Where is online gambling legal in 2023?

Planning a new project requires deep, thorough research, where the first question (and we insist on it) should be “where will we operate?” 

What market to choose depends on many factors, among which is the level of experience of the operator, the size of the market and potential revenue growth, the language and preferences of players, but the most important factor is regulation, the legal status of the gambling industry, and the licensing process in the jurisdiction.

Even though gambling regulations across the globe change every year, Slotegrator constantly studies the topic and updates its audience about everything it might need to know.

Our experts prepared a list of countries where online gambling is legal today. To make it even more convenient, we sorted them by categories and continents. We’ve sorted them into four groups:

1. Countries where any online gambling operation is regulated locally and requires the local license
2. Countries where only local operators have to get licensed locally, and foreign companies can accept local players
3. Countries where foreign operators are not blocked
4. And those countries where online gambling is not regulated 

If you’re looking for a country and you don’t find it here, that means it’s in the fifth category — online gambling is illegal.

1: All gambling businesses must be licensed by the local regulator

These countries use the most comprehensive approach to online gambling regulation. Each operator (whether it is local or foreign) must acquire a license and fulfill certain legal requirements to offer its services in the country. These include providing player security, paying local taxes, and complying with advertisement regulations and other rules.

Africa: Mayotte, Reunion Island.

Asia: The Philippines (licensees may not accept locals), India, Georgia (land-based casino license required).

Europe: Austria (state monopoly), Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia (land-based casino license required), Denmark, Estonia, Finland (state monopoly), France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Poland (state monopoly), Romania, Spain, the UK, Gibraltar, Norway (state monopoly).

North America: Antigua and Barbuda, Guadeloupe, Panama, Virgin Islands (USA), Belize, Saint Kitts and Nevis.

Latin America: French Guiana, Argentina.

Oceania: French Polynesia, New Caledonia.

2: Local gambling businesses must be licensed by the local regulator, foreign gambling businesses can accept players 

Africa: Comoros, Gambia, Guinea, Mauritius, Rwanda, Seychelles.

Asia: Armenia.

Europe: Greece, Hungary (state monopoly), Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Portugal, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland.

North America: Aruba, Canada, Curacao, Dominica (licensees may not accept local players), Dominican Republic (licensees may not accept local players), Greenland.

Latin America: Falkland Islands, French Guiana, Suriname.

Oceania: Fiji, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands.

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 one at all. However, all local casino owners are required to undergo the local regulator’s licensing procedure and pay taxes to the local government.

3: Foreign gambling businesses 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 one.

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

Africa: Eritrea, Nigeria.

Asia: Azerbaijan, Brunei, Hong Kong, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Malaysia, Qatar, Singapore, Uzbekistan, Yemen, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan.

Europe: Cyprus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Czech Republic, Iceland, Luxembourg, Serbia, Slovakia, Monaco, San Marino, Belarus, Malta, Isle of Man, Liechtenstein, Nicaragua.

North America: Cayman Islands, Salvador, Mexico, Martinique, Saint-Barthélemy, Jamaica.

Latin America: Brazil, Uruguay (state monopoly), Venezuela, Trinidad and Tobago.

Oceania: American Samoa, Australia, Guam, New Zealand, Wallis and Futuna Islands, Cook Islands.

4: Gambling industry is not clearly regulated

This is a group of countries where online gambling, and often other verticals, is not regulated — it is not illegal in these countries, but there is no licensing process and no clear requirements. Regulations either don’t exist or don’t specify rules for the iGaming industry.

Africa: Ethiopia, 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.

Asia: Bangladesh, Mongolia, Myanmar.

Europe: Albania, Andorra, Faroe Islands, Kosovo.

North America: The Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, Costa Rica, Djibouti, Grenada, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Turks and Caicos, Saint-Martin.

Latin America: Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Falkland Islands.

Oceania: Kiribati, Micronesia, Nauru, Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, Samoa, East Timor, Tonga.

How can Slotegrator help?

Every country has its own attitude towards gambling and online casinos depending on cultural and religious background, economy, tourism, and many other factors. Some jurisdictions find it beneficial for the state economy and players’ safety to regulate the iGaming industry and define rules and conditions for this business. Others don’t have the capacity to organize the sector. 

It is always good to carry out detailed research before planning your operation. We suggest several informative sources from Slotegrator’s website to start with: Analytical articles and Video Academy to get market overviews, Industry news to follow up the latest changes in different regions of the world, and our Gambling regulations map.

The goal of this interactive map is to give basic understanding of the regulatory background of each country — click on the map and see if land-based and online gambling and betting are allowed there. In addition, it will link you to relevant articles, where the regulation and market are described in more detail.

Slotegrator is not only a developer of gambling platform and a gaming content aggregator, it also provides consulting services and helps to acquire gambling licenses. Contact us to learn more about how we can help you grow.