The latest Australian consumer reports have confirmed that like the rest of the western world, Australians have a greater expectation of choice in all things than, say, 10 or 20 years ago. That applies to channels on TV, fruit in the shops or options available in a new car.
It also applies to online gambling. Australian gamblers generate well over $20 billion for the gambling industry, making it one of the world’s most important markets. An increasing amount of that gambling takes place online, and despite the complete absence of a legal and regulated online gambling infrastructure, when it comes to gambling online it is nevertheless all about choice, choice, choice.
Choice of betting sites
Australia doesn’t have online casinos of its own and the regulator, the ACMA, imposes regular blocking orders on offshore casino providers. However, a quick web search brings up a choice of sites that have not fallen victim to the ACMA ban stick, and you can find more online gambling sites through the Gamble Online reviews.
In short, there are more casinos opening their doors every day. As Australians do not have domestic regulated casinos available, it is extra important to make good use of those impartial reviews. They help ensure that you choose a casino that is fair, plays well and will not disappear overnight.
Choice of games
Casinos are traditionally quite predictable in terms of the games they offer to players. Slots, blackjack, baccarat, roulette and perhaps a couple of types of poker would often be the limit. Online providers are not limited for space and they make the most of it.
You might easily see hundreds of different slot games at an online casino, plus unusual variations of the classic table games such as lightning roulette or peek baccarat. Then there are the all-new live games. These often take a “TV game show” type format and put you right in the middle of the action. Popular titles include Dream Catcher, Deal or No Deal and Football Studio.
Choice of payment methods
Transferring money to your gambling account and withdrawing any winnings you might accumulate are quite fundamental to online casino gaming. This area can be more awkward for gamblers in Australia than for those in other countries due to the regulatory situation.
A growing number of banks and financial institutions in Australia have decided to voluntarily block bank transfers or credit and debit card transactions to and from gambling business. Fortunately, Australian gamblers have plenty of other choices out there.
These include platforms like Skrill, Neteller and PayPal. But one of the most popular alternatives in recent years has been Bitcoin. The world’s leading crypto hasn’t had the best of years against the dollar, but there are other uses for it beyond trading, and crypto casinos are the latest trend among Australian gamblers. As well as Bitcoin, Australians even have choice here, with many casinos accepting Altcoins like Ethereum, Litecoin and a growing number of others.