Online Gambling Law in Europe

Updated: 2025

Each country in Europe has its own laws regarding betting. Some of these countries have subdivisions that legislate independently. Here, then, is a sampling of Europe's gambling laws, with a focus on those nations that have widespread betting laws and those that have an abiding interest in legally suppressing it.

Rather than attempting to cover every single nation, we'll focus on the broad strokes of Europe. This should give you a pretty good idea of the overall legal climate for gambling in Europe. From there, we recommend that you delve into the laws of your specific country.

We would like to preface this information with a warning that we will be making some general statements about gambling in Europe. Most nations agree with these statements, but there are always outliers. If you have any doubts about the legality of betting or gambling where you live, we recommend that you consult an attorney.

Some e-gaming issues have been addressed by the EU itself. However, individual member states are largely free to pursue their own gambling policies. It is likely to be a long time (if ever) before any sort of EU-wide framework for gambling is seen.

In 2013, the EU commissioned many well-documented cases of individual EU member states in conflict with the EU. The EU opened infringement procedures against six countries. What were those countries guilty of? They had anti-competitive gambling laws. EU law allows countries to make their own laws, even in the area of gambling, but countries must do so in a way that doesn't impede the free movement of goods and services within the EU.

The EU's role and position on gambling is explained in detail on the European Commission's gambling website.

The Big Picture

Although nearly all European nations have addressed Internet gambling in some way, most are unconcerned about the activities of individual gamblers. If all you want to do is play the occasional game or bet on a few sporting events, you're unlikely to attract any negative attention. Most European countries simply don't care what you do with your gambling as an individual.

European countries care about the business of gambling. This means that most have a strong position on those who run either bookmaking or casino operations. If you're thinking about starting your own online casino or bookmaking operation, you should definitely have a serious, in-depth consultation with an experienced lawyer before you do anything.

In certain countries, the marketplace allows private companies to operate as long as they obtain the necessary licenses. The United Kingdom is one of these countries and has a healthy and profitable gambling industry. Much of the rest of the world is not like this. When it comes to gambling, other countries make almost everything illegal and only allow government monopolies the freedom to operate.

Countries with a system of government monopolies often have weak gaming sectors and few alternatives for players. With no competition, the monopolies have no real incentive to innovate or provide us with anything that resembles a quality gaming product worthy of the name.

Let us take a closer look at some of the larger markets in Europe.

United Kingdom

Throughout Europe, the gambling industry is very tightly controlled. The private sector can participate, but only under a variety of restrictions. The operators in those countries can only go so far in the types of gambling they can offer. The same restrictions apply to types of gambling that the private sector in this country cannot even imagine. But even in Europe, the United Kingdom is almost an oasis from a gambling perspective.

Italy

Until 2010, Italy denied access to all online gambling sites, with the exception of two specific sites operated by entities in the national sports and racing sectors. In 2003, the EU took action against Italy; seven years later, Italy accepted online gambling. Licenses are granted by AAMS to operators who demonstrate that they can operate a gambling site that is both safe and stable.

Germany

The current situation of online gambling in Germany is pretty bad. The country bans most forms of online gambling, although at least one state within Germany started issuing licenses, only to revoke them a year later and start the whole process all over again. It is a complete mess on all levels in Germany.

Poland

In Poland, sports betting is the only form of gambling that is officially permitted. Since 2011, it has been possible for companies to apply for a license to operate an online sports betting business in Poland, but the number of companies that have actually done so and received a license is quite small. Despite Poland's relatively strict stance on online gambling, it is a huge business in Poland, with a large proportion of the population gambling on foreign sites.

France

In France, companies wishing to offer sports betting, horse racing and poker must obtain a gambling license. The process is rigorous and does not include casino-style gaming, but the major poker companies are all quite present in France.

Those Who Live Under Prohibition

A number of countries in Europe have at least partially banned certain types of online gambling. The problem with these bans is that they are not very effective. Anyone within the borders of Europe can access a plethora of foreign gambling sites and play for real money. It's as easy as a few well-placed searches on Google. In fact, several of our leading gambling sitesnot only accept, but enthusiastically welcome players from much of Europe.

This much we can tell you: the online gambling industry in Europe rakes in billions of dollars every year. What we can't tell you, and what we certainly don't advocate, is breaking the law to achieve that kind of profitability. We're not familiar with the laws of your home country, and we certainly don't want to give you bad advice that could land you in hot water. What we do recommend is that you read up on the online gambling laws in your country and decide for yourself if it's a good and safe way to spend your money.

That said, the vast majority of you are perfectly safe placing bets online at any of the major sites mentioned above. Most national governments have no interest in prosecuting citizens who simply place bets online.