Key facts
- Since 11 June 2024, online and phone wagering providers cannot accept credit cards, wallets funded from a credit card, or digital currency such as crypto.
- The ban is in the Interactive Gambling Amendment (Credit and Other Measures) Act 2023: up to 500 penalty units as an offence or 750 as a civil penalty, paid by the provider, not you.
- Lotteries are outside the ban. Offshore casinos are outside it too, because they cannot legally offer online casino games to Australians at all.
- CommBank and ANZ treat gambling on a credit card as a cash advance: a fee of about 3% and interest from day one, with no interest-free days.
- CommBank and NAB let you block gambling on your own cards; turning the block off takes 48 hours at CommBank and 72 hours at NAB.
Can you gamble with a credit card in Australia?
Not with a licensed Australian betting company. Since 11 June 2024, online and telephone wagering providers, including on-course bookmakers, have been banned from accepting a credit card, any account funded from a linked credit card, or digital currency such as crypto. ACMA puts it simply: from that date "you won't be able to use a credit card or digital currency to place bets."
The ban sits on the provider. You do not commit an offence by trying to pay with a card. What changes for you is that a licensed bookmaker's cashier will refuse credit, and a provider that lets it through risks a penalty.
What the credit card betting ban covers
The rules come from the Interactive Gambling Amendment (Credit and Other Measures) Act 2023, No. 114 of 2023. It received assent on 11 December 2023, and the payment ban in Schedule 1, Part 1 started on 11 June 2024. The new section 15C(4A) lists the banned payment methods:
| Payment method | Licensed online or phone wagering | Lotteries |
|---|---|---|
| Credit card | Banned | Allowed |
| Wallet or account funded from a linked credit card (PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay on a credit card) | Banned | Allowed |
| Digital currency such as Bitcoin | Banned | Allowed |
| Any other method the Minister names by legislative instrument | Banned once named | Not covered |
| Debit card, PayID, bank transfer, debit-funded wallet | Allowed | Allowed |
The same Act also says credit must not be provided to customers. ACMA adds that a provider cannot help you get credit from a third party, such as a payday lender.
Penalties and who pays them
The provider does. Under section 15C, intentionally accepting a banned payment method from a customer in Australia is an offence carrying up to 500 penalty units, and the civil penalty version carries up to 750 penalty units. ACMA can also accept enforceable undertakings and issue remedial directions, and each day a breach continues counts as a separate contravention.
There is one defence: the provider did not know, and could not with reasonable diligence have found out, that a banned method was being used. The Act also requires a public review of the payment ban after it has run for two years, to be finished within six months and tabled in Parliament.
If a licensed bookmaker offers you credit or takes a credit card, ACMA says you can complain to it, and you can stay anonymous.
What the ban does not cover
- Lotteries. ACMA says the ban "will not apply to other gambling products such as lotteries."
- Online keno. It is an excluded lottery service under the Interactive Gambling Act, so it sits outside the ban for now. From 1 January 2027, online keno becomes a prohibited service under the 2026 reforms.
- Offshore casinos. The ban only regulates licensed wagering providers. Online casino games and online pokies cannot legally be offered to people in Australia in the first place, so there is no Australian licence for a casino to lose. Our Interactive Gambling Act guide explains that split.
Your bank may charge every bet as a cash advance
Even where a credit card payment goes through, it is rarely charged like a purchase. CommBank lists "gambling and other cash equivalent transactions" as cash advances. ANZ lists "transactions identified as being for gambling purposes", and buying crypto, as cash advances too. Both banks say cash advances get no interest-free period.
| Bank | Gambling counted as cash advance? | Fee | Interest |
|---|---|---|---|
| CommBank | Yes | $4 or 3%, whichever is greater, up to $300 | From the transaction date, at a higher rate than purchases |
| ANZ | Yes | 3%, minimum $3, maximum $20 (rising to 3.5% from 28 October 2026) | 23.49% p.a. on non-business cards, daily from the transaction date, also charged on the fee |
Worked example: a $500 deposit on credit
In our calculation, a $500 casino deposit on an ANZ credit card attracts a $15 fee (3%). Interest at 23.49% a year on the $515 balance, left for 30 days, adds about $9.94. That is roughly $24.94 before a single spin, and it keeps growing until you repay.
| Deposit | ANZ fee (3%) | ANZ interest after 30 days | CommBank fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| $100 | $3.00 | $1.99 | $4.00 |
| $500 | $15.00 | $9.94 | $15.00 |
| $2,000 | $20.00 (cap) | $39.00 | $60.00 |
If the $500 is then lost, you owe the bank about $525 for money that is gone. That is the real problem with credit: a bad night becomes a debt with interest on it.
E-wallets do not get you around it
Funding a wallet with an Australian credit card and then paying a gambling site from the wallet does not work either. Skrill and Neteller both say credit cards issued in Australia, the United Kingdom, Sweden and Belgium "cannot be used for gambling transactions anywhere in the world." Neteller asks at each deposit whether the money is for gambling. For licensed bookmakers, ACMA's wording already covers funds linked to a credit card, including digital wallets, which is why Sportsbet, for example, takes Google Pay only from a debit card. See our Skrill casino guide and Apple Pay casino guide for how each wallet handles it.
Offshore casinos and card payments
Offshore casinos are not part of this system, and some take cards. Of our partners, LuckyOnes, VegasNow and Lucky Dreams list a credit card option on their public payments pages for deposits of AUD 30 to 10,000, and Wanted Win lists Visa, Mastercard and Maestro deposits of A$20 to A$4,000. LuckyOnes and Lucky Dreams list no card option for withdrawals, so winnings there go back by bank transfer, MiFinity or crypto.
