Players in Australia don’t have the luxury of depending on a local regulator when they want to find a good live dealer lobby. This is down to the unique way the federal government, states, and territories deal with online gambling sites. It’s up to each jurisdiction to regulate, tax, and license online gaming sites but so far, none have chosen to license any Australian-facing online casinos or live dealer lobbies.

Since there is no “local” licensing available, operators have to set themselves up offshore and offer games at considerable risk. Operators who target Australians or offer gambling games online can find themselves in civil or criminal trouble for breaching the gambling laws – players are free to do as they please.

Players are free to join offshore sites – and they do – since there are no other options if a player wants to play live games online. 

Most of the sites that are still open to Australians are either licensed in Curacao, not licensed at all (very rare), or they are licensed in an obscure jurisdiction with no real regulatory powers. 

Online operators who answer to regulators in Curacao are a mixed lot with a variety of business ethics. Reliable review sites, player forums, and experience are some of the only things Australian players can rely on when choosing a place to play offshore.

The Curaçao Gaming Control Board (CGCB) is reworking its regulatory framework so that the former system of Master Licensors and sub-licensees is replaced by a single issuing authority. This should make it easier for players to find a reliable gaming site simply by verifying the licensor seal with a simple click on it. 

The CGCB is a member in good standing of the International Association of Gaming Regulators and has been issuing online gaming licenses since 1993.

All licensed and certified online live dealer lobbies offer fair games.

Nearly all of the live dealer sites that launch today are made for instant play in a web browser – whether that’s at home on a Mac or PC or on your smartphone. It’s simple to join a new site and it only takes a few minutes to get up and running.

Aside from a few unlicensed, totally anonymous crypto-only gaming sites, you will have to provide a minimum amount of information to get started and a bit more before cashing out your winnings. 

Be sure to enter only true and verifiable information when you sign up at a new site. Remember, there is nothing in Australian law that could penalize you for playing offshore – the law is designed to penalize operators for providing services and leaves you out of the equation, free to make your own choices.

Unverifiable information entered at the sign-up stage could cost you winnings in the future when the operators perform their mandatory KYC and AML procedures to abide by Australian and international law regarding Know Your Customer (KYC) and Anti-Money Laundering / Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) obligations.

Operators also confirm/verify your information in order to prevent underage gambling and to keep players safe from identity theft or other fraudulent activity.

Basic information you’ll need to enter when opening an account might include your name, address, phone number, and a verifiable email address. 

Step-by-step suggested guide to open an account at a new online live dealer lobby

1. Find a trustworthy live dealer lobby that doesn’t block players from Australia. Use our reviews or others that are authentic. Learn how to identify bad actors and make sure the site you choose holds a valid gaming license.
2. Locate the “Register” or “Sign Up” button – it can usually be found in the top right corner but may be found in another menu.
3. Follow the online pathway prompted by the site and key in your appropriate personal information. Some fields may be pre-populated for you by geolocation software or cookies.
4. Expect an email or an SMS (text) message asking you to confirm the information. After confirmation, you should have access to the cashier for deposits and withdrawals.

Pro tip: We suggest that you complete your account verification as soon as possible. Most operators will not ask for this information until it comes time to pay out winnings, but you may want to be proactive. 

Account verification now can get you paid quicker later!

If any existing live dealer site was perfect for every player there wouldn’t be any need to launch another. No single gaming site can be perfect for every player. Most of the differences between existing sites and brand-new online live dealer venues in Australia are down to variations on a theme rather than cutting-edge, state-of-the-art enhancements for users.

That being said, a newer site can offer not only more game variety but also better bonus options – simply because they are new and have to fight harder for a slice of the online pie. This can be the case when a whole new operation is launched or even when an online lobby is simply attached to an existing RNG (random number generator) operation.

Many sites will simply add a live lobby without heralding the advancement and others might spend a month hyping the new addition.

We’ll take a look at the upsides/pros and downsides/cons of playing at brand-new lobbies.

