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?

1. Gambling Legal Countries
2. What Countries Have Legal Gambling
3. Countries Where Casinos Are Illegal
4. Online Casino Legal Countries

. Types of Legal Gambling: Along with casino gambling at the Casino du Liban, a national lottery and a regulated online sports betting site are also legal. Regulatory Bodies: The Lebanese government regulates gambling through monopolies, allowing only the Casino Du Liban to offer land-based gambling, while La Libanaise des Jeux is the only company permitted to offer betting online.

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

The government of Australia has set out laws that govern gambling within the country. Gambling is legal in most South American countries, although not in all of its forms. In Brazil, for example, only horse racing and lotteries are legalized. Online gambling at foreign websites is also allowed throughout most of South America, and some countries even. Of the five most populated countries - China, India, United States, Indonesia, and Brazil - only the U.S. And India have licensed casinos, and there are only a few in India. Of course, China is a major feeder market for other Asian gambling jurisdictions including the special administrative region of Macau, the Philippines, and South Korea. 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.

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.

Countries where foreign online casinos are not blocked:

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:

Gambling Legal Countries

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:

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:

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

Online gambling laws around the world

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.

What Countries Have Legal Gambling

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.

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.

Online betting is the process of placing real money wagers on sports, casino games, poker or other games of skill or chance through the internet or mobile/tablet. Each country and state within that country or territory may have specific laws pertaining to online betting. Please use this guide for the laws to the most prominent countries where gambling thrives with or without laws.

North America

Land-based sports betting, poker rooms, and commercial/Indian casinos are legal in some, or several, states.

Online poker is legal in three states, casinos in two states, while sports wagers is illegal on the federal and state level.

Poker rooms, casinos, and placing parlay sports bets only are legal at designated land-based locations.

Countries Where Casinos Are Illegal

Playing poker over the Internet is illegal, as well as placing sports and casino bets. However, many people in Canada play at legal offshore websites.

Middle East / West Asia

One of the most strict countries when it comes to gambling, both online and offline.

All forms of gambling are deemed illegal, with exception to land-based sports betting, which includes online and land-based casinos and poker as well as internet sports bets.

Wagering on horse races is the only legal form of gambling allowed.

Betting on casino games, sporting events, or poker is illegal although many Pakistanians bet over the Internet at legal sites based in other countries.

Despite over 1.3billion people, the largest growing middle class in the world and increased awareness of sportsbetting it is Federally illegal to bet in India – but like the U.S. a large portion still participate.

Outdated (100+ year law) about gaming allows many Indians to overlook the law, but banking deposits and withdraws are what hold back this betting industry.

Wagering on horse racing is allowed while all other forms of gambling are illegal, both online and offline.

All gambling activities are outlawed by the Lebanon government, with authority to block sites from Internet Service Providers.

All forms of gambling, both online and offline, are illegal in Brunei and they are in the process of increasing the penalties for violating this law.

Online Casino Legal Countries

Currently, all forms of gambling are illegal but this may change in the near future. There are politicians running for office that want to legalize gambling in their country.

The current gambling laws make it illegal to bet on casino games, poker, and sporting events. Although the country tries to block offshore online bookies, many Qatari people are successful in using this method to place bets on their favorite games.