Belize Online Casino

Belize is a small state in Central America, but with enormous importance for the global iGaming sector. Thanks to flexible legislation and favorable tax policies, the country has become one of the popular offshore jurisdictions for registering online casinos, betting platforms and lottery operators.

Despite the modest size of the domestic market, Belize is actively developing an international licensing system, which allows operators to operate around the world at relatively low costs and stable legal status.

Legislative framework

The legal regulation of gambling in Belize is based on two key documents:

Gaming Control Act (Cap. 151, 2000) - regulates land casinos and bookmakers;
Computer Wagering Licensing Act (Cap. 152, 2000) - sets the rules for online gambling and remote betting.

Both norms are controlled by a state body:

Gaming Control Board of Belize,
operating under the Ministry of Economic Development, Oil, Investment & Trade.

The main goal of the legislation is to legalize, but at the same time control the activities of operators, ensuring transparency of financial flows and protection of players.

Licensing

Belize offers two types of licenses:

1. Land-Based Gaming License - for casinos and gambling halls located in the country;

2. Online Gaming License - for operators operating on the Internet.

The online casino license process includes:

registration of a legal entity in Belize;
the presence of a minimum authorized capital of at least $500,000 USD;
Provide business plan and ownership information (Due Diligence)
software certification (RNG and payment systems);
payment of the annual license fee - $10,000 USD.

The license is valid for 1 year, with the possibility of extension after checking the financial statements.

Taxation

Belize offers one of the most loyal tax systems in the world, iGaming:

1.75% of gross income (GGR) - tax for online operators;

corporate tax - 1.75% of profit, or a fixed fee when registering IBC (International Business Company);

players pay no tax on winnings;

There is no currency control - companies can conduct transactions in any currency.

Such a regime makes Belize especially attractive for international brands focused on Latin America, Asia and Africa.

Online gambling

Belize was one of the first in the Caribbean to legalize online gambling (back in 2000).

The Computer Wagering License allows you to:

online betting and casinos;
lotteries and bingo;
live games with dealers;
esports and virtual sports;
sweepstakes and card games.

Operators licensed by Belize can operate internationally as long as they do not violate the laws of the countries where they provide services.

Popular brands using the Belizean license:

BetOnline,
SportsBetting. ag,
TigerGaming,
BetUS,
GTBets,
5Dimes (past).

Land-based casinos

Belize has few land-based casinos - about 10 establishments concentrated in tourist areas:

Princess Casino Belize City is the largest in the country;
Princess Casino San Ignacio;
Placencia Casino;
Tropicana Casino;
Lucky Star Casino.

These establishments are designed mainly for tourists from the USA and Canada, as well as for sea cruises.

Popular games and player preferences

Belizeans are not active gamblers, so most customers of licensed online casinos are foreigners.

Payment methods

The main currency is the Belize dollar (BZD), pegged to USD at a rate of 2:1.

Licensed operators accept:

Visa, MasterCard, American Express;
Skrill, Neteller, ecoPayz, PayPal;
Paysafecard, AstroPay, MuchBetter;
bank transfers in USD/EUR;
cryptocurrencies (BTC, ETH, LTC, USDT) - allowed for online platforms.

The financial system is focused on international transfers, and control over the movement of funds is minimal, subject to AML policy.

Responsible play and control

Although Belize is an offshore jurisdiction, the state is implementing Responsible Gaming standards:

operators are required to check the age of players (18 +);
the participation of residents of countries where gambling is illegal is prohibited;
limits and self-exclusion options are provided;
the presence of the "Responsible Gaming" section on the operator's website is required;
the regulator may suspend the license for user complaints.

Economic importance

Gambling brings Belize a steady income from fees and company registrations.

According to the Ministry of Economy, annual revenues from online licenses and taxes are about $15-20 million USD.

Although this is a relatively small amount, for a state with a population of less than 500,000 people, it is a significant source of foreign exchange earnings and investment.

Belize also receives indirect benefits:

development of the IT sector;
the rise of offshore companies;
increased employment in the legal and financial sectors.

Challenges and challenges

Key issues in the Belize gambling sector:

limited international reputation of the licence (inferior to Malta, Curaçao, Gibraltar);
lack of a centralized online operator database;
outdated software and audit requirements;
low domestic demand for gambling.

However, the government is preparing an updated licensing bill (Gaming Bill 2025), which will bring the regulatory framework to EU and FATF standards.

Development prospects

Belize plans to maintain its status as a regional center for international online gambling.

The following changes are expected:

introduction of an electronic register of licenses and public audit of operators;
Update of AML and KYC requirements
development of fintech infrastructure for crypto payments;
attracting international brands with multi-licenses (Malta + Belize);
collaboration with the Caribbean Gaming Association.

Thanks to a combination of low taxes, flexible regulation and offshore stability, Belize remains an attractive center of the iGaming industry, where conditions are created for the free and legal conduct of international online gambling business.