Australia changed the laws surrounding online gambling, back in 2017.

Australian Online Poker. Help Reddit App Reddit coins Reddit premium Reddit gifts Communities Top Posts. Terms Content policy. The fight against the reform continues. The aim is ultimately to provide legal and safe poker for Australia and so the fight continues. Later in 2017, it was announced that the “in-principle battle” was won and one of the main politicians to support the ban of online poker, Minister Alan Tudge, was now willing to support efforts for regulation.

If you have a Full Tilt Poker or PokerStars account with some funds left in it, you might be wondering if Australians can still play for money.

Learn about the new laws regarding Australians ability to play online poker for real money. Find out how to get your money from your PokerStars or Full Tilt Poker accounts.

And, check out the best new online poker rooms that are open for Australian deposits.

Your Invitation to the Best Online Pokies in Australia

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Why Can’t Aussies Play for Real Money on Full Tilt Poker?

Remember the good-old-days, when you wasted thousands playing poker on Full Tilt, deep into the night? Well, you can still waste all your time on Full Tilt Poker, but not your money. Australians can’t play for real money on Full Tilt Poker, anymore.

You can thank the Interactive Gambling Amendment Bill for that one. The bill was introduced in 2016 and passed through the Senate to become law in August 2017. The bill makes it illegal to offer online gambling services for non-Australian licenced businesses.

The law is all about regulating and controlling the money being spent on gambling. Australia is one of the biggest gambling countries in the world. The Australian government passed the bill so that money spent on gambling stayed within the Australian economy.

Gambling providers that are licenced by the Australian state or territory are subject to federal taxes on the companies earnings. Out-of-country entities take money from Australians and don’t have to pay taxes to the Australian government.

So, if you are an Australian, you can only play poker for real money on a website run by an Australian business. But, unfortunately, the Full Tilt Poker and PokerStars days, of playing for real money, is over for Aussies.

Is Full Tilt Poker Owned by Pokerstars?

The laws around Australian online poker and gambling websites came a few years after “Black Friday” for poker sites. In 2011, Full Tilt Poker, PokerStars, and Absolute Poker operated out of the United States and were the household names in online poker.

In fact, many players prefer Full Tilt Poker over PokerStars, for the high-quality graphics. But, on “Black Friday” the United States shut down domain access to Full Tilt, PokerStars, and Absolute due to a series of infractions.

Absolute Poker was shut down almost immediately. Full Tilt Poker and PokerStars regained their domain authority, which is why they are still around. But, between the two of them, one company came out ahead.

After the initial shutdown, PokerStars jumped on the opportunity to cooperate with the government to pay back their US customers quickly.

It became clear, however, that Full Tilt Poker was in dismal fiscal shape and could not pay the necessary fines. So, PokerStars took advantage of the situation.

PokerStars negotiated a settlement with the US government to acquire all the assets and intellectual property from Full Tilt Poker. In addition, PokerStars took on the entirety of Full Tilt Poker’s settlement debt. Today, Full Tilt Poker is under the ownership of PokerStars.

Can You Still Access Your Full Tilt Poker Account?

PokerStars is the owner and operator of Full Tilt Poker. Since PokerStars kept Full Tilt up and running your account is as safe as ever. The bummer for Aussies is that you can’t use the funds in your account to play real money poker, anymore.

The good news, however, is that your money and account info is safe and secure. And, you can retrieve any funds left in your Full Tilt Poker account, whenever you want. A cashier is standing by.

Log into your Full Tilt Poker account, the same as ever. You won’t be able to access the money games or join a real money table, but you’re free to play all the free-to-play poker you can handle.

When you’re ready to retrieve your poker funds back into your real money account just go to the cashier like normal. Do not, however, go to the cashier until you have claimed any rewards.

Tournament money and tickets are automatically converted into real money as soon as you click on the cashier.

What About StarsRewards?

Since PokerStars acquired Full Tilt Poker, the company added some features to the Full Tilt gameplay, like StarsRewards. StarsRewards work in Full Tilt or PokerStars, but only for merchandise.

But, you can pay $1 for a cash rebate that transposes all of your StarsRewards into real money.

