In 2019, the global online gambling market was valued at EUR 53.7 billion and we expect an increase with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.5% from 2020 to 2027.
The Internet has become a global communication platform and allows traders to offer their services in the digital marketplace. Trends suggest that the growth of service consumption in the global virtual market has increased by 28.0% annually over the last decade.
With the increasing use of the internet, the growth rate of online casinos has increased significantly. In addition, the growing awareness of the latest technologies and the increase in disposable income of individuals are expected to stimulate market growth.
Before starting an online gaming project, the first question that every operator should ask themselves is which markets to choose, in which countries can it operate freely and where should it go through the licensing procedure?
To help you select markets, our experts have prepared a list of countries where online gambling operations are legal.
Depending on the approach to gambling regulation, countries are divided into 4 groups.
1. Countries where foreign online casinos are not blocked:
| Continent | Countries |
| Africa | Eritrea, Nigeria |
| Asia | Azerbaijan, Brunei, Hong Kong, Japan, Kyrgyz Republic, Laos, Malaysia, Qatar, Singapore, Uzbekistan, Yemen |
| Europe | Cyprus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Czech Republic, Iceland, Luxembourg, Serbia, Slovakia |
| North America | Cayman Islands, Salvador, Mexico |
| South America | Brazil |
| Oceania | American Samoa, Australia, Guam, New Zeeland |
Local authorities that regulate the gambling market do not apply legislative requirements in these countries. Foreign gambling sites may be authorized in any jurisdiction or, in general, may operate without a license.
However, we must mention that gambling is not necessarily legal in these countries.
2. Countries where gambling websites must be licensed by the local regulator:
| Continent | Countries |
| Africa | Ethiopia, Mayotte, Reunion Island |
| Asia | Georgia, Sri Lanka |
| Europe | Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Spain, UK |
| North America | Antingua and Barbuda, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Panama, Saint-Barthelemy, Saint-Martin, Virgin Islands (USA) |
| South America | Falkland Islands, French Guiana |
| Oceania | French Polynesia, New Caledonia, Wallis and Futuna Islands |
These countries use the most competent approach to regulating online gambling. Regardless of the location of the operators, they must obtain a license and meet certain legal requirements in order to operate gambling. The conditions are equal for all and everyone is obliged to pay taxes to the budget in order to have the right to work legally. Otherwise, his activity will be blocked.
3. Countries where just the local gambling sites require a license from the local regulator. Foreign platforms can work without licensing:
| Continent | Countries |
| Africa | Comoros, Gambia, Guinea, Mauritius, Rwanda, Seychelles |
| Asia | Armenia |
| Europe | Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Moldova, Monaco, Norway, Montenegro, Portugal, San Marino, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland |
| North America | Aruba, Belize, Canada, Curacao, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Greenland |
| South America | – |
| Oceania | Fiji, Vanuatu |
These countries have no legal requirements from foreign sites. Thus, a foreign operator can be authorized in any jurisdiction and, in some countries, can operate without a license. However, all local casino owners are required to follow the local regulatory licensing procedure and pay taxes to the local treasury.
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4. Countries with no restrictions for the gambling sites at all:
| Continent | Countries |
| Africa | 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, Macau, India, Mongolia, Myanmar, Tajikistan |
| Europe | Albania, Andorra, Belarus, Faroe Islands, Gibraltar, Isle of Man, Kosovo, Liechtenstein, Malta |
| North America | Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, Costa Rica, Djibouti, Grenada, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Nicaragua, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Turks and Caicos |
| South America | Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay, Venezuela |
| Oceania | Cook Islands, Kiribati, Micronesia, Nauru, Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, East Timor, Tonga |
This is the largest group of countries and many of them do not regulate gambling activities at all.
Conclusion:
To sum up the classification of the countries:
- there are 32 countries that prohibit local operators from working without a license, but those gambling sites that operate from abroad can easily offer their services to local residents. For example, Seychelles, Armenia, Dominican Republic, Greece, Monaco, Norway, Canada, Sweden, Switzerland, etc.
- there are 32 countries that allow online gambling only with the local license. For example, Austria, Denmark, Finland, France, the UK, the Netherlands, Romania, etc.
- there are 28 countries that prohibit locals from gambling and block sites of local gambling operators. However, foreign platforms can work freely, even if they have no license. These states are either unwilling or are not able to prevent them. For example, Australia, Brazil, New Zealand, Mexico, Japan, Singapore, Nigeria, etc.
- there are 93 countries that do not prohibit online casinos and do not license them. For example, Bolivia, Uruguay, Venezuela, Bahamas, Argentina, Egypt, Kenya, Tunisia, Kosovo, Gibraltar, etc.
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