Australian Capital Territory Gambling Laws & Regulation

The Australian Capital Territory splits gambling regulation oversight among two main bodies that operate on a territory level, and it is also supported by federal law.

• ACT Gambling and Racing Commission is the primary territory regulator that does most of the work when it comes to gambling oversight, control, and regulation in the territory. The commission was established under the Gambling and Racing Control Act 1999 and supervises Casino Canberra (a land-based casino in ACT), electronic gaming machines (EGMs) in registered clubs, bookmakers that legally accept sports and racing bets, as well as lotteries. The Commission is also responsible for regularly auditing operators for compliance and ensuring every one of them follows the Code of Practice, whose primary goal is player protection.
• Access Canberra is the ACT’s governmental licensing body that collaborates with the Commission on a daily basis. Access Canberra mostly focuses on logistics such as administration around venue licensing, management and licensing of poker machines, gaming taxation and permit fees.
• The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) is the federal authority that doesn’t focus much on local regulation; instead, its primary objective is to address online betting and gambling nationwide, which is defined in detail in the Interactive Gambling Act 2001. The ACMA oversees online betting markets, ensures legitimate operators follow Australian regulations, and blocks illegal offshore websites.

In the Australian Capital Territory, gaming operations are governed and defined by several gambling laws, each known as a separate Act.

There are many legal documents and reform bills currently active, but the following are the primary legal documents that define and outline the operational guidelines and compliance requirements for all operators who provide gaming services in the ACT.

This is the major legal document that regulates gambling in the Australian Capital Territory because, when it was created, the ACT Gambling and Racing Commission was established as the territory’s primary gambling regulator.

Under the Gambling and Racing Control Act, the Commission was granted the authority to control and inspect venues, enforce gaming rules, audit operators that offer legal services in the territory, and enforce general compliance across all betting sectors.

What’s more, this law mandates the Commission to prioritise gaming harm prevention and public well-being, and also to allocate industry profits to the Problem Gambling Assistance Fund.

All rules regarding operations, licensing and security requirements for land-based casinos located in the Australian Capital Territory are outlined in this act. In fact, it applies directly to Casino Canberra, setting out rules from staff requirements and background checks for casino owners to venue requirements and approved table games on the casino floor.

It’s important to note that this legal document bans any ACT land-based casino from hosting poker machines, restricting the venue to offering only live dealer table games like blackjack, baccarat, poker and roulette.

The Gaming Machine Act defines the legal position of the electronic gaming machines (pokies) in ACT. Unlike some other territories in Australia, where pokie machines can be found even in local pubs and hotels, that’s not the case in the Australian Capital Territory.

The Act states that poker machines are strictly allowed only at registered non-profit community clubs, completely banning them from local pubs and hotels.

All sportsbooks, racecourse bookies, and TABs operating inside the territory are covered in the Race and Sports Bookmaking Act 2001.

Sports betting businesses must hold an official licence, submit to background checks, and demonstrate adequate financial support in order to operate legally in the ACT. To monitor suspicious betting activity and ensure fair play, the Act also requires bookmakers to enter into integrity agreements with sports regulating bodies.

The Australian Capital Territory has passed the Unlawful Gambling Act 2009, which states that every gambling activity in the territory is illegal by default, except for those that are authorised and licensed in the territory and under federal law.

It’s not as strict as it sounds, though; the ACT still allows a wide variety of commercial and recreational betting only under the condition that operators are properly licensed and follow consumer protection rules.

Here is a complete list of all legal forms of gambling in the Australian Capital Territory:

• Land-based casinos that offer only table games, such as blackjack, roulette, baccarat or poker
• Electronic gaming machines (pokies), when hosted only by non-profit community clubs (note that they are banned in hotels, pubs and brick-and-mortar casinos)
• Sports and racecourse betting performed at licensed racecourses, TAB outlets and approved sportsbooks (only fixed-odds and pari-mutuel betting)
• Online sports betting via mobile applications and websites, provided the online bookmaker holds a territory or state license
• Lotteries, keno, and raffles sanctioned by the government

While other larger states in Australia host several mega casino resorts, the Australian Capital Territory is home to only one fully licensed large-scale casino: Casino Canberra.