Again–only go to the cashier after you have completed your cash rebate for your unused rewards. This goes for special chests and tickets, as well. Open all of your rewards before accessing the cashier page.

Once you receive your Full Tilt Poker funds back into your real money account, it’s time to choose one of the online poker room on which Australians are able to deposit and play.

Where Can You Play Online Poker for Real Money in Australia?

There are a lot of sites that offer online poker games for real money which are available to Australians. Too many, in fact. Careful of putting down a deposit on a site that is bound to flop.

Shortly after PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker exited the country in 2016, Ignition Poker came onto the Australian market. Ignition Poker took the opportunity to acquire the Australian customers that Stars and Full Tilt lost. And, it has worked out.

1. Ignition Poker and Casino

Ignition Poker and Ignition Casino are as reputable an online gambling establishment as it gets. The site went online for the United States market in 2016, and extended services to Australia around a year later. Today, it is the largest online poker room in Australia.

You can feel safe putting a deposit down on Ignition Poker since it is part of the Bodog Group. The Bodog Group is the largest conglomerate of online poker providers and is owned by the PaiWangLuo Network.

The PaiWangLuo Network has owned and operated online gambling establishments for over 10 years.

Ignition Poker provides hold’em, stud, and Omaha poker games–as well as some popular new versions of poker. You can play on cash tables in ring games or a variety of sit-and-goes tables.

And, of course, Ignition offers a regular schedule of high-guarantee tournament games.

As a perk, you accrue rewards for Ignition Casino as you play poker. Ignition is Bitcoin-friendly and offers smaller minimums and larger maximum deposits for cryptocurrency. But, you can also make a deposit the old fashioned way, with a debit or credit card.

The minimum amount you can deposit on Ignition Poker with a credit or debit card is $20. Ignition does not allow credit or debit card deposits of more than $1,500.

For those depositing with Bitcoin, the minimum is $10 and the maximum is $5,000. Bitcoin is especially cost-saving if you are depositing a larger amount of money because there are no fees.

For all cards, except Amex, the deposit fee is 5.9%. For deposits using American Express credit or debit cards, the fee is 9.9%. When you are depositing $1,000, a nearly 10% fee is quite a bit of money.

2. Bodog88 Poker

Bodog88 Poker is, also, a part of the Bodog Group. Bodog Poker started in the United States and Canada. Eventually, Bodog88 Poker was created to serve some Asian markets, as well as Australian poker players. Bodog88 is a legally licenced poker room in Australia.

The gameplay and options are very similar to Ignition Poker, plus some additional features. Bodog88 Poker allows access to sportsbook and casino games. In fact, you can take a break from the table to sit down with a live dealer for a hand of blackjack.

If you’re looking to replace the Full Tilt Poker experience, Bodog88 Poker is a good fit. The interface and gameplay follow best practices for the online poker industry.

Both, Ignition Poker and Bodog88 Poker feature a clean, responsive gameplay experience.

You can fast-fold and multi-table, just like Full Tilt Poker. And, Bodog88 Poker offers Zoom-Poker mode. In Zoom-Poker, players automatically sit at a new table with new cards as soon as they fold.

And, unlike Ignition, Bodog88 Poker enables deposits with Bitcoin Cash, as well as Bitcoin and credit cards. It even features a deposit method that’s just for Aussies using an Astropay prepaid debit card. Bodog88 Poker gives a 100% match bonus up to $1,000 on first-time deposits.

Final Thoughts

Bodog88 Poker and Ignition Poker are great replacements for Full Tilt Poker.

But, if you want an Australian online poker room that offers higher stakes, check out BlackChip Poker. BlackChip offers ring games with blinds as high as $50/$100.

So, don’t stress the loss of Full Tilt. Instead, make a deposit with a new fresh-face on the Australian poker scene. And, remember, poker is about having fun–and making money!

If you like this article on Full Tilt Poker in Australia, share it with your social media community.

And check out the blog for more information on Australian online poker. Thanks for reading!

For quite a while now, Australian poker players haven’t been able to play poker online. Ever since 2001 when the country enacted a law prohibiting all unlicensed online gaming websites on which games are played for real money from providing their services to Australian players, most international gambling websites became unavailable for players in Australia.

