Is it possible to play Spaceman for real money online in Australia? Not legally. Local and offshore providers can't offer online casino games, including Spaceman, to individuals located in Australia. This regulation is more significant for this game than any aspect of its settings, and this article discusses both.
How Spaceman works
Pragmatic Play announced Spaceman on 24 March 2022, marking the company's first crash-style game. The developer describes it as a social, multiplayer RNG game.
Symbols, reels and paylines aren't used here. After you place a bet, an astronaut launches and a multiplier increases on the screen. Cash out before the trip finishes and the current multiplier applies to your bet. You lose your wager if the trip finishes first.
| Detail | What Pragmatic Play publishes |
|---|---|
| Game type | Crash game |
| Released | March 2022 |
| Listed RTP | 95% |
| Maximum win | 5,000x the stake |
| Cashout options | Manual, custom auto-cashout, 50% auto-cashout |
| Other tools | Statistics, leaderboards, game history |
| Demo | Free demo on the provider's game page |
No stake range and no volatility rating are provided on the provider's page.
The 50% cashout
Most players enquire about this feature. Pragmatic Play's launch announcement states that the 50% cashout secures winnings for half your stake at the current multiplier. The remaining half continues flying and remains at risk. You can set it to trigger automatically at a multiplier of your choice, similar to how you can with the full auto-cashout.
Which RTP figure to trust
Three numbers are mentioned:
- 95%: the official game page from Pragmatic Play
- 95.50%: the rules for the game on one casino's site
- 96.5%: mentioned on some third-party websites
The 95% figure is the one to trust as the provider's listing. The 95.50% figure is found in the rules of an operator. This can reflect that operator's setup, and it doesn't prove that every copy of the game runs at 95%. No information from the provider supports 96.5%. The rules or info panel of any specific game instance provides the figure that is relevant to it.
Features Spaceman doesn't have
Certain pages that list games claim Spaceman includes free spins, wild symbols and cascades. These are mechanics found in slots and don't align with how the provider describes a crash game. Don't consider them features of Spaceman.
How Australia's rules change Spaceman
No provider may offer it to you
It is a crime to supply a banned interactive gambling service to people in Australia under Section 15 of the Interactive Gambling Act 2001 (Cth). Advertising such services is also forbidden by the Act. The ACMA includes online casino games, such as slots, on this list.
That means no real-money features of Spaceman can be legally offered to a person in Australia. This includes the 50% cashout, auto-cashout and manual cashout. An offshore listing isn't an Australian real-money offer, and neither is the free demo found on the provider's site.
No Australian stake cap or RTP minimum applies
No online casino is able to be licensed in Australia. The ACMA register for licensed providers only includes wagering services. So no Australian-licensed Spaceman exists with local restrictions on deposits, quick play, autoplay, round length, RTP, or stakes. Any page mentioning "Australian settings" for Spaceman refers to something that isn't real.
Blocked sites, and no regulator to help
ACMA may ask Australian internet service providers to block sites that advertise or provide illegal online casino services. ACMA also provides warnings regarding the risks of using such sites. You may receive no assistance from an Australian regulator if an illegal provider treats you poorly or withholds your winnings.
Who the offence applies to
The offences in the Act target providers rather than players. Guidance from ACMA for consumers emphasises the dangers of using illegal services. It doesn't state that a player commits the provider's offence simply by playing.
BetStop doesn't cover it
BetStop, the national self-exclusion register managed by ACMA, applies to licensed phone and online wagering providers. According to its official page, it doesn't cover other gambling services provided illegally in Australia or online casino games. You won't block access to Spaceman by signing up to BetStop.
Set your limits before you begin any legal gambling you do, and stick to them.