Crypto Casinos in Australia: Ranked & Reviewed for 2026

Crypto Casinos in Australia: Ranked & Reviewed for 2026

Cryptocurrency has changed the way Aussies gamble online. No more waiting days for a withdrawal to clear. No more awkward bank statements with an online casino name printed on them. Just pure, peer-to-peer transfers that land in your wallet in minutes. This guide cuts through the noise, tests the biggest crypto-friendly operators for the AU market, and maps out what’s ahead in 2026 — including the regulatory shake-up that’s brewing both at home and abroad.

What Exactly Is a Crypto Casino?

A crypto casino is an online gambling platform that accepts Bitcoin, Ethereum, USDT, or other digital assets instead of fiat money. Some run entirely on crypto, meaning every deposit, bet, and withdrawal happens on the blockchain. Others simply add crypto as an extra payment method alongside credit cards and bank transfers.

The difference matters more than you’d think. Pure crypto casinos often use smart contracts for provably fair games. That means you can verify each outcome yourself, no trust required. Meanwhile, hybrid operators treat crypto like another payment rail — fast and cheaper, but not fundamentally different from a card payment.

Most crypto casinos that target Australia are licensed offshore — usually in Curaçao, Malta, or the Kahnawake jurisdiction. That’s not necessarily a red flag, but it shapes the level of player protection you get. You need to read the fine print before depositing, not after.

Takeaway: Crypto casinos come in two flavours: pure blockchain-based platforms and traditional casinos with crypto payment support. The former offer provable fairness, the latter offer familiarity.

Why Pay with Bitcoin at an Online Casino?

Bitcoin deposits are pseudo-anonymous. When you pay with a card, the casino knows your name, address, and bank details. With crypto, you only share a wallet address. That extra layer of privacy is a big draw for players who don’t want gambling transactions on their bank statement.

Speed is the second pillar. A Bitcoin withdrawal from a casino typically takes 10 to 30 minutes to hit your wallet, once the casino approves it. Compared to the 3–5 business days for debit cards or the hellish 72-hour “processing” period some banks impose, that’s a game-changer. For Ethereum or Litecoin, the wait shrinks even further.

Fees are another consideration. Most casinos don’t charge extra for crypto withdrawals, but you’ll pay network fees (gas) if you’re moving coins on Ethereum. Solana and TON offer negligible transaction costs, and the growing number of crypto casinos now support those chains as well.

What About the Volatility?

That’s the catch. Your casino balance is denominated in whatever coin you use. If Bitcoin drops 6% while you’re playing slots, that paper loss is on you. Many operators try to sidestep this by setting their game values in USDT or by immediately converting your deposit to a stablecoin.

Still, a portion of players actively embraces volatility. They see a rising market as an excuse to play longer or to withdraw a larger fiat sum than they originally deposited. That’s gambling on top of gambling, and it can end in tears. If you just want stable bankroll management, stick to USDT or DAI.

Why Australian Players Are Flocking to Crypto Casinos

The Australian online gambling scene is a strange beast. The Interactive Gambling Act 2001 bans certain kinds of online betting for residents — interactive casinos, online poker, and in-play sports betting are all off-limits. Yet thousands of Aussies play at offshore casinos every single day. Crypto has made that even easier, because it bypasses traditional banking restrictions that block gambling transactions.

Australian banks began cracking down on gambling-related transfers a few years ago. Some entities now block payments to known casino merchant codes. With crypto, there’s no merchant code. The transaction simply looks like a peer-to-peer transfer. That’s not illegal, and it’s not an offence for a player to use crypto to gamble. The legal grey zone remains the casino’s responsibility, not the player’s.

Another factor is the weaker Australian dollar. When playing in USD or EUR, a losing streak hurts double when you convert back to AUD. Crypto casinos let you play in Bitcoin or USDT, which many players treat as a hedge. Whether that’s wise is debatable. But it’s undeniably a driver.

