Possible sanctions for playing before legal age
Below is a detailed breakdown of how online operators and regulators in Australia react if a player under 18 is found to have placed a bet.
1. Blocking an account and freezing funds
1. Suspend operations instantly
When a KYC check is triggered or an account complaint is <18 years old, the operator blocks the ability to bet and replenish the balance.
2. Freezing available funds
All funds in the game account are "frozen": until the age is clarified, the player can neither withdraw nor spend them.
2. Denial of payments and cancellation of winnings
Cancellation of any winnings received before blocking: the operator has the right to withhold funds as "illegally received" under the terms of the user agreement.
Refusal to return the deposit if it was made before age verification: funds are considered collateral for violation of the conditions and are not subject to return.
3. Penalties for operators
| Jurisdiction | Maximum admission penalty <18 years |
|---|---|
| IGA (Fed) | up to 360,000 AUD/day for physical persons and up to 1,800,000 AUD/day for the company |
| ACMA (Ref.) | up to 2,475,000 AUD/day for physical individuals and up to 12,375,000 AUD/day for corporates |
Cumulative sanctions: for each day of violation, the operator pays the amount established in the law, which quickly turns into multimillion-dollar claims.
4. Regional fines and precedents
South Victoria (SA): In 2024, ALH Group was fined 38,000 AUD without trial for admitting three minors to poker machines in three establishments.
NSW and other states can additionally impose their own fines and remediation requirements.
5. Suspension or cancellation of licenses
ACMA and regional commissions (Liquor & Gaming NSW, Victorian Commission, etc.) can revoke or suspend an operator's license for repeated violations of the age threshold.
Enforceable undertaking - an official order to improve KYC procedures with specific deadlines and KPIs for inspections.
6. Mandatory reporting and investigations
1. Message in ACMA
The operator is required to notify ACMA of each admission to play by a person under 18 years of age within the prescribed time frame.
2. Internal and external audit
Regulators check registration logs, KYC processes and decide on further measures.
7. Player responsibility
A minor player is not prosecuted, but completely loses access to funds and rewards.
Parents or guardians can go to court to restore their property if the deposit was made from their account.
Result
When allowing persons under 18 years of age to play, the consequences for the operator include multimillion-dollar fines (up to 12,375,000 AUD/day), blocking and canceling licenses, mandatory audits and reputational risks. The minor player himself loses access to funds and winnings beyond recovery.
