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Players need all the help they can get when choosing which online casino is the right one for them. Check these tested and reviewed online casinos for suggestions. Different countries have different legal frameworks when it comes to casino gaming.
There are such countries where casinos do exist, but gaming is not permitted outside the casino locations. Also, in some countries citizens are not allowed to play casino games, only tourists.
The Issue of Legality
Legality of online casino gaming has been the topic of many fierce debates all over the world. Legalization of online casino gaming has some opposition, but there are many groups organizations that support it. The main line of reasoning is that people who want to play casino games will find ways to do so, even if it is illegal.
Therefore, it is much better for online casinos to be licensed and regulated, so that the state can have control over casino gaming and even receive additional tax money. That is one some of the largest countries in the world have legalized online casino gaming.
These are some of the larger countries where it is legal for citizens to play casino games online:
- The United Kingdom
- Australia
- Canada
- South Africa
- Spain
The United Kingdom
The United Kingdom has a long-standing tradition when it comes to casino gaming and betting and is usually regarded as one of the countries with liberal legislation. Real money casino games in the UK are permitted and the industry, as a whole, is completely regulated.
The UK Gambling Commission is a governmental body which is in charge of online casino gaming. The current law that regulates online casino gaming in the country is the Gambling Act which has been passed in 2005.
The UKGC issues and revokes licenses which allow casino operators to offer services to UK citizens. Its responsibilities include protection of minors, preventing casino gaming from being associated with criminal activities and ensuring that all operators are transparent about the software they use and offer fair pay-outs. The legal online gaming age in the UK is 18 years.
Australia
Australia is known for being the country with the highest number of slot machines, or pokies as they call them, per capita. In fact, if we judge by the size of population, Australia has five times more slot machines than the USA.
Online real money casino gaming is also legal in the country. It is regulated with the Interactive Gambling Act which was passed in 2001. Most restrictions are concerned with the operators and what they can and can’t offer, rather than the citizens.
Technically the law prevents companies located in Australia from offering real money casino games to Australian citizens, but it doesn’t prohibit Australians from placing online wagers at casinos that don’t operate from within the country.
That is why most Australian online players check whether a casino is licenced and regulated in a country which is reliable. Each Australian state has its own regulatory body that is in charge of online casino gaming.
Canada
Regulating casinos and casino gaming in Canada is left to the provinces, which can be a bit tricky, as the internet doesn’t even recognise country borders, let alone provincial ones. However, to give you the short answer, Canadians are not prohibited from playing real money casino games.
Many casino operators offer wagering in Canadian dollars and accept Canadian players. Many casino gaming operators are actually located in Canadian Kahnawake native territory and are regulated by the Kahnawake Gaming Commission.
As of recently, there are few provinces in Canada whose governments operate their own online casino websites, thus making it perfectly legal for citizens of those provinces to play online. As far as the legal age is concerned, in most provinces it is either 18 or 19 years old.
South Africa
There has been a lot of changes regarding the legal status of casino and playing real money casino games in South Africa. Currently, the Gambling Act of 2004 and its Amendments that have been enacted later state that it is illegal for an online casino operator to be based in South Africa.
However, this doesn’t mean that South African players are prohibited from casino games online. There are no consequences for them if try their luck at some of the international online casinos. Many online casinos accept deposits made in South African Rands.
Spain
Spain was running a bit late behind other countries when it comes to online casino gaming legalization, but today it is completely legal for Spaniards to play real money casino games online. In 2010, a commission was created and that body is now in charge of online casino gaming in the country.
A new Gambling Act was enacted in 2011 which definitely legalized online sports betting and casino gaming in the country. There might not be that many casinos that accept Spanish players, but online casino gaming is allowed.
Other Countries
In fact, it can be said that even though there are cases where the laws could be a bit clearer, online casino gaming is legal or at least not prohibited in many countries of the world. It is legal to play online casino games in most countries that are members of the EU, including:
- France
- Italy
- Germany
- Denmark
- Norway
- Sweden
- Finland
Online casino gaming is also legal in many South American and African states. Countries in Eastern and South-eastern Asia are renowned online gaming destinations and it is also legal to play casino games in New Zealand. The United States of America is a separate case and online casino gaming in legal in only few states.
