Western Australia Gambling Laws & Regulation

Both state and federal regulators join forces to regulate and define gambling laws in Western Australia. The following are the main authorities that govern land-based casino gambling, sports and racing betting, pokie machines, and online betting activities in the state:

• The Gaming and Wagering Commission is the main state regulator, responsible for issuing licenses, setting responsible gambling standards, and ensuring compliance across all venues that offer any type of gambling activity in the state. The GWC directly oversees Crown Perth, the brick-and-mortar casino in Perth, betting operations and services, electronic gaming machine standards, and standard and continuing lotteries.
• The GWC makes the important decisions, but the Racing, Gaming, and Liquor division within the Department of Local Government, Industry Regulation and Safety (LGIRS) handles the on-site operations. It carries out venue audits, monitors operations on the casino’s floor, controls the illegal installation of poker machines at local pubs, and also processes licence applications on behalf of the commission.
• Racing and Wagering Western Australia (RWWA) handles wagering operations which are regulated by GWC, including the TAB WA, TABtouch online betting, on-course bookies, and online licensed sportsbooks in Western Australia.
• The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) is the federal regulator responsible for online gambling and betting across Australia. Its role is less focused on individual states and more on enforcing national rules governing online gambling, primarily under the Interactive Gambling Act 2001. The ACMA monitors the online betting market, takes action against operators that break Australian laws, and works to block illegal offshore gambling websites from accessing Australian users.

Several Acts make up the regulatory framework for gambling in Western Australia. Each of them sets strict limits for every type of gambling, clearly laying out the legality and rules for casino gambling, pokie machines, and betting. The following are the major gambling laws that are active in Western Australia:

This is the primary ‘umbrella’ law that sets out the rules for non-casino gambling and minor forms of gambling in WA. The Act establishes the Gaming and Wagering Commission as the primary authority responsible for setting out rules for casino gambling, raffles, lotteries, and EGMs.

Since this Act came into force, there is a statewide ban on poker machines in local hotels, pubs, and community clubs.

Banning pokies from local pubs and clubs isn’t typical across Australia. Many states allow poker machines to be easily accessible by residents, but a similar regulation on pokie machines is active in the Australian Capital Territory, meaning pokies also aren’t allowed to be installed in pubs and hotels.

This legislation sets out rules for land-based casinos in Western Australia. Everything, from casino licensing, venue rules, operational standards and compliance requirements for the state’s sole brick-and-mortar casino, Crown Perth, is clearly defined in this Act.

The Casino Control Act is immediately followed by the Casino (Burswood Island) Agreement Act 1985, which defines everything that is linked with the casino complex’s operations. The rules and standards for table games, VIP rooms, and player protection systems, alongside operational rules for poker machines – everything down to the smallest detail are defined in the Casino Control Act 1984.

This Act defines everything you need to know about sports and racing betting, both in the physical and online format. Under this Act, residents of Western Australia can bet at licensed on-course track bookies and also online via licensed sportsbooks. The Act’s goal is to clearly define the rules for bookies, restrict unauthorised betting forms and issue betting permits.

Western Australia also distinguishes itself from other Australian states in its lottery regulation. This law allows state-owned draws and instant lottery games via Lotterywest. The goal is to ensure that all public lotteries, raffles, and instant scratchies found in WA are run with great transparency.

While Lotterywest operates WA’s official public lotteries, some organisations are legally allowed to conduct raffles, trade-promotion lotteries, and continuing lotteries. Of course, organisers need to hold the relevant permit and comply with regulatory requirements.

Specific provisions in the Gaming and Wagering Commission Act 1987 and the Criminal Code Act Compilation Act 1913 set the basic rule for gambling in Western Australia: only gambling forms specifically authorised and operated under the relevant WA or federal laws are legal in the state.

That sounds more restrictive than it is in practice. Residents can still access a broad range of gambling options, as long as the operator has the required licence and complies with the rules designed to protect consumers.

The following gambling forms are legal in WA:

• Land-based casinos can offer traditional table games such as blackjack, roulette, baccarat, and poker, as well as EGMs on their floors.
• Electronic gaming machines are permitted only in land-based casinos, specifically at Crown Perth, the only licensed casino in Western Australia. They are not allowed in hotels, pubs, or clubs.
• Sports and racing betting is available at licensed racecourses, TAB outlets, and approved bookmakers through fixed-odds and pari-mutuel wagering.
• Online sports betting is possible via licensed betting websites and mobile apps, provided the bookmaker holds the appropriate state licence issued by GWC.
• Lotteries, keno and raffles organised by the state government.
• Community gaming, such as bingo, two-up, Calcutta events, permitted raffles, and trade-promotion lotteries.

Land-based casino gambling is legal in Western Australia under the Casino Control Act 1984 and the Casino (Burswood Island) Agreement Act 1985, but it is currently restricted to only one licensed facility: Crown Perth.

