Top Real Money Poker Sites in Australia 2024: Guide to Online Poker
Poker is not always associated with online casinos in Australia. Many play it with friends at home or via free poker apps. The current online gambling laws have made real money poker somewhat of a taboo topic. Our team recognises the allure of online poker and its benefits when compared to other casino games, which is why we have created this guide.
It provides honest and fact-based info on the following topics:
- Legality of online poker in Australia
- The best real money poker sites for Aussies and how to find them
- Online poker 101 – rules, terminology, and steps to get started
- My favourite online poker games
- Poker sites which have left the Aussie market
- Answers to frequently asked questions posted by Aussie poker players
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Is Online Poker Legal in Australia?
Australians are the most prolific gamblers globally, mostly playing poker and pokies machines. This makes the question of whether online poker is legal in Australia quite an important topic to address early in this guide.
The Interactive Gambling Act 2001 makes it illegal for Aussie-based gambling providers to offer non-skill and unregulated sports betting services in Australia. Online poker is not classed as a skill game and therefore is considered illegal to play online.
- The IGA did not explicitly state whether offshore gambling sites could provide online poker and casino games to Australians, leaving the door open for top-notch poker platforms to continue operating. This changed with amendments passed in 2017 in relation to the bill.
- World-renowned poker sites like 888 Poker, PartyPoker, WSOP, and PokerStars ceased operations in Australia after the reforms that came into effect in 2017.
- Currently, online poker is illegal throughout Australia. The Australian Broadcasting Authority (ACMA) is responsible for stopping offshore gambling sites from offering online poker services to Australians. They mainly enforce this by using the Telecommunications Act of 1997, allowing them to block websites from web service providers like Google. They also apply hefty fines to online casinos operating Down Under.
- Still, offshore poker sites accept players from Australia and have found easy ways to avoid penalties and operate without any issues. Some prominent poker sites currently available include Wazamba, 21bit, BC.GAME, Ignition Poker, BitStarz Poker, Get Slots Poker, and 7Signs Poker.
- The good news for Australians looking to play online poker is that the ACMA and IGA do not target them. Instead, Australian anti-gambling laws are enforced against operators.
The above should provide a quick overview and the answer as to whether online poker is legal in Australia and how you can play online poker from home. In layman’s terms, online poker is illegal Down Under – operators risk getting fined, while Aussies can play the card game for real money without any repercussions, which is why for the most part they do.
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Online poker is played in different formats.
- Video poker games work with a random number generator and are played in a single player format.
- Live dealer poker games are streamed live from real casinos, you play side by side with other players against a dealer.
- Poker tournaments and cash games run on proprietary software exclusive to selected sites, most of which have exited the Aussie market in 2017, enabling peer-to-peer gaming with massive prize pools.
In the latter, casinos profit through the rake, while the rest online poker games come with an inherent house edge.
Unfortunately, proprietary poker software provided by the likes of PokerStars and 888 Poker is not easy to pull through. Upcoming international gambling sites cannot match the products powered by massive poker platforms, and, therefore, you won’t be able to enjoy peer-to-peer poker games with millions in tournament prizes.
That’s not to say you won’t have a huge range of online poker games, live dealer poker rooms, and hefty poker bonuses to try out. The listed Australian poker sites are slowly filling the void and becoming household names Down Under. They accept players from Australia and are rated as the best online casinos in terms of payouts, customer support, security, and safety.
Wazamba
Wazamba is a Curacao-licensed online casino with over 5000 games. The casino is powered by multiple gaming vendors, packing its lobby with 100+ poker games. You will find 50+ video poker games and 10+ live dealer poker rooms to play for real money. I recommend checking out their video tutorials and paytables to learn how each works before taking a seat.
Players who enter Wazamba through our links will receive an exclusive welcome bonus of up to A$2200. You can use the funds to play online poker in a single-player or multiplayer setting. Their games are accessible online through desktop, laptop, and mobile devices. Check them out today, they are not rated as the number one poker site in Oz by chance.
