Modern legislation: complete ban on casinos and online gambling (Cuba)

1) Summary

Cuba has strict restrictions on gambling: casinos are closed, gambling is not licensed, and online gambling has no legal basis and is considered a prohibited activity. The historic ban imposed after the 1959 revolution remains the foundation of the current regime: the country has not created a regulator or a permit system for offline or online operators.

2) Legal basis and context

Criminal legal framework: the new Criminal Code (introduced in 2022-2023) strengthened the general punitive profile and control over activities that violate the established order; in such an environment, gambling activities that do not have a special permit are interpreted as illegal.

No licensing: No licensing authority for casinos, bookmakers, lotteries or online casinos; the state did not announce plans to create such a system.

3) Offline segment: casinos, slots, sweepstakes

Casinos and slot machines: prohibited; the infrastructure of gambling halls that existed until 1959 was closed and not restored to the legal field.

Cabaret/Showgrounds: Continue to exist as cultural venues without gambling.

4) Online gambling and internet betting

The absence of a special law on online games is interpreted as a ban: the activities of online casinos and bookmakers for the local market are not legal; there is no local procedure for legalization, registration and payment of taxes.

Access to offshore sites: A number of sources note that Cubans sometimes try to play on foreign platforms, but this happens at their own risk and outside the protection of the law.

5) Lotteries and "alternative" formats

There are no state lotteries in the well-known commercial format; the pre-revolutionary lottery was canceled along with the casino and not restored as a market product. Any "draws" with cash bets and winnings fall under the general ban on gambling.

6) Practice of restraint and cultural aspect

The state's course is to maintain a ban: gambling remains taboo in cultural and everyday discourse. Even neutral "table games" (such as billiards) have historically come under suspicion due to associations with gambling halls, although today they are being revived as sports/leisure without betting.

7) Risks for players and operators

For local players: lack of legal protection (KYC/AML control does not guarantee a refund), the risk of blocking and a possible criminal legal assessment of participation in unlicensed games.

For operators: inability to legally enter the market, lack of licensing and banking rails; any attempts to work "for Cuba" are subject to the ban.

8) Prospects for change

There are no public signs of an imminent transition to licensing on the horizon 2025-2030; expert reviews continue to classify Cuba as a jurisdiction with a complete ban on gambling. Any predictions of a "quick casino comeback" remain speculative.

9) Citation Summary

Casino status: prohibited, no licenses.

Online gambling: there is no legal framework, in fact it is prohibited.

Lotteries: Commercial lotteries do not function; pre-revolutionary were abolished.

Regulator: absent; no permitting procedure.

Modern Cuban legislation proceeds from a complete ban on commercial gambling in any form - from classic casinos to online platforms. For business, this means the impossibility of "white entry" into the market; for users - lack of legal protection and high legal risk when accessing offshore sites. Until the state announces the creation of a regulator and licensing, the "game window" for Cuba remains closed.