Belize – Online Casinos & Gambling Regulations
Belize is a popular destination for gamblers. One of the reasons for this is the relaxed gambling laws that the country has, especially in comparison to some other countries in Central America. The country is home to three very popular brick and mortar casinos and those who live there can also select from a wide range of different online casinos thanks to the fairly relaxed gaming laws. The country attracts players from other countries, most notably the USA due to its prime location, enjoyable climate, and range of gambling options.
Find the Best Belize Casino Online
Online gambling is legal in Belize and there is a wide range of casinos available for players who live there to choose from. You can never have too much of a good thing, but sometimes, knowing which casinos to play at can be a tricky decision. As well as knowing whether or not a website is safe, you will also want to know what kind of games and offers they have, and whether or not you can even register there. At GoodLuckMate, we have made it our mission to find the best casinos available for players in Belize. To do that, we have used several criteria to determine which sites are worth playing and which ones should be avoided. If you are in doubt about one yourself, then you should also apply the same questions.
- Can players that are located in Belize register with the site?
- What license does the operator have?
- What safety and security techniques does the casino use?
- What software developers do they work with?
- What games do they have? Is there a live casino?
- What currencies are accepted at the casino? Do they accept cryptocurrencies?
- Are there any reviews from other casino players online?
- Are players from Belize able to take part in welcome bonuses and other promotions?
With such a variety of different casinos available, it can be tricky to know which ones are safe to play at and which ones aren’t. At GoodLuckMate, we have spent hours researching and reviewing the best online casinos for our readers to play. Our reviews provided information on licensing, gaming options, bonuses, and promotions, and much more.
Gambling Regulation – Gaming Control Act
There are two main pieces of legislation that have an impact on gambling in Belize. These are the Computer Wagering Licensing Act of 1995 and the Gaming Control Act of 2004. In Belize, two types of gambling licenses can be handed out – a standard license and an exclusive license.
All other forms of betting are legal in the country as well. This includes sports betting, poker, and bingo. Bingo is actually very popular in the country, though, there are no online bingo sites licensed locally. However, many international bingo sites do operate there.
The country is very relaxed with its gambling laws in general and many online international casinos with different licenses are welcomed there. As such, players have plenty of safe options when playing in the country. If the casinos are not licensed by Belize then they may hold a license from somewhere like Curacao, which is a popular license among international casinos. There is also likely to be some unlicensed casinos operating due to the relaxed laws so players will need to be vigilant with these.
Localized Online Casinos
The main language that is spoken in Belize is English, and as such, players should have no problems finding casinos that they are going to be able to play at. With gambling laws being so relaxed in the country, there are many popular online operators who will welcome players from there. These will often also allow the players there to claim any welcome bonuses or promotional offers. It is important that visitors check in the site’s terms & conditions to see if there are any geographical restrictions in place first though. The only problem players are likely to encounter is if they attempt to visit a casino where there are restrictions in place.
Gambling with the Belizean Dollar
Gambling is fairly big business in Belize and given that there are some domestically licensed casinos, these will accept the Belizean dollar as currency. Most international casinos will not, however, and are more likely to operate in bigger currencies like the United States dollar or the euro. Cryptocurrencies are becoming increasingly popular in online casinos though, and they provide a great option for players from countries without accepted domestic currencies. There are several cryptocurrencies that operate in Belize that could be a great option for locals.
Casinos in Belize
Belize is a popular gambling destination in Central America. One of the reasons for this is its proximity to the United States and its easy gambling laws in comparison to theirs. Many Americans will travel to Belize to gamble, with the country being home to three fantastic brick and mortar casinos. Tourists also enjoy taking advantage of the country’s relaxed laws on bingo and sports betting, the former of which is also very popular among the locals on the island and is featured quite prominently on TV channels.
The online gambling scene is also popular in Belize. The Computer Wagering Act and the Gaming Control Act both allow for the licensing of online casinos in the country and international casinos that are not licensed in Belize are also welcome there. As such, the online gambling market in the country is very diverse, especially compared to many of its neighboring countries, which tend to have stricter regulations. Players can choose from sites that offer a range of different gaming and betting options.
Of course, there are always going to be some questionable online casinos around, that’s why we recommend you check out the GoodLuckMate list of top casinos, as well as our reviews elsewhere on the site so that you can be sure you are only playing in the best of the best.