Ozwin
Ozwin is a much smaller online casino compared to Wazamba. Yet, Aussie players flock to its lobby to try out the featured RTG poker games after taking advantage of the A$25 no deposit bonus up for grabs. Regular promos ensure you won’t even feel the house edge.
Ozwin Casino doesn’t have any live dealer or tournament poker games. However, players love its 15+ variety of video poker games, and especially the progressive Caribbean Stud variant. Hitting the right combo pays a progressive prize, which exceeded A$350,000 last I checked.
BitStarz
BitStarz is the most popular crypto poker site worldwide, often racking up iGaming awards for its services. It is the online casino that popularized crypto casino deposits and payouts after launching in 2014 under the management of Dama N.V.
New BitStarz poker players can sign-up from any Australian state and make a deposit of A$10 or more to receive a match bonus of up to 5 BTC. If you don’t mind pokies, you can also take advantage of the BitStarz no deposit free spins bonus.
You won’t find live poker tournaments at BitStarz. Instead, you can play 50+ video poker variants like Oasis Poker, Texas Hold’em, 3 Card Poker, Caribbean Stud Poker, Joker Poker, and more. On top of these great poker games, the BitStarz Live Casino lobby is powered by Evolution – making it possible to play online poker with friends at tables facilitated by a live croupier. You won’t be competing with friends, but against the house, though. Nonetheless, the poker experience in live casino games is the closest you will find to poker tournaments.
Get Slots
Get Slots is a household name Down Under. The Curacao-licensed online casino is powered by 20+ iGaming developers, including Betsoft, Lucky Streak, Yggdrasil, and Platipus. As a result, the Get Slots Poker lobby is rich.
Like with BitStarz, you won’t find poker tournaments and cash poker table games here. You will instead find a selection of video poker and live poker games. Live Ultimate Texas Hold’em, 3 Card Poker, Omaha Poker, and Jacks or Better, to name a few.
All games are accessible online or via mobile devices at Get Slots Poker. Sign-up through this page today and you can redeem three welcome bonuses – 100%, 75%, and 100%, respectively. The total poker bonus can reach A$750.
Ignition
Ignition Poker is a site operating off Latin America and accepts players from the US, Australia, Canada, and other jurisdictions. It’s licensed in Panama and isn’t therefore subject to Australian laws or in danger of getting permanently banned.
It is rated as one of the five best poker sites globally, offering players a massive range of cash tournaments, sit’n’gos, satellite tournaments, video poker games, head-to-head poker rooms, and more. If you want to play online poker with friends from Australia, Ignition should be at the top of your list.
Video poker games are also available at Ignition Poker. While you won’t find a Strip Poker variant, 3 Card Poker, Texas Hold’em, and other poker machines are at your disposal.
All games are accessible online or via mobile browsers instantly. New players can receive a 100% match bonus to begin playing poker no download for free!
How to Find Legit Real Money Poker Sites in Australia
The real challenge isn’t finding an online poker site that accepts Australian players – but finding a legit one. Offshore casinos are associated with delayed or non-payouts, rigged games, and shutting down operations without prior notice. Unfortunately, the majority of online poker sites in Australia are flagged as non-recommended because of one or more of the above red flags.
Finding a good online poker platform takes time, expertise, and knowledge of the industry. Our team has reviewed all online casinos operating in Australia, assessing each based on several criteria. You can join any of the approved operators knowing that you will receive a poker welcome bonus, play your favourite games, and cash out without any problems. The listed five real money poker sites have been selected because they tick the following, among other, boxes:
- Licensed Poker Sites – all listed operators hold a valid license from an offshore iGaming authority. That’s not ideal but the best viable option considering online casinos are not regulated at a local level in Australia.
- 10+ Video and Live Poker Games – you won’t be limited to one or two poker games with these brands; you’ll find at least 10 online poker games with fun side bets and RTPs exceeding 99%.
