Whether an online casino is legal depends on the country you are in, not on the licence printed in the casino’s footer. In Great Britain only UK Gambling Commission licensees may offer gambling; in Ontario, only operators registered with the AGCO; in Sweden, only Spelinspektionen licensees; in the Netherlands, only KSA licensees. A licence from Malta, Curacao or Anjouan lets the operator run its business under that regulator’s rules. It does not make the casino legal everywhere, and some countries have banned EU-licensed operators that targeted their players. This page explains how to tell what is legal where you live, with a country table and register links, checked on 8 October 2026.
Disclosure: 99casinos.com may earn a commission if you sign up through links on this page. The casinos below hold Malta Gaming Authority licences we checked on the MGA register; whether you may use them depends on your country.
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Slot Pony
Up to EUR 1,500 + 777 free spins over 6 deposits (100% up to EUR 500 on the 1st)
- MGA/B2C/1055/2024 on the MGA register
- Operator: Elmst Limited, Malta
- eCOGRA dispute resolution
Visit siteRead review18+. Min deposit EUR 20. Wagering 35x (deposit + bonus) on the 1st bonus, 30x on the 3rd and 5th. Max bet EUR 5. Bonus must be wagered within 48 hours. Free spins have no wagering, winnings capped at EUR 1,000 per stage. Max conversion 5x bonus. Not available in Finland. T&Cs apply. - 2
Spin Sweet
Up to EUR 1,000 + 777 free spins over 6 deposits
- MGA/B2C/1055/2024 on the MGA register
- Operator: Elmst Limited, Malta
- eCOGRA dispute resolution
Visit siteRead review18+. Min deposit EUR 20. Wagering 40x (deposit + bonus). Bonus must be wagered within 48 hours. Free spins have no wagering, winnings capped at EUR 1,000 per stage. Max conversion 5x bonus. E-wallet deposits (Skrill, Neteller, Paysafecard) do not qualify. Not available in Finland. T&Cs apply. - 3
Taste Vegas
Up to EUR 1,500 + 1,500 free spins over 6 deposits
- MGA/B2C/1072/2024 on the MGA register
- Operator: Elvel Limited, Malta
- Deposit and session limits
Visit siteRead review18+. Min deposit EUR 20. Wagering 45x (deposit + bonus) on the 1st bonus, 35x on the 3rd and 5th. Max bet EUR 5. Bonus must be wagered within 48 hours. Free spins have no wagering, winnings capped at EUR 1,000 per stage. Not available in Finland. T&Cs apply. - 4
Quickz
Up to EUR 1,150 + 1,111 free spins over 6 deposits + up to 20% weekly cashback
- MGA/B2C/1118/2025 on the MGA register
- Operator: Ludaro Limited, Malta
- Casino and sportsbook
Visit siteRead review18+. Min deposit EUR 20. Wagering 40x (deposit + bonus) on deposit-match stages. Max bet EUR 5 with bonus money. Bonus valid 48 hours. Free spins have no wagering, winnings capped at EUR 1,000 per stage. Not available in Finland. T&Cs apply.
The four casinos above are not licensed in the UK, Ontario, Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands or Germany, and they do not accept US players. They are listed for readers in countries that do not require a local licence or that allow EU-licensed operators; check the country table below before you register. We score casinos with the method set out in how we rate casinos, where licence and operator transparency carry the most weight.
What “legal” means for an online casino
Three separate questions decide it, and the answer to each can differ.
- Is the operator licensed somewhere? A licence from a recognised regulator means the company is supervised: it has passed checks on the people who control it, its finances and its systems, and it must follow that regulator’s rules on fairness, money laundering and player protection.
- May it offer games in your country? This is decided by your country’s law. Many countries require a local licence for anyone targeting their residents, and an overseas licence does not replace it.
- What does your country’s law say about players? Most laws target the operator and its advertising, not the player. A few, such as Germany’s, also make participation an offence.
