Online gaming is gaining popularity as the years go by. However, not all countries have legalized it. Thus, it is important to know the countries that allow you to access casino online sites to avoid breaking the law. Online gambling has a few different rules from physical casinos. Therefore, despite your county having land-based casinos, you should research to find out if your government allows online casinos. The legalization of online casinos is done due to various reasons, such as taxation and to regulate the activities that happen on the sites. The following are countries where casino online is legal.
The European Countries
Europe is one of the top continents that are progressive regarding online gambling laws. Some countries in the continent have legalized all online casino activities while some only allow a few forms of online gambling such as lottery or slots. Thus, you need to know your country's laws. For instance, in the UK, which is possibly the country with the biggest online casino market in Europe, a significant number of casino games are allowed. The country's online casinos are licensed by the United Kingdom Gambling Commission (UKGC). This regulator has licensed more than 200 online casinos and 800 sportsbooks.
UKGC is a renowned regulator that doesn't charge players when they win. Thus, when you play at a British online casino, you don't need to pay taxes. Also, they always protect players from scam sites. Finland is another European country that has legalized online casinos, which are regulated by three government organizations, which are RAY, Fintoto, and Veikkaus. Other countries include Germany, Italy, Denmark, Sweden, Belgium. Hungary, France, Spain, Switzerland, Poland, Russia, Malta, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Portugal, Norway, and Gibraltar, among others. Each of these countries has different regulation bodies with unique rules. Thus, you should learn more about your country's online casino legalizing body.
The Asian Countries
Asia is also another continent that has legalized online gambling sites using a wide array of regulatory bodies. The first country where online gambling is allowed is the Philippines. The country has legalized online sports betting, live casinos, poker, sportsbooks, and lotteries. The famous licensing body is the Philippines Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR). Kazakhstan is another Asian country that has allows playing on foreign online casinos as it hasn't legalized local sites. However, make sure that the international sites you use are also licensed. China, specifically in Macao, has also legalized online casinos which follow some rules:
- They have to pay a tax each month.
- Table games and gaming machines are only provided inside brick-and-mortar casinos.
Another Asian country that allows online casinos is Indonesia, which has only legalized online lottery. Other types of online casinos have been prohibited. Japan also has unique online gambling rules. The country has banned most online gambling activities by the Criminal Code chapter 23. However, players are allowed to bet on horse racing and motorsports. In Vietnam, only a state lottery is legalized. Other types of online casino games are prohibited. In India, players can only bet and participate in sports and national lottery activities. However, major gambling activities are allowed in the states of Sikkim and Goa.
The American Countries
Online casinos are common in North, Central South America. In North America, the US accounts for a significant percentage of players since online gambling is legal in nearly all states. However, each state has different laws, thus you need to learn the regulations of your state. Canada allows online gambling in some regions. Also, it is illegal to play on online casinos not legalized by the province. In Central America, countries that have legalized online casinos are Costa Rica and El Salvador. Mexico also allows online casino activities. In South America, countries that allow online casinos are Argentina and Peru.