Just like any respectable industry, the online casino industry has stringent measures in place to ensure that gaming vendors are operating legally and above board. Legitimate online casinos are regulated by laws set by relevant jurisdictions and by an authoritative body called eCOGRA.
When playing on the Internet, you should expect the same safe and fair practices that you’d get from any real life casino. With so many casino sites available it can be difficult to know which ones are legit and which should be avoided like the plague, so read on to find out how to identify the safest regulated casinos.
Best regulated casinos for Australians
To avoid falling into the trap of a rogue operator or any kind of casino scam, your best bet is to stick with casinos that have been thoroughly tested and approved. If you’re looking for a safe, licensed and reputable casino to play at, the following sites are amongst the best regulated casinos that accept Australian players:
- G’Day Casino
- Slots Million
- Royal Vegas Casino
- Guts Casino
- 32Red
- Thrills Casino
- Roxy Palace
- Leo Vegas
If you click any of the links above you’ll be taken directly to the browser-based casino site that requires no downloads. Mobile casinos are also available, if you’re reading this on your smartphone or tablet tap the links to head directly to the secure mobile site. Sign up for an account and you’ll be rewarded with some fantastic welcome packages like free pokies spins and matched deposit bonuses.
Legitimate gambling jurisdictions
For an online casino to run legally it must first be licensed by a jurisdiction that allows electronic, interactive gaming and has detailed laws in place to enforce safe online gambling practices.
The best, most comprehensive gambling jurisdictions include the Isle of Man, Curacao, Malta, Gibraltar, Kahnahawke, the UK and Alderney. You should always avoid any casino that claims to be licensed by Australia, the USA, Russia or other parts of Europe as these countries have their own restrictions regarding online gaming.
How to tell if a casino is regulated
If you’re playing outside of the venues recommended here at RegulatedCasinos.com there are some important indicators to check for to determine whether the site is regulated:
Check the jurisdiction – you can find out what gambling jurisdiction a casino has its licensing from by scrolling to the bottom of the page where the sites credentials are usually listed in small print, or by heading to the ‘about’ section of a casino. If the casino makes no mention of a license or claims to be licensed by a jurisdiction not mentioned above, spend your money elsewhere.
eCOGRA seal of approval – any casino worth its salt has approval by eCOGRA. Once again, this can usually be determined by scrolling to the bottom of the casino homepage. Look for the eCOGRA Safe & Fair seal of approval or the eCOGRA logo. You can click on this symbol to be taken to the eCOGRA audit report which will give you stats and details regarding the casinos payout percentage and RNG review. eCOGRA only covers venues licensed by the gambling jurisdictions mentioned above.
Responsible gambling practices – regulated casinos are always looking out for their players by putting responsible gambling measures in place. Reputable sites only accept players over 18 years of age and provide links to information about how players can protect themselves from problem gambling. Players can opt to set restrictions on how long they can play at a casino and can even opt for self-exclusion which will restrict them from being able to access the casino within a designated timeframe.
What does eCOGRA do?
eCOGRA (eCommerce Online Gaming Regulation and Assurance) is the major regulatory body for the online gambling industry and has been in operation in the UK since 2003. It acts as an independent, third party testing agency and regularly audits online casinos to ensure that the vendors are operating within guidelines and that games are using fair and unbiased RNGs (random number generators).
eCOGRA also acts as a voice for players and will assist you on the unlikely occasion that you have a dispute or need assistance collecting a payment from a casino vendor. eCOGRA only gives its seal of approval to venues that meet a number of strict requirements, so if a casino is approved by eCOGRA you know you are playing at a safe, regulated place.
Are online casinos legal in Australia?
It is 100% legal for Aussies to gamble at the regulated casinos listed on our site, but it always pays to be aware of the most recent international gambling laws. Each country has different legislation and policy surrounding online betting, so be sure to read our article to brush up on your knowledge before you place a digital bet.
For example, online gambling laws in Australia are covered by the Interactive Gambling Act (IGA) of 2001. The IGA was implemented by the then Howard government as a means to curb problem gambling by restricting real money games to within the walls of land based casinos, clubs and pubs. The IGA specifically excludes any Australian run online casino from offering its services to Aussies, restricting Australian vendors from marketing their services to Australian players.
The loophole is that as long as a casino is licensed and operated on foreign grounds, it is perfectly legal for Australians to gamble there. These casinos operate under strict laws set by their relevant gambling jurisdictions and operate independently of the rules of the IGA. Offshore casinos accept Australian players and allow deposits using AUD, making it perfectly legal for Aussies to play there.
The IGA is being reviewed to keep up with the technological advances and prevalence of online gaming and only time will tell what the future has in store. For now, you can be safe in the knowledge that it is entirely legal to play at any of the regulated casinos listed on our site.
How do online casinos keep me safe?
Regulated casinos like the ones recommended on our site protect their players with the use of digital SSL (Secure Socket Layer) encryption technology. This is the most advanced encryption security available on the Web and works by scrambling any information that’s sent over a secured site so that your personal details can’t be intercepted by a hacker. You can tell if a website is protected by SSL by looking at the URL bar – if it’s secure the web address will start with “https://” instead of the usual “http://” and will include an icon of a padlock. Some SSL protected sites will have a URL bar highlighted in green as a visual indicator that it’s protected.