Legality of online gambling varies between nations and states, some prohibit all forms of online gambling activities while others regulate them.
Gambling can have detrimental repercussions for society if left unregulated, leading to addiction and possibly criminal activities.
North America
Online gambling has quickly become an internationally popular pastime, accessible from computers with Internet connections in multiple languages and currencies and easily accessed using any computer without leaving home to place wagers. Not all casinos, however, are regulated; some are even considered illegal by certain countries.
North American online gambling primarily takes place in the US. Although gambling online is legal under federal law, many banks do not process payments for gambling sites due to fears of fraud and chargebacks.
Some parts of Asia prohibit online gambling; however, some players seek to bypass this ban with VPN technology in order to avoid detection and avoid breaking the law. It is wise, however, to become acquainted with the legality of online gambling before starting to play and review any Terms of Service agreements before creating an account.
Europe
European Union laws regarding online gambling don’t dictate one standardized set of regulations across each nation, leaving each one to regulate this industry in their own unique ways and creating a variety of approaches and regulations for regulation purposes.
France, for instance, has three primary gambling regulating bodies: Pari Mutuel Urbain regulates horse racing and betting games; Francaise des Jeux governs lotteries; ARJEL oversees online gambling. Italy takes a more liberal approach and allows licensing of online casinos and poker; Germany however remains more restrictive but some states have made obtaining an iGaming licenses easier in recent times.
One factor that differs across countries is how they regulate advertising. Some have partial bans while others allow only specific forms. It is essential that you research each country’s regulations carefully in order to avoid fines or penalties for infringing upon them; as well as looking for European online casinos approved by regulators such as the UK Gambling Commission.
Asia
Asian markets present enormous potential for iGaming, yet present unique obstacles. Many Asian nations prohibit or have severely restricted gambling laws.
Malaysia, for instance, features a dual legal system consisting of Sharia courts for Muslims (over half the population) and secular law courts for non-Muslims – with the latter taking a more relaxed stance towards gambling than its Muslim counterpart.
Brunei, however, is a Muslim country which prohibits all forms of gambling – this includes cryptocurrency gambling. To skirt around this ban, online gambling operators such as Dafabet and W88 have hired Chinese nationals as marketing agents and customer support reps in order to bypass it – even sponsoring English Premier League teams so as to attract the Chinese market with shirt sponsors for Chinese language shirt fans like Dafabet or W88; their strategies have proven successful as their growth in Brunei shows; however they must adhere to local regulations when conducting business in Brunei.
Oceania
Oceania is a region in the South Pacific Ocean that encompasses multiple nations and islands, most prominently Australia, New Zealand, and Papua New Guinea. Oceania boasts diverse inhabitants with varied cultures who thrive through trade agreements between these three nations; with flourishing import/export economies making this an attractive market to do business in.
Some countries in Oceania have banned online gambling while others impose strict regulations. Furthermore, Oceanian legalities regarding gambling can frequently change and it’s vitally important that you remain up-to-date on this field.
Australia presents a complex set of circumstances when it comes to online gambling. While its laws prohibit gambling websites from accepting payments from Australian citizens, their operations continue without interference from government authorities. There are restrictions in place around promoting casinos; anyone caught doing so faces prosecution under Australia’s National Gambling Policy Act 2003. In New Zealand however, promotion of gambling activities is prohibited via legislation called the Gambling Act of 2003.