A casino can therefore be properly licensed and still be unlawful in your country, as happened when Spelinspektionen banned Claymore Malta on 8 January 2026 from offering games in Sweden without a Swedish licence. The opposite case, a site with no licence at all, is not legal anywhere that regulates gambling.
Online casino law by country (October 2026)
| Country | Regulator | Online casino status | National self-exclusion | Help |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Great Britain | UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) | Licensed market; only UKGC licensees may serve GB customers (Gambling Act 2005, extended to overseas operators in 2014) | GAMSTOP (UKGC sites only) | National Gambling Helpline 0808 8020 133 |
| Ireland | Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI) | New regime under the Gambling Regulation Act 2024, licensing phased in from 2026, starting with betting | National Gambling Exclusion Register (planned) | HSE problem gambling services |
| Ontario (Canada) | AGCO regulates; iGaming Ontario (iGO) contracts operators | Open private market since 4 April 2022; iGO lists 49 operators and 84 websites (1 September 2026) | Operator and provincial programmes | ConnexOntario 1-866-531-2600 |
| Other Canadian provinces | Provincial lottery corporations | Provincial sites such as PlayNow (BCLC) and Espacejeux (Loto-Quebec); Alberta passed the iGaming Alberta Act in 2025 to open a regulated private market | Provincial programmes | Provincial helplines |
| Sweden | Spelinspektionen | Licensed market since 1 January 2019; unlicensed sites targeting Sweden can be banned | Spelpaus | Stödlinjen 020-81 91 00 |
| Denmark | Spillemyndigheden | Licensed market since 1 January 2012 | ROFUS (via MitID) | StopSpillet 70 22 28 25 |
| Netherlands | Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) | Licensed market since 1 October 2021 (Remote Gambling Act, Koa) | CRUKS | AGOG 0900-2177721 |
| Germany | Gemeinsame Glücksspielbehörde der Länder (GGL) | Virtual slots and online poker licensed nationally under the GluStV 2021, listed on the GGL whitelist; online table games are a matter for each state | OASIS | BIÖG helpline 0800 1 37 27 00 |
| Spain | Dirección General de Ordenación del Juego (DGOJ) | Licensed market; Spanish licence required to target Spain | RGIAJ | Local services |
| Italy | Agenzia delle Dogane e dei Monopoli (ADM) | Licensed market through ADM concessions | RUA | Local services |
| Belgium | Gaming Commission (Kansspelcommissie) | Online casino only with an A+ licence linked to a Belgian land-based casino | EPIS | Local services |
| France | Autorité nationale des jeux (ANJ) | Online betting and poker licensed; online casino games such as slots and roulette are not permitted | National ban register | Joueurs Info Service |
| Finland | Monopoly (Veikkaus) until the new law takes effect | New Gambling Act: licence applications from 1 March 2026, licensed market from 1 July 2027 | Operator tools | Peluuri |
| Norway | Lotteri- og stiftelsestilsynet | State monopoly (Norsk Tipping); payment ban since 1 June 2010 and DNS blocking from 1 January 2025 | Operator tools | Hjelpelinjen |
| United States | State regulators | Eight states have legalised online casinos; seven markets are live (NJ, PA, MI, WV, CT, DE, RI); Maine legalised a tribal-only market that has not launched | State programmes | 1-800-MY-RESET |
| Australia | ACMA enforces the Interactive Gambling Act 2001 | Offering online casino games to Australians is an offence for the operator; ACMA has blocked 1,822 sites since November 2019 (as of 24 September 2026) | BetStop (wagering) | Gambling Help Online |
| New Zealand | Department of Internal Affairs | Online Casino Gambling Act passed in 2026, providing for up to 15 licences; licensed sites had not launched as of October 2026 | Venue and operator tools | Gambling Helpline |
Laws change, and some of these markets are mid-reform. Check the regulator’s own site before relying on any row, and remember that a casino’s own list of restricted countries is a minimum, not a statement of where it is legal.
