Terms and Conditions

These terms set out the rules for using AU Online Casinos at shanethompson.com.au, what our reviews and top lists are (and are not), and where our responsibility ends and the casino operator's begins. By browsing the site you accept them. If you disagree with any part, the simplest course is not to use the site.

Written in plain Australian English, last reviewed 25/09/2026. We update this page when our commercial arrangements, editorial process or legal position change.

Who may use this site

shanethompson.com.au is aimed at adults in Australia who are researching online casinos. Gambling-related content on this site is intended for people aged 18 and over — and our editorial policy is to address readers aged 21 and over, given the risk profile of the products discussed. Individual operators set their own minimum age and will verify it during registration.

You must not use this site if:

• you are under the legal gambling age where you are
• you are currently self-excluded from gambling products, whether through an operator scheme, a national register or a blocking tool
• accessing gambling information or gambling services is unlawful in your jurisdiction
• you intend to use our content to promote, resell or scrape material commercially

If you are worried about your own or someone else's gambling, our responsible gambling resources cover deposit and loss limits, self-exclusion and blocking software, along with Australian support services.

Commercial disclosure: how we are paid

We need to be direct about this because it affects how you should read every list on the site. AU Online Casinos earns commission when a reader follows a link to a casino and opens an account. Some of the brands we cover have commercial arrangements with us; some do not.

What that money does and does not buy:

• It does not buy a ranking position. Placement in our top lists is decided editorially, using the criteria set out below.
• It does not buy a rating. Our scores — such as the 10.0 shown against VegasNow or the 9.6 against Golisimo — are editorial judgements, not customer review scores and not paid placements.
• It does not buy immunity from criticism. Every operator we write about gets at least one stated limitation.
• It does fund the site, which is why you are not paying to read it.

You never pay more because you arrived through us. Bonus terms are set by the operator and are identical whether you reach them through this site or directly.

How we rank and rate casinos

Our assessments are research-based. We read published terms and conditions, licensing information, payment and withdrawal pages, and publicly available operator documentation. We do not claim to have deposited, played or withdrawn at these sites, and nothing on shanethompson.com.au should be read as a tested result.

The factors we weigh:

1. Bonus terms in full — wagering requirements, maximum bonus bet, expiry dates, cashout caps and game weighting, not the headline figure alone.
2. Payments and cashouts — supported methods for AUD accounts, minimum deposits, minimum and maximum withdrawal amounts, stated processing times and any fees.
3. Verification practice — how clearly KYC, identity and source-of-funds checks are explained before you deposit rather than after you win.
4. Game range and providers — pokies and slots, progressive jackpots, blackjack, roulette, baccarat and live dealer rooms, plus the software studios behind them and published RTP information.
5. Licensing and ownership — what regulator is named, who operates the brand, and what complaints route exists.
6. Support and player protection — contact channels, deposit and loss limits, self-exclusion tools and mobile experience.

Ratings are relative to the set of casinos we cover, not an absolute safety score. A 9.9 does not mean a site is problem-free. For the full reviews behind the scores, see our reviewed list of real money casino sites for Australian players.

What the offers on this page mean

Offer text is reproduced from operator advertising at the time of review and can change without notice. Always open the operator's own terms before depositing. A few examples of why the headline never tells the whole story:

A closer look at three of the listed brands

VegasNow — our highest-rated entry

VegasNow sits at the top of our list, with an editorial rating of 10.0, largely because its advertised welcome package is denominated in Australian dollars — A$8,000 plus 500 free spins — which removes the conversion guesswork that affects several euro-based brands below it. For a reader comparing bonuses in AUD, that clarity matters more than the headline number.

The limitation is the size of the offer itself. A ceiling of A$8,000 is only reachable with a very large deposit, and packages at that scale usually carry substantial wagering requirements and caps on how much bonus-derived winnings can be withdrawn. Treat the figure as the maximum theoretically available, read the wagering multiple, and work out what a realistic deposit for you would actually unlock. We have not independently confirmed processing speeds or payout behaviour.

Wincrown — the largest advertised match rate at the top of the list

Wincrown is here on a 250% match to $8,000 with 400 free spins, giving it one of the highest combinations of match rate and ceiling among the brands we cover, and an editorial rating of 9.9. For readers whose priority is stretching a mid-sized deposit, a 250% match is more relevant than a high cap they will never approach.

Its drawback for an Australian reader is that the advertised offer uses a bare dollar sign, so the currency needs confirming with the operator before you assume AUD. Large multi-part packages are also frequently split across several deposits, meaning the advertised total is not available on day one.

