The laws related to the operation of casino platforms often change. That’s logical, since they are linked to political morality trends. To legalize online casinos or not – that is the question! While this often remains a touchy subject in many states in the USA, things are much more liberal in Canada and on the old continent (Europe).

Only a few countries formally prohibit online casinos

A global view of the remote casino market allows us to see that almost no country prohibits online casino games. This statement can be confirmed by checking the laws in each country. As a user, you are allowed to play online unless it’s against the law. In fact, only Cambodia, Singapore, Qatar, North Korea, Lebanon, Singapore and the United Arab Emirates prohibit online gambling under penalty of fines or even imprisonment. That’s only 6 countries in the world where online casinos are not allowed, which is really not a lot.

Countries that tolerate online casinos but do not regulate them

In practice, there are so-called grey areas in the remote casino sector. These grey areas are places where people can play online without any restrictions, although there are no laws that either prohibit or allow it. The most telling examples are Canada, Japan and Germany. What do these countries have in common? Every state can make its own laws without the central government’s approval. However, the states’ powers are limited when they affect the freedom of individuals. For instance, in Canada, if a province wants to legalize online casinos, it can do so in a sovereign way. On the other hand, if a Canadian province decides to ban online casinos, thus penalizing users who would like to play online, it will be called to order by the federal government. In practice, online casinos in Canada are favoured by the liberality of Canadian legal institutions. The same is true in Germany and Japan.Countries that have regulated online casinos

Legalized casino platforms have developed the most in Europe in recent years. However, the first virtual casinos were legally created in England in 2005. In 2010, this resulted in an opening to competition in Europe for gambling companies. It was then that the first European casinos began to be deployed on the Internet. Today, the situation is still the same, and Europe’s most established casino operators have managed to become real online institutions. The most emblematic reference is Casino Grand Mondial. This casino is one of the few most visited casinos on the Web. Millions of players have already registered since 2011 (sources: Casino Rewards). In short, Europe (and the U.K. too) is a model in the virtual casino sector. This digitization of the gambling world may come as a surprise, but it works well. With regards to the fight against gambling addiction, European online casinos are highly controlled and regularly checked. In practice, every European country has set up an online gambling commission whose task is to verify the proper running of online casinos. And of course, European countries benefit from job creation and significant tax revenues with online casinos.

The promotion of gambling in the media

In order to protect consumers, all countries with legalized online casinos have imposed restrictions on online casino advertising. Actually, television advertising is limited (only private channels can broadcast advertising and only in the evening). And the same goes for the radio. In terms of the print media, only channels reserved for an adult audience are allowed to publish advertising inserts on online casinos. These restrictions also apply to social networks. Casino operators must comply with these laws or face exemplary fines.Summary and global situation

At the global level, online casinos are becoming more and more present. And it is in Europe that the online casino industry is doing the best thanks to strict rules that remain quite liberal (source: Europa.eu). The digital age has helped to transform the gambling landscape. Digital-friendly governments have often chosen to regulate the virtual casino sector. And when a country’s customs lean more toward abstention, gambling remains tolerated, while its advertising is prohibited.