Although the internet has a global audience, there is not a single piece of legislation that covers the legality of online gambling and online casinos for the entire world. As you probably already know, each region has its own set of rules, laws, and regulations that you as a citizen need to obey by.
Generally, every nation has its own take on the subject of online gambling and online casinos. Some parts of the world tend to embrace online casinos, while others do everything in their power to ban it entirely.
Like pretty much every other aspect of human lives with varying and restrictive laws, the internet is changing things pretty quickly. It doesn’t come as a surprise that online casinos continue to grow in popularity. Some of the main reasons being:
- Convenience
- Accessibility
- Variety
The biggest problem that every gambler enthusiast faces is figuring out whether it is legal or illegal to do gambling activities in their country. The truth is that there are plenty of regions where online gambling and casinos fall into something of a gray area.
For instance, Canadian law doesn’t prohibit gambling via the internet, but it requires a service owned or licensed by a provincial government to be considered legal. As you may already know, Canadian online casinos are pretty popular. They make it very easy to safely and legally enjoy a pleasant and relaxing casino experience from the comfort of a players’ home.
Can I Play at an Online Casino if My Country is Restricted?
As you already know, the digital space is filled with all kinds of gambling sites that operate under different kinds of licenses and regulations, depending on the region. So, it’s very much possible that some regulations restrict you from accessing specific online casinos because your country doesn’t allow them.
In general, if you live in a “restricted” country, you as a player can not sign up, access some games to win real money or deposit. Now, some countries can be entirely restricted while others can be partially restricted.
Depending on how much your country is or isn’t restricted, some players will not be allowed to access the bonus offers, and others will not be able to access instant withdrawal casinos, and so on and so on.
With all this in mind, the message you should take from this is that you need to find out whether your preferred online casino has been restricted before signing up and playing casino games. The last thing you want is to get into some legal trouble when your intentions were pure from the start.
The UK
As of June of 2021, online gambling is legal in the UK and regulated by the Gambling Commission. There are a myriad of games that fall under the jurisdiction of the Gambling Commission, from poker and bingo to sports bettings.
One interesting fact about online gambling in the UK is that you can cash out your winnings without paying taxes. Yes, you read that correctly. Online gamblers don’t pay taxes in the UK, which honestly makes it one of the best places in the world to gamble online.
Australia
If there’s one thing that can be said with certainty, it’s that Australians are some of the most dedicated gamblers in this world. It is estimated that at least 80% of the population has gambled at least once and that the average player spends over $1200 per year on casino games as well as sports bettings.
Finally, once you double-check if online gambling is legal in your region, the first and most important thing you must do is ensure your safety online. Cyber-attacks are very real. There are plenty of scammers and cybercriminals out there, so you must be extra careful.
