Gambling history (Belize)

1) Before colonisation: Playing as part of a ritual

The territory of present-day Belize is the heart of classical Maya civilization. Game practices (board and sports competitions with betting elements) performed a ritual and social function and set the "cultural code" of competition and luck. These forms were not "casinos" in the modern sense, but they were the ones that established the habit of "betting on an event" as part of a communal celebration.

2) Colonial era: prohibitions and "underground"

The British Honduras period brought a British legal model with criminal and administrative bans on "common gaming houses." Informal lotteries and bets lived on the periphery of holidays and fairs, and there was no official gambling market: the basic tone was restriction and suppression.

3) Independence and a turn to regulation (1981 → 1990s)

After independence, Belize began to build its own regulatory framework: from disparate "anti-gambling" norms to licensing, tax and supervision regimes. By the mid-1990s, the country was suddenly one of the pioneers of online regulation:

Computer Wagering Licensing Act, 1995 (enacted in 1996) - the first systemic law on Internet gambling; it paved the way for the issuance of licenses to "remote" operators and was an early signal to the offshore iGaming industry that Belize was ready to work with the online channel.

4) The "second shoulder" of reforms: the land sector and supervision (late 1990s - 2000)

To balance the online novelty with ground infrastructure and supervision, the Gaming Control Act (Cap. 152). Is he:

established the Gaming Control Board;
established licensing, taxes, inspection and sanctions procedures;
defined the concepts of "common gaming house," etc.

Then there were by-laws for online games ("Online Gaming Regulations"), which the government still uses when it reminds the market: online games in Belize are allowed only under license and as part of the regulations for the Gaming Control Act.

5) "Border" Internet era: offshore and disputes (2000s)

Early liberalization attracted entrepreneurs to export and offshore zones, which gave rise to a mixed reputation: some projects worked legally, some exploited "gray zones" and marketing. Retrospective reporting from that era captures well the ambitions and challenges of "offshore internet casinos."

6) Modernity: "putting things in order" and digital surveillance (2020s)

The authorities regularly refute the fake statements of the sites about the "Belizean license" and remind: any online activity requires a license under the Gaming Control Act + Online Gaming Regulations. Public warnings were issued in 2022 and 2025 from the Ministry of Finance and/or the Gaming Control Board.

In parallel, a structural update of legislation is being discussed. The Gaming and Lotteries Control Bill, 2025 project provides for the creation of a Commission, the unification of licenses, financial regulations and increased reporting - a step towards a "modern" regulator architecture. (The document is a parliamentary bill, the final norms depend on the passage of the procedure.)

7) How tourism and the hospitality sector fit in

Casinos and gaming halls in Belize are closely related to tourist infrastructure: requirements for accommodation and coordination with the Belize Tourism Board are part of the due diligence for license applicants. Practical guides for investors directly indicate the need for a package of checks, prints, mayor/district and police approvals along with tourism papers.

8) Online today: "license or nothing"

The official position is simple: all online companies are required to be licensed; any reference to "old offshore" language without up-to-date registration is a red flag. Government resources explicitly warn of unlicensed ones. com, which mislead the public.

9) Chronology (simplified)

Until the XIX-XX centuries. - local traditions of excitement within the framework of holidays/communities.

Colonial period - British prohibitive model, "common gaming houses" outlawed.

1981 - independence; movement towards self-regulation.

1995/1996 - Computer Wagering Licensing Act: the first wave of online.

1999/2000 — Gaming Control Act (Cap. 152) and Gaming Control Board: a single oversight shoulder.

2000s - a boom in offshore initiatives and a "gray" Internet scene.

2022-2025 - government alerts against "false licenses," emphasis on legal online.

2025 - Gaming and Lotteries Control Bill review (whole system upgrade project).

10) What it means for the player and the business

Player: choose sites with a verifiable license (via the Gaming Control Board), avoid sites that only "talk" about Belizean registration.

Investor/operator: prepare a complete set of Cap. 152 and acts to it, plus take into account the requirements of tourism departments and law enforcement agencies at the facility level (for ground projects).

The history of gambling in Belize is a journey from Maya traditions through colonial prohibitions to a licensing model with an early bet on internet regulation. Пакет 1995–2000 (Computer Wagering Licensing Act + Gaming Control Act/Cap. 152) made Belize one of the first jurisdictions to "write" online into law. Today the trend is increased supervision and cleaning of the information field from pseudo-" licenses, "as well as a discussion of a comprehensive update of the rules through Gaming and Lotteries Control Bill (2025). For players, this means: look for a valid license and transparency; for business - prove compliance and build projects on a legal basis - then the story, which began in the 1990s, will receive a stable continuation.