Online casino legal status by country
Is online casino legal in your country?
This site lists the legal status of online casino in 33 major markets worldwide. Each verdict is sourced from the official national licensing authority or government legislation of that country.
Markets: 33
Legal: 19
Monopoly: 4
Prohibited: 9
Unenforced: 1
What makes online casino legal in a country?
Online casino is legal when a government issues licences to private casinos or designates a single state-controlled casino to serve residents. Each country here is assessed against its own national licensing authority. A market is marked Yes only when a domestic legal framework exists and is actively enforced. Verdicts are sourced from official .gov registers and national legislation.
| Verdict | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Yes | Private casinos may hold a local licence and legally serve residents. |
| Yes / monopoly | Only a single state-controlled casino is permitted. No private licences are issued. |
| No | No licensing framework exists. Online casino isn’t explicitly criminalised but isn’t regulated either. |
| No / illegal | Online casino is explicitly prohibited by national law or criminal code. |
| No / unenforced | Illegal locally, but the law is largely unenforced. |
Europe
Yes
Online casino is fully regulated by the UK Gambling Commission under the Gambling Act 2005. Casinos must hold a UKGC remote gambling licence.
Yes
The Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland was established under the Gambling Regulation Act 2024. Betting licences come first, online casino licensing follows in a later phase. Until then, casinos serving Ireland hold licences from other European regulators, most often the MGA.
No
Online casino remains illegal under the 2010 Act. Sports betting, horse racing and poker are licensed by ANJ.
Yes
Under the Federal Act on Gambling 2019, only Swiss land-based casinos can extend their concession to online play, supervised by the Federal Gaming Board, ESBK. 10 online casinos were authorised in March 2026. Foreign sites are blocked.
Yes
Online casino requires an A+ licence, tied to one of the 9 Belgian land-based casinos. Each casino can hold only one, so there are 9 at most.
Yes
Malta is a regulated B2C market. The MGA has around 290 B2C licensees.
Yes
ADM regulates online casino under a concession model. The November 2025 reform introduced a new round of concessions.
Spain
DGOJ
Yes
DGOJ regulates online casino under Law 13/2011. Licensed operators are listed in the DGOJ public register.
Yes
The State Treaty on Gambling 2021 created a federal framework. The GGL licenses online slots nationwide. Table games and live dealer are a Bundesland matter, Bayern and Schleswig-Holstein only.
Yes
KSA regulates online casino under the Remote Gambling Act 2021. Licence holders are listed in the KSA public register.
Sweden
Spelinspektionen
Yes
Spelinspektionen regulates online casino under the 2019 reform.
Denmark
Spillemyndigheden
Yes
Spillemyndigheden regulates online casino since 2012.
Yes / monopoly
Österreichische Lotterien holds the sole online concession, operated on win2day and running to 30 September 2027. Casinos Austria runs the 12 land-based Spielbanken. Supervision sits with Finanzamt Österreich, not the ministry.
Norway
Lottstift
Yes / monopoly
Norsk Tipping holds the state monopoly on online casino. A licensing reform debate is ongoing.
Yes / monopoly
Online casino games are a state monopoly under the 2009 gambling act. Totalizator Sportowy runs the only licensed site. Poland also penalises the player, with a fine under the fiscal penal code and a charge equal to 100% of the winnings.
Latin America
Brazil
SPA
No
Online casino has been banned since October 2026 by a provisional measure signed on 25 September, ending the regulated market opened in January 2025. Licensed sites went offline on 6 October. Congress will decide whether the ban becomes permanent.
Colombia
Coljuegos
Yes
Coljuegos was the first Latin American regulator to license online casinos in 2017. Licensed operators are listed in the Coljuegos register.
Argentina
LOTBA
Yes
Regulation operates at provincial level. Buenos Aires Province and Buenos Aires City run the largest licensing frameworks. Cordoba and Mendoza also issue licences. National framework remains absent.
Mexico
SEGOB
Yes
SEGOB regulates online casino under the 1947 Federal Gambling Act and 2004 regulations. Licensed casinos must partner with established land-based permit holders. Modernisation reforms have been debated for years.
Chile
SCJ
No
Online casino remains unregulated. A bill creating a licensing framework has been discussed in Congress since 2022 but hasn’t progressed to a vote.
Asia
Japan
MOJ
No / illegal
Online casino is criminalised under the Penal Code, Article 185.
India
MeitY
No / illegal
The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act 2025 came into force on 22 August 2025, banning all real-money online games nationwide. Penalties up to INR 1 crore and 3 years imprisonment. Supreme Court is reviewing constitutional challenges.
Philippines
PAGCOR
Yes
PAGCOR regulates online casino through Internet Gaming Licensee status. Domestic licensing continues for Filipino residents.
Singapore
GRA
Yes / monopoly
Singapore Pools holds the sole online casino concession. All other sites are blocked. The Gambling Regulatory Authority oversees compliance under the Gambling Control Act 2022.
South Korea
MOEL
No / illegal
Online casino is criminalised for residents. Only Kangwon Land allows Korean nationals to gamble at land-based level.
Oceania
Australia
ACMA
No / illegal
Online casino is prohibited under the Interactive Gambling Act 2001. Sports betting and lottery are permitted.
New Zealand
DIA
Yes
The Online Casino Gambling Act 2026 commenced on 1 May 2026. Up to 15 licences are allocated through a competitive auction: expressions of interest from July 2026, an auction in September 2026, then licence applications from October 2026.
Africa
South Africa
NGB
No / unenforced
Online casino is criminalised under the National Gambling Act 2004. The Remote Gambling Bill 2024 proposes legalisation but hasn’t been adopted.
Kenya
BCLB
Yes
BCLB licenses online casino under the Betting, Lotteries and Gaming Act. Licences are renewed annually.
Nigeria
NLRC
Yes
NLRC issues online gaming permits under the National Lottery Act. State-level regulators in Lagos and other states issue parallel licences, creating an overlapping framework that has been referred to the Supreme Court.
Morocco
MDJS
No
MDJS holds a state monopoly on sports betting and lottery only. Online casino has no licensing framework. Land-based casinos operate under Dahir No. 1-65-206 but online casino remains unregulated.
Middle East
United Arab Emirates
GCGRA
Yes
The General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority was established in 2023. The first online casino licence was issued to Play971 in late 2025. One licence per emirate.
Turkey
BTK
No / illegal
Online casino is criminalised under Law No. 5651. Iddaa, the state-controlled sports betting brand, is the only legal channel.
Affiliate disclosure
This site contains no affiliate links. If that ever changes, we’ll say so.