High-risk merchant accounts for businesses in Australia

A social casino where winnings cannot be cashed out is outside the Interactive Gambling Act, the ACMA says, because nothing of value is played for. Since September 22, 2024, games with simulated gambling are classified R 18+ and games with paid loot boxes M. Once winnings can be cashed out, the game can become a gambling service, and online casino games are banned in Australia.

ACMA: market snapshot of social casinos (March 2023)(opens in a new tab)Sector page

A vitamin, mineral, herbal or fish oil product presented with a health claim is a listed medicine: it must be on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods before supply, carry an AUST L number, use only low-risk ingredients and make only low-level health claims. Claims to treat serious disease need full registration as an AUST R medicine.

TGA: listed medicines(opens in a new tab)Sector page

General consumer law applies. A coaching program or course is a service, so it must be delivered with due care and skill and be fit for any purpose the seller states. Earnings claims, like any claim, must not mislead. From July 1, 2027, a new ban on unfair trading practices also targets manipulative sales practices and online design that harm the buyer.

ACCC: consumer rights and guarantees(opens in a new tab)Sector page

General consumer law applies. When a sale starts with an unsolicited call or visit and is worth more than $100, the customer has 10 business days to cancel, and the seller may neither provide the service nor take payment in that time. Scamwatch describes cold calls from fake technical support providers as a scam model, and telemarketing calls are limited to set hours.

ACCC: telemarketing and door-to-door sales(opens in a new tab)Sector page

Direct selling and multi-level marketing are legal when participants earn from selling a genuine product or service. A pyramid scheme, where people pay to join and are paid mainly for recruiting others, is banned under the Australian Consumer Law, and so is taking part in one or persuading someone to join, even when a token product is sold.

ACCC: unfair business practices(opens in a new tab)Sector page

Legal adult content may be sold to adults, behind age checks. Under the Online Safety Act codes in force since March 9, 2026, pornography sites and services must confirm that users are 18 or over, and a button saying "I am 18" is no longer enough. Breaching a direction to comply can cost up to $49.5 million, and child abuse and pro-terror material stays banned under separate standards.

eSafety Commissioner: online safety codes introduce real-world protections (March 2026)(opens in a new tab)Sector page

No license is needed. The online dating code in force since October 2024 is voluntary, run by an industry compliance committee, and eSafety has no power to enforce it. Every dating service must still meet the Relevant Electronic Services Standard against unlawful material such as child abuse content, and adult messaging services may need age checks under the 2026 codes.

eSafety Commissioner: online dating(opens in a new tab)Sector page

Travel agents and tour operators need no license: state licensing ended with deregulation in 2014, and the Travel Compensation Fund that protected customers was wound down in 2015. Consumer law still applies, so a trip must match its description, and Western Australia's consumer regulator points travelers to card chargebacks in case a seller fails.

Government of Western Australia, Consumer Protection: buying travel tips(opens in a new tab)Sector page

Resale is legal, within state caps. In New South Wales a ticket may be resold for its original price plus transaction costs, 10% above that price at most, and the listing must show the original price and the seat. Victoria applies the same 10% cap to declared major events, South Australia to tickets carrying a resale restriction, and Queensland to events at major venues.

NSW Government: ticket reselling(opens in a new tab)Sector page

A seller abroad whose Australian sales reach A$75,000 a year registers for GST and charges it at checkout on goods with a customs value of A$1,000 or less sent to consumers, unless a marketplace collects it instead; the rule dates from July 1, 2018. Products must meet Australian mandatory safety standards and bans, even when shipped from overseas, and consumer guarantees still apply.

ATO: GST on low value imported goods(opens in a new tab)Sector page

General consumer law governs free trials and renewals today. From July 1, 2027, a new federal law bans unfair trading practices and adds subscription duties: key information when the offer is made, an easy way to cancel, online in certain cases, and notices expected before a free trial ends, a renewal or a price change, with their content and timing left to regulations.

Treasury Ministers: unfair trading tricks and traps to be banned (July 2026)(opens in a new tab)Sector page

Car transport and export brokers need no sector license. Selling vehicles as a business needs a state motor dealer license: in New South Wales, dealers selling online must also notify Fair Trading, use a .au website showing the license number, allow inspection and take no more than a 10% deposit before handover. Importing a road vehicle needs federal approval before it is shipped.

