# Checking a bookmaker's licence in the ACMA register: five steps > Five steps to check a bookmaker's licence: find the exact domain in the ACMA register, match the licence holder in ABN Lookup and record the date. Source: https://bookiechecklist.com/check-bookmaker-licence/ Updated: 2026-11-13 To check that a bookmaker is licensed in Australia, find its brand and exact domain in the ACMA register, match the licence holder in ABN Lookup, note the licensing authority, check ACMA's blocked-sites list and write down the date. Stop if the domain does not match or the entry reads "No current URL". Steps checked 13 November 2026 against the country brief's register notes. ## What you need You need the bookmaker's brand name and its exact web address. Copy the address from the site's own page or the app listing, not from an advert or a message. Keep a note open for the results. Each step below produces one line to write down: the register row, the licence holder, the authority, the block-list result and the date. **Where this stands:** two inputs, brand and exact domain, are enough to run all five steps. ## The five steps 1. **Find the brand and the exact domain in the register.** Open the [ACMA register of licensed interactive gambling providers](https://www.acma.gov.au/check-if-gambling-operator-legal). Search the brand, then read the URL column. The domain must match the one you copied, character for character. 2. **Match the licence holder in ABN Lookup.** Take the name in the Licence holder column to [ABN Lookup](https://abr.business.gov.au/) and read the status and start date. Check C03 needs "Active" and a start date. 3. **Record the licensing authority.** The same register row names the authority, such as Liquor & Gaming NSW or the Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission (VGCCC). 4. **Check ACMA's blocked websites list.** Read [ACMA's list of blocked gambling websites](https://www.acma.gov.au/blocked-gambling-websites) for the domain. A listed domain is a stop. 5. **Write down the date.** Note the day and the three results. Repeat the check before each deposit, because the register changes. **Where this stands:** the five steps map to checks C01 to C03 plus the block list, and use two websites. ## What the register holds The register extract read for the brief on 6 November 2026 held 214 records, 66 of them with no URL. The spread by licensing authority is below. It is a snapshot to show scale; re-read the register for any live decision. **Register records by licensing authority · ACMA register extract of 2026-11-06 · checked 2026-11-13** | Licensing authority | Records | |---|---| | Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission | 76 | | Liquor & Gaming NSW | 70 | | Northern Territory Racing and Wagering Commission | 44 | | Queensland Racing Integrity Commission | 9 | | South Australia, Consumer and Business Services | 6 | | WA Department of Local Government, Industry Regulation and Safety | 4 | | Tasmanian Liquor and Gaming Commission | 2 | | ACT Gambling and Racing Commission; NT Director-General of Licensing; Queensland Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulation | 1 each | The extract is a snapshot from 6 November 2026. The live count is Not confirmed on 2026-11-13. **Where this stands:** one extract is on file, and each live decision needs a fresh read of the register. ## Common mistakes - **The domain does not match.** A brand can appear in the register under one address while a lookalike address runs a different service. The register matches a brand to a URL. - **The entry reads "No current URL".** There is no website address to match. Do not treat the brand as cleared for any site. - **The licence holder is not the brand.** A brand can sit under a company with another name, so the ABN step uses the holder, not the brand. - **The check is old.** A result from last month tells you about last month. A bookmaker's own claim of a licence is not a check. Use the register. If a site does not match at step 1 or is listed at step 4, read [warning signs of an unlicensed site](https://bookiechecklist.com/spot-an-illegal-betting-site/) and [why offshore sites are illegal](https://bookiechecklist.com/illegal-offshore-bookmakers/). To report one, use ACMA's complaint form. **Where this stands:** a mismatch at step 1 means stop, whatever the site says about itself. ## After the licence check The licence check covers the first three of the twelve checks only. Responsible-gambling tools, banking, apps and support come next in [the twelve checks as a list](https://bookiechecklist.com/before-you-open-an-account/). Before you deposit, also read how self-exclusion works in [BetStop explained](https://bookiechecklist.com/betstop-explained/). **Where this stands:** a licence record is the start of the checks, not the end. ## Sources - [ACMA: Check if a gambling operator is legal (register)](https://www.acma.gov.au/check-if-gambling-operator-legal) and its [JSON data](https://www.acma.gov.au/data/interactive-gambling/json) - [ABN Lookup](https://abr.business.gov.au/) - [ACMA: Blocked gambling websites](https://www.acma.gov.au/blocked-gambling-websites) - [ACMA: interactive gambling complaint form](https://www.acma.gov.au/interactive-gambling-complaint-form) ## 18+ and where to get help 18+ only. Gambling can be harmful. Need help? Call Gambling Help Online on 1800 858 858 (free, 24/7) or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au. To exclude yourself from licensed Australian online and phone wagering providers, register with BetStop at betstop.gov.au. We are not a bookmaker and do not take bets. ## FAQ **Where is the register of licensed bookmakers?** ACMA publishes the Register of licensed interactive gambling providers at acma.gov.au/check-if-gambling-operator-legal. It also offers JSON and CSV downloads. Its fields are Trading name, Licence holder, URL and Licensing authority. **What if the brand is listed but the domain is different?** Treat it as a mismatch and stop. The register matches a brand to a particular URL, and a similar-looking address is not the same service. Check the URL column letter by letter. **What does No current URL mean?** It marks a register record with no website address. The country brief counted 66 such records among 214 on 6 November 2026. We do not list or promote those records. **Does a licence mean a bookmaker is good?** No. A register entry shows a licence record, not service quality, and this site ranks nobody. **Why write down the date?** The register changes. A check is only true as at the day you ran it, so repeat it before you deposit.