Culture and history

The cultural environment of East Timor is formed by a combination of Catholic tradition, Portuguese colonial and Indonesian periods.

In everyday life, table and card entertainment without cash rates, community holidays and lottery draws of a charitable nature under the control of the authorities remained.

Since independence, the country has opted for conservative social policies: gambling is seen as a risk to vulnerable groups, and the public norm is moderation and family values.

This cemented a steady rejection of casinos and commercial gambling, leaving room only for cultural and sports activities without an element of excitement.