The casino is located in the Central Business District of Canberra, and it opened in 1992. It is currently owned by Aquis Entertainment / Iris Capital, and it hosts only live table games. Residents can play classic live dealer games like blackjack, roulette, and poker variants like Texas Hold’Em, as well as Money Wheel.

Casino Canberra is licensed and regulated by the ACT Gambling and Racing Commission under the Casino Control Act 2006 and the Casino Control Regulation 2006. It’s the Commission’s sole responsibility to supervise venue operations, prevent financial crime, and ensure fair gaming rules on-site.

On the other hand, to operate legally, the casino needs to comply with strict rules and standards 24/7. First, it can never host pokie machines on its premises. Also, every employee involved in upper casino management must receive a Casino Employee license after passing a mandatory background check conducted by the Australian Federal Police and Commission agents.

Last but not least, the casino must adhere to the Code of Practice and perform age verification of users, keep ATMs away from the casino floor, and monitor self-excluded players closely.

Residents of the Australian Capital Territory won’t find pokie machines in the corner of their local pub, as residents of some other states do (like in New South Wales, for example). EGMs are heavily regulated in ACT, and while they are legal, the framework sets them apart from almost every other Australian state.

Poker machines in ACT can only be hosted by non-profit community clubs, such as RSL, labour, or rugby clubs. You will never find a pokie machine in a pub or a hotel, and neither can you play it at Casino Canberra.

The legal position of the poker machines in ACT is primarily governed by the Gaming Machine Act 2004, while compliance supervision is split between territory authorities and daily administrative employers.

ACT Gambling and Racing Commission, as the primary regulator, conducts sudden venue inspections and audits the software regularly. Access Canberra handles the administrative part, including licensing, machine authorisation, and fee collection from venues that host them.

Sports and race betting is fully legal in the Australian Capital Territory, and it’s actually very popular among residents of the capital.

You can bet on virtually anything, but know that every bet on footy or the thoroughbred horse you make is done under strict regulatory oversight, and the goal is to achieve fair odds and safe payouts for punters.

If you want to place a bet, you can do it via three primary channels in ACT:

• TABs, pubs and clubs: On-site betting is possible via TABs found across Canberra, as well as designated TAB self-service terminals and betting counters hosted inside community clubs.
• On-course bookies: When you go see the race at Thoroughbred Park, it is legal to visit the on-course bookmaker and place fixed-odds bets on race days.
• Online sportsbooks and apps: Most punters today bet online, via their smartphones. This is allowed only via sportsbooks or mobile apps licensed by an Australian state or territory (examples are Ladbrokes, Unibet, or Sportsbet).

The Australian Capital Territory takes a different approach to responsible gambling, and it is a so-called public health approach.

Instead of treating gambling harm as an individual problem, the ACT government focuses on preventing risk for the whole community, in the long run. This is why you won’t see the pokie machines almost anywhere you go, as is the case in other Australian states.

The whole approach and legal framework is neatly outlined in the Code of Practice I mentioned above, which includes mandatory operational safety standards for every gambling service provider.

Also, under ACT law, operators are legally required to verify player age before they allow participation in betting or casino play. Staff are also professionally trained to recognise signs of distress, and there must be Gambling Contact Officers (GCOs) on shift.

If you come across any issues with an operator licensed in the ACT, such as rigged software, failing to support self-exclusion, or anything related to paying out your winnings, you have the option to file an official complaint with the responsible bodies.

The first step would be to try to resolve it locally with the operator’s management team or online sportsbook customer support, but if that doesn’t work, you can turn to the ACT Gambling and Racing Commission.

You can send a report online via Access Canberra, via email at Gaming.Operations@act.gov.au, or call their dedicated landline at (02) 6207 0359.

Users can also contact the ACMA to report illegal online websites that offer pokies or other casino games to Australians, as well as national self-exclusion breaches.