Casino Legal Countries

Appearance and fast development of Internet has led to a forthcoming of particular life things that as a result became an inherent part of our daily routine. Most people couldn’t stand before gambling games and even laws that prohibit gaming business are not able to overcome a gambling passion. As it appeared, approximately a half part of mankind is able to enjoy online gambling in different variations legally in the generally accepted legal age of 18.

The government of Australia has set out laws that govern gambling within the country.

Millions of gamblers all over the world are the best evidence of rash online gambling evolution. The improvement of new technologies made online casinos more available for those people who have never dreamt about it. There are currently approximately 70 – 80 world countries where online gambling games are legalized and prospered.

Play or Not to Play - Gambling Law Question of Gamblers Worldwide

Casino Legal Countries

Online gambling is one of the advanced and profitable spheres in a global net but not all countries implement it. For that reason in many countries, the online gambling industry is
in great demand and in other countries officials keep it under lock and key. If you think of becoming a global frequent client of online casino you have to remember about online gambling regulations in different countries and, of course, in your homeland. In today’s globalization and integration of international business each country has its laws that in a general way determine the object of the gambling industry.

Online gambling is gaining huge popularity as an entertainment source and, most importantly, as an income source for the punters. The reason behind the rapid growth of the industry is the legalisation of gambling. Multiple countries have recently. SuperCasinoSites is here to help you navigate the maze of gambling laws in some of the biggest markets in the world, including the UK, the USA, and Canada, among others. Here you can find thorough information about the gambling regulations in your country alongside any possible prohibitions you may have to comply with.

The policy of the countries according to online gambling regulation can be divided into several versions:

  • Absolute embargo. In this case, there is legislatively fixed restriction in online gambling. However, offline casinos can be legalized.
  • Partial restriction. Let us suppose, betting offices and totalizers are permitted, but cards game and roulette are forbidden.
  • Indirect restriction. In Belarus President's Edict clearly indicates what gambling games can be permitted. But there is no online gambling in the list. Nevertheless, booking offices are permitted to take online stakes and in that way to pay winnings.
  • A tacit agreement. There is no particular law and penal policy of a government. Everybody pay taxes and nobody touches them.

A nightmare of gambler is to find him in a country with illegal online gambling

Online gambling business has substantially taken his stand as the profitable industry and weirdness of his regulation. It is really getting tough for offline casinos that work hard to cut down and restrict Internet use for gambling. But it is just a fight with the windmills.

Online casinos are illegal in 39 countries. So if you are a traveling gambler, firstly check the “black list” of countries before getting into the unfortunate situation.

COUNTRIES RESTRICTED TO PLAY ONLINE CASINO:

In 93 countries situation is more interesting and online gambling is neither prohibited nor permitted. Such territories called “gray” or “hanging”.

HANDING COUNTRIES:

Japan, Canada, and China are relentless foes of online gambling legalization and up to date, wage the war not only against online casinos but also internet banks that support gambling industry.

Russian legislation forbids the activity of providing and organizing gambling games with the application of information-telecommunication systems, including Internet. But there are no restrictions for making bets on foreign gaming resources.

In Lybia, online gambling is compared with a witchcraft or black magic and has criminal responsibility.

Countries of the Muslim world, including Turkey and Egypt, are strictly prohibited playing any gambling game because of laws of the Koran.

The strongest online gambling hit was made by the USA where authorities released a prohibition of unhappy memory called UIGEA that forbids gambling companies to make any money transactions via Internet. In consequence of law- breaking there is an administrative and criminal responsibility (5 years of jail). Many foreign casinos refuse Americans in online gambling participation. However that may be, there is the biggest amount of gamblers in this country.

What Countries Have Legal Gambling

Each state provides its own policy and online gambling legality can be considered from different points of view. In some US states, gambling games are outlawed. In Nevada legislation permits online gambling inflexibly controls this sphere and gets taxes.

European loyalty and favor to online gambling as a guarantee of efficient benefits

Countries

As a rule, the first reaction on new modern ideas in society and technologies is a reaction of European countries including online games. European online gambling regulations are in developmental stage. While the whole world, headed by the USA, tries to find out new methods of combating with online gambling, European countries mind up the decisions for profitable benefits.

Online gambling in the UK is due to a perfect legislative regulation, reasonable tax assessment system and an old history of online gambling. Up to date, online casinos in the UK are permitted in the presence of online gambling licenses from the “white list countries”.

