When it comes to laws on gambling, there’s a lot of variation around the globe. Some countries, like the UK and Ireland, take a stance aimed at growing the industry. Others, like those in the Middle East, completely ban the practice.
As an industry that is constantly evolving, regulations on gambling are constantly changing, especially to cope with the online shift. In this article, we’ll look at the different gambling laws in place around the world and where the industry could go in the future. So, grab your passport, strap in and let’s get exploring!
The United Kingdom
The UK is one of the leading gambling markets in Europe, and it regularly posts the highest revenue on the continent. In 2023, the UK saw a record gross gambling yield of £15.12 billion.¹ To maintain this growth, the country takes a progressive view towards gambling regulations, supporting the industry and players at the same time.
The UK market is overseen by a regulatory body called the UK Gambling Commission, who work alongside providers to introduce changes. Their main focus is on ensuring players are safe when gambling online. To do this, they promote responsible gambling tools, like deposit limits.
As of the 31st of October, deposit limits will become mandatory for UK players. At the moment, deposit limits are opt-in, meaning that only players who go to the effort of setting them are making the most of this helpful tool. By making them mandatory, all players will have to set a deposit limit when registering for an account. This will help more players to remain in control of their spending.
In recent years, one of the biggest focuses of the UKGC has been on gambling and advertisements. Multiple studies have found that “greater advertising exposure increases participation, which leads to greater risk of harm”.² The 2019 whistle-to-whistle ban looked to avoid this by banning gambling advertisements from five minutes before a sporting event, until five minutes after.³
To continue this progress, football clubs in the Premier League have also agreed to a ban on the advertisement of gambling companies on football shirts. This will come into effect from the 2026 to 2027 season. It looks to prevent the normalisation of gambling to fans, especially those underage. Notably, it only applies to the front and back of shirts. Advertisements can continue on shirt sleeves.
Ireland
There have been some massive changes in the gambling laws in Ireland in the last few years. 2024 saw the introduction of the country’s most important gambling legislation, the Irish Gambling Regulation Act, which came into effect in October. It includes some long overdue changes, with the industry waiting since the first mention of a Gambling Control Bill way back in 2013.⁴
The 2024 Act established a new regulatory body to oversee gambling in Ireland, the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland. Previously, licensing and regulations had been unnecessarily complicated, with different bodies managing different specialities. Now, the GRAI controls all the industry’s regulations, streamlining the licensing process.
Similarly to the UK, they have also focused on promoting responsible gambling. One of their first acts was to establish a national self-exclusion register. It keeps track of all players who have self-excluded from gambling providers on a national basis, rather than through individual providers. This change will help promote responsible gambling by making it easier to self-exclude from more sites.
A further move in this direction has been banning targeted bonuses. Ireland is one of the first countries to make the move to ban bonuses aimed at specific groups. It means that bonuses that target groups like high rollers will come to an end. An example of this is reload bonuses, where players get a second bonus on top of their original one. Often, players aren’t eligible until they spend a certain amount of money, like €200 in a week. In the future, these bonuses won’t be allowed in Ireland.⁵
The United States
The laws surrounding gambling in the United States aren’t quite as straightforward. They vary significantly from state to state. Although Las Vegas is seen as the casino capital of the world, it may surprise readers that in other states, regulations on gambling are restrictive.
At the moment, gambling in any form is illegal in two states. The first state is Hawaii, where it was illegal prior to them gaining statehood. The second is Utah, where a strong Mormon population views the practice as a sin. It remains illegal in the state’s constitution.
In 2018, the federal ban on sports betting was found to be unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.⁶ Since the repeal, a number of states have begun reintroducing this popular form of gambling. However, it does remain illegal in Alabama, California, Georgia, Minnesota, Texas, and a few more states.
Casino gambling is even less widespread, with only two states allowing it statewide. The first, Nevada, home of Las Vegas, won’t be much of a surprise. The second is Louisiana. All other states that allow casino gambling in some form have restrictions on where it’s legal. Some restrict the activity to popular cities and others to Native American reservations. In five of the states, casinos are legal on riverboats!⁷
Middle Eastern Countries
Gambling is viewed as a serious sin, haram, in Islam. This means that gambling is banned in the majority of countries in the Middle East. However, there are a few cases where it’s allowed in some forms. While gambling is currently illegal in the United Arab Emirates, there have been indications that this will change in the next few years, especially in Dubai.
In October 2024, the UAE awarded its first licence for a casino. It was granted to Wynn Resorts for Wynn Al Marjan Island, which will be in the emirate Ras Al Khaimah.⁸ The plans are for a $3.9 billion resort, combining a state-of-the-art casino with a hotel that hosts over 1500 luxurious rooms. The resort is set to welcome its first guests in 2027, who will be some of the first to gamble legally in the country.
Another country in the Middle East that allows some form of gambling is Lebanon. It’s home to the largest casino in the Arab world, Casino du Liban in Jounieh, which holds an exclusive gambling licence. It’s the country’s only form of legal gambling, with the Government holding a stake in the casino to regulate activities. The casino is managed by London Clubs International and stretches over 35,000 square metres, with around 400 slot machines, over 60 gaming tables, and 5 restaurants.
Although there are a few countries in the Middle East where gambling is permitted in some form, it’s illegal in most. This includes Algeria, Tunisia, and Egypt. Saudi Arabia takes one of the strictest views on gambling in the world, with prison and corporal punishment for offenders.
What do Gambling Laws Look Like Across the World?
There’s a lot of variation when it comes to gambling laws across the world. The UK takes one of the most lenient views, making it a hub for the popular hobby. Ireland is beginning to follow the path set by the UK, introducing clearer regulations through the Irish Gambling Regulation Act.
Despite Las Vegas being a symbol of gambling, the legality of gambling varies greatly across the states. Some of the harshest approaches to gambling can be found in the Middle East, where there are severe punishments for providers and players. Overall, there’s significant variation in gambling laws across the world, so it’s essential that players check their local regulations before playing.
⁵ The Law on Gambling in Ireland, Written by Citizens Information, Published by Citizens Information.
⁷ Riverboat Casinos Going Nowhere Fast, Written by Mike Brunker, Published by NBC News.