Laws surrounding online blackjack in Australia

Online blackjack ranks alongside some of the most popular forms of Internet gambling, including online pokies, online roulette and online sports betting.

In today’s technologically driven era, interactive gambling has taken giant leaps forward, even influencing gaming development within land based casinos (such as online/electronic blackjack, baccarat and roulette terminals).


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Australian tourism benefits significantly from the gambling habits of our nation, with Melbourne drawing record crowds from around the world, owning the largest land based casino and entertainment complex in the Southern Hemisphere.

Australia also boasts several other well-renowned gaming establishments across the country, several major race tracks (including Melbourne’s Flemington racecourse), thousands of sports betting gaming outlets, and other venues which feature favourite gambling pastimes such as the pokies, bingo and keno.

As you can imagine, the Australian government also benefits significantly from the tax revenue it receives from these gambling establishments and gaming venues. All of the above forms of gambling are regulated by the government. But what about one of the fastest growing niches in the gambling industry; casino gambling on the Internet?

Australia’s Internet gambling laws for blackjack

Online gambling in Australia used to operate in a grey area. However, in 2016 a bill was introduced to close the gaps and make it an illegal activity. The Interactive Gambling Amendment Act 2016 received Assent in August 2017, and came into effect the following month.

This means gambling online for real money at an Internet casino is illegal for Australians, which is why we cannot recommend any sites to play at. This website is only informational in nature, which means while we detail what games are available to international players, we cannot advise you where to play.

Some of the most popular types of games offered at an online casino, which can no longer be played for real money by Australians includes:

  • Blackjack
  • Video pokies (also known as slots)
  • Roulette
  • Baccarat
  • Video poker
  • Bingo
  • Poker
  • Keno
  • Scratch cards
  • Virtual sports and racing games
  • Live dealer casino titles

All these categories of games are unfortunately no longer legally accessible to Aussies. For international players, we advise you to find a reputable and esteemed gambling site, otherwise you will risk your money and personal information with possible fraudulent and rogue organisations.


We recommend a range of online casinos for overseas players, however. The following websites are all strictly monitored, licensed in their respective jurisdictions by gaming governing commissions, and audited on a regular basis by independent testing agencies, which focus on player protection, fair gaming and responsible operator conduct.

Register an account with any of the above platforms via desktop, laptop, mobile, tablet or even Smart TV, and enjoy a great selection of interactive blackjack variants, as well as hundreds upon hundreds of other casino classics.

So what were the laws and how have they changed?

The Interactive Amendment Act 2016

The initial piece of legislation governing the Australian online gambling industry was the Interactive Gambling Act 2001. The piece of legislation was vague when it came to offshore online gambling operators. While it made it illegal for Australians to operate an online gambling site targeting Aussies in the country, it didn’t explicitly ban offshore operators.

Although online casino gambling is banned under the Interactive Gambling Act 2001, sports betting and lottery gambling are not.

Since many believed this to be hypocritical, Australians played blackjack, poker and other casino games at offshore gambling sites – fully licensed and registered companies which were technically banned from marketing their services to Australians but were never seriously thwarted from doing so.

As the government receives no tax benefits from such services it came down hard on offshore online operators with the Interactive Gambling Amendment Bill 2016.

Under the amended legislation, which was signed into law in August 2017, online gambling operators are prohibited from offering their services to Australians. Any company caught doing so will receive hefty penalties, with directors put on an alert movement list. Additionally, reputable sites which were once available risk losing their licenses in regulated jurisdictions.

The legislation resulted in a mass exodus, with reputable operators such as PokerStars and GVC blocking Australians.

Unfortunately the government has pushed players into an unregulated gambling market with the reforms. Players want to play and are opting for rogue and unregulated sites which are risky.

Take the US sports betting industry for example. It is illegal to bet on sports in every state except Nevada, Delaware, Oregon and Montana. As a result, the Association estimates $USD150 billion per year is illegally bet on US sporting events. People want to gamble, and they’re going to find a way to do it.

It’s unfortunate Australian politicians chose to ban online gambling instead of regulating it as their will no longer be any support for players who continue to engage. Additionally, if the government was concerned about problem gambling harms – which they cited as the reason behind the bill – they would have set up services to help people who will be blocked, cold turkey, from reputable sites.

We wish the government would regulate local gaming operators, who would be required to pay their fair share of tax, as it would not only make players feel safe with home-grown organisations, but the government would also benefit.

You can sign up at www.RoyalVegasCasino.com to enjoy a huge range of blackjack variations. Safely deposit and withdraw Australian dollars via one of several globally trusted banking services, such as Visa and MasterCard credit and debit cards.