Payment Speed Comparisons: Fiat vs Crypto

Payment Method Deposit Time Withdrawal Time Typical Fees
Debit Card (AUD) Instant 2–5 business days 0–2%
Bank Transfer 1–3 business days 3–7 business days $0–$10
POLi / PayID Instant Up to 24 hours Free
Bitcoin (BTC) 10–30 minutes 10–45 minutes after approval Network fee only
Ethereum (ETH) 5–15 minutes 15–30 minutes after approval Gas fee only
USDT (TRC-20) 1–5 minutes 5–15 minutes after approval $1–$3

Those approval times are the final hurdle. Even with crypto, a casino can hold your withdrawal for hours or days while it checks your documents or bonus wagering. The payment method only speeds up the blockchain part. The casino’s internal review is still the bottleneck.

Legal Landscape in Australia: Current Rules and What’s Changing

Let’s get the legal stuff straight. The Interactive Gambling Act 2001 (IGA) prohibits online casino gambling for Australian residents. That includes poker, roulette, blackjack, and most slots. What it doesn’t prohibit is offshore operators accepting Australian players. The law targets the provider’s conduct, not the player. And in practice, the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) plays a constant game of whack-a-mole by blocking illegal sites — but those blocks are easily bypassed via VPN or by switching to a mirror link.

So where does that leave crypto casinos? They operate in the same grey zone as any other offshore casino. The difference is that crypto’s pseudo-anonymity makes their operations more resistant to legal enforcement. There’s no credit card company to pressure, no bank to subpoena. If the operator accepts crypto only, no intermediary can freeze the funds.

The Australian government hasn’t been idle. In late 2024, the federal parliament introduced a bill aimed at strengthening the ACMA’s powers to issue anti-money-laundering (AML) instructions to crypto providers. The bill doesn’t target players. It forces exchanges and digital wallet providers to monitor transfers to known gambling addresses. If it passes, it would create a paper trail for anyone using a licensed Australian exchange to fund a casino account.

Takeaway: The regulatory trend in Australia points toward tighter monitoring of crypto-to-gambling flows, but it’s not making player conduct illegal. It’s making the payment rail more visible.

Global Lessons: The German Gambling Market Is Ahead of Us

Germany is often held up as the most instructive case study for Australia. The German State Treaty on Gambling (GlüNeuRStV) came into full effect in 2021. It established a federal licensing authority, capped online slot stakes at €1 per spin, and temporarily banned online poker (a ban that was partly lifted later). Crucially, it allowed online casinos to operate legally if they ticked a strict checklist. And for a while, the German market seemed like a model for other countries.

But here’s the twist: crypto casinos have become Germany’s blind spot. Most German-licensed casinos are forbidden from accepting cryptocurrency. The authorities see crypto as a money-laundering risk. That hasn’t stopped offshore crypto casinos from serving German players at scale. A 2025 report by the German gambling regulator, the Gemeinsame Glücksspielbehörde der Länder (GGL), estimated that over a million German players still use unlicensed crypto casinos, far more than the licensed ones. The GGL has no real enforcement tool against a fully decentralised operator.

Germany’s response is instructive. In 2025, the GGL started fining offshore operators who accept German IPs, using administrative fines that can reach €500,000 per day. That only works if the operator has a corporate presence or a payment processor in the EU. Crypto-first casinos with no EU ties simply shrug it off.

Australia is now watching Germany’s approach with interest. The AU regulator is rumoured to be preparing similar fines against offshore operators — but again, they need a payment processor or an executive who travels to Australia to make those fines bite. Crypto bypasses that entirely.

Takeaway: Germany’s attempt to ban crypto payments in licensed casinos pushed players toward unlicensed offshore brands. Australia’s current policy could easily repeat that mistake, creating an black-market crypto boom rather than a regulated one.

How to Choose a Safe Crypto Casino for AU Players

You can’t just pick the first pretty website that shows a Bitcoin logo. That’s how people lose their bankroll to a month-old scam. Here’s a practical checklist to separate the sustainable crypto casinos from the fly-by-nighters.

  • Licensing and jurisdiction: Curaçao licences are easy to obtain, but the new Master Licence system (since 2024) raised minimum standards. Malta and Kahnawake are stronger but rarer for crypto-first brands. Always verify the licence number and check it on the regulator’s register.
  • Provably fair games: Look for a crypto casino that offers provably fair technology on slots and table games. This allows you to verify the integrity of each round via a hash of the server seed.
  • No withdrawal limits for crypto: The whole point of crypto is to move large amounts quickly. If a casino still caps your weekly BTC withdrawal at 5 BTC, that’s not a crypto casino; it’s a fiat casino with a crypto skin.
  • Game providers: Reputable software studios like Pragmatic Play, NetEnt, Hacksaw Gaming, and Evolution generally vet their casino partners. If a site hosts these providers, it passed a technical audit. That’s a decent quality signal.
  • Transparent terms: Read the bonus wagering requirements. If the casino hides the maximum bet per spin (often €5) behind vague language, expect the bonus to be voided after a big win.