There is, however, a legally grey area in this law, and although most international websites do not accept Australian players, there are still some that do. Allow me to explain the situation in detail and introduce you to some of the best Australian online poker sites where you are still welcome to play.

These are my top picks for reliable online poker sites that accept Australian players in 2020:

Ignition Poker

Ignition Casino Poker

• Bonus Package:A$1,350 in Welcome Bonuses
• Bonus:100% up to A$1,000
• Bonus Code:Not required
• Last Checked:November 2020
• Compatible on:Mobiles, laptops, desktops

Ignition Casino is the number one recommended poker room for players in Australia. It was formed in 2016 when the company acquired Bovada Poker, a well-established poker site. In its first year, the website already had a player base of over 2500 real-money players, as well as around 1500 players on a weekly basis, making it one of the biggest fish in the sea.

The website is available to USA and Australian players, and it constantly receives praise from the Australian gaming community. All this makes it one of the best Australian online poker sites.

Deposit and Withdrawal Options

Since there’s only Bitcoin, Mastercard, and Visa on offer, you could say that the deposit options are fairly limited. The casino uses these options for a good reason — they are the quickest and safest methods for transferring money today. When you deposit money using one of these options, you will see that deposits are almost instantaneous. Bitcoin deposit limits range from $20 to $5000 while Mastercard/Visa deposits are between $20 and $1000.

When withdrawing money, you can choose one of the two options — Bitcoin and withdrawal via cheque. Bitcoin withdrawals are very quick and you can withdraw $20-$3000. If you choose the cheque method, expect to receive the money in approximately 10 days.

Security and Software

Ignition Casino is licensed by the Kahnawake Gaming Commission, a respected company that ensures each game is fair and safe. The 128-bit SSL encryption is there to make sure that every transaction remains as safe as possible. Also, the casino uses a random number generator to ensure the fairness of the games.

Their games use software from several developers, providing only the best graphics and smoothest gameplay to give you the best experience possible. The games can be played in your browser, so you don’t have to download anything. Just log in from your PC or mobile device and you’ll be good to go.

Australian Online Poker Reddit Games

Bonuses

A welcome package of up to $2350 in bonuses is promoted but we would advise players to take advantage of the 100% welcome deposit bonus that will match your first deposit 100% up to $1000. The referral bonus gives you 200% of the money your friends deposited the first time (up to $100), and the weekly bonus offered every Monday is a 100% match bonus worth up to $100.

These and other available bonuses come with wagering requirements of 25x you have to meet before you can withdraw the money won with bonus funds.

Ignition Poker Screenshots

Read the full Ignition Poker Review

Juicy Stakes Poker

Juicy Stakes

• Bonus Package:200% Poker Bonus
• Bonus:200% up to $1,000
• Bonus Code:1000JUICY
• Last Checked:November 2020
• Compatible on:Mobiles, laptops, desktops

Juicy Stakes is a popular online poker site in the United States and Australia. The website was set up in 2013 and it currently holds a license from Curacao. For over seven years now, Juicy Stakes Poker has provided players from the United States and Australia with a great selection of poker games, a worthwhile welcome package, and various low and high-stake games. The poker site offers a great mobile experience, a very beneficial tournament system, and an instant play platform that will make your experience worthwhile.

Deposits and Withdrawal Options

Juicy Stakes makes it easy to deposit and withdraw your money. The majority of depositing requests are processed instantly. You can deposit between $25 and $5,000 for most payment methods, and reference the exact limits in the cashier section. Withdrawals are usually processed using popular payment methods as Skrill, Neteller, Check, Bank Wire, and even Bitcoin. The withdrawals are usually fixed at $2,560, but some fees may apply.

Security and Software

Juicy Stakes Poker takes the safety of players seriously. The online poker site runs as a licensed card room and is part of the Winning Poker Network, which is one of the world’s largest and safest poker ecosystems available to US and Aussie players.

The website uses state-of-the-art 256-bit SSL technology encryption to protect player data and personal information with each transaction. Meanwhile, the website is updated in real time to guarantee that all necessary web standards have been met. Players can enjoy a compatible and fulfilling experience playing at the poker room from their PCs and Mac devices as well as enjoying smooth gameplay regardless of the operating system.

