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Best Online Poker Sites in Australia 2024
Australia is the most recognizable country in Oceania. With a population of almost 30 million people, it has one of the deepest-rooted gambling traditions in the world. In this article, we will discover all the secrets to continuing to play online poker in Australia and beating the restrictive regulations that the land of kangaroos faces.
Best poker sites for Australian players
The world of Australian online poker players changed forever in 2017 when the authorities banned online poker. This makes choosing the best poker sites for locals a complex process requiring a lot of experience to ensure the games are safe and profitable.
Where to play online poker in Australia?
Our team has thoroughly evaluated the online poker market in Australia to bring our players an updated list of the safest poker rooms, which we will review below.
| Category | Poker site | Welcome bonus |
|---|---|---|
| ⭐ Best AU poker site | CoinPoker | 150% up to $2,000 |
| ✅ Best real money poker site for Australia | Ignition Poker | 150% up to $1,500 |
| ✅ Best poker app | ClubGG | up to 50% rakeback |
| ✅ Casual-friendly | Juicy Stakes Poker | 200% до $1,000 |
This is how we rank the best poker sites in Australia
In countries like Australia, the ranking of online poker rooms has many nuances that must be clearly defined, as it cannot be based on traditional gaming licenses since Australian regulation restricts the operation of many traditional sites. Taking this into account, we use the following criteria to evaluate the sites we mention in this article:
- Background: poker sites must have a track record of at least five years and be well-established in the gaming market.
- Support: whether they are gaming companies or recognized players, it is ideal that the sites have enough support in the gaming community.
- Community opinion: both players and affiliates must have a good opinion of the site. For this we resort to our database of players and web searches to verify the status of the current operation of the room.
- Software: state-of-the-art apps for mobile devices and desktop computers are updated frequently and with a certified RNG (Random Number Generator).
- Payouts: should be tailored to local needs (cryptocurrencies mainly) without charging excessive fees and processed in a reasonable time (less than 24-48 hours)
Ignition Poker
Ignition Poker is one of the largest poker rooms in Australia. It belongs to the PaiWangLuo Network and shares traffic with older operators such as Bodog Poker, which specializes in working in markets with certain restrictions, such as the United States.
CoinPoker
CoinPoker, the largest cryptocurrency poker site in the world, is backed by Tony G and has a large group of sponsored professional players. It has active tables of NLH and PLO (including the exciting 5-card variant), multi-table tournaments, and Spin & Go, as well as being the home of nosebleeds games with the highest stakes you can find online in Australia.
Juicy Stakes
Juicy Stakes, a sister site to Everygame Poker (formerly Intertops) has been operating in the United States for over two decades and is a great alternative for Australian players who want to compete with Americans at the tables. It is a site more focused on sports betting so the games are very soft.
Online poker in Australia
Let's be straight. Australia is not a poker-friendly country. Since the regulation was approved in 2017, all recognized poker sites had to leave the country due to the impossibility of obtaining a license to operate.
However, as has happened with other bans around the world, these did not reduce the appetite of players to join the tables, so international offshore sites continue to provide their services in the Oceanic country, assuming the risks that this implies.
Legal background of online poker in Australia
Until 2017, Australia was a paradise for online poker grinders. All the well-known online poker websites of the time (PokerStars, 888Poker, and even some American ones like Chico or WPN) operated peacefully, and Aussies could play with rivals from all over the world.
Before this, in 2001, the Interactive Gambling Act was passed, a law that restricted the advertising of gambling and offering certain services. Although it did not have major repercussions, the poker rooms mentioned above continued to operate without major problems.
Then, in 2017, after an extensive legislative process, the Australian parliament approved the Interactive Gambling Amendment Bill, which meant the exit of all the major gambling operators in Australia because, in a few words, online poker was banned. With the closure of traditional rooms in the Oceanic country, the so-called international or offshore poker sites landed.
Australian laws shift the responsibility for poker games in that country to the operators, although there were also specified fines for individuals that we have never seen applied in practice.
In conclusion, online poker has been banned in Australia for almost a decade, during which the presence of poker sites such as Ignition Poker or CoinPoker has been consolidated, providing their services without interruption to locals.
Poker taxes
Although online poker is banned in practice due to Australian regulations, many players continue to play on virtual tables at sites such as those mentioned in this article, which always leads to the question: Do you have to pay taxes on online poker winnings?
The short answer is no. There are no specific taxes on online poker in Australia. However, the situation may differ in some exceptional cases such as professional players whose only income comes from poker. A general income tax may also apply to income.
We recommend checking with a professional accountant if you have additional questions.
Deposit and withdrawal methods for Aussi poker players
While there are several alternatives to playing online poker for real money in Australia, the options for depositing and withdrawing are almost reduced to one: cryptocurrencies. Aussies have to resort to blockchain technology to deposit and withdraw, which, luckily, in this day and age, is already reduced to a couple of clicks as exchanges have evolved to be user-friendly.
Poker players usually use stable cryptocurrencies such as USDT Tether, although in the cashier of the sites, you will usually find other options such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Litecoin, among others.
To convert your cryptocurrencies to Australian dollars (AUD), you can use local exchange sites or global exchanges such as Binance, CoinsPot, or CoinJar.
Live poker in Australia
The passion for poker in Australia has led the Aussies to win almost $600M on the live tournament circuit, placing the island in the top 10 of the countries with the most earnings.
Likewise, the World Series of Poker Circuit (WSOPC) has had several stops in Australia, in addition to mentioning one of the most famous series globally, the Aussie Millions, which had its last edition in 2020, and fans are still waiting for it to return.
Other series played in the country include the Australian Poker Tour and the National Poker League.
Some of the most well-known casinos are:
- Crown Casino, Melbourne
- Crown Casino, Perth
- GE2 Demo, Tasmania
- Stacked Social, Adelaide
- Shark Poker Club, Perth
- Treasury Casino, Brisbane
- The Star Poker (Sydney, Brisbane, Gold Coast)
- Adelaide Casino, Adelaide
- The Poker Palace, Sydney
Top Australian poker players
Australian poker players have won 36 WSOP gold bracelets, including the Main Event, which Joe Hachem won in 2005.
Jeff Lisandro, better known as “Iceman,” has six bracelets, including the prestigious $10,000 No Limit Texas Hold’em World Championship in 2006 and several titles in exotic formats such as Seven Card Stud.
Michael Addamo is the Australian player with the most money in history, with titles in the WSOP, PokerStars Championship, Aria Summer, Aussie Million, Australian Poker Tour, Poker Masters Online, Super High Roller Bowl Online, PokerGO Tour, among others.
Kahle Burns is also a WSOP champion and has won Triton Poker titles.
Nearly 80 Australian players have surpassed the million-dollar barrier.
Responsible gaming
One of the goals of regulating online poker in Australia was to promote healthy, responsible gaming practices, which we support and share with all our players as affiliates.
While many grinders are poker professionals, some players may have trouble controlling their gambling impulses. You can find help from the following entities:
- Gambling Help Queensland
- Responsible Service of Gaming (RSG)
- Responsible Wagering Australia
- Office of Responsible Gaming, NSW
- GambleAware
Always remember to stay on the friendly side of gambling, keep an eye on your bankroll, and seek professional support if you need it.
Summary
At first glance, it might seem like playing online poker in Australia is impossible: regulation is strict and rooms are prohibited from offering their services in the country. However, as we saw in this article, there are different options to keep grinding since these sites operate offshore and process deposits and withdrawals with cryptocurrencies.
Contact our team for personalized advice and access to the best rakeback offers to play online poker in Australia.
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