New South Wales (NSW) is one of the most populous states in Australia, with the capital being Sydney. So naturally, there are several land-based casinos available in the area. But what about NSW online casinos?
Can you get your online pokie fix in the Premier State?
The short answer to this question is: yes, you can! However, there are some things you need to know before you sign up to the first online casino that accepts NSW players you see.
Below we go through all you need to know about online gambling in New South Wales. So, read on and get educated!
New South Wales Gambling Laws
New South Wales is the gambling mecca in Australia. It was the first state in the country to allow wagering. Thus, it has been at the forefront of providing solid gambling services to residents.
Regarding brick-and-mortar gambling, almost everything is legal in NSW. You can bet on sports, play casino games, and purchase lottery tickets as you please.
Of course, there are regulations to make this all possible. For example, casinos based in NSW cannot offer online games. And, if you place sports bets online, you will need to phone in to place your bet rather than confirming online.
However, the options are available to you, unlike in some of the more remote parts of the country.
Online Gambling Laws in NSW
Technically, gambling online itself is not illegal in Australia. However, it is illegal for any Australian casino operator to offer online services (which is why you won’t see a Crown Online soon.)
That stated, it is not illegal for you to play casino games at an offshore online casino. The penalty rests with the casino offering the services. So, you can gamble online without concern.
Land-Based Casinos in New South Wales
There are two traditional casinos in New South Wales. By traditional, we mean casino resorts with thousands of pokies, many tables for blackjack, roulette, baccarat, craps, and a restaurant and hotel section.Aside from these venues, you can also visit other venues to get your gambling fix, including:
- City Tattersalls Club
- Holland America Cruise Line – Noordam
- Regent Seven Seas Voyager Casino
- Celebrity Cruises – Solstice
- Royal Randwick Racecourse
- Warwick Farm Racecourse
- Rosehill Gardens Racecourse
- Canterbury Park Racecourse
How to Pick an Online Casino in New South Wales
As mentioned above, you cannot sign up at any online casino that accepts NSW players and expect to have the best experience. So you need to analyse each casino site you come across to determine whether it is safe to join.
New players may be unsure of how to do this. So, here is a guide you can use to assess the veracity of any casino site you encounter:
Security (Including Safety and Licensing)
No online casino that accepts Australian players is actually based in Australia. So, you aren’t going to find an online pokie site with the seal of approval from the NSW Office of Liquor, Gaming & Racing.
However, that doesn’t mean that an online gambling site cannot be licensed and regulated in another jurisdiction. In addition, many independent gaming authorities keep tabs on casinos to ensure they provide players with honest gaming experiences. Some of the most popular groups include:
- Curacao eGaming Authorities
- Malta Gaming Authority
- Kahnawake Gaming Commission
Aside from being licensed by a valid online gambling authority, the casino should also have their games tested for fairness by an independent third party. This could include groups such as eCOGRA or Technical Services Testing.
Certificates of fairness should be updated monthly or bi-monthly to ensure you are getting the best online experiences.
Finally, you need to check if the casino uses SSL encryption to encode your data. You will be sharing personal information with the casino.
So, you want to make sure that it is being kept safe from hackers. You can check by seeing if the casino has a little lock next to its name in the search bar.
Bonuses and Promotions
All casinos will offer you a welcome bonus. Good deals can be helpful, but bad deals will prevent you from cashing out. Thus, it is important to check the wagering requirements on a bonus offer before you accept it.
If the casino requires you to wager thousands of dollars before you can withdraw winnings on an AU$20 deposit, it isn’t worth it. In such situations, rather skip the bonus.
If the terms and conditions of a casino’s bonus offers are bad, you may want to think twice about signing up to the casino. Bonuses can extend your bankroll, but they should never prevent you from claiming your winnings.
Games and Software Providers
Not all online casinos are powered by the same software providers. This means that each casino will have a different library of games.
So, it is important to look at the game library of a casino before you sign up. We even recommend you try some games for free to see whether you like them.
Some of the most popular software providers in the industry include Realtime Gaming, iSoftBet, Quickspin, Tom Horn Gaming, and Nucleus Gaming.
Banking
Banking is an important part of the online gambling experience, but it is often neglected. Before you join a casino, you need to ensure that the site offers your preferred banking methods.
It does not pay to join an online casino that does not offer you the deposit methods you use. If you do, there will be no way to get your money in the casino and gamble.
Sometimes, casinos have varying deposit and withdrawal methods. So, there are cases where you won’t be able to use the deposit method you used to withdraw. Thus, you need to ensure the casino also has a suitable withdrawal method for you.
Aside from this, you need to look at the time it takes you to get paid out. About 1-5 days is the average wait time seen at most casinos. It is important to note that this varies according to the banking method you use. (Expect a much longer wait time if you use bank transfer or echecks.)
NSW Facts
Keen on visiting some beautiful casinos in New South Wales? Well, here are some facts you should know about the state:
- Sydney is the capital of New South Wales. It is the most populous city in Australia.
- New South Wales is the site of the first British settlement in Australia.
- It is the second-most industrialised state in Australia.
- NSW has some of the country’s most famous beaches, including the widely publicised Bondi Beach. This is despite having a very small stretch of coastline.
- The Sydney Opera House is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Gambling in NSW – FAQs
Are there brick-and-mortar casinos in NSW?
Yes, there are brick-and-mortar casinos in New South Wales. Some of the most popular locations include:
• The Star Sydney
• Crown
Are online casinos legal in New South Wales?
As with the rest of Australia, it depends on where the online casino is based. According to the Interactive Gaming Act 2001, no online casino is allowed to operate within the borders of Australia.
This law does not affect the casinos located outside of Australia. Thus, it is possible to gamble online as long as you use an offshore casino. If you are worried about getting in trouble, note that the law goes after the casino itself and not the people playing at it.
What are the best online casinos in NSW?
The best online casinos in New South Wales are:
1. Jackpot Jill Casino
2. Wild Card City
3. King Johnnie Casino
4. Casino Jax
5. Get Slots
Who regulates gambling in New South Wales?
The New South Wales Office of Liquor, Gaming & Racing regulates all legal forms of gambling in the state. They do not regulate online casinos, though.
What is the gambling age in New South Wales?
The legal gambling age is 18. This is a federal law, meaning it is the same across the whole of Australia.
How is gambling in New South Wales different from other states?
Well, there are a lot more opportunities to gamble in NSW than in some other states. In fact, the area has the second-highest number of pokies in the world (it is only beaten by Nevada in the USA.)
Sydney is also home to some of the biggest casinos in the country. The Star Sydney and the Crown Sydney are some marvellous venues.