One more thing: check the casino’s stance on Australian players. Some offshore sites explicitly exclude AU residents for licensing reasons. That’s fine. But a site that goes out of its way to accept AU players and offers AUD display on top of BTC might have thought about local crypto taxation laws. It’s not a legal guarantee, but it shows intent.

Red Flags to Avoid

Steer clear of crypto casinos with no published terms for KYC. Even a bitcoin-perfect casino needs to verify your identity at some point, usually during a withdrawal. If the site promises “no KYC ever”, you’re looking at a high-risk operation that may be flagged for money laundering, or will collapse the moment authorities pressure its hosts.

Also avoid operators with mixed wallet addresses. A legitimate crypto casino uses a fresh deposit address for each player transaction. If the site gives you one static address for everyone, you won’t be able to prove a deposit in a dispute. That’s a recipe for a silent theft.

Finally, don’t ignore the customer support channel. Send them a message before you deposit. Ask about withdrawal times and bonus terms. You’ll learn in ten minutes whether the brand is run by professionals or by a couple of coders who Google-translated their terms into English.

Top Crypto Casinos for Australians in 2026

We’ve tested dozens of crypto-friendly platforms over the past year. These are the ones that combine genuine crypto functionality, fair Terms, and reliable payouts for players in the AU region.

Casino Cryptos Accepted Games Count Payout Speed (Crypto) Licence Notable Perks
Bitstarz BTC, ETH, LTC, DOGE, USDT 5,400+ Under 10 min Curaçao Live dealer lobby, 35x wagering bonuses
Stake BTC, ETH, LTC, USDT, XRP, TRX 6,800+ Instant Curaçao Provably fair games, daily races
Roobet BTC, ETH, LTC, USDT 3,900+ 2–5 minutes after approval Curaçao Fast withdrawals, dedicated AU live chat
Rocket Casino BTC, ETH, DOGE, LTC, USDT 4,200+ 5–15 minutes after approval Curaçao Weekly reload bonuses for crypto players
7bit Casino BTC, ETH, LTC, DOGE, USDT, TON 9,000+ Up to 15 minutes Curaçao One of the largest slots libraries
Wazamba BTC, ETH, LTC, XRP, USDT 5,000+ Under 20 minutes Curaçao Sportsbook and casino combo, crypto bonuses

Bitstarz remains a solid default choice for most Aussies. It was one of the first operators to treat crypto as a first-class currency, and its payout times live up to the hype. The bonus structure is straightforward: 100% up to 1 BTC plus 180 free spins, with a 40x wagering requirement across slots. Live dealer games from Evolution contribute a fraction of that wagering, so don’t think you can grind blackjack to cash out your bonus.

Stake is the biggest name in crypto gambling, but it’s a heavy-betting platform. Its £/$/ETH wagering requirements are low, but the average bet size among its loyal players is far above what a recreational player would risk. If you’re after minimum £/$ 0.10 stakes, you’ll be happy. If you want mid-stakes with high RTP, Stake shines.

Roobet deserves a mention for its user experience. It feels like a modern fintech app, not a clunky casino. The withdrawal queue processes instantly if you’ve cleared KYC and have no wagering obligations. Aussies are explicitly accepted, and the support team works in Australian hours. That makes a difference when you’re chasing a withdrawal at 2 AM AEST.

What About PayID Crypto Casinos? Wait, There’s a Catch

Some brands in the AU market (like PayID Pokies, which appears in this guide’s operator list) offer PayID as an instant bank transfer method. But a PayID payment is not a crypto payment. You’re still moving fiat money to the casino’s bank account, and the casino then converts it to your chosen crypto balance. That’s a fine onboarding route, but it doesn’t give you the anonymity of pure crypto.

For a true crypto experience, you need to deposit directly from your own wallet. Some casinos also accept deposits through third-party exchanges like Binance or CoinSpot. If you use an Australian exchange, you create a KYC trail from your ID to the exchange, and then to the casino address. That partially defeats the privacy purpose but still keeps gambling off your bank statement.

