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Online gambling is on the rise, with so many companies offering incredible selections of online casino games and similar entertainment. Setting up an online casino is demanding, and one of the most important is the legal aspect. The legal restrictions and allowances are vital from many points of view, especially considering the jurisdictions, the licensing processes, and the unrestricted access for people. So, we at Gambling ‘N Go have done in-depth research, and here we bring you the key things to know about where online gambling is legal and what the legal status is in different countries.
- 70 countries in the world have regulated online gambling markets; 32 of these allow online gambling sites to operate in the country only under a local gambling license;
- 62 countries don’t have any type of regulation regarding online gambling, allowing their residents to join any online casino they want
- 64 countries don’t allow any legal online gambling for their residents; 28 of these do not prosecute their residents for joining international online casino platforms.
Gambling Legislation Overview
Every country in the world has its own laws and regulations regarding gambling, whether it is land-based or online gambling. It is closely related to the country’s culture, politics, economy, and legal system. Because regulations change often, it may be challenging to keep up with the changes, which is why here we cover the types of online gambling markets that you can find:
Legal & Regulated Online Gambling
Legal and regulated online gambling refers to the countries where there are government regulations and laws that allow online casinos to provide their services. It refers to the country establishing a legal frame that allows its residents to join a licensed online casino and play casino games. There are two options regarding the regulated online gambling markets: the residents can join any online casino they want, regardless of where it is seated, and the other is where the residents can only join an online casino platform that is licensed by the country.
Credit: Nomini
Non-Regulated Online Gambling
Non-regulated online gambling refers to countries where the government does not have any special regulations regarding online casinos, but they also don’t prohibit these. At the time of writing this text, there were 62 non-regulated online markets, meaning that people from these countries can freely join international online casino platforms to play their favorite casino games. The advice we can give here is to only join safe online casinos. as these ensure you’ll have a good gambling experience.
Prohibited Online Gambling
When we are talking about prohibited online gambling, we are referring to countries where there is no legal way to start or register an online casino company, and access to online casinos is relatively forbidden. In most cases, it is illegal to join an online casino, and it is unlawful to open an online casino company. We say it is relatively forbidden, as some countries will take legal action against a resident who is caught visiting an online casino site, while other countries will not prosecute their residents for such action.
Countries Where Online Gambling Is Legal
Now that we’ve covered the definition, we’ll list the countries where you can legally join an online casino and play your favorite casino game. Please note that some countries allow their residents to join any online casino they want, while others only allow this for online casino platforms that have a local license.
| Continent | Country |
|---|---|
| Africa | Angola, Chad, Comoros, Eswatini, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Mauritius, Rwanda, Nigeria, Reunion Island, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, |
| Asia | Armenia, Philippines (not for local residents), India, Georgia (for land-based casinos), |
| Europe | Austria (state monopoly), Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland (state monopoly), France, Estonia, Germany, Greece, Hungary (state monopoly), Italy, North Macedonia, Belgium, Poland (state monopoly), Romania, Spain, the UK, Gibraltar, Norway (state monopoly), Latvia, Croatia, Lithuania, Moldova, Montenegro, Portugal, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, Ireland, Netherlands |
| South America | Brazil, Colombia, Argentina, Suriname, Venezuela, French Guiana, |
| North America | Antigua and Barbuda, Virgin Islands, Belize, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Aruba, Canada, Dominica (not for local residents), Dominican Republic (not for local residents), Nicaragua, Panama, United States of America |
| Asia-Pacific | New Zealand, French Polynesia, Fiji, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands |
Countries With Non-Regulated Online Gambling
As we noted, non-regulated or unregulated gambling markets mean that the country does not have specific laws allowing or forbidding access to an online casino platform. Because of the lack of regulating laws, many online casinos operate with varied licenses and sometimes even without a license. The residents of these countries have found it appealing to join different online casinos and play the offered games:
| Continent | Country |
|---|---|
| Africa | Benin, Botswana, Burundi, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Congo, Djibouti, DR Congo, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Morocco, Madagascar, Mozambique, Niger, Namibia, Sao Tome and Principe, Swaziland, South Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Western Sahara, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe |
| Asia | Mongolia, Sri Lanka, |
| Europe | Andorra, Kosovo, Faroe Islands |
| South America | Bolivia, Guyana, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru, Paraguay, Falkland Islands |
| North America | The Bahamas, Bermuda, Barbados, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Grenada, Haiti, Honduras, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saint Lucia, Saint-Martin |
| Asia Pacific | East Timor, Kiribati, Micronesia, Nauru, Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, Samoa, Tonga |
Countries Where Online Gambling Is Prohibited
The countries where online gambling is prohibited don’t allow the establishment of an online casino platform, and as such, they generally don’t allow access to international or offshore online casinos. However, many people from these countries have found a way to join an online casino, like through the use of VPN services or TOR, cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, or alternative payments.
| Continent | Country |
|---|---|
| Africa | Algeria, Egypt, Guinea-Bissau, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Tunisia |
| Asia | Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Iraq, Iran, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, the Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Qatar, North Korea, Oman, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Syria, Tajikistan, Thailand, Turkey, Turkmenistan, the UAE, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Yemen, Malaysia |
| Europe | Albania, Cyprus, Iceland, Russian Federation |
| South America | Chile, Ecuador, French Guiana, Uruguay, Trinidad and Tobago |
| North America | Cuba, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Puerto Rico, Turks and Caicos Islands, Curacao |
| Asia-Pacific | Australia, Tuvalu |
Credit: 20Bet
USA Online Gambling Laws
We are mentioning the legality of online gambling in the USA in a separate section, as the situation is not as straightforward as in other countries. Because the laws of the country are divided under federal and state laws, the different states have varying laws related to online gambling. The table below shares the current situation and online gambling per state:
| Legal Online Gambling | Prohibited Online Gambling |
|---|---|
| Michigan, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Delaware, New Jersey, Connecticut, Nevada | Texas, Utah, Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Rhode Island, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Alaska, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Washington, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, New Mexico, South Carolina, North Carolina, North Dakota, South Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming |
FAQs
Where can I find out if online gambling is legal in my country?
You can follow the list above to check out which table your country is listed in, or you can check the local laws of your country.
What does it mean for online gambling to be non-regulated?
Non-regulated online gambling means that the specific country does not have any specific law related to online gambling. The government also does not implement any regulations or licenses for establishing an online casino platform in the country, and the country’s residents can freely join different online casino platforms.
Can I gamble online if gambling is non-regulated in my country?
If online gambling is non-regulated in your country of residence, you can freely gamble online on your chosen online casino platform, as you are not breaking any local laws. For example, gambling is allowed in some Arab countries, some don’t have regulations, while it is strictly forbidden in others, which is why you must check the best Arabic casinos and learn more.
How can I access an online casino if I live in a country where online gambling is banned?
We don’t advise you, nor do we approve of breaking any laws regarding online gambling and access to online casinos if you live in a country where this is forbidden. However, some people use TOR and VPNs to change their IP address, join an online casino, and use crypto payments as alternatives to bank payments.
What US states allow online gambling?
At this time, only 7 US states legally allow online gambling, and these are New Jersey, Michigan, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Delaware, Connecticut, and Nevada.
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