Western Australia gambling laws: why there are no pokies in WA pubs, and how Crown Perth is policed

How WA is different

Western Australia gambling laws differ from every other state on one big point: there are no poker machines in pubs or clubs. National statistics record zero club and hotel gaming machine spending in WA, and the official notes to those statistics say every jurisdiction except WA has a statewide pokies network in clubs and hotels. Electronic gaming machines exist in WA, but only inside the Perth casino.

Why there are no pokies in WA pubs

This is a policy choice that successive WA governments have kept. When the Perth Casino Royal Commission reported in March 2022, the government's response said it "remains fully committed to maintaining its ban on poker machines and restricting electronic gaming machines to within the casino." It also committed to investigate more regulation of the electronic gaming machines operating at the casino.

The effect shows in the numbers. In 2024-25, WA adults spent an average of $879 on all legal gambling, the lowest of any state and well below the national average of $1,528, according to the Queensland Government Statistician's Office national series. Gamblers in WA still lost $551.68 million at the casino and $2,071 million on gambling of all kinds that year. For the national figures behind these numbers, see our pokies statistics page.

Who regulates gambling in WA

The Gaming and Wagering Commission of Western Australia is the main regulator. Its powers come from several Acts, which the state lists as:

• Casino Control Act 1984, which provides for the casino, its licence and the control of gaming inside it
• Casino (Burswood Island) Agreement Act 1985, which ratified the original agreement to build the Burswood resort and casino, with some obligations still in force
• Gaming and Wagering Commission Act 1987, which covers minor gaming such as lotteries, bingo, two-up and gaming events run by clubs and charities, and gives the Commission authority to supervise Racing and Wagering Western Australia's off-course wagering
• Betting Control Act 1954, which covers bookmakers, with a turnover levy set by the Bookmakers Betting Levy Act 1954
• Racing and Wagering Western Australia Act 2003

The Gambling Legislation Amendment Act 2024, passed on 28 November 2024, gave the Commission stronger enforcement powers, including a central infringement notice scheme, and raised the maximum penalty the Minister can impose on Racing and Wagering WA from $100,000 to $1 million. An earlier 2022 Act lifted the maximum penalty for the casino to $100 million. The state department responsible says it is now undertaking a wholesale review and reform of WA's gambling legislation.

Crown Perth: carded play and limits

The Perth casino is the only place in WA where you can play an electronic gaming machine, and since 1 December 2025 you cannot play one without a personalised membership card. The WA Government's October 2025 announcement set out how it works:

1. Every EGM player needs a card linked to their own account, with a photo, set up with casino staff.
2. The card sets time and loss limits. Play is capped at 12 hours a day and 28 hours a week.
3. A break is mandatory every three hours.
4. You can change your own limits within those caps, but an increase only takes effect after a seven-day cooling-off period.
5. The system shows on-screen tracking and sends monthly activity statements, and lets the casino identify risky play and offer support.

The Commission chair said its directions to the casino also cover maximum bet limits, restricted play periods and mandatory loss limits. Our gambling limits guide explains how these tools work.

Betting in WA

WA charges betting tax at 15% on taxable betting revenue above a threshold of $150,000 per assessment year. It applies to bets placed by a person located in WA, or a company whose principal place of business is in WA, and the bookmaker must work out where you are when you bet. The tax is the bookmaker's cost, not yours; for how your wins are treated, see gambling tax in Australia.

Everything else about online betting is national. Licensed bookmakers cannot take in-play sports bets online, credit cards and crypto are banned for licensed wagering, and every licensed bookmaker is part of BetStop. Our betting sites guide explains how to tell a licensed bookmaker from an offshore one.

Online pokies and WA

Having no pokies in pubs does not mean WA allows them online. The federal Interactive Gambling Act 2001 makes offering online pokies and casino games to anyone in Australia illegal, and WA has no power to license them. Offshore sites that target West Australians sit outside every rule above: no card, no time cap, no break, no cooling-off. See whether online pokies are legal in Australia for the details, and gambling laws in Australia for how WA compares with the other states.

Two-up in WA

Two-up is minor gaming in WA. A permit can be issued to race clubs and charitable sporting organisations outside a 100 km radius of the casino, with no admission charge, no under 18s and a game limited to six hours. The ring keeper may take a customary commission of up to 10%. Two-up inside 100 km of the casino or on Anzac Day needs Ministerial approval.

Help in WA

Gambling Help is free, confidential and open 24 hours on 1800 858 858. For self-exclusion from betting and venues, see our self-exclusion guide.

Related reading

Guide Tasmania Tasmania caps pokies bets at $5, keeps note acceptors out of pubs and clubs and sets an 87% minimum return. A plan for a mandatory player card was deferred in 2024. Here is how gambling in Tasmania is regulated. Read more Guide Is it legal? Online pokies and casino games cannot legally be offered to people in Australia. Here is what the law says, who it targets, what is allowed and what it means for you. Read more Guide Queensland Queensland caps pokies per venue and statewide, rewrote its casino law in 2024 to force carded play, and charges bookmakers a 20% betting tax, above the 15% most states use. Here is how it all works. Read more Guide SA SA limits every venue to 40 pokies, bans $100 notes in machines and makes larger venues use facial recognition to spot barred gamblers. Here is how gambling in SA is regulated and what changed at the casino in 2026. Read more Guide NSW NSW has more poker machines than any other state and has changed its rules fast since 2023. Here is who regulates gambling in NSW, what the pokies rules are now, and what changed when. Read more Guide Kahnawake licence The Kahnawake Gaming Commission has regulated online gambling from a Mohawk territory near Montreal since 1999 and publishes its complaint results. Here is how its licence works and what it means for Australians. Read more