ATO crypto-gambling 2026 — what you actually owe
The ATO's position on pokies and crypto has not changed dramatically in 2026 — but enough punters still get it wrong to justify a plain-English write-up.
Not tax advice
Nothing on this page is tax advice. Talk to a registered tax agent if your position is complex (large withdrawals, professional-level volume, business structure). Below is a summary of the ATO's public guidance as published April 2026.
The three-layer picture
- Pokies winnings — non-assessable for recreational punters. This hasn't changed since TR IT 2655.
- Crypto you used to deposit — disposing of it (buying A$ credit, swapping to USDT, etc) is a CGT event. The CGT is on the crypto movement, not the gambling.
- Withdrawal in crypto — the ATO treats the received crypto at its A$ market value on the day you received it. That becomes your new cost base.
Worked example
- You bought 1 BTC for A$30,000 in 2023.
- BTC is worth A$90,000 today. You send 0.1 BTC (A$9,000) to a casino.
- CGT event: 0.1 BTC cost base A$3,000, proceeds A$9,000 → A$6,000 capital gain (A$3,000 discounted if held >12 months).
- You win A$20,000 and withdraw in USDT. Winnings themselves: not assessable.
- You now hold A$20,000 of USDT at a cost base of A$20,000. Future CGT is on moves from here, not on the gambling.
When you cross the "professional gambler" line
The ATO will treat gambling as a business (and therefore fully assessable / deductible) only in narrow circumstances — structured, systematic activity, inside information, commercial scale. Random pokies sessions don't qualify; almost nobody should worry about this. But if you're arb-betting sports books at scale through a registered ABN, that's different. Get advice.
Record-keeping that actually helps
- Export all crypto deposit tx hashes and save with A$ valuation on send day.
- Screenshot every casino deposit and withdrawal confirmation with timestamp.
- Use one dedicated wallet for casino activity — makes end-of-year reconciliation trivial.
- Keep records for 5 years from the date you lodged.
Next
See the crypto casinos guide for which AU sites accept which chains, or responsible-gambling tools if you're questioning the whole thing.