NSW Fair Trading: changes to motor dealer and repairer laws(opens in a new tab)Sector page

Online casinos and online in-play sports betting are banned under the federal Interactive Gambling Act 2001, and an offshore sportsbook without an Australian license is illegal too. Sports and race wagering needs a state or territory license, such as a Northern Territory sports bookmaker license. Since June 11, 2024, licensed operators may not accept credit cards, digital wallets linked to one or cryptocurrency.

ACMA: about the Interactive Gambling Act(opens in a new tab)Sector page

A paid fantasy sports contest is a form of sports betting in Australia: Northern Territory rules let licensed bookmakers open fantasy sport betting markets on declared events only. The operator needs a state or territory wagering license and, like every licensed wagering service, may not accept credit cards, digital wallets linked to one or cryptocurrency from its customers.

Northern Territory Government: declared sporting events for bookmaking(opens in a new tab)Sector page

Issuing CFDs or margin forex to Australian retail clients needs an Australian financial services license from ASIC. Since March 29, 2021, ASIC's product intervention order caps leverage between 30:1 and 2:1, standardizes margin close-out, protects against negative balances and bans certain inducements. The order runs to May 23, 2027, and ASIC proposed in October 2026 to extend it to 2037.

ASIC: proposed extension of the CFD product intervention order (October 2026)(opens in a new tab)Sector page

Exchanging crypto for money, or one virtual asset for another, is a regulated service that needs AUSTRAC registration before it starts, and the 2026 reforms also cover custody and transfers. The Digital Assets Framework Act 2026, which received Royal Assent on April 8, 2026, brings digital asset platforms and custody platforms under ASIC financial services licensing from April 9, 2027.

AUSTRAC: virtual asset designated services(opens in a new tab)Sector page

Since July 1, 2021, a business paid to help consumers change their credit contracts, complain to a lender or correct their credit report needs an Australian credit license covering debt management services. That captures credit repair and debt negotiation firms. The licensee must also belong to AFCA, the external dispute resolution scheme for financial services.

ASIC: debt management reforms and credit licensing(opens in a new tab)Sector page

Prescribers must be registered with Ahpra, and the Medical Board treats prescribing without a real-time consultation, by video, phone or in person, as poor practice, questionnaire-only models included; Ahpra extended this to all professions in October 2025. Under TGA guidance of June 2026, a service marketed as a way to obtain weight-loss injections, medicinal cannabis or other specific prescription medicines is likely unlawful advertising.

Ahpra: updated telehealth guidance (October 2025)(opens in a new tab)Sector page

Pharmacy ownership is set by each state and territory and is generally restricted to pharmacists. In New South Wales only registered pharmacists may hold a financial interest in a pharmacy, and each business is registered with the Pharmacy Council and inspected before it opens. Prescription medicines are dispensed only on prescription, and advertising them to the public is prohibited under federal law.

NSW Health Professional Councils Authority: how pharmacy businesses are regulated(opens in a new tab)Sector page

Timeshare interests are financial products in Australia: the operator and the promoters need an Australian financial services license, and a scheme with more than 20 members is generally registered with ASIC and sold with a product disclosure statement. Buyers have a 7-day cooling-off period when the operator belongs to the industry council ATHOC, 14 days otherwise, and cooling off means a full refund.

ASIC: Regulatory Guide 160, time-sharing schemes (PDF)(opens in a new tab)Sector page

Firearms law belongs to the states and territories, aligned by the National Firearms Agreement. Each buyer needs a firearms license for the category and a permit to acquire from the state registry, and in New South Wales the dealer checks both, with proof of identity, before completing the sale. Ammunition is sold only against a license, and parts and accessories are controlled imports.

NSW Police Force Firearms Registry: firearms and ammunition FAQ(opens in a new tab)Sector page

Online alcohol sales need a state or territory liquor license, such as Victoria's remote seller's license. Victoria limits deliveries to 11 pm and requires same-day orders to be handed to a person, never left at the door. In New South Wales same-day deliveries come from stock held in the state, and everyone involved completes mandatory training on ID checks and refusals.

Victoria State Government: remote seller's liquor license(opens in a new tab)Sector page

Selling tobacco online needs a state tobacco license: New South Wales has required one for each online store since July 2025, and Victoria licenses sellers since February 2026. Most tobacco cannot be posted from abroad: imports need a permit, and cigarettes may not come by international mail. Since July 24, 2026 nicotine pouches have no lawful route to consumers, and snus is banned.

NSW Health: tobacco licensing scheme(opens in a new tab)Sector page