You might think that, in the 21st century, every country in the world would be fine with gambling and casinos. Yet this is actually far from the truth, and there are plenty of countries where this is not the case; in some countries, you cannot gamble online or in person or you will be falling foul of the law. Yet in others, it is perfectly allowable. Here are some of the countries that operate freely, and some of the ones that restrict gambling. You might find them interesting to play online slots today.
Restrictions
· USA
Are you surprised? Whereas many would equate America with being the land of the free, when it comes to online gambling, it’s actually much more confusing. Although technically Americans can enjoy online casinos, when they want to withdraw money (or deposit it) it can be really difficult for them to do so.
· Netherlands
Even though the Netherlands is in the EU which has a lot of freedom when it comes to online gambling, the Netherlands really doesn’t want it to be part of its culture, so it has banned online casinos entirely.
· Cambodia
If you are visiting Cambodia, you can gamble online. However, if you’re a Cambodian resident, you can’t. This might seem unfair, especially when you consider there are some lavish casinos in Cambodia, and many of the country’s residents do actually gamble anyway, despite the ban, but it’s a dangerous game to play when you consider the punishment is imprisonment.
· China
Hong Kong and Macau have separate laws, so you can gamble there, but mainland China is very much against gambling and whether you are playing or offering games to be played, it is against the law.
Freedoms
· Finland
Finland is more than happy for its residents and its visitors to gamble in any way they want to, although there are some restrictions. The main one is that the casinos need to be Finnish, and state-approved. So it’s a freedom, but it’s restricted too.
· Australia
A huge proportion of the world’s gamblers come from Australia, and although technically the law states they shouldn’t be accessing foreign casinos, they can do so with ease, and they won’t be punished for it.
· Denmark
Once upon a time, Denmark only allowed one company – Danske Spil – to distribute casino games, but this is different now, and other games are allowed, from other providers. There are still restriction when it comes to getting licences though, but if you can pass all the criteria, you’re in.
· UK
The UK is famous around the world for its gambling laws, including the fact that it has its very own gambling commission. There are rules to comply with, of course, but generally the restrictions are very limited.
· Malta
Ever since online gambling first came into being in the 1990s, Malta has been at the forefront of freedom. This is where many of the igaming laws are created, and those laws are respected across the world.
