History of gambling in Grenada

1) Before the 1980s: Bans and "general gambling houses"

In the post-war phase, the basis of regulation was Gambling, Lotteries and Betting Act (Cap. 120), criminalizing "common gambling houses," excitement in public places and a number of related acts. The law explicitly set fines and prison sentences, forming a long tradition of de facto banning casinos and non-commercial games outside the lottery context.

2) 1982: National Lottery (NLA) launches

In 1982, the National Lotteries Authority (NLA) was established - the state operator of lottery products in Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique. Bingo, instant scratchcards, local Lotto, regional Super 6 (together with the islands of the Windward Ridge) and Pick 3 appeared and developed in the NLA portfolio. This is the legalized "core" of the gambling sphere in the country to this day.

💡 Note: according to industry reports, regular circulation lotteries in their modern form started by the end of the 1990s, when the first Lotto became a regular weekly game; prior to this, the NLA focused on bingo and scratch cards.

3) 2014: Political U-turn to casinos

In the summer of 2014, the House of Representatives approved Casino & Gaming Act 2014 - a course to legalize casinos in hotels from 300 rooms (as an incentive for large investments in tourism). The bill passed the "first barrier" and was sent to the Senate; it was the most substantial departure from the decades-long prohibitive approach.

However, in practice, casinos did not open immediately after 2014: the high requirement for the number of rooms and the need to adjust by-laws and institutions were postponed. Regional media and local commentary continued to record a "zero" number of operating casinos in subsequent years.

4) 2016-2017: new frame and regulator

In 2016, the Gaming Act, No. 21 of 2016 (followed by SRO 48/2016), which created the Gaming Commission, a licensing procedure (including club licenses) and a modern regulatory framework. In parallel, detailed Gaming Regulations were approved. In January 2017, the government announced the creation of the Gaming Secretariat (a secretariat under the Ministry of Justice) for the practical administration of reforms.

The 2016 documents also contain transitional provisions: "Cap. 120" was to be replaced by a new regime, and the current game suppliers were ordered to bring the activities into line. This confirms the transition from a colonial ban to a regulated model, albeit with a long implementation phase.

5) 2010s - early 2020s: why casinos still don't work

Despite the legal roadmap, there has not yet been a critical scale of hotel infrastructure for 300-room casino hotels in Grenada - it was this requirement that "locked" the model. Profile directories and travel sites throughout the 2010s/early 2020s consistently reflected the lack of operating casinos in the country.

6) 2023-2025: projects "for a large number of rooms"

Flagship development initiatives have appeared on the horizon - primarily Grenada National Resort (Levera, north of the island) with declared room ≈500, a golf course and a casino as part of the project. In 2023-2025 developers and partners published updates on the construction and infrastructure of the resort, positioning it as the future "showcase" of the island with a marina and helipads. If the project is completed, it will remove the infrastructure barrier of 300 + numbers, laid down in the 2014 act.

7) Online games and "digit"

There is no special, full-format mode for online casinos and bets "for local players" in open sources as of 2024-2025; the country relies on an offline frame (lotteries + potential land-based hotel casinos). Profile reviews call the online sphere unsettled/ambiguous; at the same time, NLA develops digital channels for lotteries (verification of results, media).

8) Where We Are Now (2025): Bottom Line

Lotteries are a sustainable and the only historically working legal segment (NLA since 1982).

Casinos - legally possible (since 2014/2016), but no operating casinos; industry directories and travel aggregators continue to indicate "0" operating facilities.

Regulation - a commission and regulations are provided (2016), a secretariat is established (2017), however, the practical launch depends on large hotel projects (300 + rooms).

The prospect is that if Grenada National Resort and other large hotels are commissioned on time, the country will have a real infrastructure base for applying the casino-in-hotel model.

Timeline (short)

1960s to 2010s: Cap prohibitive framework action. 120 (criminalization of "common gaming houses," etc.).

1982: Establishment of the National Lotteries Authority (NLA).

1999: Regular draw lotteries (first Lotto) - the modern phase of lotto products.

2014: The House of Representatives approved Casino & Gaming Act 2014 (casinos only in hotels with 300 + rooms).

2016: adopted by Gaming Act and Gaming Regulations; created by the Gaming Commission.

2017: established by Gaming Secret under the Ministry of Justice.

2023-2025: active communications on the Grenada National Resort project (≈500 rooms + casinos).

The history of gambling in Grenada is the path from strict prohibitions to cautious liberalization tied to major tourism. The legal framework for casinos has existed for almost a decade, but its real content rests on the hotel infrastructure. Until then, the key "gaming" institution remains NLA - and it is she who forms a stable, socially acceptable segment of the country's gambling market. If 300 + -dimensional hotels are commissioned by 2026-2028, Grenada will have a chance to move from "laws on paper" to a real resort casino industry.

Sources

Cap. 120 Gambling, Lotteries and Betting Act.

National Lotteries Authority (history, products, digital channels).

Casino & Gaming Act 2014 (300 + numbers; chronicle of approval).

Gaming Act 2016 и Gaming Regulations; creation of Gaming Secret (2017).

"No casino" status and reference aggregators.

Grenada National Resort project (500 rooms, casinos) - announcements/updates 2023-2025.