Short answer. Only where authorised: section 5A of the Gaming Control Act 1993 prohibits gaming except as authorised under that Act or another Act, and section 8 declares gaming in licensed casinos lawful.
Tasmania regulates every form of gambling through the Gaming Control Act 1993: its object, the rule that gaming is prohibited unless authorised under an Act, the definition of a gaming machine and the duty of a licence holder to keep to its conditions. Quotes come from the in-force text on legislation.tas.gov.au, pulled on 2026-09-12. The Commonwealth Interactive Gambling Act 2001, which reaches online casino services offered to people anywhere in Australia, is quoted on this site's online casino law page and is not repeated here.
What the Act says
Gaming Control Act 1993 (Tas), section 2A: the object of the Act
The object of this Act is to provide for the licensing, supervision and control of gambling in Tasmania and, in particular, to - (a) ensure that gambling is conducted in a fair, honest and transparent way and is free from criminal influence; and (b) take a public health and consumer protection approach to protect people, particularly people who are vulnerable, from being - (i) harmed by gambling; or (ii) exploited by gaming operators; and (c) ensure that the returns from gambling are shared appropriately (including by being invested in services that support those harmed by, or at risk of harm from, gambling) amongst the gaming industry, consumers and the State.
Section 2A of the Gaming Control Act 1993 (Tas), in-force text on legislation.tas.gov.au, pulled 12 September 2026.
Section 5A: gaming prohibited unless authorised
(1) Except as authorised by or under this Act or another Act, a person must not - (a) open, keep or use a place, or allow a place of which the person is the occupier to be opened, kept or used, for the purpose of conducting gaming in that place; or (b) conduct gaming as a business; or (c) assist a person who is conducting gaming as a business in contravention of paragraph (b) . Penalty: In the case of - (a) a first offence, a fine not exceeding 600 penalty units; and (b) a second or subsequent offence, a fine not exceeding 1 000 penalty units or imprisonment for a term not exceeding 2 years, or both. (2) For the purposes of subsection (1) , a reference to the conduct of, or conducting, gaming as a business includes a reference to the conduct of, or conducting, an authorised game. (3) Except as authorised by or under this Act, a person must not - (a) wager on, or otherwise participate in, gaming, a game or a gaming activity in a public place; or (b) be in a public place for the purpose of wagering on, or otherwise participating in, gaming, a game or a gaming activity in that public place. Penalty: Fine not exceeding 500 penalty units.
Section 5A of the Gaming Control Act 1993 (Tas), in-force text on legislation.tas.gov.au, pulled 12 September 2026.
Section 3: what a gaming machine is
gaming machine means any device (other than an FATG machine) that is designed - (a) for the playing of a game of chance or a game that is partly a game of chance and partly a game requiring skill; and (b) to - (i) pay out money or gaming tokens as a result of the making of a wager; or (ii) register a right to an amount of money or money's worth to be paid as the result of the making of a wager; gaming machine authority means an authority endorsed on a venue licence that authorises the venue operator to operate one gaming machine at the licensed premises specified in the venue licence; gaming machine game means a game designed to be played on a gaming machine and identifiable from all other games by differences in rules or programming
Section 3 of the Gaming Control Act 1993 (Tas), in-force text on legislation.tas.gov.au, pulled 12 September 2026.
Section 13: a licence holder must keep to its conditions
(1) The holder of a casino licence must comply with the conditions to which the casino licence is subject. Penalty: Fine not exceeding 2 500 penalty units. (2) The holder of a keno operator's licence must comply with the conditions to which the keno operator's licence is subject. Penalty: Fine not exceeding 2 500 penalty units.
Section 13 of the Gaming Control Act 1993 (Tas), in-force text on legislation.tas.gov.au, pulled 12 September 2026.
Section 13 of the Gaming Control Act 1993 (Tas) provides that anyone holding a casino licence must comply with all conditions attached to that licence. It also states that anyone holding a keno operator's licence must comply with all conditions attached to the keno operator's licence.
Section 8: gaming in licensed casinos declared lawful
(1) Despite the provision of any other Act or any law, the conduct and playing of a game and the use of gaming equipment is lawful when the game is conducted, and the gaming equipment is provided, in a casino by or on behalf of the casino operator in accordance with this Act.
Section 8 of the Gaming Control Act 1993 (Tas), in-force text on legislation.tas.gov.au, pulled 12 September 2026.
Section 76: payments to an operator that are unlawful
(1) A person listed on the Roll, or an employee or associate of such a person, must not make, either directly or indirectly, payment to or confer a benefit on a venue operator, casino operator, keno operator, monitoring operator, ancillary gaming services provider or licensed provider unless authorised to do so under this Act. Penalty: Fine not exceeding 1 000 penalty units or imprisonment for a term of 4 years, or both. (2) A venue operator, casino operator, keno operator, monitoring operator, ancillary gaming services provider or licensed provider must not receive any benefit whatsoever from a person listed on the Roll or an employee or associate of such a person unless authorised to do so under this Act. Penalty: Fine not exceeding 1 000 penalty units or imprisonment for a term of 4 years or both.
Section 76 of the Gaming Control Act 1993 (Tas), in-force text on legislation.tas.gov.au, pulled 12 September 2026.
Section 76 of the Gaming Control Act 1993 (Tas) states that a person listed on the Roll, or their employee or associate, must not make any payment or give any benefit to a venue operator, casino operator, keno operator, monitoring operator, ancillary gaming services provider or licensed provider unless authorised by the Act. It also states that these operators or providers must not receive any benefit from a person listed on the Roll, or their employee or associate, unless authorised by the Act. These requirements apply whether the payment or benefit is given directly or indirectly.
Licence status in Australia
None of the sites covered on this site (read here against Tasmania law) names an Australian licence; each is an offshore operator as far as Australian law is concerned. The Interactive Gambling Act 2001 and the ACMA's powers under it are quoted on our law page.
How to read this page
Each block is the Act's own words with the penalty where the Act prints one; the line under a quote is our plain reading of it. It is not legal advice and settles no individual case; the section numbers are the reference.
Play responsibly
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