- Excellent Reddit and Player Reviews – while we enforce our own rating criteria and benchmarking process, the approved poker sites have also been reviewed by thousands of players. We have checked their testimonials on Reddit, Telegram, Facebook, and other public forums to ensure we haven’t missed anything.
- Variety of Banking Methods and Fast Payouts – our team doesn’t just search for poker sites accepting mainstream payment methods like PayPal, Cash App, PayID, and Neosurf. We also ensure all payments are conducted safely and that you can deposit from a low minimum threshold and withdraw your winnings fast.
- Regular Poker Bonuses – A$10+ deposits at the listed casinos trigger 100% or higher bonuses you can playthrough on poker. Free chips, live casino cashback, regular challenges, and weekly tournaments are also regularly running at poker sites we have approved and help stay in the black.
- Instant Play Poker on Any Device – all listed brands support instant play poker games across all devices and browsers. You won’t be asked to install apps or download software to play poker with your friends. The experience is instantly adjusted to your device, instead of you having to jump through hoops to access a poker room.
Additional criteria like safety, security, customer support, UI & UX, design, and promotions for existing users are also considered during our poker site reviews. Needless to say, you cannot go wrong with any site we recommend for online poker.
How to Play Online Poker in Australia
After serving the best online poker Australia sites on a silver platter, it is important to bring both novice and professional poker players on the same page. Experienced poker players can as well skip the following parts.
- To play online poker in Australia, you must start by selecting one of the poker sites we have approved. Use our banners to sign-up so that you qualify for the highlighted welcome bonus.
- Register an account by accurately providing the required details. Poker sites typically ask players to enter their full name, age, country, email, and phone number. You must be 18+ years old and located in Australia, or one of their legal jurisdictions, to play poker at these casinos.
- Verify your account via the email link and by uploading documents showcasing the information required for the KYC process. This is essential to make your first poker withdrawal without delays.
- Choose a banking option and make your first deposit. Neosurf, PayID, Bank Cards, and eWallets like MiFinity are supported by most operators we have reviewed. The minimum deposit limits range from A$10 to A$30. Enter any poker bonus code, if we provide one, to unlock the welcome offer.
- Visit the poker lobby and select a game. Tap on the play button and it will launch instantly. Read the rules, practice in demo mode, and only then start betting real money.
- Use the responsible gambling tools provided to keep your gaming within a set budget and avoid playing for too long.
- Withdrawing poker winnings is as simple as making a deposit. At least if you have completed the verification steps carefully. Most operators take up to 72 hours to approve cash-outs; following that, the money should appear in your bank account after a couple of days.
Although the poker games you can play online vary from site to site, depending on the supported software, the main categories include the following.
- Poker tournaments and p2p cash games – available at Ignition Poker and operators with proprietary poker software; here, you will be playing poker games with real players and the dealer exists to facilitate the action. This category is ideal for skilled poker players who are after hefty prizes.
- Video poker – single or multi-hand poker variants where you play against the house. Video poker games are perfect for fast-paced gaming with low house edge and variety in terms of options, side bets, and poker rules.
- Live dealer poker – several poker games are offered at live casinos, where you play against the house. However, the action here is conducted by a live dealer, and several real players try to beat the house at once.
Texas Holde’m Poker Online, 3 Card Poker, Strip Poker, and Live Poker Hold’em are some popular games you will find at Aussie poker sites. Video poker games are also instantly playable without download for free on all listed platforms.
Online Poker Rules
Every poker game follows a unique set of rules and gameplay processes. Video poker games, for instance, are played in a single-player mode against the house. Poker tournaments, on the other hand, involve several bettors who wager in turn and across multiple stages. Below, I explain the Texas Hold’em online poker rules since this game is the most popular poker game in Australia.
Make sure to read the specifics of your preferred game before wagering real money, they can be worlds apart from what I am covering below:
Betting is the most central aspect of online poker, as it is a card game where you must efficiently manage your chips. During each poker round, the players will have one or more opportunities to bet on their hand. For a player to win in poker, they have to lose the least possible amount of chips with bad hands and win as many chips as possible with good hands.
