Australia to End Foreign Lotteries and Online Keno From 2027

Australia will prohibit foreign-matched lotteries and online keno from January 1, 2027, following the passage of the Interactive Gambling Amendment (Gambling Reform) Act 2026.

The restrictions form part of a wider revision of the country’s gambling framework. Other measures cover online gambling advertising and continued work on BetStop, Australia’s national self-exclusion register.

Foreign-matched lottery services currently give Australian customers access to lottery draws held overseas, including US Powerball and EuroMillions. Several operators offer these products under licences issued in the Northern Territory. Four businesses currently provide foreign-matched lottery draws to Australian customers.

One of those companies, the Lottery Office, has opposed the legislative change. It argued that removing the product will reduce the range of options available to consumers and questioned whether the measure would contribute to lower gambling harm. The company will continue providing foreign-matched lottery services until the new restrictions take effect in 2027.

Lottery Corporation Welcomes the Change

The Lottery Corporation, the largest lottery company in Australia, has supported the new prohibition. Chief executive Wayne Pickup said licensed lottery businesses operate under requirements intended to protect consumers and support confidence in the market.

“Australia’s lottery market is regulated by design to protect consumers, to safeguard integrity and to return money to the community. A licensed lottery operator carries real obligations: responsible gaming, security, auditing, probity, guaranteed prize funding and public returns. That is the price of a license, and it is why people trust a lottery ticket.”

The restriction will end the foreign-matched lottery products that currently allow Australians to participate in overseas draws through locally licensed services. Operators now active under Northern Territory licences have until the start of 2027 before that part of the law takes effect.

Online Keno Faces the Same 2027 Deadline

The legislation also removes online keno from the Australian gambling market. The change does not apply to keno offered in licensed physical venues, so pubs and clubs will still be able to provide the game after the online version is prohibited.

The Lottery Corporation expects the end of online keno to affect its financial results. Pickup based his estimate on the company’s FY26 performance.

“The full year impact of discontinuing online Keno for us would be circa AU$25 million (US$18 million) of EBITDA based on FY26,” indicated Pickup.

With the online channel due to close, the company plans to place greater emphasis on keno offered through licensed venues.

“Our response is to double down on Keno in licensed venues. We have longstanding relationships with venues and we’re well and truly embedded in the eastern seaboard pub and club ecosystem.”

The company already has established relationships with pubs and clubs along Australia’s eastern seaboard. Its response to the legislative change will therefore center on those existing venue-based operations once online keno leaves the market.

Reform Measures Take Effect in January 2027

The January 1, 2027 deadline will apply to both foreign-matched lotteries and online keno. For foreign lottery operators, the date will end services that currently connect Australian customers with overseas draws. For online keno providers, it will remove the digital form of the product while leaving licensed land-based keno available.

The measures sit within a broader gambling reform programme that also includes tighter rules for online gambling advertising. Work on BetStop, the national self-exclusion scheme, also continues as part of the wider policy changes.

The new law will directly affect businesses that currently rely on Northern Territory licences to provide foreign-matched lottery access. The Lottery Office intends to maintain those services during the remaining transition period, while its opposition to the ban remains unchanged.

The Lottery Corporation will also have to adjust to the removal of online keno. Based on FY26 figures, the company expects an annual EBITDA effect of about AU$25 million, equivalent to US$18 million. Its planned response will rely on licensed venues, where keno can continue after the online prohibition begins.

Once the new restrictions start, Australian customers will no longer have access to foreign-matched lottery services or online keno through the channels covered by the legislation. Keno in licensed pubs and clubs will remain permitted under the revised framework.

Source:

Australia Sets 2027 Ban on Foreign Lotteries and Online Keno, realmoneyaction.com, September 7, 2026