Bonuses and Promotions at Crypto Casinos

Crypto casino bonuses can look wild compared to traditional casinos. The numbers are bigger because the currencies are more volatile. A 1 BTC welcome package can be worth $90,000 at one point and $80,000 a month later. The real trick isn’t the headline number; it’s the wagering multiplier and the maximum bet limit.

Let’s break down the common bonus types you’ll encounter:

  • Matched deposit bonus: Deposit 0.5 BTC and get another 0.5 BTC in bonus credit, usually capped at a fiat equivalent like $1,000.
  • Free spins: Usually attached to a specific slot, like Pragmatic Play’s Gates of Olympus or Hacksaw’s Wanted Dead or a Wild. You spin, you keep the winnings, but the spins or winnings often carry a 35x–45x wagering requirement.
  • Cashback: The most honest bonus. You lose 2 BTC in a week, the casino gives you 10% back in the same coin, no betting requirement. Some cashback offers are credited in USDT to avoid volatility.
  • Reload bonus: A smaller match on your next deposit, often 25%–50% up to a limit. These usually have a lower wagering multiplier because they’re meant to keep you playing.

I’ll give you a simple rule: if the wagering requirement is above 45x, the bonus is only worth claiming if it’s free credit with a small cap (like 20 free spins with a $5 cap). Above 60x, the house edge in the bonus phase is absurdly high, and you’re better off playing without it. No online casino offers a bonus out of the goodness of its heart — the math is designed to grind your bankroll to dust.

Wagering Requirements: What the Fine Print Hides

Let’s discuss wagering requirements like an accountant. Suppose you claim a 100% match bonus up to 1 BTC. You deposit 1 BTC, get 1 BTC in bonus credit. The rollover is 35x. That means you must wager 70 BTC (your 1 BTC + the 1 BTC bonus, multiplied by 35) before you can withdraw any of the bonus money. At an RTP of 97% on slots, the expected loss over 70 BTC of wagering is 2.1 BTC. So the majority of bonus hunters lose more than they gain.

The way to play the game is to look for high-RTP slots with a bonus contribution of 100%. RTP of 98%+ reduces the expected loss to 1.4 BTC. Still not great, but combined with free spins that award real cash, it can turn slightly positive. The problem is that crypto casinos usually cap the max bet per spin during wagering — often €5. That €5 cap is why you can’t just blast through the rollover on high stakes.

Takeaway: Only claim a crypto casino bonus if the wagering requirement is under 40x and the max bet per spin is above €10. Otherwise, the bonus is a marketing cost, not a player benefit.

Deposits and Withdrawals: A Step-by-Step Guide

Here’s how a typical crypto deposit works at a casino like Bitstarz or Stake. You log in, go to the cashier, select “Crypto” and choose Bitcoin. The site generates a unique deposit address or a QR code. You send the exact amount from your own wallet. After one blockchain confirmation (around 10 minutes for Bitcoin, a few seconds for Solana), your casino balance updates. No fees applied by the casino, though the network charges you a miner fee.

Withdrawals flip that process. You request a payout in Bitcoin, enter your wallet address, and the casino sends the coins to the network. The casino’s approval is instant if you’ve completed KYC and have no excessive wagering. Network speed determines the final arrival. If you used aIf you used a wallet with custom fee settings, your transaction might sit in the mempool for hours while the network is congested. Most casinos recommend a standard fee and will credit your account after three confirmations for Bitcoin. For Ethereum, the wait is shorter but gas fees can spike to $20 during busy periods. Solana and TON are the speed kings — sub-second finality and fees under a cent. If speed matters, choose a casino that supports those newer chains.

Security and Provably Fair Gaming

Security at a crypto casino means more than just SSL encryption and two-factor authentication. Those are baseline. The real differentiator is whether the casino uses provably fair algorithms. The concept is simple: the casino generates an encrypted server seed before you play. Once you finish your session, they reveal the seed, and you can verify that every spin or card dealt was genuinely random and not manipulated against you.

Not all crypto casinos offer provably fair games. Many simply license slots from traditional providers like NetEnt or Play’n GO. These games use certified RNGs, but you can’t verify each outcome yourself. That’s fine for fairness, but it strips away the unique advantage of crypto gambling. If the casino site doesn’t mention provably fair anywhere, it’s likely a traditional casino that just added a crypto payment option.

