An online casino banned in Australia is streamed live from Melbourne

BetStop – the National Self-Exclusion Register™ is a safe and free Australian Government initiative to block yourself from all licensed Australian online and phone gambling providers. This puts Shuffle among the top five "crypto casinos" globally, just two years after its launch. The largest, Stake, processes roughly as many bets as Ladbrokes’ global parent company Entain.

Media identity Carrie Bickmore named Victorian Australian of the Year

Despite the restrictions imposed by the IGA, many Australians continue to access offshore online casinos and pokies. These platforms, often licensed in jurisdictions outside Australia, provide a loophole for Australian gamblers to play their favorite games. While this practice is not directly illegal for players, it carries risks, including lesser protection from fraud, problematic gambling, and other security concerns. Players are advised to exercise caution and do thorough research to ensure the platforms are reputable and offer fair gaming. In Australia, the legality of online casinos and pokies hinges on several factors, including licensing and the specific type of gaming offered. While the operation of online casinos based in Australia is prohibited, Australians can legally play at offshore sites that accept Australian players.

Why BetStop – the National Self-Exclusion Register™?

The Interactive Gambling Act of 2001 (IGA) is a cornerstone in Australia’s online gambling legislation, designed to protect Australians from the adverse effects of online gambling. The IGA primarily targets operators, imposing heavy penalties for those offering prohibited services to Australians, but it does not penalize Australian residents for using such services. Australian online casinos operate in a tightly regulated environment, ensuring they adhere to strict standards of fairness, security, and responsible gambling. Legitimate casinos hold licenses from reputable authorities and are regularly audited by independent bodies to confirm their games are fair and that they operate transparently.

It’s easy to check if the gambling operator is legal in Australia on the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) website. If you don’t find its name on the register of licensed interactive casinos online australia gambling providers, then you know it’s operating illegally. The three streamers who were invited to Melbourne for Shuffle’s fake prison game show were all based in the US, where online "crypto casinos" are also banned. Mark R Johnson, a gaming culture researcher at the University of Sydney, has watched dozens of hours of gambling live streams across various online casinos.

Shuffle is accepting around $2 billion worth of deposits each month, according to analytics service Tanzanite. Most Friday afternoons, Haque is at Shuffle headquarters in Melbourne’s CBD, hosting the company’s weekly lottery. Ishan Haque has been central in the casino’s marketing efforts, which have included recruiting an army of what he calls "micro-influencers". Shuffle accepts cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin to place bets, bypassing banks and other institutions that could provide oversight and transparency to its operations.

However, these offshore casinos must not violate the Australian Interactive Gambling Act. It’s a complex legal area that often confuses players, but in essence, playing online pokies and casino games is not illegal for individuals. Online sports betting and lotteries occupy a special place in Australia’s legal gambling landscape. Unlike online casino games and pokies, these forms of gambling are legal under Australian law, provided they are offered by licensed operators within the country. Lotteries, including traditional drawings and instant-win scratch cards, are widely available and regulated by state and territory governments. The legal landscape for online casinos and gambling in Australia is intricate, shaped by years of legislation and regulations.