Legality of casinos, lotteries and bookmakers (Guyana)

Legality of casinos, lotteries and bookmakers in Guyana

Shortly

Basic Law - Gambling Prevention Act (Cap. 9:02): historical ban on "common gambling houses" and public lotteries, with updated editions.

Lotteries - allowed separately under the Government Lotteries Act (Cap. 80:07); the state organizes lotteries through a profile committee/concession.

Casinos - allowed since 2007 in the "casino at the hotel" format under licenses (casino premises + casino operator) and under the supervision of the Gaming Authority.

Bookmaking/betting - "classic" gambling houses are off limits, but there is a recognised pool betting regime and taxation of betting in the Tax Act; horse racing regulation is developing (the law on the Horse Racing Authority was adopted in April 2025).

Online - there is no separate comprehensive law on online casino/betting; practice in fact remains "mixed" (part of the services - through general norms and exceptions, access to foreign sites - without special positive regulation).

Legal framework: what the law says

1) Gambling Prevention Act (Cap. 9: 02)

The historical act criminalizes the content of the "common gambling house," participation in the public lottery and related actions (advertising, collecting money), providing the police with preventive tools. A modern compilation (L.R.O. 1/2012) confirms this "prohibitive skeleton," on which exceptions and special modes are then imprinted.

2) Government Lotteries Act (Cap. 80: 07)

A separate law permits and describes state lotteries (committee, revenue distribution, regulations). Historically, lotteries are conducted according to the concession model (there are data on the share of license payments in the media), but the key fact is that lotteries in Guyana are allowed by law.

3) 2007 amendment: Legal hotel casinos

• the need for two licenses: for casino premises and for the operator;
• Gaming Authority's authority to issue such licenses;
• "linking" casinos to hotel projects (requirements for room capacity and hotel level were specified in regulations/public messages).

Some publications also referred to limits on the number of casinos (for example, up to three per region) - this reflects the state's cautious approach to expanding the offline market.

4) Bookmaking and pool betting

There is no special "Bookmakers Act" in the public domain, but pool betting and betting taxation are described in the Tax Act (Cap. 80:01), where the definitions of bets, promoter and signs of "pools" are entered. This confirms the assumption of rates in certain forms and their fiscal support.

The horse racing market additionally received a framework law on the Horse Racing Authority (adopted by the National Assembly on April 29, 2025), which strengthens formal control over the industry and related bets.

What is allowed and on what conditions

Lotteries

Legal, organized by Government Lotteries Act and by-laws (including Radio Bingo regulations and their amendments).

Revenues are sent to state funds; specific concession conditions - subject of contracts/regulations.

Casino

Legal with licenses (premises + operator) and compliance with hotel/quality requirements; regulator - Gaming Authority.

Licensing policy is restrictive (historically, numerical limits and "linking" to hotels 4 and above/minimum by number of rooms have been discussed).

Bookmakers/betting

Allowed in acceptable forms, primarily as pool betting and in conjunction with horse racing/sports products; tax base and definitions - in the Tax Act.

Horse racing reform through the Horse Racing Authority Bill (2024/adopted in 2025) forms a separate oversight and licensing of the industry.

Online gaming and betting: the status quo

There is no comprehensive, "digital" online casino/betting law in Guyana; the legal regime consists of general norms and point exceptions (lotteries, hotel casinos, pool betting).

Profile reviews and local media note a "mixed" picture: online lotteries/sports are gradually receiving legal channels, but there is no wide regulation of online casinos, and access to foreign sites has not had special positive rules for a long time.

Responsible play, advertising and control

Even within the "permitted" segments (lottery, hotel casinos, pool betting), there are expectations for KYC/AML, age restrictions, advertising, and for casinos - the supervision of the Gaming Authority. With the horse racing industry strengthening, so will compliance around race betting.

What it means for players and businesses

To players

Lotteries and casinos at licensed hotels are legal; check for a license/regulator.

For bets, focus on legal channels (pool betting, licensed operators/partners of horse racing).

Online, take into account the lack of a comprehensive law: non-obvious advertising/payment practices may conflict with the basic prohibition of the Gambling Prevention Act.

To operators/investors

For casinos - prepare a package for two licenses and compliance with hotel standards; consider possible quotas/limits.

In lotteries/betting - work within existing laws and tax regulations; for horse racing - track bylaws by law 2025

The online segment requires special care: without a separate law, "digital" products must rely on existing exceptions and not go beyond the prohibitive act.

Guyana's legal gambling regime is a strict basic ban with several clear exceptions: state lotteries, licensed hotel casinos and pool betting/betting in the prescribed manner. The online market remains "fragmented": without a single law and relying on general norms and electoral exceptions. Current trends are strengthening casino supervision through the Gaming Authority and formalizing horse racing (Horse Racing Authority), which gradually makes the map of legality clearer.

Sources: Official collections of Guyana laws and fresh reports/reviews: Gambling Prevention Act (Cap. 9:02), Government Lotteries Act (Cap. 80:07), Gambling Prevention (Amendment) Act 2007; casino limit/requirement publications, Tax Act, Horse Racing Authority Bill acceptance news (April 2025), and online status reviews.