In terms of player base and revenue, the real money casino online is one of the biggest gainers from the online gambling industry during the pandemic. This resulted from the total shutdown (some still are) of traditional casinos and other physical gambling resorts as people were forced to adhere to strict social distancing regulations. With many brick-and-mortar casinos out of business, online gambling outlets easily became the go-to for many gambling enthusiasts. Players flock to these websites, such as Aus online casino real money or others, with the aim to explore different gambling options.
Thanks to the huge capital resources and technological innovation that has been going on in the online casino niche for quite a while, the online casino resources were able to meet and even surpass the expectation of these hungry gamblers – even retaining most of them post-covid. With interest in online casinos increasing every day, it makes sense to wonder about the legal implications of online casino games. Thus, this post will explore the global casino industry regulation and try to clarify if it is legal to play online casinos in your region or not. Let’s proceed!
Is Online Casino Gambling Legal?
Online casinos have many games that you can explore wherever you are: baccarat, roulette, video poker, blackjack, and craps, among others. Yet, questions surrounding the legality of this online betting niche continue to come up. Here is why. The laws of online gambling are pretty intricate, and the legal implication is not clearly stated as brick-and-mortar gambling. Also, ever-evolving legislation and conditions that differ from country to country and one jurisdiction to the other make it even trickier to give a straightforward answer to the question.
We say this because no international gambling laws govern online casinos operations. Therefore, the rules on online casino legality boil down to the location you’re playing from and its laws. Frankly, some countries have outlawed online casinos, while others have partial restrictions on online real money casinos. We have seen situations where online casinos are legal in one state but outlawed a few kilometers away in the next state. This is particularly common in the USA and Canada.
There are also instances where online casinos are permitted, but their operators need to obtain licenses, while in other cases, operators do not need to get a license to operate. So, again, it is all about what the law in a particular political space says about online casinos. Let’s go even deeper!
Restrictions Across Countries
All online casino websites are restricted by the countries where they are situated. As a result, they reserve the right to choose where to provide their services and the players’ nationalities that they can accept. So you must know the gambling laws in your country before playing for real cash on online casinos. But why do some countries and jurisdictions place restrictions on online gambling activities? Here are a few reasons why:
- To prevent addiction to gambling;
- To avoid money laundering;
- To keep a tab on taxation.
Countries that Outlaw Online Gambling
Several countries have outlawed online gaming services within their political spaces. The laws are so strict against online casinos that people who use VPN to bypass the restrictions have to face some punishment. Some of the countries that outlaw online casinos include:
- Russia
- Japan
- New Zealand
- Cyprus
- Brazil
- Cayman Islands
- the UK
- Spain
- France
- Australia
- China
- Thailand
Countries that Require a Gambling License
Some countries allow online casino operators to do business within their borders as long as they have a gambling license issued from the right regulatory body. The online casino operators also have to comply with the country’s tax rules for online casinos. Some of these countries include:
- The United Kingdom
- Sri Lanka
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Panama
- Reunion
- Georgia
- Ethiopia
In some other countries, the control over online casinos is limited to local regulations. As such, you’d find a lot of unregulated online casinos in such countries that are not subject to local laws. Some of the countries with this kind of system include:
- Greece
- Monaco
- Switzerland
- Sweden
- Portugal
- Slovenia
- Lithuania
- Montenegro
- Seychelles
Countries Without Restrictions
Interestingly, many countries across the world do not have any laws prohibiting the use of online gambling services. However, the issue with such countries is that the tendency for online casinos to be fraudulent or scammers are high because there are no regulations to check their activities. There are close to a hundred countries without restrictions on online casinos. Some of them include:
- Argentina
- Peru
- Bolivia
- Costa Rica
- The Bahamas
- Guatemala
The Role of Regulatory Gaming Bodies
There are other restrictions on players by both countries and the gaming sites (for those countries with restrictions over online casinos). All players on gaming sites must be at least 18 years of age in these countries. Underaged players that default may face some legal penalties. In countries where casino operators need a license before operating, regulatory gaming bodies enforce regulations in the gambling industry. As a result, online casinos looking to operate in such countries have to apply for a license from these bodies before operating legally there. In some cases, the licenses are location-specific and are not recognised outside that jurisdiction.
Yet again, regions worldwide have licensing authorities that issue valid licenses to online casino operators. Online casinos have to apply for a gaming license appropriate for that region in such situations. The implication is that some online casinos have multiple gaming licenses and can legally operate in different regions worldwide. Examples of such authorities are the UK Gambling Commission, Curacao eGaming Licensing Authority, Isle of Man Gambling Supervision Commission, Kahnawake Gaming Commission, Malta Lotteries and Gaming Authority, and the Gibraltar Licensing Authority. These licensing authorities also serve as authenticators because they only issue licenses to thoroughly verified online casinos that offer fair games and legal gambling activities.
Conclusion
There are no international laws on online casinos anywhere in the world. Different countries and jurisdictions have varying positions on the legality of online casinos. So before playing at an online casino, you must know what the local and federal laws say about online casinos.
It would be best to do this because the online gambling industry laws across countries are ever-evolving. As a result, what might have been permissible by law a while back might be a criminal offense today.