For Italy such games as online roulette, poker, blackjack etc. are absolutely legal but with several limits. For example, fixed limitations on monthly money loss and, in the case of limits reaching, the access to online casino is blocked.

Eastern Europe has a great potential of online gambling development in such countries as Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and the Czech Republic. Ukraine is also getting a perspective direction in the development of online gambling games. However, in Poland, the government recognizes online gambling as an illegal affair in order to protect gamblers that unconsciously pour money down the drain.

Legal

Gibraltar and Malta are two European countries which called “tax paradise” for online gambling games as there are no limits for its development. Malta was the first country that regulated the law of online gambling. Nowadays the popular online casinos, poker rooms, and betting offices use the licenses of this country. The popularity is explained by low taxes, easy licensing and perfect control system of giving out services. Gamblers here are safe and sound as the reputation of those countries is allowed to trust their funds to companies with secure licenses.

As you can see, European views of online gambling problem are substantially different. And to this day is hard to understand the authorities of some countries that try to take care of their citizens or financial part of this issue. Why do not adopt the experience of countries that luckily regulate online gambling and receive quite good incomes to the budget?

Online gambling is not as black as it painted

On a global basis, controlled and adjustable online gambling business represents a quite nice outlook. The distinctive feature of gambling is an application of latest technological elaborations. Somewhat exactly online gambling galvanizes improving technologies, burnishing it and testing permanently in order to enhance the quality of software. That’s why authorities in different countries come to understanding that necessity of online gambling legalization is not only important but also economically advantageous for countries development.

Gambling Legal Countries

Before opening an online project, every operator primarily asks the question: what market to choose? Where can I operate freely, and where do I need to go through the licensing procedure?

Slotegrator examined this question. Our experts prepared a list of countries where online gambling operation is legal.

To make it even more convenient, we sorted them by continents. It includes not only those countries subject to certain requirements and where online gambling is regulated by law. There are also those countries where online gambling is neither regulated nor prohibited.

Online gambling availability in the World 2021

Depending on different approaches to gambling regulation in the world, all countries are divided into 4 groups.

Gambling legal countries

Countries where foreign online casinos are not blocked:

AfricaAsiaEuropeNorth AmericaSouth AmericaOceania
Eritrea
Nigeria
Azerbaijan
Brunei
Hong Kong
Japan
Kyrgyz Republic
Laos
Malaysia
Qatar
Singapore
Uzbekistan
Yemen
Cyprus
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Czech Republic
Iceland
Luxembourg
Serbia
Slovakia
Cayman Islands
Salvador
Mexico
BrazilAmerican Samoa
Australia
Guam
New Zealand

The local regulators do not apply any legislative requirements in these countries. Foreign gambling sites can be licensed in any jurisdiction or generally operate without it.

However, it should be noted that gambling is not necessarily legal in these countries.

For example, the Cayman Islands completely prohibit gambling, while the local residents are liable for participation in gambling. The fact that foreign online casinos are not blocked now can only be explained by the inability of regulator to do this. And if the online gambling is not legalized, blocking of foreign sites is just a matter of time.

Countries where gambling websites must be licensed by the local regulator:

AfricaAsiaEuropeNorth AmericaSouth AmericaOceania
Ethiopia
Mayotte
Reunion Island
Georgia
Sri Lanka
Austria
Belgium
Bulgaria
Croatia
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Italy
Netherlands
Poland
Romania
Spain
UK
Antigua and Barbuda
Guadeloupe
Martinique
Panama
Saint-Barthélemy
Saint-Martin
Virgin Islands (USA)
Falkland Islands
French Guiana
French Polynesia
New Caledonia
Wallis and Futuna Islands

These countries use the most competent approach to online gambling regulation. Each operator (whether it is local or foreign) must acquire a license and fulfill certain legal requirements. Conditions are equal for all. Everyone is obliged to pay taxes to the budget. Only in this case, the operator has the right to work legally. Otherwise, the online resource will be blocked.