Before the dealer calls the beginning of the round, most poker tables require a small fee from each player – the ante bet. Then, the game starts from the left to the right with the first player adding a bet on their hand in the form of chips. The rest of the players will either have to ‘call’ the bet or ‘raise.’ ‘Drop’ is the action that takes you off the poker round, highlighting that you are not willing to call the bet placed by previous players. In the latter case, all previous bets during the hand are forfeited.
When all players ‘have spoken’ and the bets are equalised, then the dealer will hand out the first three cards. This identical process happens two more times, with one new card dealt at each turn, as long as at least two players continue betting, calling or standing.
If at least two players remain in the game after the last card has been dealt, they must show their hands. The player with the best hand based on the community cards wins.
During each round of poker, a player must place the first bet. The bettor position moves towards the left after each round – and only when one’s turn has come they are allowed to check, call, drop or raise according to their hands.
The Order of Poker Winning Hands
In the previous section, I tried to explain how poker works in practice and the overall gaming experience at the poker table. Nonetheless, to play poker and win, you must understand how strong your hand is each time, as well as have a general idea of what your competitors’ cards could be. Below, you can see the poker winning hands in order; each one of these consists of five cards – with the winning hands starting from no pair to five of a kind:
Five of a Kind
This is the best hand you can get when playing traditional poker. It can only be formulated when a wild card is included in the card deck.
Straight Flush
When playing modern online poker games, straight flush is the best possible hand you can land. It can be achieved if 5x cards of identical suit are placed in a sequence. The best straight flush is the Royal Flush, which can be achieved when a punter has A, K, Q, J & 10 of the same suit; Royal Flush odds stand at a 1/650,000.
Four of a Kind
To form this hand, you must have four of the same card. Four of a Kind comes third in the list of the best poker hands.
Full House
Matching three of the same cards and another pair results in full house.
Flush
When a poker player matches five cards of the same suit, in no particular order, it’s a flush.
Straight
Straight is the strongest hand in poker after Flush; five cards in a sequence make up this hand. Their suit is irrelevant.
Three of a Kind
Matching three identical cards and any other two cards make up a Three of a Kind in poker.
Two pairs
This hand consists of two different same card sets. For example, A, A and 3, 3.
One pair
This hand is not hard to get, simply match any two cards and you have a pair.
No pair
Lastly, this is the hand that is unlikely to get you far; it is, however, the most common hand in poker. Between two players with no pair, the one with the highest card wins.
Online Poker Tips & Strategies To Win Real Money
In most online casino games, knowing the rules and gameplay is enough to have good winning chances. The same applies to video poker games – simply avoid side bets and everything else takes place automatically. On the other hand, winning at live poker games or multiplayer tables isn’t as simple as that. For one, you need luck on your side. Mostly, though, you need to know what you are doing. The following tips and strategies can help out.
Start with low stakes
Online poker takes a while to master, and not everyone will reach the same skill level. You are better off starting with low stakes and taking things slowly. Take into account the rake or ante bets, depending on the poker table, and learn from others before upping your game.
Try different poker games
Texas Hold’em, Omaha, Stud Poker, Caribbean Stud, and 50+ variations of online poker exist at online casinos. You don’t need to settle for one right off the gate, test the waters using the demo version and find the most suitable game for your needs. You should consider the betting range, rules, side bets, odds, and interface to make an informed decision. As an example, No Limit Poker Rooms might be excellent for a high roller, while poker rooms with fixed bets are better for players who want to have control over how much they need to bet.
Use your position on the poker table wisely
Players who speak last during a poker round have a significant advantage. This is because they have seen the actions of all previous players and know exactly how much they need to bet to see another card. Generally, this is the time to make the most of your hand and bet more aggressively.
