Australia is a huge country with lots of tech-savvy people who prefer spending at least a portion of their free time online. Digital gambling recently popped up as one of the most loved virtual pastimes Down Under, mainly because gamblers love the accessibility of casino apps and websites.
That is also why the portfolio of digital casinos in the country keeps growing steadily. All it takes is to take a glimpse at the best online casinos at Auspokiesguide.com to quickly realize the sheer quality behind these sites. The benefit is that they offer amazing bonus deals paired with unexpectedly fast payout times. More importantly, each of these websites offers online poker as one of the primary gaming options for its patrons.
Which brings us to our main question today: What is the current state of online poker in Australia?
Let’s analyze it in the forthcoming sections.
The Current Legal Framework
The legislative framework regulating the field is somewhat dubious, but the bottom line is that Aussies can play virtual poker whenever they want to. Now allow us to elaborate on this subject because it truly is multifaceted. For one, the 2001 Interactive Gambling Act strictly prevents national gaming providers from creating services in several areas:
– Digital gambling sites
– Sports betting (in-play version)
– Lottery-related betting
However, that still does not mean you cannot access an online gambling website from Australia. As a matter of fact, this business is flourishing as digital casinos offer lots of advanced features such as PayID transfers. There is even a whole guide to using PayID at online casinos in Australia where you can learn all it takes about this deposit method. But the main question is this:
How can anyone gamble online if that is prohibited?
The answer is hidden in procedural as well as legal nuances: The law prevents Australian companies from providing casino games via the Internet, but licensed international providers are allowed to do it. This practically means Aussies are free to play online poker as long as they can find a legit off-shore gaming provider.
Online poker sites: Current trends and insights
Online poker is obviously a legit pastime, which gives it more than enough room to flourish and develop in many directions. We are going to explore some trends here.
1. Mobile gaming
There is no doubt that smartphone users dominate the digital market these days – countless reports suggest that nearly 60% of people browse the web on their mobile phones. This trend is the same in the online gambling field since most gamblers play on the go.
In such circumstances, agile developers are doing their best to either design dedicated mobile apps or optimize their games for smartphone gaming. This also encourages them to design fresh poker themes as well as variations – you can now play dozens of different versions of poker on all of the major gambling sites.
2. Live dealer poker
Online poker sites are also incorporating live dealer games to recreate the atmosphere of a brick-and-mortar casino. These games feature real dealers streaming from studio settings as a fairly simple way to let the players interact with both the dealer and other participants in real time.
One might think that it does not make sense, but it truly is a revolutionary trend. That’s because live dealer poker adds a social element to online gameplay – a detail that some people miss so much in virtual gaming.
3. Tournaments
Online poker tournaments continue to evolve with new formats and structures. It turns out that many sites are introducing innovative tournament styles:
– Bounty tournaments
– Shootout event
– Fast-fold poker competitions
All these have a clear purpose of indulging different player preferences as well as various skill levels. Additionally, there is a trend towards offering larger guaranteed prize pools to attract more participants and create excitement in the community.
4. Cryptocurrency integration
Last but certainly not least, many websites are now using cryptocurrencies as a legit payment method. This is a big trend because many users appreciate the anonymity, security, and speed of transactions that cryptocurrencies offer. In addition, some platforms are even offering exclusive bonuses or extra benefits for players who use digital currencies.
Final thoughts – It’s on the rise
Despite sporadic ups and downs, the entire online gambling industry in Australia seems to be expanding without any signals of slowing down in the near future. This is a darn good fact for all gamblers Down Under who appreciate an occasional poker session online with their friends or even unknown opponents.
And though the very essence of the game remains intact, we can anticipate new variations of online poker to emerge because agile developers proved to be ready to walk the extra mile to indulge all of us gaming fans. In other words, we have a lot of great gambling sessions ahead of us in the years to come!