The potential letdowns

• Unproven/unknown operators can present a risk to winnings
• Current loyalty play rewards can be lost when playing somewhere else
• Smaller studios might have limited games

The possible uplifts

• Sign-up Bonuses. New venues need to attract customers and bigger sign-up bonuses could be offered
• Loyalty schemes. Gamification through such incentives as tournament leaderboards, badges, and competitions can add to the value of play and increase player engagement at newer operations
• State-of-the-art new games. Australian players are more likely to find cutting-edge games at newer providers. Game options might allow side bets that turn a simple win into a jackpot win
• Niche games. Progressive poker, Sic Bo, Hindi roulette, and Andar Bahar are some of the niche games that might be more likely to appear in a newer game lobby.
• Expanded banking options. Look for banking options crafted specifically for Australian players at new online live dealer venues.
• Instant payouts. Newer operators that are well-funded are more likely to offer instant payouts for cryptocurrency or even 24-hour turnaround times on other withdrawals. Competition can create opportunities for players.

All financial transactions with live game providers in Australia are conducted over secure socket layer encrypted (SSL) channels, much as your online banking is conducted. 

Deposits are completely secure as are withdrawals, but what about your funds inside the cashier system?!?

With unified or “seamless” wallets integrated into most platforms you won’t even have to transfer funds from your gaming or sporting account to a live dealer account. Even for those platform providers with segregated wallets, the transactions are in tokens with accounts settled later, not in actual funds.

Each operator will provide its own payment gateways. These gateways will use payment methods that are familiar to most Australian players. From credit and debit card deposits to eWallets and vouchers or even cryptocurrencies, your money is safe from end to end.

The government has ramped up efforts to block the websites of all game providers operating without a legitimate Australian license – which is every single slot or table game provider that accepts players from down under since no licenses have been issued – but they don’t do payment blocking or seize the funds of players.

Aussies can self-exclude or block themselves at licensed sports and racing sites through BetStop. The Australian Banking Association supports a ban on credit cards (as opposed to debit cards) for online gambling but the legislation should only affect gambling sites licensed in the country. 

Your bank or other financial institution will assist you in blocking any payments to offshore gambling sites if you develop or have a gambling problem, but nothing we are aware of allows the government to interfere with your payment processing at an offshore site at this point in time.

A few online providers will only process cryptocurrency deposits and withdrawals. Many sites accept both fiat and cryptocurrencies. While not 100% anonymous in most cases, Bitcoin and other virtual coin transactions do give many players a certain peace of mind.

In summary, deposits and withdrawals at new online live dealer gambling sites offshore that are licensed and certified are just as safe as your transactions at legacy sites that have served players all along.

We highly suggest checking out our reviews of new live dealer lobbies in Australia – this will tell you everything you want to know about any venue!

Also, try our unique filtering tool for live dealer online operators in Australia that lets you filter by currency, banking, games, bonuses, and more. 

Once you have your options narrowed down a bit, try our unique comparison tool to make your number-one choice stand out from the also-ran top contender. You’ll see our rank/rating of the operations, software/game providers, the number of live dealer tables, where the gambling hib is licensed, how many years it has been in business, and more. 

You’ll also find a link to our in-depth review of that gaming site whether it is brand new or a legacy operation.

Sign-up bonuses are available at most new gaming sites. However, it’s important to check the terms for any bonus to make sure live games can be played with it. When allowed, the wagering requirements or playthrough are almost always far higher than they would be for pokies.

Some sites might allow live gameplay with a bonus but will have wagering that is basically unbeatable. These offers are good for entertainment only as are many with a max cashout. 

However, we will highlight bonuses in our list that offer user-friendly terms and you will find some that may offer even better terms than those usually given for random number generator (RNG) table games.

In general, low wagering, and high percentage-match bonuses are more likely to be found at new venues than legacy sites.

The government doesn’t currently license or allow any online casino gaming of any kind. Be sure to recognize the different licensing jurisdictions that serve Australian players. A license from Curacao will cover every type of online gambling from betting on lotteries to sportsbetting to slots, electronic tables, video poker, and live dealer games. One license covers it all.

Australian punters are free to play wherever they like online.