Countries with Legalized Gambling
Currently, there are more than 70 countries with legalized gambling. Many of the jurisdictions in which they operate may be familiar to you, such as Antigua and Barbuda, Kahnawake, Isle of Man, Netherlands Antilles, Costa Rica, the UK, Gibraltar, and Malta.
Among the countries that permit gambling online, you will find:
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In recent months, several countries have begun the process of legalizing online gambling and these include:
- Argentina
- Mexico
- Asian countries such as Taiwan, Singapore, and South Korea
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Considering that online gambling is a billion dollar industry, more countries are looking to legalize gambling as a way to add much needed revenue. Countries who are allowing the opening of land-based casinos are doing so to increase tourism, thus adding to the revenue needed to cope with the global economic downturn.
As countries continue to debate the question of legalized gambling, many grass campaigns have been formed in an effort to let lawmakers know that consumers are not only for legalized gambling, but that it is their right to play online regardless of the country or operator that operates the casino.
Two countries that have been pushing the EU to legalize gambling are Denmark and the UK. Recently, the French enacted new legislation legalizing online gambling, even though the law has more restrictions than the UK. In Spain and Italy, for example, their government lotteries have been very profitable and it will be interesting to see if they come on board to enter the world of online gambling.
It should be noted, however, that all countries have their own gambling laws. While some are fully engaged in the online gambling world and welcome operators without many restrictions, other countries only allow casino sites that operate strictly within their countries. Some allow these operators to host gambling sites but prohibit their own countrymen to gambling online. Still some allow their citizens to gamble online but do not allow the sites to operate within their countries.
Time will surely tell if legalized gambling will continue to increase revenue for countries who are struggling at the moment. Just as there are debates ongoing in the US, we are certain that many more countries will re-examine their current gambling laws while others remain on the cusp of enacting laws to legalize gambling. It is a new year and a new decade that we think will hold many surprises for us all!
