other Considerations

Licensing information pretty much covers safety and security concerns while the payment methods ensure a smooth gaming experience. However, it does not stop there. Players still have to put many other things into consideration when finding legal online poker sites in Australia. These will include such aspects as bonuses & promotions, the range of games available, the software providers and even the available tournaments. With those covered, you are assured of nothing short of an outstanding online poker experience.

Overview

Australia currently boasts one of the highest gambling rates on the planet with close to 80 percent of the population engaging in one form of gambling or the other. Online poker has been a huge part of this, and it is not showing signs of slowing down any time soon. Fortunately, the poker players have nothing to worry about as they are not committing any crime whatsoever by enjoying online poker at their favorite online poker sites. Meanwhile, we can wait and hope that the Australian government eventually warms up to the idea of regulating the activity. The sooner the better.