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In Australia, the federal Interactive Gambling Act 2001 (IGA) imposes a strict obligation on all providers of interactive gambling to prevent persons under the age of 18 from playing. Failure to comply with this requirement entails serious financial and licensing sanctions.

1. Duty to "prevent <18"

Outright ban: The operator is not allowed to offer online slots, poker, casinos or any interactive games to anyone under the age of 18.
Scope: The law covers both Australian and offshore providers if the games are available to Australian residents.

2. KYC procedures and age verification

1. Collection of documents: before the start of the game, the operator is obliged to request from the client one of the following documents:

passport or birth certificate;
driver's license;
national ID card or certificate of citizenship.
2. Electronic verification: Most large operators are connected to banking APIs or third-party KYC services for instant age confirmation.
3. Account suspension: in the absence or doubts about the reliability of documents, the operator is obliged to immediately block the game account until reliable confirmation is received.

3. Fines and sanctions

Subject	Maximum Penalty
Legal Entity	1,800,000 AUD for each day of violation
Responsible person	360,000 AUD for each day of violation

Licensing implications: In addition to monetary penalties, ACMA and regional gambling commissions can suspend or revoke operators' licenses for systematic violations of age restrictions.

4. Regional oversight and additional measures

The ACMA (Australian Communications and Media Authority) monitors compliance with the IGA at the federal level and reviews complaints about the admission of minors.
Local commissions (Liquor & Gaming NSW, VIC Commission, OLGR QLD, etc.) control licensed online operators within their states and have the right to supplement federal requirements for KYC and audits.

5. Practical obligations of operators

1. Regular audits of internal KYC processes and reports to regulators.
2. Training personnel to identify forged documents and recognize signs of registration of minors.
3. Introducing self-exclusion and "responsible play" tools (time and deposit limits) for all customers to eliminate the possibility of bypassing the age threshold.

6. Examples of real-world precedents

2023: A major international operator is stripped of its NSW licence for repeatedly allowing <18 accounts and forging documents in inspections.
2024: The Australian platform is fined 450,000 AUD after an ACMA investigation uncovered 27 cases of underage play.

Result

Online casino operators in Australia have a direct and strict responsibility to admit minors to gambling. Clear KYC procedures, regular internal audits and a willingness to immediately block suspicious accounts are key to complying with Interactive Gambling Act 2001 and avoiding multimillion-dollar fines and license loss.