How sports betting is regulated by country

Betting regulation is a balance between market freedom, player protection and the fiscal interests of the state. In different countries, this balance translates into different models: from state monopolies to competitive licensed markets. Below is a system map: types of modes, regional features, mandatory requirements for operators and current trends that are changing the industry.

1) Basic control models

1. State monopoly. The operator is a state-owned company or an authorized consortium. Limited products allowed, strict advertising rules; purpose - control and social protection (example: Singapore Pools, Hong Kong Jockey Club, a number of countries in the Middle East and Asia).

2. Licensed competitive market. Private B2C operators receive licenses in compliance with technical, financial and compliance requirements (Europe, part of Latin America, Africa, Australia).

3. Mixed model. Licensed private operators and "historical" monopolies coexist along separate verticals/channels (part of the EU, Latin America).

4. Prohibition/gray mode. Direct prohibition or lack of a clear standard; at the same time, offshore sites are actually available, and states are strengthening blocking and payment filters.

2) Mandatory requirements (compliance core almost everywhere)

License (B2C; sometimes B2B for platforms/providers).

KYC/AML: identification, sources of funds, transaction monitoring, suspicious activity reports.

Responsible play: deposit/time limits, self-exclusion, age barriers.

Technical certification: RNG/platform/integration, log audit, reporting.

Advertising and marketing: age and content restrictions, hours/channels, prohibition of "cheating winnings," additional prohibitions for sports (jersey, stadiums).

Payments: bans on credit cards in a number of countries, local methods, anti-chargeback policies.

Localization: country domains, interface/support language, sometimes - local hosting/representation.

3) Europe: mature and detailed framework

Great Britain. Liberal but tightly controlled market: licensing, public registries, developed standards for responsible play and technical reporting. Increased requirements for accessibility, afford billing and advertising.

France. A single regulator, strict delimitation of verticals, clear guidelines for advertising and consumer protection.

Spain. Centralized licenses, detailed marketing and technical certification rules, focus on WG and monitoring.

Italy. Concession model, cycles of updating rights to remote services; focus on AML and payment chain transparency.

Germany. Federal agreement between lands: uniform rules, but with restrictions on products and mechanics; active fight against illegal sites.

Netherlands. Reform of remote games from 2021: high localization standards, strict advertising rules, thorough operator verification.

Sweden/Denmark. Open licensed markets with a strong focus on self-exclusion, payment rules and vendor validation.

Malta. European "hub" for B2C/B2B: transparent procedures, technical standards, a developed ecosystem of suppliers.

Poland/Czech Republic. Local licenses and taxes; in Poland - strictly to advertising/sales taxes, in the Czech Republic - stable licensing with a focus on compliance.

Europe trends: narrowing advertising opportunities, tightening affordability ratings, self-exclusion system, responsibility of sports and media, "whistle-to-whistle" restrictions during matches.

4) America: "mosaic" from states to federation

USA. Legalization after the precedent reform was accompanied by a "regular" model: each state has its own regulators, taxes, partnership schemes with casinos/sports franchises, restrictions on marketing and types of bets (prop markets for student sports, etc.).

Canada. Provincial model: online betting through regional operators/partnerships, various advertising and affiliate marketing rules.

Brazil. Modern federal framework for fixed rates (online/offline), many local requirements for domain, payments, advertising; phased launch and tightening of control.

Colombia. One of the first fully licensed LatAm markets: clear rules, open competition.

Argentina. Provincial licensing (Buenos Aires city/province - separate framework), marketing restrictions.

Mexico/Peru/Chile. A combination of historical permissions and reforms: go towards greater certainty, but the details and timing are different.

America's trends: rapid changes in taxes and advertising rules, the fight against illegal immigrants, the standardization of responsible play, integration with professional leagues (data/integration).

5) Asia and Oceania: from monopolies to licenses

Australia. Federal + State/Territory Licensing; tough advertising rules and bans on individual payment methods online.

New Zealand. Regulatory through Crown structures and partnerships; strict focus on WG and sports targeted support.

Singapore/Hong Kong. Historical monopolies with limited products and controlled marketing; strict AML and offshore blocking.

Japan/South Korea. Strict selectivity for products: state/quasi-state lotteries and specific types of bets are allowed; general online bookmaking is limited.

India. Rules vary by state; the federation forms a technological and payment framework, but there are no uniform norms for online rates, which creates "gray."

Philippines. Complex system with state operators and permits; distinction between ground and distance segments.

APAC trends: dominance of monopolies/limited licenses, strict payment and traffic filters, the growing role of blocking and content regulation.