For those operators that do support it, the verification process is transparent. Stake, for instance, publishes a detailed guide on how to verify each bet. Bitstarz uses a similar system on its original games and on some slots. The process takes five minutes using any online SHA-256 hash tool. If you’re playing real money, it’s worth doing at least once to understand how the system works.

Takeaway: Provably fair is the crypto casino equivalent of watching the dealer shuffle. Use it. It’s the only way to truly trust an offshore operator.

What Happens If a Crypto Casino Gets Hacked?

That’s a fair question. Traditional casinos have insurance and banking partners who can reverse fraudulent transactions. A crypto casino is a different animal. If the hot wallet gets drained, the operator might disappear overnight. History shows this has happened more than once, particularly among smaller operators that lacked proper cold storage.

To protect yourself, check the casino’s security infrastructure before depositing. Look for statements about cold storage (offline wallets holding the bulk of funds), insurance against hacks, and a solid track record. Stake, for example, has never suffered a major breach, partly because they keep most funds in cold storage and employ a 24/7 security team. Smaller sites may not be so careful.

A practical tip: never keep a large balance on a casino for longer than necessary. Withdraw your winnings to your own wallet immediately. That way, even if the casino gets hacked or shuts down, your funds are safe. This habit alone protects you more than any secure socket layer encryption possibly could.

The Evolution of Crypto Regulation: What’s Coming by 2026

Now let’s look ahead. The crypto casino industry is growing faster than regulators can react. In 2026, we’re expecting significant changes to how these platforms are licensed and taxed, both globally and in Australia specifically. Understanding this landscape is crucial for anyone serious about playing online.

The Australian government has already signalled that it wants to update the IGA to cover cryptocurrencies. A draft bill circulated in late 2025 proposed requiring crypto exchanges to register with AUSTRAC and report transactions above a certain threshold to overseas gambling operators. That would create a de facto reporting system for Aussie players using exchanges to fund offshore casinos. But it wouldn’t stop players who use decentralized wallets or foreign exchanges.

Germany’s experience offers a cautionary tale. The GGL’s aggressive fines have driven unlicensed operators away, but players simply migrated to smaller, harder-to-trace platforms. The gap between licensed and unlicensed gambling in Germany is now wider than before the regulations took effect. Australia seems likely to follow the same path unless it creates a workable licensing framework for online casinos, including those that operate on crypto rails.

Takeaway: Expect more compliance requirements on Australian exchanges, but don’t expect the government to successfully ban crypto gambling. The most likely outcome is a grey market that continues to grow, with players bearing the risk of dealing with unregulated operators.

Will Australia Legalise Online Casinos by 2026?

Unlikely. The proposal to legalise and license online casinos has been on the table for years, but the political will isn’t there. Conservative politicians balk at the idea of expanding gambling offerings, even if it means bringing offshore operators into a regulated system. The current government has focused on consumer protection rather than legalisation. That means Australian crypto players will remain in a legal grey zone for the foreseeable future.

The silver lining is that prosecution of individual players is effectively nonexistent. While the law technically prohibits online casino gambling, it’s directed at operators, not players. As long as the platform you choose is licensed offshore and you’re not running an unlicensed betting service, you’re realistically at no legal risk. That’s cold comfort for some, but it’s the reality of the Australian market.

If anything, the trend is toward more enforcement against payment providers. We’re likely to see more banks and exchanges voluntarily block transactions to known gambling operators. Crypto’s pseudo-anonymity makes that harder, but not impossible. Using a centralised exchange to transfer Bitcoin to a casino could eventually become a red flag.

Key Metrics That Separate a Great Crypto Casino from a Bad One

When evaluating any operator, I look at a few specific numbers. First, the average payout time reported by real users. If a casino says “instant” but players report 24-hour waits, that’s a red flag. Second, the house edge across its game library. The average RTP of slots from Hacksaw Gaming sits around 96.5%, while classic table games from Evolution can go up to 99.5% on certain bets. A casino that only offers high-volatility slots with a 95% RTP is going to drain your bankroll faster than one with a balanced mix.

