Welcome to OnlineGamblingLaws.com, your #1 go-to digital source for learning about global gambling laws. If you need quick, reliable and up-to-date information on currently enacted gambling legislation pertaining to both casino, racing and sports betting in your country, we have everything you need right here to keep informed.
Online casino and sports betting laws in your country
International gambling laws are incredibly complex to summarise because there is not one single piece of legislation that applies to all players in all countries. The fact is every nation around the world approaches casino gambling, sports betting and race betting differently; some openly embrace it, while others heavily restrict it. Every country has their own national laws which apply and regulate online gambling, but to make things even more complicated, many states and regions within the same country may have additional local gambling laws which exist solely to address provincial issues.
Confused? That’s where we come in.
Our two main goals here at OnlineGamblingLaws.com is to offer:
- The most comprehensive guides on all things related to Internet casino gambling, racing and sports betting.
- A reliable news source to keep readers informed on the latest legal and regulatory updates, amendments and reforms affecting global online gambling industries.
Many sites on the Internet present conflicting or outdated information when it comes to the legality surrounding placing an online real money bet on your computer or mobile phone. We are a bit tired of it, so we have made our own easy-to-navigate site to accommodate the high level of requests. Whether you want to confirm the currently enacted betting legislation in your country, or want to know which gambling sites are trusted enough to place your real money bets – or even just want to brush up on rules or how to even place an online wager – we aim to have you well covered with quick answers and regular news updates on all developments.
How online gambling laws affect you
Before betting any real money at any gambling website on your computer, laptop, smartphone or tablet, you must first research and understand the legislative and regulatory framework which handles how online gambling works in your country of origin. It is not optional – it’s 100% necessary if you want to gamble online safely, and more importantly, legally.
Despite this, know it is incredibly rare for Internet gambling to be illegal on the part of the player. Many laws which outlaw gambling in some countries target the gambling website operator rather than the players, which means it is not illegal in the majority of cases to bet online. A handful of countries around the world have established organisations dedicated to auditing, licensing and regulating online casino websites operating within their jurisdiction – to ensure fair play, proper payouts and responsible gaming practices. These groups are what we refer to as an advanced gambling jurisdiction, also referred to as licensing authority or online gaming jurisdiction.
For an Internet-based online casino, sportsbook or other digital betting venue to lawfully provide interactive gambling services to players, it needs to have a proper gaming license from government-approved licensing authorities and/or advanced gambling regulation organisations – and base its operations within the state and overarching jurisdiction itself.
You can tell if an online casino or sports betting site is licensed by a legitimate regulation authority if they openly advertise their gaming license documentation on their website; this is so potential sign-ups and long-time customers can have peace-of-mind in knowing they subjected themselves to regular auditing and regulation to obtain it. Of course, not all regulation authorities and jurisdictions are as stringent or reputable, so it is up to you, the player, to do your homework.
Online casino gaming licenses and regulation authorities
Anyone who gambles online needs to identify and know the most trusted jurisdiction licensing bodies which ensure betting sites and Internet casinos are safe places to wager your money. Online racing and sport betting operations are usually regulated at a state and territorial level, while the majority of the most popular and successful Internet-based casinos fall under the following jurisdictions, which are some of the most well-known and reputable groups globally:
- Alderney Gambling Control Commission
- Curaçao e-Gaming
- Gibraltar Betting & Gaming Association
- Isle of Man Gambling Supervision Commission
- Malta Gaming Authority
- United Kingdom Gambling Commission
Click on any of the individual links above to learn more about these vital regulation groups, as well as they protect players from other countries. Even if you are playing at an offshore-based casino or sportsbook, so long as they are licensed by one of the aforementioned groups, you’re generally safe to wager your money at that digital venue.
Why are online gambling laws so complicated?
The gambling industry’s rapid expansion into Internet-based wagering models and the growing popularity of online casino, racing and sports betting versus once traditional wagering venues has not proven to be a smooth transition. Many countries are playing catch-up with the rise of digital-based casinos, sportsbooks and other gambling-related venues (online bingo sites and lottery distribution channels, for example) and are enacting new legislation almost every other week to address the changes. Oftentimes these new laws or updates are not very effective, or make gambling on the World Wide Web overly restrictive.
With several ambiguous or decades-long outdated gambling laws still active in countries such as Australia or India, it can be quite hard for the average bettor to figure out the answer to the simple question – is it legal to bet online? The short answer is yes, it is – but it depends on your region’s local laws.
