state · Australia
Online gambling and sports betting in Western Australia
Online wagering on racing and pre‑match sports is legal and regulated; online casino and in‑play sports are banned federally. WA regulates bookmakers and TABtouch/PlayWest, applies national consumer protections, and has new powers over interactive gambling services.
- Online sports betting
- Legal
- Online casino
- Not legal
- Retail sports betting
- Legal
- Online live since
- unconfirmed
Checked 2026-09-21. Not legal advice.
- Online sports betting only 8
Boundaries: Australian Bureau of Statistics (CC BY 4.0), via geoBoundaries
Casino, sports betting, poker and more
Casino gambling is tightly restricted: WA allows gambling mainly through licensed casinos and permits, while online casino-style games are prohibited federally. Sports betting is broadly legal online through licensed Australian wagering operators. Poker is treated differently: live poker can be lawful in casinos/approved venues, but real-money online poker is prohibited.
| Product | Status | What that means |
|---|---|---|
| Online sports betting | Legal | — |
| Online casino | Not legal | — |
| Online poker | Prohibited | Prohibited online under the Interactive Gambling Act 2001; land-based poker can be lawful at licensed casinos or under a WA gaming function permit/social gambling rules. |
| Sweepstakes and social casinos | Not confirmed | Set nationally. Australia’s Interactive Gambling Act 2001 prohibits real-money online casinos, but sweepstakes/social casinos with free-entry/virtual-currency models appear to fall in a grey area; no specific 2026 ban or cease-and-desist found. |
| Prediction markets | Prohibited | Set nationally. ACMA blocked Polymarket as an unlicensed interactive gambling service under the Interactive Gambling Act 2001 in 2025; ASIC states no prediction market holds an Australian financial market licence as of 2026. Kalshi, Robinhood event contracts and Crypto.com predictions are unavailable to Australians and operate without Australian licences, with Kalshi listing Australia as a restricted jurisdiction. Australia treats event contracts as gambling rather than regulated financial products; offshore platforms cannot legally offer them without a local licence. |
| Mystery boxes | Restricted | Set nationally. Paid loot boxes in Australia are restricted, not treated as gambling under the Interactive Gambling Act 2001; from 22 Sep 2024 they require at least an M classification, while simulated gambling gets R18+ under the 2023 Classification Guidelines update. |
Key facts
- Online wagering on racing and pre‑match sports is legal under federal and WA law.
- Online casino and in‑play sports betting are prohibited under the federal Interactive Gambling Act 2001.
- WA bookmakers need racecourse‑based licences; internet betting servers must be on the racecourse.
- Gaming and Wagering Commission regulates wagering and implements the National Consumer Protection Framework.
- TABtouch and PlayWest are licensed WA wagering operators.
- Provision and advertising of interactive gambling is governed federally by ACMA under the Interactive Gambling Act 2001.
- New WA powers for licensing “regulated interactive gambling services” were created by the Gambling Legislation Amendment Act 2024.
- WA has strengthened consumer protection messaging and training for online wagering.
Regulator and law
Gaming and Wagering Commission of Western Australia; ACMA for federal interactive gambling and advertising
Interactive Gambling Act 2001 (Cth); Betting Control Act 1954 (WA); Gaming and Wagering Commission Act 1987 (WA); Gambling Legislation Amendment Act 2024 (WA).
Advertising unlicensed gambling in Western Australia
Prohibited. Interactive Gambling Act 2001 (Cth); WA Gaming and Wagering laws on unlawful gaming advertising.
Federal IGA bans advertising of prohibited interactive gambling services on broadcast, print, billboards and Australian‑targeted internet; WA also prohibits advertising unlawful gaming.
National rules also apply — see online gambling regulation in Australia.
Checking a licence
The regulator publishes a list of licensed or authorised operators.
Recent developments
- Gambling Regulations Amendment Regulations 2025 implement National Consumer Protection Framework obligations for WA online wagering.
- Gambling Legislation Amendment Act 2024 proclaimed sections in February 2025, modernising enforcement and interactive gambling licensing powers.
- Consistent Gambling Messaging Notice 2025 and responsible online gambling training standards introduced.
What we could not confirm
- Exact commercial launch year/month for WA online internet wagering endorsements.
- Precise statutory section numbers for WA Betting Control Act and Gaming and Wagering Commission Act relevant to internet betting.
- Public URL of the WA list of licensed online wagering operators.
- Detailed WA‑specific rules on advertising offshore sites beyond application of federal IGA and ACMA oversight.
- Whether WA separately regulates or bans paid loot boxes/mystery boxes.
- Whether any sweepstakes/social casino model is expressly permitted or prohibited in WA.
- Whether specific prediction markets are licensed as financial products versus blocked as gambling services in WA.
Sources
- cits.wa.gov.au/department/news/news-article/2025/02/11/gambling-regulations-amendments-2025
- wa.gov.au/system/files/2025-10/cris-wa-gambling-legislation-reform-2025.pdf
- parliament.wa.gov.au/publications/tabledpapers.nsf/displaypaper/4210652aadbbdb38c3320e3e48258d2c0005f85c/$file/tp+652+(2025).pdf
- dlgsc.wa.gov.au/department/publications/publication/gaming-and-wagering-commission-of-western-australia-2024-25-annual-report
- wa.gov.au/system/files/2026-05/gaming-and-wagering-commission-annual-report-2024-25.pdf
- wa.gov.au/organisation/racing-gaming-and-liquor/gaming-and-wagering-commission
- wa.gov.au/government/publications/gaming-and-wagering-commission-of-western-australia-2024-25-annual-report
- parliament.wa.gov.au/publications/tabledpapers.nsf/displaypaper/4113705cc4728788f0d9c14548258bba000fd0ae/$file/tp-3705.pdf
- australianstakes.com/gambling-laws/western-australia/
- dlgsc.wa.gov.au/docs/default-source/racing-gaming-and-liquor/gaming/draft-revised-community-poker/draft-revised-community-poker-policy.pdf?sfvrsn=3992faf3_5
- wa.gov.au/government/publications/community-poker-policy
- gamblingmaps.org/map/regulations/australia/western-australia
- practiceguides.chambers.com/practice-guides/gaming-law-2025/australia
- practiceguides.chambers.com/practice-guides/comparison/953/17703/27682-27683-27684-27685-27686-27687-27688-27689-27690-27691-27692-27693
- biochefkitchen.com/guides/online-pokies-legal-australia/
- aph.gov.au/DocumentStore.ashx?id=fc2eca9b-46cc-42dd-8435-2d477a896b89
Researched 2026-09-21 from public sources and summarised by the Brandfense team. Not legal advice — confirm with the regulator or your counsel before acting.