Crown Perth is the only casino in the state legally permitted to offer table games and electronic gaming machines (EGMs). The venue was first established in 1985 in Burswood, later renamed the Burswood Entertainment Complex before getting its current name.

The casino is supervised and regulated by the Gaming and Wagering Commission (GWC) and ensures it complies with strict regulations and venue rules. Also, inspectors from the LGIRS monitor activities in the venue and conduct financial audits.

To maintain its licence and continue operating, Crown Perth imposed mandatory carded play, meaning all players on pokies must use a personalised card that is tracked daily and weekly, and must also take obligatory cool-offs.

The casino uses Facial Recognition Technology (FRT) at the venue entrance to identify and deny entry to users who are self-excluded from physical casinos in Western Australia.

When it comes to pokie machines accessibility and operation, Western Australia has one of the strictest laws in the whole country.

As mentioned briefly above, under section 85 of the Gaming and Wagering Commission Act 1987, traditional poker machines are strictly illegal at pubs, hotels, and community clubs, including fruit machines and pokies with spinning reels.

Such EGMs are permitted only on the casino floor at Crown Perth, and even there, they face many restrictions on gameplay, bets, and features available to players.

What this means is that even in Crown Perth, poker machines are banned; machines must operate as non-poker EGMs simulating casino table, card, dice, or number games. What’s more, for the purpose of preventing compulsive play and addictive behaviour, all machines installed at the casino must comply with GWC’s EGM policy:

• Whenever you want to spin, you need to press a button manually; auto-spin isn’t available.
• Games aren’t allowed to feature reels spinning, handles to be pulled, or traditional classic slot line symbols.
• The speed of a spin is capped by law to last at least 3 seconds for games with bonus features, or 5 seconds for standard games.
• Every machine must offer at least 90% RTP, and bets are capped at a maximum of A$10 per spin at Crown Perth. There are exceptions to the given RTP. For example, Keno mimics the probability of its live game counterpart.
• ‘Near miss’ animations during gameplay are strictly prohibited.

Western Australia has made a deliberate decision to keep pokies out of pubs. The idea is to reduce how easily people can access gaming machines. Without pokies in local pubs, residents can’t simply walk in for a casual spin.

Betting on sports and horse racing is legal in WA, and its status is defined in the Betting Control Act 1954.

Punters can wager on a wide range of sporting events and races, but all betting activity is subject to regulatory controls. These rules are there to promote fair betting practices, protect customers, and ensure winnings are paid properly.

When it comes to which sports you can bet on, the selection is huge and includes horse, harness and greyhound racing in WA as well as other states and international events, and domestic and international sports and leagues like Australian Rules, cricket, NRL, A-League, EPL, NBA, NFL, Grand Slam tennis, etc.

There are three main ways to place a sports or racing bet in Western Australia:

• You can place bets in person through TAB outlets across the state. Some community clubs also have TAB betting counters and self-service terminals where you can place a wager.
• You can place fixed-odds bets directly with an on-course bookmaker or totalisator terminals operating during thoroughbred, harness, and greyhound race meetings (such as Ascot, Belmont Park, Gloucester Park, and Cannington).
• Online betting is now the most convenient choice for many punters. You can legally use a licensed bookmaker’s website or mobile app, such as Ladbrokes, Unibet, or Sportsbet, or the state’s official betting operator, TABtouch, which is managed by RWWA.

Western Australia is very serious about responsible gambling practices, and the first step is the ban on pokie machines in recreational venues.

Furthermore, underage gambling is strictly prohibited, and venues are obliged by law to perform identity checks in person. At the same time, online bookmakers require KYC policies to determine the punter’s age and identity.

Also, at Crown Perth, rules are tighter than ever. Anyone playing EGMs must use a personalised card that constantly tracks their time spent gambling and also their losses. Players are capped at 12 hours of play per day, with a weekly maximum of 28 hours, and are also required to take a 3-hour break, known as a cool-off.

Besides these, staff at the casino also carry a lot of responsibility. Employees undergo special training that enables them to spot signs of problematic behaviour and step in when someone is overdoing it. Also, you won’t find ATMs on the casino floor in WA, and betting apps are legally banned from accepting credit cards, credit-linked digital wallets and digital currencies.

It is recommended and encouraged to contact the relevant regulator and file an official complaint if you run into issues with a gambling venue, experience non-compliance with the law, or spot an illegal operator.

If your problem relates to physical venues, such as Crown Perth, TAB outlets, or a racetrack bookie, you should submit a complaint to the Gaming and Wagering Commission (GWC) and the Racing, Gaming and Liquor (RGL) division.

You can contact them by phone at (08) 6551 4805 (for regional WA callers), by email at contact@gwc.wa.gov.au, or by letter to Racing, Gaming and Liquor, PO Box 8349, Perth Business Centre WA 6849.

You can also report illegal online gambling directly to the ACMA. This includes websites offering pokies or other online casino games to Australians, as well as operators that fail to follow Australia’s national self-exclusion rules.