States across Australia are really cracking down when it comes to gambling laws, yet playing casino games continues to remain one of the most popular leisure activities in the country, and more so than any other nation in the world. 

Indeed, statistical reports have indicated that during the financial year between 1 July 2022 and 30 June 2023, around 73% of adults had spent money on some form of wagering, while two in five people gambled weekly. According to market research group IBIS World, the casino gaming industry generated revenues worth AU$5.8 billion in Australia. 

However, those figures primarily focus on physical gaming activities, which essentially means brick-and-mortar casino venues, alongside clubs and hotels that also feature electronic gaming machines like pokies. When it comes to gathering information on revenues for online gambling activity, analysts can only really make best guesses and estimated projections. 

Current stance in Australia 

For some time now, laws and regulations for casino operators have been pretty strict, which makes obtaining licenses both a lengthy and complicated process for venues. Likewise, the Interactive Gambling Act 2001 essentially banned most online gambling, and new regulations are increasingly getting even more stringent at physical venues, particularly within individual states across the country. 

Earlier in 2023, the Victorian government introduced new restrictions for poker machines, often simply referred to as pokies, including carded play and AU$100 pre-commitment limits. Likewise, and with the sole exception of the Crown Melbourne resort, venues hosting pokies must close between the hours of 4am and 10am. 

“Gambling is, for the majority of Victorians, a perfectly legitimate recreational activity. But for some, and I think it’s a growing number, it is the cause of profound harm,” Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews told ABC News in July 2023, when announcing the new measures. However, while the good-intentioned regulations aim to reduce problem gambling, taking a harder stance has also been met with criticism from operators of physical gaming venues. 

Although some changes were welcomed by Community Clubs Victoria (CCV), their chief executive Andrew Lloyd insisted their members had long supported compliance, self-exclusion programs, and the provision of supervision at establishments. “We remain concerned about hyper-regulation and gambling migrating to the online space,” he explained with genuine concern. 

Online gaming popularity has soared 

Increased pressures and regulations that surround physical casino gaming venues, especially those hosting pokies, has complicated things for the industry. But what does this actually mean for consumers? As various industry experts have already observed, millions of enthusiasts have turned their attention to online venues instead, even though laws and regulations are just as stringent, regarding the promotion of online gambling services to Australians. 

This ultimately means that finding the best casino sites in Australia can be more challenging, especially when gamers are looking for genuinely safe and legitimate online venues. Nevertheless, that’s what CasinoAus reviewers and experts aim to provide, regularly publishing in-depth guides and information. Trust is important, and that’s why alongside highlighting fair and trusted online operators, they also warn players to stay away from blacklisted sites. 

Reaching the conclusion of 2023, the online gambling market is projected to be worth almost AU$17 billion, and market analysts predict the industry will continue to achieve consistent growth. Some predictions for the gambling sector estimate that by 2027, the industry will be worth more than AU$20 billion, and those are quite conservative estimates. 

Such figures indicate that regardless of how strict gambling laws become in Australia, the demand for playing safe and quality casino games will always remain present. Regulation can be a double-edged sword, filled with good intentions but also causing further problems, both for players and operators alike. And just like the activity of gambling itself, balance and moderation are typically the best approach to take.