Casea — an AUD-denominated alternative

Casea's 250% up to AU$4,500 plus 350 free spins is explicitly in Australian dollars, which makes it directly comparable with VegasNow without conversion. It shares the 9.9 rating and suits someone who wants a clearly stated AUD figure and a more modest ceiling.

The trade-off is a smaller maximum than the two brands above it, and — as with any large percentage match — the value depends entirely on the wagering requirement, the maximum permitted bet while a bonus is active, and the expiry window. None of those are visible in the headline.

Money, payments and your obligations

Reading shanethompson.com.au costs nothing. There is no subscription, no paywall and no fee for using our comparisons. Every financial transaction you make happens with the casino operator, under the operator's terms, not ours.

Methods commonly available to Australian players include PayID for near-instant bank-to-bank deposits, debit cards, bank transfers, prepaid vouchers such as Neosurf, and various e-wallets. Availability varies by operator and is not guaranteed: PayPal in particular is not universally offered for gambling transactions in Australia, and credit card use for online gambling is restricted under Australian law. Verify what a site actually supports for AUD accounts rather than assuming.

Points worth checking on any operator's banking page:

• Minimum deposit — and whether it differs from the minimum needed to qualify for a bonus
• Minimum and maximum withdrawal amounts, including daily, weekly and monthly caps
• Stated withdrawal times — these are advertised figures, not results we have measured
• Fees on deposits, withdrawals, currency conversion or dormant accounts
• Whether withdrawals must return to the deposit method, which is common

Expect identity verification. Operators generally require proof of identity and address, and may run source-of-funds checks on larger withdrawals. Submitting documents early usually shortens the wait later.

The games and product lines we write about

Our coverage spans the categories these operators actually run: pokies and slots including progressive jackpots, table games such as blackjack, roulette and baccarat, live dealer rooms streamed with human croupiers, and mobile versions of all of the above through browsers or apps. Where useful we explain return to player percentages, slot volatility and how random number generators work. We do not publish game counts or title lists unless an operator has confirmed them.

Several of the brands in our lists operate beyond casino games — sports betting, poker rooms and crypto-focused products among them. CoinPoker, for instance, is built around a poker membership scheme rather than a cash-match casino bonus. Those adjacent product lines run on separate terms, separate bonuses and sometimes separate wallets, and a casino bonus will usually not carry across to them. Our reviews address the casino side unless stated otherwise.

Legal standing, licensing and jurisdiction

Australian gambling law splits between federal and state level. The Interactive Gambling Act operates federally and restricts the provision of certain online gambling services to people in Australia. Each state and territory licenses and regulates its own gambling activities, so what is lawfully available differs depending on where you live. Accepting Australian customers is not the same thing as being authorised to serve them — an offshore operator taking AUD deposits may hold a licence from another jurisdiction entirely.

We publish information about the licensing an operator names. We do not warrant that any casino listed here is licensed to serve you in your state or territory, and we make no claim that any site is completely safe. Checking your own legal position is your responsibility, and where protections apply, they are the regulator's and the operator's to provide, not ours.

If a dispute arises over a withdrawal, a voided bonus or a closed account, it sits between you and the operator. Use the operator's complaints procedure first, in writing, and escalate to its named regulator or dispute-resolution body if that fails. We are not a party to your account and cannot recover funds, reverse decisions or intervene on your behalf.

Accuracy, content and intellectual property

We aim to be accurate and to date time-sensitive findings, but terms change frequently and without notice. Information here is general and educational — it is not legal, financial or tax advice, and gambling should never be treated as income or a way to solve money problems. Nothing on shanethompson.com.au guarantees a withdrawal, a payout or a result.

Where we are uncertain, we say so. Where a claim comes from operator advertising rather than independent confirmation, we label it. If you find something wrong, tell us through our contact page and we will correct it.

Editorial content, structure and original wording on this site belong to AU Online Casinos. You may quote briefly with attribution and a link. Bulk copying, scraping or republication is not permitted. Operator names, logos and trade marks belong to their owners and appear here for identification only.

Third-party links and liability

Outbound links take you to sites we do not control. Their terms, privacy practices and security are their own. To the extent permitted by Australian law, AU Online Casinos accepts no liability for losses arising from gambling, from reliance on information published here, or from your dealings with any third party found through this site. Nothing in these terms limits rights you have under the Australian Consumer Law that cannot lawfully be excluded.

Changes to these terms

We may revise this page as our commercial arrangements, editorial approach or the regulatory environment change. The date shown at the top of the page reflects the most recent review. Continuing to use the site after an update means you accept the revised terms. If you want background on who writes this material and how the site is run, our about page covers it.

Questions about anything here are welcome — send them through and we will answer in plain terms.