Queensland gambling laws: OLGR, pokies caps, four casinos and the 20% betting tax

Queensland gambling laws: the short version

Queensland gambling laws are run by one regulator, the Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulation (OLGR), using a separate Act for each kind of gambling. Pokies, casinos, wagering, lotteries and keno each have their own statute and licence. On top of that sits the federal Interactive Gambling Act 2001, which decides what can be sold online.

Is online gambling legal in Queensland?

Partly. You can legally bet online on racing and sport with an Australian licensed bookmaker, and you can buy lottery tickets online from the licensed lottery operator. You cannot legally be offered online pokies, online blackjack or roulette, or online in-play sports betting, because the federal Interactive Gambling Act 2001 prohibits them nationwide.

Queensland does have its own Interactive Gambling (Player Protection) Act 1998, which allows the state to license certain online games. OLGR's own page says plainly that there is no current holder of an interactive gambling licence in Queensland. So any website offering you online pokies from "Queensland" is not licensed here. Our guide to whether online pokies are legal in Australia explains why the offence falls on the operator.

Poker machine rules in Queensland

Queensland controls pokies with two layers of caps: one per venue and one statewide. The Gaming Machine Regulation 2002 sets them out.

The two statewide limits add up to 44,205, in our calculation. Queensland's open data for August 2026 showed 45,959 approved machines and 40,809 operating at 1,019 sites. Approved machines are counted differently from authorities and entitlements, so the figures are not directly comparable.

On returns, Business Queensland says gaming machines must pay back between 85% and 92% of money bet over their lifetime, which is typically 3 to 4 years and about a million games. Its staff training material also gives the odds of the top prize: about 1 in 7,000,000 when playing maximum lines. For how that randomness works, see how pokies work.

Players lost $4,075 million on Queensland hotel and club pokies in the 2025-26 financial year, in our sum of the monthly metered win figures. That is about $100,000 per operating machine, in our calculation.

Casinos in Queensland

Queensland has four casinos, all regulated by OLGR:

• The Star Brisbane (Queen's Wharf), operated by Destination Brisbane Consortium Integrated Resort Operations Pty Ltd
• The Star Gold Coast, operated by The Star Entertainment QLD Limited
• The Ville Casino, Townsville, operated by Breakwater Island Limited
• The Reef Hotel Casino, Cairns, operated by Casinos Austria International (Cairns) Limited

The Casino Control Act 1982 was amended in March 2024 with specific harm and money laundering measures. Casinos must now:

1. use mandatory carded play for certain games and activities, and restrict cash
2. apply mandatory pre-commitments, time limits and enforced breaks in play
3. give de-identified play data to OLGR
4. follow an enforceable code of conduct, to be set by regulation
5. pay a supervision levy in place of the old licence fees
6. exclude people banned from interstate casinos by a police commissioner
7. face a review of their suitability at least every five years

Since 30 September 2024, a casino that excludes someone must also tell the other casinos, which then decide whether to apply the same exclusion. Earlier 2022 reforms let the government fine a casino up to $100 million.

Wagering and lotteries

Race and sports betting in Queensland runs under the Wagering Act 1998, and UBET QLD Limited holds the exclusive licence. OLGR says new applications for that licence cannot be considered until 30 June 2044. Bookmakers licensed in other states and territories can still take online bets from Queenslanders, and Queensland's betting tax applies to that revenue. Our betting sites guide explains how licensed bookmakers differ from offshore ones.

Lotteries are a monopoly too. Golden Casket Lottery Corporation Limited is the sole lotteries licensee, and the state taxes lotto-style games at 73.48% of gross revenue and instant scratch-its at 55%.

Betting tax in Queensland

Queensland's betting tax is 20% of taxable wagering revenue, which is an operator's total wagering revenue less eligible payments, above an annual threshold of $300,000. That is higher than the 15% charged in NSW, Victoria, WA, SA and Tasmania. Of the rates we confirmed, only the ACT's 25% is higher. The tax falls on the bookmaker; for how your own winnings are treated, see our gambling tax in Australia guide.

Getting help in Queensland

Queensland's Gambling harm action plan 2026-28 sets out the state's work on education, support, research and regulation. If gambling is costing you more than you want, call Gambling Help on 1800 858 858, 24 hours a day, or see our gambling help page. For the other states and territories, start at gambling laws in Australia.

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