Dispute resolution – can I get help from a third party?
A gambling license is intended to protect players, and one of its main functions is to provide a mechanism for resolving disputes when they come up. If you have a dispute with a casino, and the casino is being unreasonable, the gambling authority will help you. For many licenses, this means you can contact the gambling authority to get help processing your withdrawals, claiming money the casino has debited from your account, or resolving other disputes that might arise. The likelihood that the gambling authority will help you in ways that are effective, however, depends on the procedures they have in place for this. This is yet another reason why choosing to play at a casino that has a safe license is important.
Getting help directly from the gambling authority is not always necessary, or even an option. A lot of regulators have now enforced third-party dispute resolution. This means casinos must have an agreement with an arbitrator who will look into disputes on the behalf of players from a particular casino. This ensures your dispute will be reviewed by an objective third party. All trusted online casinos have information about arbitration on their websites if they use this option, or they’ll have the contact information for the gambling authority you should consult. However, you should always try to resolve your issues with the casino first, and a lot of casinos have separate email addresses specifically for handling complaints.
Secure payments – can I trust a casino with my money?
If you’re worried about the security of the transactions you’re making at a casino, you should look for a logo with the acronym PCI DSS. This stands for Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard, and this is something the payment industry has created. If you see this logo, it means the casino can be trusted for safe money transactions since they follow all of the rules set by the payment industry. Information about this can also be found in an FAQ section on the casino’s website.
Another thing to look out for in terms of payments is where your money is kept while you play. Some gambling authorities, all of the best ones actually, regulate what the casino can do with your money while they are holding it. Your money shouldn’t go into a general bank account held by the casino; it should go into an account that is strictly for holding player funds. This means that as long as you have the money in your player account, it can’t be spent by the casino. Your deposit will be kept separate from the operating funds of the casino until your player account is empty, which will happen if you make a funds withdrawal or if you lose the money while playing.Fair gaming – do the games give me a fair chance to win?
The best known system tool for ensuring that a casino offers fair games is eCogra; however, there are other providers that also offer these kinds of systems. You want to make sure that the casino is using a certified third-party control system to ensure that the games of chance you’re playing are actually based on chance and not on other types of metrics. Rigged games are ones that have been set up to pay out less than they claim to or ones that give some players a greater chance of winning than others.
The eCogra logo can often be found in the footer of the casino’s website, but not all casinos choose to display it. If you can’t see this logo, go to the FAQs and see if you can find information about random number generators. If there are no FAQs on the site, check out their terms and conditions or contact the casino’s support and ask how they ensure their games are safe.
Encrypted website – how is my information kept safe?
An SSL-encrypted website should be mandatory for any casino, and very few casinos operate without this or similar safe encryption features. Always keep in mind that you are giving the casino quite a bit of sensitive information, including your payment details. When you’re uploading and sending documents to verify your identity, you want to make sure that no unauthorized third-party has access to them. Site security, therefore, doesn’t only include the website itself but also what the casino does on the backend. You should always look into a casino’s data security. You’ll normally find information about this in their terms and conditions and their privacy policy. If in doubt, contact their support and ask for more detailed information.
Most trustworthy casinos have information about site security in the website footer, so simply scroll down and look for the logo of a well-known security system.
Gambling license – can I play at a casino from my country?
The gambling license a casino operates under will have a big impact on your security. Not all licenses are equally safe for players for the simple reason that they are issued by different gambling authorities that work in different ways and have different rules. The rules and regulations may be quite similar, but the way they are enforced is a different story entirely. For example, if a casino doesn’t comply with the regulations, some gambling authorities may just issue a fine while others may revoke the casino’s license outright. How often gambling authorities show up for an unscheduled inspection or control will also vary.
The biggest differences between a safe, high quality gambling license and one that isn’t as good will usually show up in the areas of fair gaming, dispute resolution and the rules and systems for identifying and handling problem gamblers (responsible gambling). If your country of residence has its own gambling authority, playing at casinos that are licensed by them will be the safest option for you. Other international licenses that can be trusted are issued by the Malta Gambling Authority and the Gibraltar Regulatory Authority. Curacao eGaming is getting better at protecting players whereas licenses from Panama and Costa Rica, for instance, are considered less safe. The worst option is obviously a casino with no license whatsoever.
Our casino experts have tried and tested all aspects of each and every casino, so you can feel confident when signing up.
