Legal Online Gambling
Now that the evolution of online casinos has reached its peak, the issue of legislation has become as important as concerns about the safety of internet sites.
Despite this, there are still no distinct international laws governing legal online gambling, although most countries worldwide have made significant progress in regulating online casino activities.
How Legislation Works Worldwide
In general, each country is responsible for implementing its own gambling policies within its territory. However, certain trends can be observed in how online games like blackjack or slots are regulated across different regions:
European Union and its members
There is no unified set of laws for all EU members. Each country has the right to decide whether to allow or ban legal online gambling.
The majority of countries, including France, Austria, Norway, and Denmark, have legalized online casinos as long as they hold relevant licenses and provide adequate security for players.
On the other hand, while the UK has legalized all forms of online gambling and welcomes casinos from foreign jurisdictions, such as Gibraltar, others like the Netherlands only permit state-operated casinos.
Eastern-European Countries (non-EU members)
Policies in these countries generally support legal online gambling, although some politicians have proposed abolishing online casinos.
The United States
Federal laws regulating online gambling are limited. The industry is largely governed by the Federal Wire Act of 1961, which deems gambling via telephone or internet illegal.
However, each state has its own legislation and decides whether to permit online casinos. Nevada is the most lenient, while Utah is the strictest.
Australia and New Zealand
Gambling laws in Australia and New Zealand allow online casinos that are licensed within these countries.
It's Never Enough
All things considered, despite the progress made in legalizing online casinos, misunderstandings and controversies remain. For instance, US citizens often cannot play online roulette on many international sites. Clearly, further developments in legal online gambling are needed.