With the adoption of the Interactive Gambling Amendment Bill 2016 by the upper house of the Australian Parliament, the land down under is effectively banning online gambling.

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The ban will take effect within the next 30 days.

All unlicensed online casinos and poker venues will be prohibited from targeting Australia-based players. However, the current legislation doesn't even allow operators to apply for a license, thus making all of them operate outside the law.

Some of the operators, including 888poker, 32Red and Gaming Innovation Group had already left the Australian Market.

The Bill itself is just a part of the Government's crackdown on gambling since the recent media reform package brought further restrictions on gambling advertising.

It's illegal to provide some interactive gambling activities, such as 'online casinos', to someone in Australia. Examples include roulette, poker, craps, online 'pokies' and blackjack. A new bill to tighten restrictions on offshore operators that operate online gambling services in Australia has been unveiled by the federal government. On Thursday the communications minister.

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Important Gambling Reform

Australian Minister for Human Services, Alan Tudge, said the new Bill would be complemented by other means of consumer protections, including a national self-exclusion register and a voluntary opt-out pre-commitment scheme.

According to Tudge, this set of acts is the most significant online gambling reform in the country's history, which will take severe measures against offshore gambling providers and ensure the money stays in the country.

It is estimated that on a yearly basis Australians spend between $64 million and $400 million on illegal online wagering. Also, around $100 million is spent every year on funding various services for problem gamblers.

Tudge is adamant the legislation will keep the money in the country, as well as offering additional protection for gamblers.

He said the country was losing hundreds of millions of dollars to illegal offshore gambling providers, while a portion of that money was used to fund crime syndicates. Tudge also emphasized the importance of consumer protection, since online gambling had three times the rate of problem gambling than other forms.

The Minister said the Government wanted to provide a safe gambling environment, and not to ban it altogether.

Stronger Mechanisms and Higher Penalties

Mitch Fifield, Australia's Minister for Communications stated the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) will, under the new Bill, have stronger enforcement mechanisms and the power to crack down on illegal online gambling services.

Apart from civil penalties – going from $1.35 million to $6.75 million a day, ACMA will publish the list of licensed providers in Australia. According to Fifield, this will help the players to know which sites are legal.

On the other hand, there are those who disagree with the prohibitionist approach, especially when it comes to online poker. Senator David Leyonhjelm said online poker was probably the most innocent of all gambling – more of a game of skill rather than chance.

Joseph Del Duca of the Australian Online Poker Alliance (AOPA) stated his organization would continue to fight for safe and legal online poker, as this was the only option that provided freedom for players.

Australian law has an established ban, under the Interactive Gambling Act 2001, on real money mobile gaming applications, resulting in the removal of real cash apps in the Android and iOS app stores.

The fastest growing niche in online gambling is the mobile market. If you own a smartphone, tablet or even an older WAP or Symbian-based phone, you can access real money interactive gambling – casino games, sports and poker. Here’s how:

Best Mobile Gambling Apps and Sites for Australians

Here are our top mobile gambling apps and websites which make this activity an enjoyable and rewarding experience. With each app and/or mobile compatible browser website, welcome bonuses and constant promotions are on offer, as are an array of games and betting options, making mobile gambling in Australia far superior to land-based betting.

The mobile industry has changed the gambling industry forever, and for the better. There are more mobile phones in use across the world than there are people on this planet, and as Australians, we are fortunate enough to be able to access legal and convenient real money gaming on our portable devices.

Note: The official RV Casino application is actually branded Regal Vegas in all app stores. This is for marketing purposes. Understand that this is the app you want to install, because once you have downloaded it and registered an account, you can select from two interfaces within the app: Regal Vegas – practice play, and Royal Vegas – real money play.

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How Mobile Gambling Works

As detailed above, we can gamble on our mobile via a couple of different methods: we can download specific application software (market and non-market) which is designed to operate on smartphones, tablets and other mobile devices, or we can access the fully-fledged exclusively mobile websites directly through our browsers.

In most cases, whether you use a downloadable app or access what is also referred to as ‘instant play’ sites (via Web-browsers), the content, available options and games will be more or less the same. Internet sites are fast becoming more advanced and with new formatting technology like HTML5, can carry out tasks just as well as specific application software.

We can also create our own Web apps via instant play sites offered through Web browser, by accessing our Internet settings and adding the specific site to our mobile/tab homescreen. Doing so creates an icon which uses browser language (such as Java, JavaScript, HTML5, Flash, Silverlight and CSS) to operate, and is compatible with all cellspacing='0' cellpadding='0'>

You can also create Web apps (also known as browser apps) directly through your Internet browser while you are gambling at any instant play mobile site. Access your in-browser settings and find the setting which says ‘add to homescreen.’ Create the title for either the specific sports bet or casino site, or even an individual game, and an application icon will pop up on your homescreen – a Web app which performs tasks just like a market app, but uses little (if any) disk space, and downloads its software for local processing via your browser (just like an Internet video).

Our suggested websites are licensed and secure, work with the Australian dollar, and offer a wide range of deposit and withdrawal methods such as credit/debit cards, Neteller, Skrill, POLi and direct bank transfers. They provide welcome bonuses, customer support, a variety of games, progressive jackpots and daily promotions and prizes.

Mobile Gambling Frequently Asked Questions

What is mobile gambling?

Mobile gambling covers all forms of real money gambling that take place on mobile and smartphone devices. While the mobile market was a non-factor when Internet gambling sites first appeared in the 1990s, it has quickly grown over the past decade to become a major part of the industry.

