Global Online Gambling: Legal Markets in the USA, Canada, UK, Australia

Around the world, there are currently 79 countries that offer legal and regulated gambling operations. The US is a relative newcomer to this area. Widespread offering of legal online casino gambling has only been accessible since 2018, although New Jersey began offering online casino play as early as 2013.

USA

In the US, the duties to regulate these online casino websites, poker rooms, horse racing sites and real money gambling apps are left in the hands of state regulators. For instance, in New Jersey, it’s the Division of Gaming Enforcement that handles this role, under the umbrella of the state Attorney General’s office. The only aspect the federal government plays in regulating gambling operations is with tribal casinos, which are handled by the Department of the Interior.

Canada

Canada is another country that’s a relative newcomer to widespread legal and regulated online casino gambling. Similar to the US, though it was the federal government that ruled to legalize online gambling in 2022, the responsibility for regulating these operations was passed on to the provinces. Currently, Ontario is the only Canadian province offering gambling operations run by private companies. The remaining provinces simply provide gambling through government-run sites. Another unique twist in Canada is that these private gambling operations are prohibited from marketing any bonus offers designed to entice new players to sign up with their site. They can post these offers on their web page, but the only way you’re going to find out about them is by clicking on their site.

United Kingdom

One of the most wide-open gambling markets in the world exists in the UK. British gambling entities are massive and some own reputations that stretch back as far as a century or more. You’ll find that British online gambling offers a virtually unlimited number of sites to play at and numerous types of markets that are delivered. In Britain, the federal government oversees all regulatory duties through the UK Gambling Commission.

Australia

Regulatory requirements in Australia are handled by each state. Australia governs over online gambling with very strict regulations. To operate an online gambling site in Australia, you must hold a physical presence in the country, including doing your banking through Australian financial institutions.

Malta

Malta is a popular destination for licensing online gambling operations because of a tax credit system that can reduce a company’s real tax burden to as little as 5%. Malta is known for its transparent and efficient regulatory framework, with heavy emphasis on player protection measures.