Australia: Licensed Operators Win the Audience, Offshore Operators Keep the Revenue
Australia is the world’s ninth-largest iGaming market by revenue. In 2023, it ranked fifth globally. The market is contracting: in 2025, total revenue declined by 8.8% compared to 2024.
At the same time, the market is split: consumer demand is concentrated around licensed operators, while revenue remains dominated by offshore brands.
Market Trends
🔵 Blask Index a measure of consumer demand based on branded search volume fell by9.1% year over year in Australia between May 2025 and April 2026.
🔵 Demand for offshore brands peaked in April 2025 and has been declining ever since.
🔵 Demand for licensed operators has been steadily increasing since July 2025.
🔵 However, stronger demand for the licensed segment has not translated into higher revenue: offshore operators continue to account for the larger share of CEB.
Regulation
🔴 Since 2001, online casinos have been prohibited, while sports betting has been regulated at the state level.
🔴 In 2017, regulatory pressure on offshore operators intensified.
🔴 Since 2023, Australia has banned the use of credit cards for gambling, prohibited cryptocurrency betting, and restricted gambling advertising during live sports broadcasts.
🔴 These measures have consistently reduced demand for offshore operators—but not the offshore segment’s revenue.
Northern Territory
🔵 The Northern Territory is the only jurisdiction where offshore operators outperform licensed brands in both demand and revenue.
🔵 Among the top 10 brands by demand, six are offshore operators. Market leader Winx96 holds 15.4% of the local market while accounting for less than 0.3% in any other Australian jurisdiction.
🔵 Unlike other states, where the Indigenous population represents no more than 6%, it accounts for over 30% of the Northern Territory’s population.
🔵 According to the Australian Institute of Family Studies (2025), problem gambling among Indigenous adults is nearly twice as common as among the rest of the population.
Conclusion
Australia has consistently tightened regulations on offshore gambling and has succeeded in shifting consumer demand toward licensed operators. Revenue, however, has not followed.
Online casinos have been banned since 2001, and casino gaming typically generates significantly higher revenue per player than sports betting—likely one of the key reasons behind this gap. In addition, offshore bookmakers may continue attracting high-value players by offering less restrictive payout limits than licensed operators.
At the same time, the market is split: consumer demand is concentrated around licensed operators, while revenue remains dominated by offshore brands.
Market Trends
🔵 Blask Index a measure of consumer demand based on branded search volume fell by9.1% year over year in Australia between May 2025 and April 2026.
🔵 Demand for offshore brands peaked in April 2025 and has been declining ever since.
🔵 Demand for licensed operators has been steadily increasing since July 2025.
🔵 However, stronger demand for the licensed segment has not translated into higher revenue: offshore operators continue to account for the larger share of CEB.
Regulation
🔴 Since 2001, online casinos have been prohibited, while sports betting has been regulated at the state level.
🔴 In 2017, regulatory pressure on offshore operators intensified.
🔴 Since 2023, Australia has banned the use of credit cards for gambling, prohibited cryptocurrency betting, and restricted gambling advertising during live sports broadcasts.
🔴 These measures have consistently reduced demand for offshore operators—but not the offshore segment’s revenue.
Northern Territory
🔵 The Northern Territory is the only jurisdiction where offshore operators outperform licensed brands in both demand and revenue.
🔵 Among the top 10 brands by demand, six are offshore operators. Market leader Winx96 holds 15.4% of the local market while accounting for less than 0.3% in any other Australian jurisdiction.
🔵 Unlike other states, where the Indigenous population represents no more than 6%, it accounts for over 30% of the Northern Territory’s population.
🔵 According to the Australian Institute of Family Studies (2025), problem gambling among Indigenous adults is nearly twice as common as among the rest of the population.
Conclusion
Australia has consistently tightened regulations on offshore gambling and has succeeded in shifting consumer demand toward licensed operators. Revenue, however, has not followed.
Online casinos have been banned since 2001, and casino gaming typically generates significantly higher revenue per player than sports betting—likely one of the key reasons behind this gap. In addition, offshore bookmakers may continue attracting high-value players by offering less restrictive payout limits than licensed operators.