Wagering compliance

Australia's credit-card and crypto ban for online wagering

Since 11 June 2024, covered online and telephone wagering operators must not accept credit cards, credit-linked funds or digital currency for bets. The rule is not a chargeback guarantee.

AU research deskEvidence reviewed 2 August 2026Evidence can change
Evidence classification

Verified statutory consumer-protection guidance. No claim is made about a provider without an exact transaction and official finding.

At a glance

RecordWhat the official source says
Commencement11 June 2024
Banned for covered wageringCredit cards, funds linked to a credit card including digital wallets, and digital currency such as cryptocurrency
Services described by ACMAOnline and telephone betting, including on-course bookmakers
Stated exceptionThe ACMA page says the ban does not apply to other gambling products such as lotteries
Complaint routeACMA accepts complaints where a betting company offered credit; anonymous complaints are permitted

What changed

ACMA states that from 11 June 2024 online and telephone wagering operators cannot accept credit-card payments, funds linked to a credit card through a digital wallet, or digital currency such as cryptocurrency. The page also says an operator must not provide credit or help a customer obtain third-party credit such as a payday loan.

Do not apply the rule to every gambling purchase

The official guidance describes online and telephone wagering and says the payment ban does not apply to other products such as lotteries. Product, channel and date therefore matter. A card transaction associated with entertainment or a merchant descriptor is not enough on its own to prove a wagering-law breach.

Debit, PayID and account transfers are different

The ACMA list is about credit cards, credit-linked funds and digital currency. It does not state that every electronic transfer is prohibited. When assessing a transaction, identify the funding source rather than relying only on the wallet or checkout logo. A debit-funded wallet and a credit-funded wallet may look similar to the user but are not described identically on the regulator page.

If a prohibited method appears available

Do not make a deposit solely to test it. Capture the exact operator domain, date, checkout screen, payment-method wording and any written offer of credit. Check whether the service appears on ACMA's licensed interactive wagering register. A provider not on that register raises a separate legality question.

Reporting and private payment disputes

ACMA invites complaints if a betting company offered credit. That regulatory route does not replace contacting a card issuer about an unauthorised transaction or billing error, and it does not promise a refund. Keep the regulatory report and bank dispute as separate records with their own reference numbers.

Avoid the wrong inference

A declined credit-card deposit may reflect the law, a bank control or a payment-network decision; it does not prove a site is safe. Conversely, an accepted payment needs evidence and regulator assessment before it is described as a breach. This page reports the rule, not an allegation against a named business.

Official evidence trail

Sources checked 2 August 2026. Later official records or programme terms may change this account.