Understand the odds and poker hands
Video poker games come with fixed odds, reflected by the game’s house edge. Such games are typically near a 1% house edge unless you are wagering on side bets. As a beginner, you can use poker calculators to instantly see the odds based on the current hand and decide what to do next. In real poker tables, you must also take into account the hands of other players and all potential outcomes. Card counting and bluffing can take you a long way.
Always consider your opponent’s hand too
Poker is not played in a vacuum. No matter how strong your hand is, the hole card might change everything or your opponent might simply have a better hand. You can never know for sure which is where bluffing comes into play. However, keeping this possibility in mind ensures that you are not too confident, or betting more than you should.
Aussie Online Poker Timeline
Are you wondering how we have ended up with so many popular poker games in Australia? Well, here is a speed poker history class to understand how poker has reached this point.
The online course of poker hasn’t been smooth sailing, though. Despite the availability of international poker sites catering to players Down Under, the following sections explain the legal situation in detail.
Interactive Gambling Act Implications on Online Poker
Australia is one of the countries where online gambling is not regulated or legal. That wasn’t the case in the 1990s when Aussies enjoyed the same privileges as players in the US, the UK, and Europe.
The government decided to pass anti-gambling laws to protect Australians from overspending due to easy access to online casino games. Other reasons were to safeguard the profits of land-based casinos and poker rooms in Australia.
Changes came in 2001 when the government passed The Interactive Gambling Act. This bill made all interactive gambling activities illegal and included online poker, pokies, and other casino table games. Lottery, sports betting, bingo, and other gaming services are still legal and regulated on a state-by-state basis.
However, the language used in the IGA wasn’t straightforward, leaving room for offshore gambling sites and poker platforms to continue offering their services to Australians for 15 more years. The Australian government didn’t take any measures to stop this from happening, and poker sites like 888 Poker, PokerStars, PartyPoker, WSOP, and other big brands continued to operate freely.
The situation changed in 2016 when a new bill would add amendments to the IGA and help the 2001 law be enforced properly. After long debates and legal battles, the amendments were passed in 2017. Then, all globally renowned online poker sites left the Oz to avoid lawsuits and paying fees.
The situation remains the same today, without any plans to start regulating Australian online casinos and poker sites despite other countries moving towards this model. Recent examples include the 25+ US states, Ontario, South Africa, Latin America, and France.
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IGA Enforcements and the Role of ACMA
ACMA is the main force against online poker sites still operating Down Under. Based on the IGA, online casino owners and associated companies of online poker rooms still accepting Australians are subject to serious fines and legal action.
In reality, ACMA mainly sends emails threatening legal action against offshore online casinos, but these rarely disclose their real headquarters or operating companies. As such, nothing can stop them.
Or at least so it appeared. Late in 2019, ACMA started enforcing the legal powers provided by the Telecommunications Act 1997. With this, they could force service providers like Google and Bing from listing blacklisted online casino sites to Australian IPs.
This has been very effective, although offshore gambling sites get around it by migrating their operations to a new domain. In short, it’s a catch-22 scenario. The latest measure taken by the broadcasting authority in 2021 is targeting advertisers, meaning gambling sites that promote online poker and casino operators, in the same way.
For Australian players using VPN to gamble online or simply joining poker sites that accept them, the law doesn’t pose any dangers. No fees or penalties have ever been imposed on users. Still, the situation is not all rosy, as we highlight below.
What the Current Laws Mean for Australian Poker Players
As a player, nothing is stopping you from joining an online poker site from Australia. Several offshore poker sites accept Australians who are over 18 years old and let you create an account in seconds. Massive poker bonuses are handed out, and you can bank easily and play your favourite poker games.
However, the latest amendments to the IGA have forced legit poker sites with state-of-the-art poker software and a huge player base to leave this market for good. The brands that made online poker popular in the first place are not currently open to Australians.
Instead, players can join unlicensed online casinos and poker sites licensed by the Government of Curacao risking getting fined by still accepting Aussies. They don’t have much to lose, though, since they are mainly small brands without ties to major iGaming companies.