Bonuses

Juicy Stakes Poker players stand to benefit from a great welcome package that allows players to claim up to $1,000 matched at 200%. To release the bonus funds, players need to earn Frequent Player Points (FPP) where every 83.335 FPPs are worth $5 of bonus money released. There are various other promotions to take part in, including the Daily Freerolls, Depositor Freeroll, and more!

Countries accepted (from this site):

• United States
• Australia
• Canada
• New Zealand
• South Africa

Countries restricted (from this site):

• United Kingdom

Read the full Juicy Stakes review.

Juicy Stakes Poker Screenshots

Americas Cardroom

(No longer accepts Australian Players)

• Recommended Bonus:200% up to A$1,000 (With crypto)
• Alternative Bonus:100% up to A$1,000
• Bonus Code:CRYPTO (if using crypto)
• Last Checked:November 2020
• Compatible on:Mobiles, laptops, desktops

Americas Cardroom has existed for around 16 years, and even though it encountered some problems in 2006, it managed to overcome all obstacles and become one of the top poker websites once again.

This website is for poker only and there are thousands of players online at any time. Americas Cardroom hosts many cash and sit and go tournaments, so if you are a fan of competitive poker, this is the right place for you.

Deposit and Withdrawal Options

Accepted deposit options are Bitcoin, cryptocurrencies, Ria, and money transfer. Bitcoin seems to be the best option, as you can deposit $10-$25.000 in BTC.

For withdrawals, you can choose between Bitcoin, cryptocurrencies, money transfer, and bank draft payment. With Bitcoin and crypto payouts you can withdraw $50-$10.000, and for money transfer and bank draft, the thresholds are $100-$350 and $100-$3.500, respectively.

Security and Software

This site uses 256-bit SSL technology to encrypt players’ personal information and every transaction. Their dedicated customer support team is ready to assist you every day, all day. The site is also part of Winning Poker Network, the biggest network up to date.

The service uses its own proprietary software, and you can play the games by downloading the client that is around 120 megabytes in size. It can be installed on PCs and Mac devices, and there are also Android and iOS versions, so all you need to do is download and play instantly.

Bonuses

All new players receive a 100% bonus worth up to $100. Once you register and make a deposit, you will receive $2 to $6 each day for the next 20 days if you log in every day to claim the rewards.

If you choose the VIP programme, you will receive points for each $1 you stake. These bonus points will give you more cash prizes and help you advance through the VIP programme if you play on a daily basis.

Read the full Americas Cardroom Review

Americas Cardroom Screenshots

Legal Situation Regarding Australia Poker Sites

In 2001, under the Interactive Gambling Act 2001, the country made some interactive gambling activities illegal for players stationed in Australia, including online casinos. This means that it is an offence to provide players in Australia with a prohibited or unlicensed regulated gambling service or provide an Australian-based gambling service to players in certain countries.

Unfortunately, the law applies to both international and Australian online poker sites. This law was enforced to protect Australians from the harmful effects of gambling. It is important to mention that this law is targeting online gaming service providers and not the users themselves.

You can still play on unlicensed online poker sites, although that’s not advisable. Such websites can simply decide not to pay out your winnings. In case that happens, you’ll have no one to turn to. You can take certain precautions while playing on such sites, like getting your money as soon as you win it, or, even better, you can play on some of the websites I recommend below.

Why Are These Sites Recommended for Australian Players?

There are a lot of websites online where you can play poker for real money. Testing each of them can be a tiresome task, which is why I’ve done the tedious work for you to enjoy.

While testing these websites, I always put the security of players above everything else. This means that the sites mentioned here provide proper payouts and are considered legal poker sites in Australia.

Aside from being secure when it comes to playing with real money and protecting your personal data, these websites also provide new players with great bonuses. First-time players, as well as loyal users, can enjoy welcome deposit bonuses and tiered and flat loyalty bonuses.

Each of these websites is a high-quality platform that offers fair odds and great payout ratios. All of them pay out at reasonably fast rates, 1-4 days, and you can collect your money via credit and debit cards, as well as cryptocurrencies and bank transfers.