That an offshore cashier accepts your card does not make it a good idea. There is no Australian regulator to complain to if a payout is refused, and the bank may still charge the deposit as a cash advance. Read are online pokies legal in Australia before you hand a card number to one.
How to block gambling on your own cards
You can switch gambling off at the bank, which is often the strongest limit you can set.
- CommBank: lock gambling transactions on an eligible credit or debit card in the CommBank app or NetBank. Once on, a 48-hour cooling-off period applies before you can turn it off.
- CommBank credit cards: ask for the 6-month gambling and cash block on 1800 222 387. It stays on until you call to remove it, wait 48 hours and call again.
- NAB: in the NAB app, go to Cards, choose the card, then Usage controls and Gambling restrictions. It blocks sports betting, casino games, online gambling, and cash advances and transfers from a credit card account. Turning it off takes 72 hours.
- Other banks: search your app for "gambling" or call and ask for a block.
Pundit tip: set the block on a calm day, not after a loss. The waiting period is the point: it puts two or three days between an urge and a deposit.
Neither bank promises to catch everything. CommBank says it "isn't able to guarantee that all gambling related purchases will be stopped", and NAB says its restriction blocks "most (but not all)" gambling transactions. Pair a block with the tools in our gambling limits guide, and compare debit-based options on the casino payment methods page.
Our partner sites
Terms checked 8 to 9 October 2026We earn a commission if you join through these links; it pays for the site and does not change the facts we show. Listed in no particular order. Every detail comes from the casino's own terms, except ACMA notes, which come from ACMA's blocked list. These are offshore casinos without an Australian licence, so BetStop and Australian dispute services do not cover them: read whether online pokies are legal in Australia and our affiliate disclosure.Commission links. Offshore sites with no Australian licence or BetStop cover: is it legal?
LuckyOnes
Partner · termsTerms checked 9 Oct 2026- Withdrawals
- AUD 6,000 a day
- Max bet (bonus)
- AUD 8
- Min deposit
- AUD 30
- Names no licence or operating company in its terms or footer
- luckyones.com, luckyones1.com and luckyones7.com are on ACMA's blocked list (8 Oct 2026)Main domain on ACMA's blocked list
Wild Tokyo
Partner · termsTerms checked 8 Oct 2026- Withdrawals (entry)
- AUD 800 a day
- Max bet (bonus)
- AUD 8
- Monthly cap (entry)
- AUD 13,000
- States a Curacao eGaming licence (no number shown)
18+ Offers and terms change often; the casino's own terms always apply. Never gamble money you need. Free help: Gambling Help 1800 858 858, 24/7.
Frequently asked questions
Is it illegal to gamble with a credit card in Australia?
It is not an offence for you. The law makes it illegal for licensed online and phone wagering providers to accept a credit card, a credit-funded wallet or crypto, with penalties of up to 750 penalty units for the provider.
When did the credit card betting ban start?
On 11 June 2024. The amending Act received assent on 11 December 2023, and the payment ban started six months later.
Can I use a credit card at an online casino in Australia?
Some offshore casinos take cards, but none of them can legally offer online casino games to people in Australia. Your bank may also class the payment as a cash advance, which costs a fee and interest from the day you pay.
Does the ban cover PayPal or Apple Pay?
Yes, when the wallet is funded by a credit card. ACMA's wording covers funds linked to a credit card, including digital wallets. A wallet funded by a debit card or bank account is still allowed.
Does the credit card ban apply to lotto?
No. ACMA says the ban does not apply to other gambling products such as lotteries.
How do I stop my credit card being used for gambling?
Use your bank's gambling block. CommBank lets you lock gambling transactions in the app or NetBank, and NAB has a gambling restriction under Usage controls in its app. Both make you wait before the block can be turned off.
Related reading
Payments Skrill Skrill is a UK e-money wallet that many offshore casinos list. Its Australian fee schedule, its ban on illegal gambling payments and its credit card rule matter more than the logo on a cashier. Read more 
Payments Neteller Neteller is a Paysafe e-wallet that offshore casinos often list. Before you use it, know three things: its flat fees, its credit card rule for Australians, and whether the casino pays back to it. Read more 
Payments Bank transfer Bank transfer is the payout route almost every offshore casino offers, and the slowest. Here are the minimums, caps and timeframes from casinos' own terms, and the fees your bank can add. Read more 
Payments Google Pay Google Pay pays with a virtual number in place of your card, which is good for privacy. The card behind it still decides the rules, and the cashier still decides how you get paid. Read more 
Payments CashtoCode CashtoCode lets you pay a casino with cash or a prepaid code instead of a card. It is deposit only: three of our partners take it from AUD 25 to 400, and none pays winnings back to it. Read more 
Payments Apple Pay Apple Pay is your bank card in a wallet, with better privacy. It does not change the card's rules, the casino's terms or how you get paid out. Here is what to know before you tap. Read more Sources
Official pages we relied on. If anything here has changed, tell us via the contact page and we fix it.
- ACMA: Credit ban
- Federal Register of Legislation: Interactive Gambling Amendment (Credit and Other Measures) Act 2023
- CommBank: Problem gambling assistance
- CommBank: Credit card cash advance
- ANZ: Your guide to credit card cash advances
- NAB: Block gambling transactions on your cards
- Skrill: Can I use my credit/debit card deposit for gambling?
- Neteller: Can I use my credit/debit card deposit for gambling?