Key facts (as of 29 October 2026)
- Australia: from 11 June 2024, online and telephone wagering operators may not accept credit cards, funds linked to a credit card (including digital wallets) or digital currency such as cryptocurrency (ACMA). As of 24 September 2026, the ACMA had had 1,822 illegal gambling and affiliate websites blocked since its first request in November 2019 (ACMA).
- India: the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025 (Act No. 32 of 2025) prohibits offering online money games (s.5), advertising them (s.6) and any bank, financial institution or other person facilitating payments for them (s.7). Breach of s.5 or s.7 can mean up to three years' imprisonment, a fine of up to ₹1 crore, or both (s.9). A commencement tracker lists the Act in force from 1 May 2026 (Gazette Tracker; check against the Gazette).
- Singapore: the Gambling Regulatory Authority (GRA) has been operational since 1 August 2022. Singapore Pools is the only operator licensed for remote gambling. From 1 January 2025, the Singapore Police Force took over blocking of unlawful remote gambling sites, advertising and payment transactions (GRA).
- Japan: Act No. 76 of 2025, enacted on 18 June 2025, amended the Basic Act on Measures Against Gambling Addiction to criminalise online information that induces people in Japan to take part in illegal online gambling. The communications ministry revised platform guidelines on 25 September 2025 (MIC).
- Philippines: PAGCOR licenses and regulates gaming; the central bank ordered e-wallets to remove gambling links in August 2025. See Philippines iGaming payments.
Comparison table
| Country | Regulator | Online casino | Online betting | Payment rule | Enforcement |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | ACMA (acma.gov.au), under the Interactive Gambling Act 2001 | ACMA blocks illegal online gambling services; licensing rules not covered here | Licensed wagering services listed on the ACMA register | No credit cards, credit-linked wallets or digital currency for wagering, from 11 June 2024 | ISP blocking: 1,822 sites by 24 September 2026 |
| India | Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY); Act provides for an authority (s.8) | Online money games prohibited | Online money games prohibited | Banks and payment facilitators must not process payments for online money games (s.7) | Blocking power (s.14) |
| Singapore | GRA (gra.gov.sg) | Only Singapore Pools licensed for remote gambling | Only Singapore Pools | Police can block payment transactions to unlawful remote gambling | Fines and prison for players and operators |
| Japan | No online licensing; MIC guidelines on illegal information | Illegal online casinos targeted | Not covered here | Not covered here | Promotion of illegal online gambling criminalised (Act No. 76 of 2025) |
| Philippines | PAGCOR | Licensed by PAGCOR | Licensed by PAGCOR | BSP order to delink e-wallet gambling access (M-2025-029) | See the Philippines article |
Australia
| Item | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Law | Interactive Gambling Act 2001 | ACMA |
| Banned deposit methods for betting | Credit card; funds linked to a credit card, including digital wallets; digital currency such as cryptocurrency | ACMA credit ban page |
| Scope | Online and telephone betting, including on-course bookmakers; not lotteries | ACMA |
| Credit betting | Operators may not provide credit or help customers get credit from third parties such as payday lenders | ACMA |
| Blocking | 1,822 sites blocked since November 2019; over 230 illegal services have left the market since enforcement began in 2017 | ACMA, 24 September 2026 |
India
The Act separates e-sports and online social games, which it promotes, from "online money games", which it bans.
| Section | What it does |
|---|---|
| s.5 | No person may offer or help offer online money games or online money gaming services |
| s.6 | No advertising of online money games |
| s.7 | No bank, financial institution or other person facilitating financial transactions may process or authorise payments for online money gaming services |
| s.8 | Establishes an authority on online gaming |
| s.9 | Penalties: s.5 and s.7 up to three years or ₹1 crore or both; s.6 up to two years or ₹50 lakh or both |
| s.14 | Blocking of online money gaming services |
WarningSection 7 is aimed directly at payment providers. Any flow that pays for an online money game in India is an offence, not just a compliance gap.
Singapore
| Item | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Regulator | GRA, formed by expanding the Casino Regulatory Authority; GRA Act and Gambling Control Act passed 11 March 2022, in effect 1 August 2022 | MHA, 31 July 2022 |
| Remote licence | Singapore Pools is the only licensed remote gambling operator | GRA |
| Blocking | From 1 January 2025 the police block unlawful sites, adverts and payment transactions | GRA |
| Players | Fine up to S$10,000, up to six months' prison, or both | GRA |
| Operators | Fine up to S$500,000 and up to seven years' prison; repeat offenders up to S$700,000 and ten years | GRA |
Japan
Japan has no online gambling licence. The 2025 amendment targets promotion: spreading information online that induces people in Japan to join illegal online gambling. MIC's revised guidelines ask platforms, such as social networks, to act on that illegal information under their terms of service (MIC, 25 September 2025).
flowchart LR
A[Asia-Pacific market] --> B{Open online licensing?}
B -- Yes --> C[Philippines: PAGCOR]
B -- Wagering only --> D[Australia: no credit or crypto]
B -- Single state operator --> E[Singapore: Singapore Pools]
B -- No --> F[India: payments banned]
B -- No --> G[Japan: promotion criminalised]Timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| November 2019 | ACMA makes its first website blocking request |
| 1 August 2022 | Singapore GRA operational |
| 11 June 2024 | Australia credit and digital currency ban for wagering |
| 1 January 2025 | Singapore police take over blocking |
| 18 June 2025 | Japan enacts Act No. 76 of 2025 |
| 14–16 August 2025 | Philippines BSP order; GCash and Maya disable gaming features |
| 22 August 2025 | India's Act No. 32 of 2025 published |
| 25 September 2025 | Japan MIC revises guidelines |
| 1 May 2026 | India Act in force, per Gazette Tracker |
| 24 September 2026 | ACMA total reaches 1,822 blocked sites |
Q/A
Can an Australian betting customer deposit with Apple Pay?
Only if it is not funded by a credit card. The ACMA ban covers funds linked to a credit card, including digital wallets.
Does India's ban cover free-to-play games?
No. It targets online money games. The Act recognises and promotes e-sports and online social games.
Can a foreign licensed site serve Singapore?
No. It is unlawful to provide unlicensed remote gambling from outside Singapore to people in Singapore (GRA).
Sources
- ACMA, Credit ban (updated 28 May 2024): https://www.acma.gov.au/credit-ban
- ACMA, Latest illegal online gambling websites blocked (24 September 2026): https://www.acma.gov.au/articles/2026-09/latest-illegal-online-gambling-websites-blocked
- MeitY, Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025 (Act No. 32 of 2025): https://www.meity.gov.in/static/uploads/2025/10/8a7f103cefc68ed8aaa2ebc9a2ed7c13.pdf
- Gazette Tracker, commencement of the Act (navigation aid, secondary): https://gazettetracker.com/commencements/act/promotion-and-regulation-of-online-gaming-act-2025
- GRA, Unlawful remote gambling activities: https://www.gra.gov.sg/harm-minimisation/unlawful-remote-gambling-activities
- Ministry of Home Affairs, GRA to be operational from 1 August 2022 (31 July 2022): https://www.mha.gov.sg/media-room/newsroom/gambling-regulatory-authority-of-singapore-to-be-operational-from-1-august-2022/
- MIC Japan, revised guidelines on illegal online casinos (25 September 2025): https://www.soumu.go.jp/main_sosiki/joho_tsusin/eng/pressrelease/2025/9/25_2.html
- BSP, Memorandum M-2025-029: https://www.bsp.gov.ph/Regulations/Issuances/2025/M-2025-029.pdf
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