The following countries require a license of the local regulator only for the local gaming sites. Foreign platforms can work without it:

AfricaAsiaEuropeNorth AmericaSouth AmericaOceania
Comoros
Gambia
Guinea
Mauritius
Rwanda
Seychelles
ArmeniaGreece
Hungary
Ireland
Latvia
Lithuania
Macedonia
Moldova
Monaco
Norway
Montenegro
Portugal
San Marino
Slovenia
Sweden
Switzerland
Aruba
Belize
Canada
Curacao
Dominica
Dominican Republic
Greenland
-Fiji
Vanuatu

As in the first group, these countries do not apply any legal requirements to foreign sites. A foreign operator may be licensed in any jurisdiction and, in some countries operate without it at all. However, all local casino owners are required to undergo the licensing procedure of the local regulator and to pay taxes to the local treasury.

Slotegrator offers licenses for legal operation in different markets. We help to obtain gambling licenses from Curacao, Malta, Isle of Man, Kahnawake, Belize, Gibraltar, and Alderney.

The following countries have no restrictions for the gambling sites at all:

AfricaAsiaEuropeNorth AmericaSouth AmericaOceania
Angola
Benin
Botswana
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cameroon
Cape Verde
Central African Republic
Chad
Congo
DR Congo
Egypt
Equatorial Guinea
Gabon
Ghana
Guinea-Bissau
Côte d'Ivoire
Kenya
Lesotho
Liberia
Madagascar
Malawi
Mali
Morocco
Mozambique
Namibia
Niger
Sao Tome and Principe
Senegal
Sierra Leone
South Sudan
Swaziland
Tanzania
Togo
Tunisia
Uganda
Western Sahara
Zambia
Zimbabwe
Bangladesh
Macau
India
Mongolia
Myanmar
Tajikistan
Albania
Andorra
Belarus
Faroe Islands
Gibraltar
Isle of Man
Kosovo
Liechtenstein
Malta

Bahamas
Barbados
Bermuda
Costa Rica
Djibouti
Grenada
Guatemala
Haiti
Honduras
Jamaica
Nicaragua
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Turks and Caicos
Argentina
Bolivia
Chile
Ecuador
Guyana
Paraguay
Peru
Suriname
Trinidad and Tobago
Uruguay
Venezuela
Cook Islands
Kiribati
Micronesia
Nauru
Northern Mariana Islands
Palau
Papua New Guinea
Samoa
Solomon Islands
East Timor
Tonga

This is the largest group of countries. Many of them do not regulate gambling activities at all.

Online gambling laws around the world

Countries where casinos are illegal

Today almost every country has its own rules regulating the land-based gambling. However, the situation with online gambling is more ambiguous. As can be seen, the attitude towards local and foreign operators differs fundamentally from country to country.

In the European Union, for example, the operators of the foreign gambling sites are subject to the requirements of the EU law. However, not all countries agree that foreign operators don’t pay taxes to the local treasury. Contrary to the requirements of the EU, they put the foreign operators under own regulations forcing them to obtain a local gaming license and pay taxes to the local budget. Among these countries France, Germany, Italy, etc.

The second reason for the different attitudes to local and foreign operators is that many countries (especially those not technologically advanced) simply do not have the resources or tools to prevent foreign companies from operating in their territories.

Follow the Ukrainian gambling industry legalization and development. Find more about the legaization process, roles of gambling lottery commission and how to start your own casino in Ukraine.

Summing up the availability of online gambling around the world:

  • 32 countries prohibit the local operators from working without a license, but those gambling sites that operate from abroad can easily offer their services to local residents. Among them, the following countries: Seychelles, Armenia, Dominican Republic, Greece, Monaco, Norway, Canada, Sweden, Switzerland, etc.
  • 32 countries allow online gambling only with the local license. For example, Austria, Denmark, Finland, France, the UK, the Netherlands etc.
  • 28 countries prohibit locals from gambling and block sites of local gambling operators. However, foreign platforms can work freely, even if they have no license. These states are either unwilling or are not able to prevent them. For example, Australia, Brazil, New Zealand, Mexico, Japan, Singapore, Nigeria, etc.
  • 93 countries do not prohibit online casinos and do not license them. They include Bolivia, Uruguay, Venezuela, Bahamas, Argentina, Egypt, Kenya, Tunisia, Kosovo, Gibraltar, etc.

Countries Where Casinos Are Illegal

Slotegrator offers everything gambling operators need to launch and expand online casino and sportsbook projects. The company offers a wide range of products, including White Label online casino and sportsbook platform development, game content, betting data feeds and payment systems integration. Slotegrator also provides legal consultancy and administrative assistance for gambling license acquisition and regulatory compliance.