That’s not to say you won’t be able to find a good poker site with both video and live poker rooms, because you can. However, users must be experts or use expert sites like ours to select an operator to play poker for real money in Australia. That’s due to the lack of official regulation on these platforms by Australian licensing bodies.
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Online Poker Sites That Stopped Operations in Australia
If you are trying to join a site and get a message saying you cannot access our casino from your county, it means that it has pulled out of this market. Some notable legal poker sites that left Australia in 2018 include:
- 888 Poker Australia
- PokerStars Australia
- WSOP
- America’s Cardroom
- PartyPoker Australia
- Global Poker
- The Winning Poker Network
- Bovada Poker
- Queen Vegas Online Poker
- Full Tilt Poker
These platforms are huge and operate in regulated markets thanks to licenses from certain US states, the UKGC, MGA, Ontario Gaming Commission, etc. They wouldn’t risk paying millions in fines to offer poker games to Australians when the IGA explicitly made them illegal Down Under.
Poker Terminology
I have tried to outline the best real money poker sites, how to play there, and the legal aspects surrounding online poker in Australia throughout this page. Hopefully, you have understood how to play poker and found one or more online poker site options appealing. You can always return to this page for more information and poker news, as well as to see whether new sites have entered our charts.
Before you take off, though, familiarise yourself with the basic poker terminology. You must 100% understand the following terms to play poker online without feeling lost.
Poker Chips: poker is universally played with chips; you can automatically exchange real money for chips at the table.
Check: this action highlights that the player is happy with their current bet and performs no action.
Raise: the player wants to increase the amount of betting chips for their hand.
Drop: this illustrates that the player prefers to exit the round, refusing to call the betting amount.
Blinds: the blinds are two side bets (might be fixed or progressive in a timely manner) the first two player positions on the left of the dealer must place.
Ante: this is a fee that has to be added by all players before the round begins. The ante is how poker sites make a profit.
Banker: this is a term that appears when playing poker at home; it refers to the person who has taken on the responsibility for stocking the chips and records all future transactions.
Betting limits: most online poker tables have betting limits in place, so that they create an environment for people with similar gameplay and expectations.
Fixed limit: this is closely linked to the betting limits and it is applicable to most poker variants/tables. Players cannot bet over this amount, which is usually 2x the big blind.
Pot limit: when a player raises by 2 chips, the player who speaks next has to either call or double the betting amount. All poker tables should have a pot limit for the ideal poker experience.
FAQs
How to play no download poker in Australia?
All poker sites listed on this page provide real money and free poker games instantly available online without the need to download any software or app.
What is the best Aussie poker site based on Reddit?
888 Poker and PokerStars closely compete for the title of the best poker site on Reddit. If you are looking for a top choice based on Redditors for Australia, Ignition Poker tops the charts.
Can you play online poker in Australia?
Several offshore poker sites accept Australians who are over 18 years old. You can quickly sign-up, make a deposit, and play a range of poker games for real money. You won’t be in any legal danger for doing so.
Why can’t you play poker online in Australia?
The Interactive Gambling Act 2001 and amendments passed in 2017 have made it clear that online casino games such as poker are illegal in Australia. Several operators still cater to this market, though, risking getting blocked or fined by the Australian Broadcasting Authority.
Can you get in trouble for playing online poker?
While online poker operators often receive fines and blocks for operating in Australia, players engaging with them do not face any legal trouble.
When will online poker be legal in Australia?
As things stand, there isn’t a clear path for the legalisation of online poker and casino games in Australia. That’s despite several MPs and pressure groups advocating for the legalisation of online pokies and interactive casino games Down Under.
Are online poker winnings taxable in Australia?
While professional poker players need to report their winnings to the ATO and pay taxes, casual casino and poker players do not need to pay any taxes for their winnings in Australia.
- About the Author
- Affiliate Disclosure
Michael has reviewed and verified all information on this page. Having worked in the iGaming industry for over 8 years, he is the most capable person to help you navigate online casinos, pokies, and the Australian gambling landscape.
