Gamblers in about half the countries on the planet have access to regulated online gambling in one form or another. That’s the conclusion from a new study by Key to Casino, an online gambling research firm.
Key to Casino’s exhaustive shows that 60 of the 196 countries in the world allow their citizens to engage in some form of online gambling. (There are 195 recognized countries in the world but, due to a long-running dispute with China, Taiwan is generally not included in that figure. The study, however, analyzed 225 countries and territories.)
While just about every country allows some form legal, land-based, gambling, only 51 countries ban gambling entirely. The bulk of these countries are centered in Asia and the Middle East. At least six countries, including Singapore, ban citizens from gambling but allow foreigners to play at will.
When it comes to online gambling, the picture isn’t quite as clear.
- A full 39 countries have banned online gambling entirely, which doesn’t mean their citizens don’t have access to online casinos, merely that accessing them is illegal.
- Approximately 32 countries allow foreign operators to be licensed, but restrict locals from running online casinos.
- 93 countries don’t allow the operation of online casinos, but don’t actually license them, which creates some very interesting grey areas for gamblers and affiliates alike.
- In 27 countries, land-based casinos are perfectly legal, but online gambling is not permitted at all.
For better or worse, casino affiliates have to have a working knowledge of worldwide gambling laws. A baseline knowledge of this subject not only helps affiliates target new players today, it can also help them develop long-term acquisition strategies for converting new players in the future.
(The authors of the study have compiled their results into a worldwide gambling law chart that can be accessed here.)