Third, check the maximum withdrawal limits. Some crypto casinos cap monthly withdrawals at 5 BTC, which is still high enough for most high rollers. Others impose a measly 0.5 BTC cap, effectively forcing you to make multiple withdrawals and wait for each one. Compare that across the board — you’ll find that the top-tier operators offer at least 2 BTC per transaction, with no monthly limit.

Fourth, look at the KYC policy. A casino that only requires KYC when you withdraw over a certain amount (say, $10,000) gives you some privacy for smaller transactions. But a site that demands ID proof before the first withdrawal is a pain. Most AU players prefer a KYC threshold that allows them to cash out modest winnings without digging through old documents.

Finally, the availability of responsible gambling tools matters more than people realise. Self-exclusion, deposit limits, and reality checks aren’t just regulatory boxes to tick. They show that the operator has a sustainable business model, not a fly-by-night operation. If you’re planning to play long-term, choose a casino that actually offers these features and doesn’t just pay them lip service.

Player Experiences: What Australians Really Say

Head to any Australian gambling forum and you’ll find mixed reviews of crypto casinos. The consistent praise goes to platforms like Bitstarz and Stake for their fast withdrawals and responsive support. The complaints usually focus on bonus terms — specifically, how casinos apply wagering requirements to games that don’t contribute 100%.

Another recurring theme is the tax treatment of crypto winnings. In Australia, the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) treats gambling winnings as tax-free for casual players, but if you’re trading crypto for profit on a casino site, that may be considered a taxable transaction. The distinction is murky. If you deposit Bitcoin, win, and withdraw Bitcoin, the ATO may view the increase in Bitcoin value as a capital gain if you convert it back to AUD at a higher price. Check with an accountant before you assume you’re exempt.

Aussie players also report issues with some casinos that falsely claim to support PayID. As I noted earlier, PayID is a fiat rail, not crypto. If the casino only offers PayID as a deposit option and requires you to convert through their system, you lose the privacy benefits. A true crypto casino should allow direct deposits from any wallet without intermediate conversion.

Responsible Gambling in the Crypto Era

Let’s be brutally honest: crypto casinos make it easier to lose more than you intended. The lack of friction means you can deposit in seconds, with no bank notification, no credit card decline. That’s convenient and dangerous. Setting responsible gambling limits is even more crucial when the transaction feels as anonymous as handing cash across a table.

Good crypto casinos will let you set daily, weekly, or monthly deposit limits. Some, like Roobet, have a mandatory cool-off period if you’ve been playing for more than six hours straight. The better operators also offer reality checks that pop up every 30 minutes. If a casino doesn’t have these features, consider that a red flag at the same level as a missing licence.

Self-exclusion is trickier with crypto because you can easily fund a new account at another casino using a different wallet. The blockchain makes it possible to track if someone re-registers, but operators rarely share that data. The responsibility ultimately falls on the player. That’s not how it should be, but it’s the current reality.

Takeaway: Set your own limits before you start playing. Don’t rely on the casino to protect you from yourself.

What’s Next for Crypto Casinos in Australia?

By the end of 2026, two trends are likely to dominate. First, more crypto casinos will adopt Australian-specific features: AUD display, PayID integration (despite the privacy loss), and support for popular local altcoins like Ripple and Solana. Second, regulation will tighten on the payment side, forcing more players to use decentralised wallets or VPNs.

The brands that survive will be the ones that combine genuine crypto utility with a strong player-centred approach. Platforms like Bitstarz, Stake, and 7bit have already set the standard. New entrants will need to offer something better — either a more provably fair game library, faster payouts on lesser-known chains, or a genuinely original bonus structure.

If the Australian government follows Germany’s example and tries to regulate by imposing fines on offshore operators, the result will be a fragmented market where only the most security-conscious players thrive. That’s not a great outcome for consumer protection, but it’s the direction the political winds are blowing.

For now, the best strategy for Australian players is to stick to licensed crypto casinos with a proven track record, withdraw winnings promptly, and stay informed about the changing regulatory environment. The industry is still young. There will be more hiccups, more hacks, and more crackdowns. But if you play smart, crypto casinos remain the fastest and most flexible way to enjoy online gambling in Australia.

And if you’re ever in doubt about a casino’s legitimacy, remember this: a genuine operator will always have a clear, verifiable licence, provably fair games, and a support team that answers in under five minutes. Anything less is a gamble in itself.