Are online casinos legal? (Belize)

Short answer

Online casinos in Belize are provided by law and can only be legal with a Gaming Control Board (GCB) license. But as of 2025, there is a moratorium on the issuance of online licenses, and the government publicly warns that statements about the "Belizean online license" are false. That is, now no online operator is authorized to work from Belize, and without a license, the activity is illegal.

What the law says

Base Act: Gaming Control Act (Cap. 152) - creates a regulator (GCB), introduces a licensing regime and liability for violations. This is the current basis for all types of gambling.

Special rules for online: Gaming Control (Online Gaming) Regulations, 2004 - directly require a license from GCB to "conduct online games in or from Belize," and also establish the application procedure and working conditions.

Important: historically, the 2004 regulations allowed the model "license in Belize → serve foreign players," but not residents of Belize. This rule is widely cited by industry handbooks. Check the restrictions in the license itself/regulations and current clarifications of the regulator.

What's happening now (2025): Moratorium and denials

• "Any individuals/sites claiming to have a Belize online license must cease operations immediately; such transactions are unauthorized and illegal."
• At the same time, a moratorium on the issuance of online licenses was confirmed "until further notice."

Practical consequence: today GCB does not issue new online licenses, but there are no existing ones. Any references by operators to the "Belizean license" should be considered unreliable until the government reports otherwise.

Can Belizean residents play?

In the 2004 model, a licensed operator in Belize was not supposed to serve Belizean residents (service export orientation). Now, with the moratorium, there are simply no licensed online operators.

Access to foreign sites that do not have a GCB permit does not make such a game legal in Belize - it is outside the framework of national regulation and may be subject to warnings and harassment by the authorities.

How it should be in "peacetime" (when the moratorium is lifted)

• A package of documents and a business plan for official guides (the application form is contained in the appendix to Online Gaming Regulations 2004).
• Due diligence of key persons, technical and compliance requirements (KYC/AML), deposits/fees according to the current rules.
• Gaming Control Board review and solution.

Changes are coming: new bill 2025

In 2025, the Gaming and Lotteries Control Bill, 2025, was introduced to the National Assembly, which should update and consolidate regulation. Discussions are controversial (terms for exclusive licenses, tax provisions, etc.). Pending enactment and enactment, current acts including Cap. 152 and online regulations 2004 (subject to moratorium). Follow the updates of the official publications of the parliament and the press office.

Conclusions for players and operators

For Belize players: there are no officially licensed online casinos right now; any "Belizean licenses" are fake, as the government directly states.

For operators: a legal framework for online exists (Cap. 152 + Regs-2004), but the issuance of online licenses has been suspended. Any activity without a license is illegal. Track the progress of the 2025 bill and official notices on the status of the moratorium.

Where to check for relevance

Government/Press Office official notices of moratorium and illegal online sites.

The text of laws and regulations on the Invest portal. gov. bz: Gaming Control Act (Cap. 152) и Online Gaming Regulations 2004.

Belize National Assembly Website - Gaming and Lotteries Control Bill Move, 2025.