POLi Casinos in Australia: POLi Closed, What to Use Now

POLi no longer works in Australia. Australia Post, which owned the service, closed its Australian operations on 30 September 2023, so no casino or bookmaker can take a POLi payment from an Australian bank account today. If a casino page still promises “POLi deposits”, it is out of date at best, and any site asking for your internet banking log-in to process a payment should be treated as a scam.

Righto, Bros, a page about POLi casinos in 2026 is a bit like a guide to buying petrol with cheques. We have kept this page because plenty of Aussies still search for POLi, and because the old version of it (like many pages ranking for this term) still listed “POLi casinos” years after the lights went out. Below you will find what happened to POLi, why it was risky even when it worked, what replaced it for licensed betting, and how to choose a sensible alternative if you play at offshore casinos. If gambling is causing you trouble, Gambling Help Online is free and open 24/7 on 1800 858 858.

POLi Status in October 2026

What POLi Was and How It Worked

POLi was an online bank-transfer service. Instead of paying with a card, you chose POLi at checkout, picked your bank, and logged in to your internet banking through POLi’s own payment page. POLi then set up a transfer from your account to the merchant and confirmed it to the merchant straight away, so the shop or bookmaker could release your order or credit your balance without waiting for an overnight bank transfer.

For years it was popular with Australian betting sites, airlines and retailers because it avoided card fees and worked with most major banks. In gambling it filled a specific gap: it let people deposit straight from a bank account, quickly, without a credit card.

The catch: handing over your banking log-in

POLi’s model relied on you entering your internet banking credentials into a page run by a third party. Consumer NZ reported in May 2024 that using POLi was likely to breach many banks’ terms and conditions, because most banks tell customers never to share log-in details with anyone. That matters if something goes wrong: if your account is later defrauded, a bank can argue that sharing your credentials weakened your protection. Australian banks moved away from the model as real-time payments arrived, and from mid-July 2023 three of the major banks stopped accepting POLi payments, according to Consumer NZ.

Why POLi Closed in Australia

Australia Post told merchants in July 2023 that it had made “the difficult decision to close the POLi business in Australia” and would wind down operations by 30 September 2023, as reported by iTnews on 13 July 2023. Consumer NZ later summarised the reason: once three of Australia’s major banks stopped accepting POLi from mid-July 2023, the service was no longer financially viable.

The bigger story is that Australia’s payment system had outgrown it. The New Payments Platform launched in 2018, and PayID plus Osko let anyone send money in seconds from inside their own banking app, with the recipient’s name shown before you pay and no third party touching your log-in. Australian Payments Plus reports 38+ million PayIDs registered as of 31 July 2026. With that in place, a screen-scraping workaround like POLi had little left to offer.

New Zealand is different. Consumer NZ says the New Zealand side of POLi was sold to Merco and continued to operate, because New Zealand’s real-time payments infrastructure lagged behind Australia’s. That is why you may still see POLi logos on New Zealand sites. None of that helps an Australian bank account.

“POLi Casinos” Still Online: What They Really Mean

Search for POLi casinos and you will still find pages listing ten or more “best POLi casinos” for Australians. The old version of this page did too, with brands such as Wonaco, JeetCity and Bitkingz. Our October 2026 checks found that domains used by all three are on ACMA’s list of blocked illegal gambling websites. A list like that tells you only that the page has not been updated since 2023.

If you land on a casino whose cashier really does show a POLi button for Australians, there are only three explanations, and none is good:

• A stale logo. The payment icon was never removed. Clicking it will fail.
• A mislabelled method. The button opens something else, often a manual bank transfer or a third-party PayID, under the familiar POLi name.
• A phishing page. A fake “POLi” screen asks for your internet banking username and password. Never enter them. No legitimate payment method in Australia needs your banking log-in in 2026.

If you have already entered banking details on such a page, call your bank immediately, change your password and report it to Scamwatch.

How to spot a fake bank-payment page

• It asks for your full banking password. Your bank’s own app or website is the only place that should ever see it.
• It asks for a one-time code you did not request. Codes sent by your bank are for you alone. Anyone asking you to read one out is trying to approve something in your name.
• The address bar is wrong. A payment page hosted on a casino’s domain or a random URL, styled with your bank’s logo, is not your bank.
• It offers a “bonus” for paying by bank log-in. No genuine payment method rewards you for sharing credentials.
• It pressures you. Countdown timers and “deposit within 5 minutes to keep your bonus” messages are designed to stop you checking.

Most Australian banks also let you see recent log-ins and active sessions in their app. If anything looks unfamiliar after using a dodgy payment page, lock your cards and call the bank.

The Legal Picture for Australians in 2026

The Interactive Gambling Act 2001 makes it an offence for an operator to offer online casino games to people in Australia, but the player is not committing an offence by playing. Every online casino reachable from Australia is therefore offshore and unlicensed here, and ACMA has had 1,822 illegal gambling sites blocked since November 2019, as of 24 September 2026.