Top Australian Deposit and Withdrawal Options

The two poker rooms that I have tested and recommend in this article all offer great options when it comes to making your first deposit and withdrawing your winnings when you are ready. My recommended online poker sites offer home currency deposits and receiving your winnings is just as easy in your home currency as well. As is the case with Australian land based poker rooms, the real money online poker sites in Australia are quick to deposit your winnings within a reasonably quick timeframe which is anywhere between 1 to 3 days in some cases.

Deposit options range from the usual favorites such as debit and credit card, e-cheque, wire transfer, bank transfer, and e-wallet options such as PayPal, Payoneer, and Skrill. These options are all designed to be easy to the player and provide a stress-free deposit/withdrawal experience.

The speed in which these options can be carried out varies from site to site but the ones that I recommend all pay-out within a reasonable timeframe which is anywhere from 1-4 days on average. When it comes time to collect your winnings, the choices recommended here offer withdrawal options that include debit card, credit card, bank transfer and e-wallet transfer.

The deposit and withdrawal options are designed to be safe and secure with your personal safety and protection at the very heart of how these online poker websites operate. In addition to testing the security features of these sites, I also test for information security and keep a hawk eye out for any public complaints so you can rest assured that your banking details are safe.

In Australian real money online poker rooms, you can get a part of the action for a deposit as low as $10 AUD in some cases and make a withdrawal of the same amount. Ignition Poker and Americas Cardroom both offer welcome bonuses and ongoing player loyalty bonuses as well.

How I Rank These Sites Fairly

Choosing the right online poker site can be tricky given the massive amount of choices available on the internet. That’s why I have spent countless hours testing the sites out there so that you don’t have to. Security is my main testing criteria and I go the extra mile to test the robust security features of the sites I recommend in addition to trying to poke holes in everything from deposit requirements to infrastructure. It is vitally important to steer clear of any sites that are less than reputable and sticking to the sites that I’ve filtered my ongoing search down to, means that you don’t have to worry about being paid properly or playing on a site that is against the law.

My stringent testing criteria is incredibly thorough and you can rest assured that any online poker site that has passed my criteria is of the highest quality and offers a fantastic balance of fair odds and great pay-out ratios.

Massive Bonuses for Everyone

Face it – we all love a free deposit bonus. And one of the main things that I am extremely big on when it comes to testing is the size and regularity of the available bonuses for first timers and loyal players alike. You want the absolute best for your money and I want to make sure that you are receiving the best bonuses available.

All of the no deposit bonus poker sites that I suggest offer great welcome deposit bonuses in addition to tiered and flat loyalty bonuses for returning players. The welcome bonus offer on real money Australian poker sites usually follows a match deposit pattern where the site will match your initial deposit with real money to be used for in-game play.

Is It Safe to Gamble With Real Money on These Poker Rooms?

Gambling on poker websites is perfectly safe providing you play on the sites that I have personally tested and recommend. As is the case with most things online, you have to make sure that you are not setting yourself up for disaster by not protecting yourself when online and making sure that you are able to have fun whilst keeping your personal details safe and secure.

That being said, by remaining diligent and by sticking to the sites that I recommend, you can rest assured that they have been tested for payouts and overall security.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, they do. Both of these websites accept Bitcoin among other cryptocurrencies.

There are none. Australian citizens cannot own any web-based poker rooms inside the country, but there are international websites that cater to Australian players.

Since the 2001 legislation was passed and online casino establishments were banned, many online casinos restricted access to Australian poker players.

They can play on Ignition Poker and Americas Cardroom. There are also many unregulated online poker websites out there but I0 can’t be sure they are safe, which is why I recommend these two.

Australian Online Poker Reddit Sites

Online poker was banned in 2001 when online poker sites were proclaimed illegal in Australia. However, since there are so many eager players, there are still some methods Australians can use to play poker online.

Australian Online Poker Reddit Game

Unfortunately, at the moment, there aren’t any Australian poker sites that accept PayPal. Still, there are plenty of alternatives payment methods that retain a low fee especially if you're open to using cryptocurrency.