Gambling by Country and Region

More information about online casinos by countries

This is why you can’t always sign up to whichever casino you want to, as they may or may not accept players from where you live. Finding a casino online that not only accepts players from your region, but also has your country as a main market, is always beneficial, and that’s exactly what we here at GoodLuckMate will help you find!

Find the best casinos by country

When you want to find a new casino online to play at the first thing you have to do is make sure that players residing in your country are eligible to play at that casino, and it’s best to make sure you’re also eligible to partake in any bonuses and promotions the casino has to offer. Opening hours for the support, along with the language options they offer, the licenses to operate in your country as well as the available currencies are some of the other aspects you should look into before deciding on a casino to play at. Use this checklist to make sure the casino has the services you’re after:

• Can you use your local currency to play? And what about cryptocurrency, do they support it?
• Which payment options are available for deposits and withdrawals, and are there any methods you can use without extra fees?
• Do the casinos have a license that covers players in your country, or are you playing without the protection of a gambling license?
• Are the support operating hours aligned with your time zone, do they offer support in your native language, and how can you contact them?
• Which game categories are offered? Do they have games from your favourite providers, in both the Casino and Live Casino, and what about Poker, Bingo and Sports Betting?
• Are players from your country eligible to take part in casino bonuses and promotions, and are there any extra benefits exclusive to your market?

The research required to find the perfect casino can be quite time consuming, but don’t fret! Our local experts at GoodLuckMate have tested and reviewed tons of casinos for you, so you don’t have to. Simply choose your country and find out which casinos are the best for players like you.

Gambling regulations around the world

There isn’t any one gambling license that can be used for players all around the world, as the gambling regulations differ for each country or market. In some countries it even varies from state to state as to which, if any, license a casino needs to obtain to be able to legally offer their services and products. This is why there isn’t any one casino that is open to all players no matter where they live, but some do accept players from almost all countries, even in countries where gambling is outlawed. 

In terms of licenses there are two main groups. The first one is a local license that is only valid for one country or state, and if that’s the case we call that country or state a Regulated Market. The other option is to be an Unregulated Market, and that would mean that there is no gambling license to be had. In addition to this, some casinos operate without any form of license, and that would mean it’s basically indulging in illegal gambling. Let’s have a closer look at these three different categories of casinos and licenses.

Casino license for regulated markets

More and more countries around the world are already regulated markets, and even more are following suit every year. This means they do allow online casinos to operate and offer their services to the residents of their country, as long as they follow all the regulations and rules when doing so. How strict all of these rules are will differ, as there are different aspects of online gambling that the country's gambling authorities have chosen to focus on. Some are focused on making sure they are getting their share of tax money from the casinos, while others are focused on responsible gambling, fair gaming and marketing, while others again have deemed data protection and online security to be the most important points of focus. Some, of course, focus on more or less everything.

In a regulated market, a casino will need to get a local license to be able to offer legal online gambling. They need to apply for this license, and once they have it, they will have to be very careful to keep it. The gambling authority can not only give the casino a license, they can also revoke it if the casino does not play by their rules. For you as a player the great benefit is that you’re protected by the laws and regulations of your own country as long as you play at a legal online casino that is licensed by the gambling authorities where you live. 

Gambling license for unregulated markets

Most people think of an unregulated market as a market or country where gambling online is illegal, but that is far from the case. In fact, in many cases these are the markets that are the most open to casino operators. Being unregulated basically only means that the country doesn't have any rules or laws of their own for online casinos, which means that they operate from another country. Most of these unregulated markets do however have rules for casinos operating in and from the country, but the rules are basically not up to speed with the online world of gambling. 

An unregulated market may in some instances block online casinos, usually with an IP or DNS block, from accepting local players, but for a lot of these countries this is not possible. As an example we can use the EU. Countries that are members of either EU or EEA, that do not have their own local license, can’t prohibit online casinos located in other countries, with a valid European gambling license, to offer their products. The Free Trade Agreement makes sure that it can’t legally be blocked. This means the online casino operators can roam more or less freely in the country, as it does not have laws to stop them, or to regulate them. This is perhaps the main reason why more and more countries choose to regulate their own market.

Licensed casinos that operate in unregulated markets usually have a license from Malta, Gibraltar or Curacao.

Operating without a license

Some casinos choose to operate without any license at all, or a license that isn’t valid for the countries they operate in. When this is the case, it’s in fact illegal gambling. In some countries though, this is the only option for players who want to gamble online. Many countries around the world, for different reasons, have prohibited all gambling, both online and land-based. Some examples of countries like these are Indonesia, the Arabic Emirates, and most states in the US. 

However, with the internet being what it is, it’s next to impossible to stop people from gambling. IP blocks and similar efforts are easy to get around with the help of a simple VPN service, so even in restricted countries the population can gamble as much as they please. A license will not be possible to use though, as no licenses will cover these markets. Therefore, the only option is to play without the protection of a license. This can be risky, and if you’re planning on participating at such a casino, you need to do your own thorough research first. Making sure the casino is as safe as possible, with an excellent player reputation is mandatory, as this is the only protection you’ll have if something were to go wrong.

Casinos around the world

Land-based casinos, gambling parlors or just a couple of physical slots and a simple bookmaker can be found almost everywhere in the world. No matter if people live in a great metropolis or a remote village – they gamble. Casinos aren’t found everywhere though, but wherever they happen to be they are frequently visited by both the local population and tourists alike, and where there are no casinos, people gamble at home. Remember, one of the most popular casino games ever, started as a game played on the streets and in back alleys. Yes, we’re talking about craps! Card games such as blackjack and poker are also played just about as much in private settings as at casinos. 

With the internet, gambling has become even more accessible for people, as the only thing needed is a device that has an internet connection and a web browser. As long as you have these two things, you can gamble. Even if your government prohibits online gambling, you can gamble. Where there’s a will there's a way is a common saying, and in terms of online gambling this is absolutely correct. Whether you live in a regulated market, an unregulated market, or in a market where online gambling is outlawed makes no difference at all, you’ll find a casino that will welcome you as a player. 

Finding your new casino online can be a bit of an ordeal since there are so many things you should check to make sure it’s the casino for you. Your buddies at GoodLuckMate have helped you out though, as we have done all the research needed to find the perfect gambling destination for you. Pick your country, read our casino reviews, and sign-up to enjoy online gambling – no matter where you are!