Making wagers on smartphones and tablets is expected to be the biggest growth area for online gambling in the near future, as more sites offer mobile-friendly options and gamblers become more accustomed to playing real money games on their smartphones and tablets.

Can I Gamble on My iPhone?

If you own a smartphone or tablet, you can access and play at real money mobile casino sites, sports and poker on your iPhone, iTouch or iPad device. Despite some information to the contrary, mobile gambling is allowed and available on iPhones in Australia.

The confusion comes from the fact that Apple has had a frosty relationship with online gambling apps in their app store, which has led some to believe that they do not allow any form of betting on their devices. In reality, Apple has chosen to be somewhat conservative with what they allow in terms of apps, only allowing real money gambling apps from licensed companies to be sold in regulated markets.

This means that in Australia – where there is no real regulatory scheme for most forms of Internet gambling – many sites do not offer iPhone apps for real money play. However, even if these are not available, you can access many mobile sites in your phone’s browser, allowing you to play at most casino, poker, and bingo sites.

Can I Play on My Android?

Android phones may be the ideal devices for gambling. There are fewer restrictions on gambling apps on Android devices, meaning that there are more available to choose from. As with iPhones, you’ll also have the option of navigating to the many mobile-friendly websites that have been set up by online gambling companies if you prefer not to use these apps (or if you are playing on a site that has not released an app).

How About on Older Phones and Other Tablets?

Yes, mobile gambling sites can be accessed from iPads, Kindle Fires, Google Nexus’s and other mobile tablet devices, and if you own an older WAP or Symbian-based phone, such as a Nokia or Blackberry device, most of our recommended mobile casinos support them too.

In many cases, tablets make the most ideal gambling platforms, as they combine the portability of a phone with the power and larger screen of a laptop. Depending on what apps are available on your device, you may be able to play at online casinos by downloading an app, or you may be able to access mobile sites (or in a few cases, even the standard “Instant Play” sites usually only set up for computers) through your tablet’s web browser.

Can I Play For Free?

Many mobile casino websites offer practice play games to members on both computer and mobile platforms, so a free sign-up to your preferred site is required.

How Safe Is It?

Gambling on your mobile device is as safe and secure as any other action you take on your phone, such as banking or paying bills. Online gambling sites protect and secure their mobile sites using the same encryption methods used on their downloadable software platforms and Flash sites, meaning you never have to worry about anyone intercepting your private data. The same 128-bit Secure Socket Layer digital encryption technology also ensures our real money AUD deposits, withdrawals and other general transactions remain safe and secure.

Mobile Gambling Versus Traditional Gambling on the Internet

Many mobile gambling games are essentially identical to the games you would find in a more traditional online gambling website. Progressive jackpots are often shared between the mobile and other versions of a casino’s software, and poker rooms allow mobile players to compete in games with those playing on their downloadable clients.

As mobile technology continuously advances along with mobile gaming, Microgaming software has made it easy for smart device users to access and play casino games on their platforms. All mobile games are essentially optimised for the mobile platform rather than condensed with concessions, thanks to increased graphical chipsets in our phones an tablets.

The same technology powering Internet casino games on the standard computer also takes advantage of many mobile devices and their inherent features; games are suited and fitted to the smaller screen and interfaces are designed around the unique touch-screens of many smart devices.

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The main differences seen in mobile gambling can usually be attributed to simplification. Many games will have unnecessary features stripped out, such as some of the more enhanced graphics and ambient sound. Animations may be missing or otherwise less detailed, and extra information like number trackers in roulette may be excluded. Many mobile users tend to want a more streamlined experienced as well. As time goes on and technology improves, however, these features are becoming more common as a industry standard, even in games designed for mobile phones from the ground up.

What Kinds of Casino Games Can I Play?

A typical mobile casino will feature a wide variety of games. At all of our top recommended mobile casinos, there is always a guaranteed line-up of the most popular progressive pokies, such as Cash Splash, Mega Moolah and Major Millions. The top interactive slots, such as Avalon II, Immortal Romance and Thunderstruck II also always headline the best mobile casinos. Table games like blackjack and roulette, and plenty of video poker machines round out the catalogues.

The main difference comes not in the types of games you can play in a mobile casino, but in the number of games available. While a typical online casino like Royal Vegas might have hundreds of games available in their downloadable and instant play casinos, a mobile casino might just have 20-30 games on average. However, what mobile casinos may lack in sheer quantity they make up for in quality, as only the best and most requested titles get the portable treatment.

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Can I Bet on Sports?

Sports betting has long been at the forefront of mobile gambling. Most online sportsbooks have built mobile-friendly sites that can be accessed from any phone that has an Internet connection, allowing bettors to place a bet any time they can hop online. Mobile sports betting is a great way to take advantage of late breaking news or get in a last minute bet when you feel that you want to put money on a game or match that is starting before you can get back to your computer.

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Can I Play Poker?

Poker sites were the slowest adopters of mobile gambling, but in the last few years, they have slowly been rolling out versions of their software that will allow players to play poker games from their mobile phones. These poker rooms usually offer a limited selection of cash games (often just Texas Hold’em and perhaps Omaha), sometimes along with some tournament play as well.

Can I Make Deposits through My Phone?

The answer to this question varies depending on the casino or other gaming site you’re playing at on your mobile phone. Perhaps the most common situation you’ll run into is one in which deposits are possible through your phone, but with limited functionality. Find more answers to questions about gambling deposits here.

For instance, you may only be able to make deposits using through a select number of methods, or you might only be able to use banking options that you have already registered through the regular version of the software. Be sure to find out exactly what options are available for mobile banking at your sites in order to ensure you have money available in your accounts when you want to play.

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