It’s quite astonishing how some countries differ from others, even when they are in relative close proximity to each other. Law is a funny thing, passed down through history, cemented in the public’s perception and assumed to be the ultimate truth.
For instance, throughout much of the world, alcohol is legal and widely available, yet in some Middle-Eastern countries, a single drink can land you a jail term. In Singapore, people in possession of chewing gum are fined heavily and in Greece, codeine based painkillers, which are widely available OTC throughout Europe, aren’t even available on prescription. All these countries and all their people assume they have things right, but others would disagree.
One of the laws that changes the most from country to country is the law concerning online gambling. This is because there are usually so many loopholes associated with it. In the US gambling is mostly illegal, but there are sites that claim to be legal for US players, purely because they are based overseas. In many Scandinavian countries and in Canada and Australia, it is illegal for locally based online casinos to operate, yet nothing is done to stop the influx of International casinos that cater to players in those countries.
With so many different laws, it’s not always easy to understand what is legal where, and to understand whether signing up for an online casino or sportsbook is legal in your country, or whether it’s legal if you travel to that country and signup to your gambling account when you’re there. In this guide we aim to clarify the gambling laws around the world. We will expose loop holes in the United States, answering the question of whether you really are as safe as many gambling sites promise. We will look at the many grey areas of the Australian gambling law, a country that gambles more than any other, but one that has some very convoluted laws. We will find out what recent tax laws in the UK mean for all of its gambling population and the sites that they use. And we will unravel the relaxed Canadian gambling laws, revealing why this is becoming a hot spot for gamblers south of the border.
Online gambling raises a lot of questions and a lot of problems for governments, even those who have typically taken a relaxed standpoint on gambling. This is because it operates in a completely different way, making it difficult for governments to monitor and regulate, and making it impossible for them to tax. They can generate tax revenue from bookmakers and casinos, and because the gambling industry is a multi-billion dollar one, there is a lot of tax money available. However, with many online gambling sites based overseas, where there are no local tax laws to abide by and no tax men to pay, the governments don’t get a look in. This means they have to stand back and watch as their tax-heavy casinos empty because more and more people are turning to online casinos created by outside influences.
Not surprisingly, this annoys them. This means that even in countries like Canada, where gambling is mostly legal, there are plans in motion to try and change the online gambling industry. For instance, they are doing their best to actively ban online gambling unless it is offered by a locally based and locally regulated site — one that just happens to be paying tax. The same is happening in Australia, where it is actually illegal for local online casinos to operate. Here though, they seem to be acting under the guise of problem gambling, an issue that affects more Australian than it does any other nationality. Of course, problem gambling is a huge issue in Australia, but when the government is focusing too much on online gambling sites based overseas, and seemingly ignoring the many slot machines installed in pubs and clubs, and the many casinos that litter the country, then you have to question their true motives.
If you look at the biggest gambling sites in the world, there is one thing they all have in common. They might attract customers from all over, with a large percentage of Australian, Canadian and European members flocking to their doors, but all of them are based on small islands. This has nothing to do with the sunshine and the palm trees, and everything to do with the tax laws. They are there to avoid big corporation taxes, to avoid paying small percentages of every bet to the governments of the countries they appeal to.
Betfair was founded in London and many people believe they are still located there. However, they are actually regulated by the Malta Gaming Authority, operating out of the small island nation of Malta. The same goes for Betway and Bet365. And then you have companies like SkyBet, which is regulated in the Channel Islands. What’s more, all of the sites that claim to offer legal gambling to US customers are based in countries like Costa Rica and Panama. Again, this is not a coincidence, and as a gambler it pays to understood just why these sites are based in those countries, just why they feel the need to ship their staff and their services overseas.
In this guide we will answer all of those questions and more, telling you everything you need to know about gambling in specific regions and opening your eyes to a diverse, rich and ever-changing industry.
