how strict is online casino regulatoin in your country?

Quickwitted said:
US is complete shitshow becase everything is state by state. my state only legalized sports bettin. friend in new jersey has full online casino access. literally depends where you live like some states have nothing while some have just sports bettin, some have full casino
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In USA full online casino markets has 7 states: New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Connecticut, Delaware, West Virginia, Rhode Island
Many other states have sports betting only around 30+ states allow sports betting but not iGaming. Each state handles licensing through their own gaming commission (NJ Division of Gaming Enforcement, PA Gaming Control Board, Michigan Gaming Control Board, etc.).
Requirements vary wildly - different tax rates, local partner rules, responsible gambling obligations.
Offshore operators remain illegal in most states. States use geolocation technology and payment blocking to prevent out-of-state play. VPN use violates geolocation rules and will get your account closed and winnings seized.
 
italy runs massive blacklist through adm (agenzia delle dogane e dei monopoli). they order isp blocks of unlicensed domains constantly.
adm published reform plan for 2025-2027 to tighten licensing even more. they dont mess around with unlicensed operators.
 
coinwaste said:
in netherlands we opened regulated market april 2021 under remote gambling act. ksa issues licences. first few years were okay but ksa has gotten brutal with enforcement. until they introduced new fines policy jan 2025 escalating penalties for violations.
friend of mine had account frozen for 3 weeks for "aml investigation". they wanted 6 months of bank statements, payslips, proof of address, explanation of every large transaction. invasive as hell. finally released his money but of course he switched to different site after that.
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yeah nl ksa aml stuff is brutal. happend to me too account frozen for "routine check", wanted ridiculous amounts of docs, took almost month to get my money. meanwhile im just trying to play slots i mean i get it they need to check for money laundering but feels excessive.
 
The AML crackdown is happening across all of Europe really. UKGC, Spelinspektionen, KSA, DGOJ they all ramped up enforcement in lately
Part of it is regulatory pressure from EU level. Part is response to criticism that operators weren't doing enough to prevent problem gambling and money laundering. Banks have also gotten way more aggressive about blocking gambling payments. Even to fully licensed operators sometimes. They cite AML concerns and just refuse transactions.
Creates friction even for legal players using legal sites.
 
wow guys! this is fascinating reading how different every country is. uk and spain sound strict but at least you can play legally with some protection. australia and norway sound like nightmares if you want to play casino games
 
aviator said:
Listen folks, about that Spain enforcement you talk - in first half of year DGOJ issued around €65M in fines. By end of year industry sources reported totals ranging from €77M to €142.7M depending on which sanctioning rounds you include. Either way you're right to call it the biggest enforcement wave in Europe that year. They continued furthr actions into 2025 as well. DGOJ doesn't mess around
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insane €142 million across one year? operators must have been shitting themselves all 2024
 
does enforcement ever target actual players or is it always the operators who get hit? seems like everywhere the regulators go after sites not individual gamblers
 
Avernite said:
does enforcement ever target actual players or is it always the operators who get hit? seems like everywhere the regulators go after sites not individual gamblers
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Good question @Avernite. Enforcement almost universally targets operators, not players. Still players face indirect consequences like ISP/DNS blocking (Norway, Australia, Italy, Spain), payment blocking by banks/processors, account closures for terms violations (VPN use, etc.), winnings forfeited if caught violating geolocation/terms and obviously no consumer protection if using unlicensed sites either.
But actual prosecution or fining of individual players is extremely rare in any jurisdiction. Legal risk is on operator side. If you're in Norway using VPN to gamble offshore, worst case is account closure and funds seized. You won't get criminally prosecuted. But that's still pretty bad if you have significant balance.
 
Peter33 said:
oh dear Germany has multiple layers of restrictions under the 2021 Interstate Treaty:
  • those stake limits per individual bet/spin (varies by game type)
  • monthly deposit/loss caps (operators set within regulatory framework, often €1000-ish range)
  • dont forget session limits and mandatory breaks
  • add product restrictions (5 second spins, certain features banned)

so yea both session AND monthly controls. It's quite comprehensive restrictionwise. like main goal was to allow legal gambling while minimizing harm but a lot of players find it overly restrictive. enforcement is handled by GGL and they reviewed hundreds of cases in 2024
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ok that makes sense. germany has both session and monthly caps plus product restrictions. sounds annoying but i guess thats the tradeoff fro it being legal
 
One thing worth adding even in countries with "good" legal frameworks and licensed operators, players still complain about KYC/AML checks and account limitations after winning (UK operators notorious for cutting max bets to £2 if you start winning consistently) also payment delays and deposit/stake restrictions (Germany's caps, Netherlands enforcing limits). So "legal and regulated" doesn't automatically mean smooth experience. There are tradeoffs. You get consumer protection and legal recourse but also bureaucracy and restrictions.
Offshore sites might seem appealing because of fewer restrictions but you're gambling on whether they'll actually pay you. That's the fundamental tradeoff.
 
wonder if global trend is toward more restriction or if some places will liberalize. seems like europe getting stricter but parts of us and canada opening up
 
donutstreak said:
wonder if global trend is toward more restriction or if some places will liberalize. seems like europe getting stricter but parts of us and canada opening up
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@donutstreak here you are:
  • Europe: stricter enforcement, more AML scrutiny, advertising restrictions, enhanced blocking powers. Netherlands went from open (2021) to tight enforcement. Sweden ramping up AML. Spain massive fines. Norway expanding blocks.
  • North America: some jurisdictions liberalizing for tax revenue. Ontario 2022, various US states opening sports betting and some iGaming. But still patchwork and many places remain restrictive.
  • Australia: staying restrictive on online casino, maintaining federal ban.
  • Asia: depends on country a lot.
My guess is Europe continues tightening while NA slowly expands legal markets where there's political will. But fragmentation will remain for foreseeable future.
 
CatMatt said:
One thing worth adding even in countries with "good" legal frameworks and licensed operators, players still complain about KYC/AML checks and account limitations after winning (UK operators notorious for cutting max bets to £2 if you start winning consistently) also payment delays and deposit/stake restrictions (Germany's caps, Netherlands enforcing limits). So "legal and regulated" doesn't automatically mean smooth experience. There are tradeoffs. You get consumer protection and legal recourse but also bureaucracy and restrictions.
Offshore sites might seem appealing because of fewer restrictions but you're gambling on whether they'll actually pay you. That's the fundamental tradeoff.
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100% the kyc stuff in netherlands is invasive. they asked me to explain source of funds for deposits that came from my salary account. like what do you think the source is, im employed. understand they need to check but it feels like guilty until proven innocent sometimes
 
uk operators will limit you to like £2-5 max bets if you start winning consistently. happened to my mate after he won £800 on accumulator. next week couldnt bet more than fiver. regulation doesnt stop that. they call it "trading decision" and wont discuss it
 
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