Home / Online Poker / Online Poker Sites / Online Australian Poker Sites- Best Australian Poker Sites

Australian Poker Sites Online

Poker players in Australia confront some of the same obstacles as their U.S. counterparts. The current laws make it difficult to find high-quality online Australian poker sites. Those that keep their doors open for Aussie players are always in danger of fines, censure, and seizure, which has driven many sites from the market. Many have closed their doors rather than bearing the ongoing risk.

A lot of players are confused regarding whether playing poker online is even legal in Australia. We’ll clarify this issue below. We’ll explain what the current legislation says about individuals who choose to play Australian online poker, so you’ll have a better understanding regarding its legality. We’ll also point you to several quality poker sites that still accept Aussie poker players.

KickAssPoker.com’s Online Australia Poker Guide

The Legality Of Playing At Online Australian Poker Sites

In 2006, the U.S. passed a piece of legislation known as the SAFE Port Act. It contained a last-minute “rider” bill titled the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA). Among other things, this smaller bill prohibited financial institutions from processing transactions for poker sites. Those that continue to do so risked being fined and censured. This is the main reason many poker sites for U.S. players have closed their doors to the U.S. market.

In Australia, a similar piece of legislation was passed in 2001. It was called the Interactive Gambling Act (IGA), and had a similar effect on Australian poker sites as the UIGEA did on U.S. sites. The IGA posed stiff fines on companies that offered real money poker games to people living in Australia. These companies could be fined up to AUD$220,000 per day for individuals and AUD$1.1 million for companies.

Note that neither the UIGEA nor IGA target poker players. In fact, the IGA states that it “targets the providers of interactive gambling services, not their potential or actual customers.”

So, is it legal to play at Australia poker sites online? Absolutely. As long as the sites remain open to Australian players, there is zero risk involved of running afoul of the law. That said, some sites that were once open to players living in the country have since closed their doors. Many remain, however, since the IGA is not aggressively enforced.

Which Currency Is Used To Make Poker Deposits?

At nearly all of the top-rated Australian online poker rooms, including those on our list of recommendations, deposits are accepted in Australian dollars. Once you make your deposits, your funds are converted at the current exchange rate into U.S. dollars. This ensures that all players are betting with the same currency in order to minimize confusion.

When the time comes to withdraw your winnings, most sites will convert them from U.S. dollars back to Australian dollars. Again, the current exchange rate is used to make the conversion. Keep this in mind since the rates used when you make your deposit and withdraw your winnings are likely to be different.

4 Top Online Australian Poker Sites

We’ve been reviewing Australian online poker rooms for several years. During that time, we’ve watched numerous sites emerge only to disappear down the road due to competition, lack of financial resources, or other reasons. The sites we currently recommend have established long track records of excellent customer support, which is more important than many people think. They also offer a host of other benefits that we like to see, such as generous bonuses, easy-to-use software, and lots of table traffic. With this in mind, here is our updated list of the 4 top online Australian poker sites:

Poker Stars - Even though U.S. players were recently barred from entering PokerStars.com, those in Australia can continue to play there. Stars is one of the most well-regarded poker sites online. Their software continues to impress players due to its clean design and ease of navigation (they offer Mac poker software as well as their flagship Windows client). PokerStars also hosts more poker tournaments than any other poker site. In addition, their weekly Sunday Million continues to be the largest online poker tourney in the industry. Grab a 100% matching bonus up to $600 by visiting PokerStars.com today. Lock the bonus in by using special bonus code “stars600” and marketing code “kickasspoker.com“. Be sure to check out our in depth review of PokerStars.com.

Sportsbook.com Poker - Even though Sportsbook.com Poker was launched in 2006, the site has been involved in the online gambling industry since the late 1990s. They offer a large sign-up bonus, a good variety of poker games and tournaments, and plenty of fish. Many of the players you’ll find at the tables migrate from the sportsbook and casino, which means they are out of their element. If you know what you’re doing, it’s relatively easy to build your bankroll. The normal sign-up bonus is a 100% match up to $650. Use special bonus code “KICKASS” to claim a 100% match up to $1,000. Visit Sportsbook.com Poker today to lock it in. Check out our Sportsbook Poker Review for more information and details on this online poker room.

Party Poker – In terms of table traffic, Party Poker ranks second to PokerStars. They offer an attractive sign-up bonus, a lot of low-skilled players, and customizable poker software. You’ll also find a solid list of games and tournaments. You can play holdem, Omaha, Omaha Hi-Lo, 7-Card Stud, and 7-Card Stud Hi-Lo, and participate in sit & go’s, MTTs, shootouts, bounties, and heads up tournaments. Visit PartyPoker.com today, and use bonus code “yesyes” to claim a 100% matching bonus up to $500.  Click here for a full review of PartyPoker.com.

888.com – They have been around since 1997, and have attracted a loyal player base. 888.com receives less table traffic than Stars or PartyPoker, but make up for the lower volume through their tournaments and ongoing promotions. You’ll find hundreds of SNGs, MTTs, and guaranteed events, including the $100,000 Sunday Challenge. Also, in addition to receiving a 100% matching bonus up to $400, new members can participate in seven $500 First Depositors’ Freerolls. Visit 888.com today to take advantage of your sign-up bonus. Get a better look at this online poker site with our 888.com review page.

The four online Australian poker sites above represent the current “best of class.” We recommend that you test drive each of them to decide which ones best suit your preferences.