The government of Australia recognizes the need to regulate and pay attention to gambling as it is becoming a menace, especially among the young, which is partly why the amendment to the 2001 IGA was passed
In the IGA, authorities are clear that some gambling activities are forbidden, but there is enough leeway to make it legal for players to access online gambling activities. There are two authorities that oversee the industry — the Federal Government that is in charge of the entire industry, and the states and territory authorities. They both collect tax from these activities while regulating participants to ensure adherence with the IGA.
Australian online casinos are allowed to offer gambling activities to players outside the country as long as they are not ‘designated countries.’ While it is illegal to operate an interactive poker website or to advertise interactive gambling for real money in the country, players do enjoy playing online slots, bingo, and poker because this law is enforced on providers of the service, not players. A 2016 amendment to the IGA that declared online poker illegal was passed, and it applies even if the game is played from licensed casinos. Accessing this game from an unlicensed casino is not prohibited.
Taxation Laws on Gambling in Australia
Tax rates charged on respective states is based on negotiations with the State or Territory government. The Northern Territory pays up to 10% of its gross profits per month with a $250,000 cap per year. In Queensland, 20% of gambling net profits are paid out as taxes, with 8.5% going into a Community Investment Fund. In Victoria, 19.11% of total revenue from sports betting is paid as taxes.
The government does not recognize money from gambling as an income because it is dependent on luck more than skills, and so individual punters are not taxed on their winnings. Instead, the burden is laid on casino operators. If an individual gambles professionally, then they pay up to 30% of that income as taxes.
Conclusion
The government of Australia recognizes the need to regulate and pay attention to gambling as it is becoming a menace, especially among the young, which is partly why the amendment to the 2001 IGA was passed. Those efforts have seen the amounts spent per individual drop, albeit not so significantly, from $1,277.83 to $1,251.39.
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