Licensed markets in more detail
Great Britain
The Gambling Act 2005, as extended by the Gambling (Licensing and Advertising) Act 2014, requires any operator serving customers in Great Britain to hold a UKGC licence, wherever the company is based. Licensees must verify identity and age before a customer can gamble (since 7 May 2019), may not accept credit cards for gambling (since 14 April 2020), must cap online slot stakes at GBP 5 per spin, or GBP 2 for 18 to 24-year-olds (since spring 2025), and may not set bonus wagering above ten times the bonus (since 19 January 2026).
Ontario
Ontario opened its regulated market on 4 April 2022. The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario registers and regulates operators, while iGaming Ontario signs the operating agreements under which they offer games. A site that is not in iGO’s operator directory is not part of the regulated market.
Sweden and Denmark
Both run licensing systems that require any operator targeting their residents to hold a local licence, with national self-exclusion (Spelpaus in Sweden, ROFUS in Denmark) that licensed sites must check. Unlicensed sites are not covered by either scheme. Our guides to casinos without a Swedish licence and casinos without a Danish licence explain the rules, tax and complaint routes for players in those countries.
The Netherlands
Since 1 October 2021 only KSA licensees may offer online casino games to Dutch residents, and they must check every player against CRUKS before play. Our iDEAL casino page lists only KSA-licensed casinos for that reason.
Germany
Under the Glücksspielstaatsvertrag 2021 the GGL licenses virtual slot games and online poker nationally and publishes an official whitelist of permitted operators and websites; offers not on it are treated as unlawful in Germany. The Court of Justice of the EU confirmed on 16 April 2026 (case C-440/23) that member states may require their own permit for online casino games and that a Malta licence does not replace it.
What an offshore licence does and does not do
| Licence | What it gives the player | What it does not do |
|---|---|---|
| Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) | EU-based supervision, a public register, required alternative dispute resolution (the MGA’s Player Support Unit stopped ruling on individual disputes on 1 April 2019) | Give a right to target countries with their own licensing, such as Sweden or Germany |
| Curacao Gaming Authority (CGA) | Direct licences under the National Ordinance on Games of Chance (LOK), in force since 24 December 2024; disputes go to one of seven CGA-certified ADR bodies | Mediate individual complaints itself, or make the site legal in your country |
| Anjouan | A licence checkable through the site’s seal; complaints via the seal, operator reply within 30 days | Provide regulator-run complaint handling or local legality |
| Tobique Gaming Commission, Kahnawake Gaming Commission | First Nation regulators in Canada with public lists or validators | Make the site part of Ontario’s regulated market |
Is it illegal for you to play at an offshore casino?
Usually the law is aimed at the business. Swedish law targets the operators and promoters of unlicensed gambling, not the player; Australia’s Interactive Gambling Act makes offering the games an offence for the operator; the UK’s licensing offence falls on the unlicensed operator. Germany is the main exception among large European markets: section 285 of its Criminal Code makes taking part in unlicensed public gambling punishable, with up to six months’ imprisonment or a fine, although prosecutions of individual players are rare.
Even where you commit no offence, playing outside your country’s licensed market has consequences. National self-exclusion does not apply, local complaint bodies cannot help, banks may block payments, and winnings can be taxable where licensed winnings would not be; in Sweden, for example, net winnings from casinos outside the EEA are taxed at 30% as capital income.
How to check whether a casino is licensed for you
- Find the legal operator name and licence number in the footer or the terms and conditions. A site that names no company is a warning sign.
- Look the operator up on the regulator’s own register, not on a picture of a seal: the UKGC public register, the MGA register at authorisation.mga.org.mt, the KSA register, Spelinspektionen’s licence list, Spillemyndigheden’s list, the GGL whitelist, the iGaming Ontario operator directory or the CGA register.
- Check that the register lists the exact website address you are using. Licences cover named domains, and copycat sites exist.
- Check the licence status (licensed, suspended, revoked) and the type of games it covers.
- Then check your own country’s rules using the table above. A valid MGA entry answers question one, not questions two and three.
For Anjouan licences, validate through the seal on the casino’s site; a search by bare domain on the authority’s site does not give a reliable answer.