Australia
Online betting and gambling in Australia is governed by the Interactive Gaming Act (IGA) of 2001, which was proposed to be updated in 2017 with the Interactive Gambling Amendment Bill. Under current IGA legislation, online casino websites are completely banned from operating within Australia and cannot advertise their services to Australian residents: it specifically prohibits companies from providing real money “interactive gambling services to Australians unless the person holds a licence under the law of an Australian state or territory.” This includes online poker and casino games. Due to loopholes in its wording, Australian residents have been able to openly play at offshore-based gambling sites licensed in overseas jurisdictions for years without issue as the national laws target operators and not Aussie citizens, but the recent amendments passed in Australian parliament in 2017 may soon make it harder for Aussies to do so.
Online racing and sports betting, meanwhile, is completely legal in Australia so long as bets are placed prior to the beginning of a sporting or racing event – as live in-play betting is prohibited by the IGA. Amendments passed in the the 2017 reform bill further prohibit online bookmakers from providing ‘click to call’ in-play wagering services for its players. There are several state licensed bookmakers operating in the country with two key laws applying to all online sports betting operations: You must be 18 years old or older to gamble at an Australian-licensed bookmaker, and the bookmaker operator must request and verify proof of identity documents from all customers who sign up and bet with then. Many more licensing laws vary from state to state, further complicating things for the average punter. Online lotteries and keno are legal in Australia and similarly state-licensed.
Read our specialised guide on Australian online gambling laws for more detailed information.
Canada
Online betting and gambling in Canada is governed by different laws and legislation dependent on the province, with the overarching 1892 Criminal Code Act prohibiting most forms of gambling and definitively banning online casino sites operating within the country’s borders from accepting bets from Canadian residents – unless they have a state-approved license to do so. Consequently, it is governmental provinces who operate their own Canadian online casinos and lottery sites which are allowed to service Canadian citizens. The Sports Selection group is also government backed and runs the legally allowed sports betting outlets, under different names between provinces.
If Canadian players are looking for non-government approved options, they will be happy to know they can bet at online and mobile casinos, lottery sites, sportsbooks and bingo sites freely so long as they are based offshore and not within Canadian borders and licensed in the foreign jurisdictions they are located in.
Read our specialised guide on Canadian online gambling laws for more detailed information.
United Kingdom
Online betting and gambling in the United Kingdom is legal, well regulated and much less restrictive than other countries. Since the establishment of the United Kingdom Gambling Act of 2005 and the United Kingdom Gambling Commission, the country has successfully licensed regulated all aspects of Internet gambling. The wagering industry is booming, with several UK-based online casino and sportsbook sites legally operating in Great Britain, and several other offshore operations legally catering to UK residents after being licensed and audited by the UKGC.
The United Kingdom Gambling Act is clear and straightforward, with the government having the power to issue licenses to gambling operators as well as hand out fines or take away licenses if the sites in question do not comply with the law or meet their strict standards. The Act ensures three objectives: “preventing gambling from being a source of crime or disorder, being
associated with crime or disorder or being used to support crime; ensuring that gambling is conducted in a fair and open way; and protecting children and other vulnerable persons from being harmed or exploited by gambling.” Combined with the stellar reputation of the United Kingdom Gambling Commission who conduct rigorous tests to ensure fair payouts and responsible gaming practices, many UK citizens enjoy top choice when it comes to quality online casinos and sportsbooks.
Arcades, bingo, slot machines, land-based casinos and sports betting venues, lotteries, and keno are all handled by the UKGC in addition to online gambling. The Gambling (Licensing & Advertising) Act 2014 also imposes a 15% point of consumption (POC) tax on gross profits of off-shore gambling operations who apply for a licence from the UK Gambling Commission to legally service UK residents.
Read our specialised guide on United Kingdom online gambling laws for more detailed information.
United States of America
Online betting and gambling in North America is governed by the Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act (UIGEA) of 2006, which had a massive impact on Internet-based wagering in the USA and was enacted to cover areas and new platforms not considered by the Wire Act of 1971 – specifically the World Wide Web. It did not make online gambling illegal, but it banned American banks and financial institutions from processing transactions related to online betting payments. Any American citizen who attempts to process deposits or withdrawals for the purpose of online gambling would have their transfers blocked; many gaming and wagering sites stopped accepting American players soon after to avoid any potential legal issues.
Despite the strict legislation, many online casino websites and poker sites continue to service players within U.S. jurisdictions today, often encouraging American sign ups to use less traditional digital deposit and withdrawal methods like Bitcoin, e-Wallets and pre-paid cards to process payments for Internet betting without issue. Many of these gambling sites are located and licensed in offshore gaming jurisdictions like Curacao and Malta, which means they adhere to foreign laws and operate outside of the U.S. and aren’t breaking their laws. In the past four years, the states of Delaware, Nevada, and New Jersey have since made online gambling legal, and the debate rages on among other state governments as to the current stance on digital gambling.
Read our specialised guide on American online gambling laws for more detailed information.