It’s no secret that Aussies love to gamble. Around 35% of people living in Australia spend money on gambling at least once per month. In fact, Aussies are said to spend more money per capita on gambling than people from any other country.
There are quite a few land-based casinos throughout Australia that cater for people who enjoy gambling. This article looks at the casinos in Australia and showcases some of the biggest, most popular ones.
How Many Casinos in Australia Today?
As of early 2023, there are a total of 14 casinos in Australia. The table below summarises where in the country each one of these is. As you can see, they’re located all over the country, with at least one casino in just about every major city.
| Casino | City | State/Territory |
| Casino Canberra | Canberra | Australian Capital Territory |
| The Star, Sydney | Sydney | New South Wales |
| Crown Sydney | Sydney | New South Wales |
| Lasseters Hotel Casino | Alice Springs | Northern Territory |
| Mindil Beach Casino | Darwin | Northern Territory |
| The Star Gold Coast | Gold Coast | Queensland |
| The Reef Hotel Casino | Cairns | Queensland |
| The Ville Resort-Casino | Townsville | Queensland |
| Treasury Casino | Brisbane | Queensland |
| Adelaide Casino | Adelaide | South Australia |
| Country Club Casino | Launceston | Tasmania |
| Wrest Point Hotel Casino | Hobart | Tasmania |
| Crown Melbourne | Melbourne | Victoria |
| Crown Perth | Perth | Western Australia |
These aren’t the only places in Australia where you can gamble. There are also betting shops as well as pubs and clubs where slot machines can be found. While people in Australia visit real-world venues to play casino games and gamble, they also enjoy the best payout online casino in Australia 2023, which is completely legal.
The number of online gambling sites in Australia is much higher than the number of brick-and-mortar venues. Even though online casinos are more convenient and have many more games, people in Australia can’t get enough of the real-world casino experience, which is why they enjoy visiting proper casinos so much.
Gambling is completely legal in Australia and because the government doesn’t recognise winnings as income, you get to keep whatever you win. If you’re lucky enough to land a win, every cent is yours and yours alone.
This applies to both physical casinos and online ones. If you’re gambling online, make sure the site you sign up to has a license; this is the easiest way to ensure the operator is legit and the site is safe and secure.
Remember to gamble responsibly by sticking to a budget, knowing when to stop, and not chasing your losses. The best way to enjoy gambling is by doing it in moderation. If you lose too much money from it or you’ve stopped enjoying it, walk away and do something else with your time instead.
The Biggest Casinos in Australia
Below are summaries of some of the largest casinos Australia has to offer. Each of these casinos gives players an exciting and entertaining gambling experience, with plenty of games to play along with facilities such as eating and drinking venues close by. Whatever type of gambling you’re into, you’re bound to have a great time at any of these casinos.
Country Club Casino
This venue has been welcoming players since 1982. It can be found in Launceston, Tasmania, and is owned by the company Federal Group. This company was responsible for launching the very first casino in Australia back in 1973. On-site facilities include an 18-hole golf course and several restaurants and bars.
The gaming area is spread over two floors and is the third oldest in Australia. There are gaming tables offering poker and blackjack, along with electronic gaming machines and sports betting opportunities.
Some of the most popular games here are pokies, which can have progressive jackpots with prizes worth tens of thousands of Australian dollars.
Crown Casino
Also known as Crown Melbourne, Crown Casino is part of an entertainment resort located in Melbourne on the Yarra River. When it opened in 1994, it was on the river’s north bank. Three years later it was relocated to its current location on the south bank.
Today, the resort covers a size of roughly two city blocks. Not only is it the biggest casino in Australia, but it’s also the Southern Hemisphere’s largest and is also one of the biggest casino complexes in the world.
The gaming floor covers 220,000 sq ft. There are gaming tables offering roulette, blackjack, baccarat and sic bo, among others. Crown Casino also has 2,500 slot machines and a separate area for poker games.
The complex is made up of three hotels, numerous restaurants and bars, plus a series of luxury shops. There’s also a ballroom with a capacity of 1,500 that’s played host to a range of popular events.
Star Casino
Star Casino is one of the biggest casinos in Australia. In fact, it’s the country’s second-largest, behind only Crown Casino. Owned by Star Entertainment Group, it opened on 27 November 1997 and was one of the largest construction projects ever carried out in Australia. It’s not the only casino in Sydney as there’s also Crown Casino.
There are two gaming floors at Star Casino. The main one is on the first level for the general public. The other one, the Sovereign Room, is on the third level and caters for high rollers. Here, the gaming tables have much higher bet limits.
Players will find all sorts of games available on the main floor, which is divided into three sections: table games, electronic games and poker. The collection of table games includes classics such as blackjack, roulette, and baccarat along with craps and sic bo.
The electronic games section has slot machines, video poker and bingo. As for the poker section, there are 40 tables offering a wide range of poker variants including Texas hold’em and Caribbean stud poker.
Treasury Casino
Treasury Casino is also known as The Treasury. It’s located in Brisbane and, like Star Casino, is operated by Star Entertainment Group. There are three casinos in Australia in total operated by this company; the third is The Star Gold Coast.
This is one of many casinos in Australia to be part of a resort. The complex covers two historic buildings that are separated by some gardens. The casino offers a broad range of games, including:
- Poker machines or slots;
- Dice games including craps and sic bo;
- Card games such as blackjack, baccarat, casino and poker;
- Roulette;
- Australian Big Six Wheel.
Like other casinos, there’s a special poker room that’s separate from the main gambling area. This is where you can play poker variants such as Omaha hold’em and Texas hold’em. This room also has regular tournaments.
In 2023, Treasury Casino will relocate. It will move from its current location in the Treasury building to floors 5 and 6 of the Queen’s Wharf Brisbane resort. Once this is complete, the Treasury building will become the home of a department store.
Crown Perth
Crown Perth has been entertaining gamblers since opening in 1985 and is one of the most popular and well-known casinos in Australia. It’s part of a large casino resort located in the Burswood suburb of Perth by the Swan River.
The Crown Perth casino doesn’t actually have poker machines. While it does have a casino license and is legally permitted to offer gambling experiences for real money, slots are prohibited by state law, so the venue isn’t allowed to have any. Instead, it has EGMs or electronic gaming machines. These function in a similar way to slots but they have some key differences that make them.
Along with the casino, there’s a convention center, two ballrooms, a theatre and over two bars and restaurants. The three hotels collectively have close to 1,200 rooms. These are the Crown Metropol Perth, the Crown Promenade Perth and the Crown Towers Perth, which is the newest of the three, having opened in 2016.
Summary
Australia is a massive country and the number of casinos may seem small in comparison, especially when places like Las Vegas and Macau have loads of them close together. That being said, Australia still has a thriving gambling industry, and its casinos are popular with both residents and tourists.
The casinos we’ve looked at are some of the biggest and best in Australia. If you’re visiting Australia anytime soon, be sure to visit the nearest casino and enjoy a top gambling experience. Play exciting pokies, try your luck on table games and maybe even take part in tournaments.