Signs a casino is not legal where you are
- Your country is in the casino’s list of restricted territories, but the site lets you register anyway.
- Your bank declines the payment or flags it as gambling with an unlicensed merchant.
- The site does not appear on your regulator’s register, and your country requires a local licence.
- The site is blocked by your internet provider, as in Norway, Australia or Germany.
- It names no operator, or the named company does not match the register.
Legal is not the same as safe
A locally licensed casino gives you the strongest protection, but a licence alone does not guarantee good terms, quick payouts or fair treatment of bonuses. Check withdrawal limits, complaint routes and terms as well. Our checklist for safe online casinos covers those checks, and our editorial policy explains how we verify licences before we list a casino.
UK players: these casinos are not for you
Only operators licensed by the UK Gambling Commission may offer gambling to people in Great Britain, under the Gambling Act 2005 as extended to overseas operators by the Gambling (Licensing and Advertising) Act 2014. None of the casinos on this page holds a UKGC licence, and none of them is aimed at UK residents. GAMSTOP self-exclusion only covers UKGC-licensed sites, and UKGC protections such as the 10x cap on bonus wagering in force since 19 January 2026 do not apply offshore. If you live in Great Britain, choose a UKGC-licensed casino and check it on the Commission’s public register.
Play safely
Use the helpline for your country in the table above if gambling stops being fun. Gambling is for adults only: 18+ in most countries, and higher in some (21 for casinos licensed in Estonia, for example). Set a deposit limit before you claim anything, treat any bonus as entertainment rather than income, and stop if you are chasing losses. In the UK, the National Gambling Helpline run by GamCare is free on 0808 8020 133, around the clock; BeGambleAware and Gambling Therapy offer support in other countries. Our responsible gambling guide lists tools and helplines by country.
Frequently asked questions
Are online casinos legal?
It depends on the country you are in. Great Britain, Ontario, Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands, Spain, Italy and parts of the US license online casinos; France does not allow online casino games, and Australia makes offering them to Australians an offence for the operator. A casino is legal for you when your own country’s law allows it.
Does a Malta or Curacao licence make a casino legal in my country?
No. An MGA or Curacao licence lets the operator offer games from that jurisdiction under that regulator’s rules. Whether it may serve players in your country is decided by your country’s law. Sweden, for example, banned the Malta-licensed Claymore Malta in January 2026 from offering games to Swedes without a Swedish licence.
Is it illegal for me to play at an offshore casino?
In most countries the law targets the operator, not the player, but that is not universal. In Germany, taking part in unlicensed public gambling is itself an offence under section 285 of the Criminal Code, although prosecutions of individual players are rare. Players at unlicensed sites also lose local protections such as self-exclusion schemes and complaint routes.
How do I check if an online casino is licensed?
Find the operator name and licence number in the site footer or terms, then look it up on the regulator’s own register, such as the UK Gambling Commission public register, the MGA register, the KSA register or the iGaming Ontario operator directory. The register entry should list the exact website address.
Can UK players use the casinos on this page?
No. None of the casinos we list holds a UK Gambling Commission licence, and only UKGC licensees may offer gambling to people in Great Britain. UK players should use a UKGC-licensed casino and check it on the Commission’s public register.
What is the legal age for online casinos?
18 in most countries, including Great Britain, Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands and Germany. Some set it higher, for example 21 for casinos licensed in Estonia and 21 in the US states that run legal online casino markets.
Sources
- UK Gambling Commission: public register
- AGCO: roles of the AGCO and iGaming Ontario
- iGaming Ontario: operator directory
- Spelinspektionen: licence holders
- Spillemyndigheden: guidelines for operators of betting and online casino
- Kansspelautoriteit: Remote Gambling Act in force
- GGL: FAQ for players on LUGAS and the whitelist
- ANJ: fighting the illegal offer
- GRAI: licensing phasing
- MGA register: licensee verification
- Curacao Gaming Authority
- German Criminal Code, section 285