Licensed Australian wagering providers (sports and racing) are a separate world. They must follow the credit card ban in force since 11 June 2024, which stops them accepting credit cards, funds linked to a credit card (including digital wallets) and digital currency. They also sit inside BetStop, the National Self-Exclusion Register, live since 21 August 2023. The Gambling Reform Bill passed on 19 August 2026 adds further rules, with most measures starting on 1 January 2027.

Recreational gamblers do not pay tax on winnings: the ATO does not treat gambling winnings as assessable income for them.

What Replaced POLi: Your Options Compared

For most people who used POLi to fund a betting account, PayID is the natural replacement: it does the same job (instant money from your bank account) without sharing your log-in. The payment methods hub compares every option in more depth.

Switching From POLi to PayID: Step by Step

1. Open your betting account’s deposit page and choose PayID. A licensed bookmaker generates a PayID linked to your account.
2. Copy the PayID with the copy button.
3. Open your own banking app, choose Pay Anyone and then PayID. You stay inside your bank the whole time; nobody else sees your log-in.
4. Paste and check the name. It should be the bookmaker or its named payments partner. A private person’s name means stop.
5. Send the amount. Most deposits arrive in seconds. TAB requires the bank account to be in the same name as your TAB account and does not offer PayID to South Australian account holders.

That is the whole process, and it removes the single biggest weakness POLi had.

If you prefer BPAY

BPAY suits people who like to plan deposits ahead rather than top up on impulse. You take the biller code and your personal reference number from the bookmaker’s deposit page, then pay it from your banking app like a power bill. It is slower than PayID, often landing the next business day, but that delay is exactly why some punters prefer it: it puts a gap between deciding to bet and having the money available. Like PayID, it uses bank-account money, so it is not affected by the credit card ban.

Offshore Casinos: What Our Five AU Picks Accept Instead

None of the casinos we currently list for Australians shows POLi, which is what you would expect three years after the closure. Here is what their public Australian pages do show, from our checks on 6 to 8 October 2026:

Footer logos are a guide; the full cashier list appears after registration and can differ by country. Our Australian casino reviews hub explains how we check each brand and lists reviewed brands that are now on ACMA’s blocked list.

Worked example: clearing a bonus after your deposit

Whatever method replaces POLi for you, the bonus maths stays the same. At Nine Casino’s default 40x bonus wagering, a A$100 deposit with a 100% match (A$100 bonus) means A$4,000 in bets before the bonus can be withdrawn. On a pokie with 96% RTP, the expected cost of A$4,000 in bets is A$160, more than the A$100 bonus. BDMBet’s 35x default lowers that to A$140. Read our welcome bonus guide before you opt in.

POLi Then vs PayID Now

Who Should Read This Page

If you last bet online before 2023 and remember POLi as your go-to deposit, start with PayID at a licensed bookmaker. If you play at offshore casinos, pick a method where the money goes to the operator or a regulated payment company: a debit card where your bank allows it, an e-wallet the casino names, or crypto if you understand the risks. Low-stakes players can compare minimums in our A$10 deposit casinos guide.

If you are a New Zealander reading this, POLi may still appear at NZ merchants, but the same caution about entering banking credentials on a third-party page applies, and Consumer NZ’s reporting on bank terms is worth reading before you use it.

Gambling Help and Self-Exclusion

BetStop covers every licensed online and phone wagering provider in Australia, but not offshore casinos. All four major banks offer a gambling block for eligible cards, and Gambling Help Online (1800 858 858) offers free, confidential counselling 24/7. Our responsible gambling page lists support services by state.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I still use POLi at Australian online casinos?

No. Australia Post closed POLi’s Australian business on 30 September 2023, so no casino or bookmaker can take POLi payments from Australian bank accounts. Pages still listing “POLi casinos” for Australians are out of date.

Why did POLi shut down?

Three of Australia’s major banks stopped accepting POLi from mid-July 2023, and the business was then judged no longer financially viable, according to Consumer NZ. Australia Post announced the closure to merchants in July 2023.

Is POLi still available in New Zealand?

Yes. Consumer NZ reported that the New Zealand side of POLi was sold to Merco and kept operating. It does not work with Australian bank accounts.

What is the best POLi alternative in Australia?

For licensed betting, PayID is the closest replacement: instant transfers from your bank account, made inside your own banking app with a name check. At offshore casinos, a debit card or a named e-wallet is safer than paying a third party’s PayID.

A casino asked for my internet banking password to process a POLi payment. What should I do?

Do not enter it. If you already did, call your bank straight away, change your password and report the site to Scamwatch. No legitimate Australian payment method needs your banking log-in in 2026.

Could I withdraw winnings with POLi?

No, POLi was a deposit-only service even before it closed. Winnings were always paid back by bank transfer or another method.