6) Africa: Rapid Growth and 'Reinvention' of Rules

SOUTH AFRICA. Legal online betting with provincial licenses; national standards and emphasis on WG/AML.

Kenya. Permitted market with frequent changes in taxes and license fees; strict oversight of payments and advertising.

Nigeria. Combination of federal authority and regional licenses; rapid growth of the mobile segment.

Morocco/Ghana/Uganda et al. Different stages of maturity; transition from permissions to full frames.

African trends: "mobile-first," local payment methods, gradual tightening of advertising and information security standards, attention to the integration of sports.

7) Eastern Europe, Caucasus, Central Asia

Georgia/Armenia. Permitted markets, but with increased restrictions on advertising, payments and age filters in recent years.

Kazakhstan. Permitted rates under strict AML/payment rules; state control of payment gateways and accounting centers.

Ukraine. The legal framework for licensing remote services has been created, there are many requirements: KYC, payments, domains/localization, reporting; actual implementation and oversight are evolving.

Turkey/Azerbaijan/Belarus. Tightened regimes or monopolies; frequent offshore blocking, payment filtering; in Turkey, a state-owned sports betting operator.

Regional trends: tightening advertising, localization of domains/DC, strengthening AML and provider control.

8) Taxes and fees: why the "country rate" is always nuanced

Basis: GGR tax (gross profit) or turnover tax/rates, plus license fees and sports/integration fees.

Spread: from moderate GGR rates in mature markets to combined structures (GGR + fixed fees + local duties).

Practice: when assessing a jurisdiction, always consider the effective total load: GGR/turnover, VAT/analogue, payment commissions, cost of technical certification, localization and advertising costs.

9) Sports Advertising, Sponsorship and Integrity

Advertising: time limits, channels (TV/OOH/streaming/social networks), mandatory disclaimers, bans on "heroization" and targeting young people.

Sponsorship of clubs/leagues: in a number of countries - allowed with reservations (jersey, stadiums, children's categories), in others - prohibited or sharply limited.

Integration: Agreements with leagues and federations, monitoring of abnormal betting patterns, data sharing obligations and investigations.

10) Payments and liability to the player

Online credit card ban is gaining popularity.

Local methods (bank transfers, instant payments, wallets) + limits on the use of state benefits and "vulnerable" sources.

Withdrawal: timing, KYC/SoF completion, ATO/fraud protection.

Coefficient transparency: Banning misleading ads for "boosts" and "guaranteed winnings."

11) Where regulation is heading (key trends)

Responsible Game 2. 0: affordability assessments, behavioral monitoring, centralized self-exclusion bases.

Tougher to advertising and affiliates: codes, prohibition of influencers without labeling, "dark patterns" under the ban.

Data & Privacy: data localization, DPIA, profiling restriction.

Payments: risk scoring of transactions, block lists, control of crypto channels.

Integration: standardization of sport ↔ operator agreements, sanctions for non-reporting.

Technical requirements: logging of line changes, audit of suppliers, mandatory API integrations for monitoring.

12) Checklist for operator/revision

Understand the type of market (monopoly/licenses/mixed/prohibition).
Check the licensing procedure (terms, pledges, local legal entities/domains).
Reconcile tax model (GGR vs turnover, local charges).
Configure KYC/AML (Identity, SoF, Reporting).
Verify technical certification (platform, integration, log audit).
Understand advertising restrictions (age, channels, sponsorship).
Select local payments and rules for returns/holds.
Integrate integration and RG tools: limits, self-exclusion, monitoring.
Provide localization (language, support, domain, sometimes hosting).
Keep a register of updates (changes in laws, taxes, advertising rules).

13) Brief FAQ

Can I "import" a license? In the EU, there is no universal "passportable" B2C license: each country decides for itself. There are B2B nodes (for example, for suppliers), but access to players is country-by-country.

Why are taxes so different? Historical monopolies, sports policy and risk tolerance levels determine the model.

What is changing the fastest? Advertising, payments, responsibility for vulnerable groups, integration and data exchange with sports.

Rate regulation is a dynamic map, not a static handbook. The correct strategy is to think "by layers": (1) market type and license, (2) taxes and payments, (3) advertising and RG, (4) technical certification and integration. Countries combine these layers in different ways, but there is only one common vector: more transparency, more player protection, higher data and reporting standards. If you are planning a product or preparing content for individual jurisdictions, keep a live tracker of changes and update information regularly - this directly affects compliance with the law, marketing and economics of the project.