European Online Casinos and EU Licences

Our short answer

There is no single EU casino licence. Each European country sets its own gambling rules, and a licence from one country, such as Malta, does not make a casino legal everywhere else. None of the 58 casinos in our database holds a European licence we could confirm. Most hold an Anjouan licence, claim Curaçao or Tobique, or have only a company registered in Costa Rica. A casino that takes euros and European payment methods is not, for that reason, a European-licensed casino.

How licensing works in Europe

Gambling is not regulated at EU level. Each country decides whether online casinos are allowed, who may run them and on what terms. Broadly, countries fall into three groups:

• Licensing markets. Private operators can apply for a national licence, as in Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands, Germany, Spain and Italy.
• Monopolies. A state-backed operator holds the only right to offer online casino games, as in Norway.
• No online casino licences. France licenses online sports betting, horse racing and poker, but not online casino games.

The UK is outside the EU and has its own regulator. Ireland has set up a new regulator, the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland, under its Gambling Regulation Act 2024.

Regulators to know

Country	Regulator	National self-exclusion scheme
United Kingdom	Gambling Commission	GAMSTOP
Sweden	Spelinspektionen	Spelpaus
Denmark	Spillemyndigheden	ROFUS
Netherlands	Kansspelautoriteit	Cruks
Germany	GGL (Joint Gambling Authority of the German States)	OASIS
Spain	DGOJ	RGIAJ

These schemes cover casinos licensed in that country. They do not reach offshore casinos.

What a Malta licence covers

The Malta Gaming Authority licenses many operators that serve several countries. Its licence comes from an EU member state, but it does not override national rules. Countries with their own licensing system usually require their own licence for local players and can block sites without one. Gibraltar and the Isle of Man also license online casinos, but neither is in the EU.

Offshore licences are not European

Curaçao is a Caribbean country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands but outside the EU. Anjouan is an island of the Comoros, off the coast of East Africa. Tobique is a First Nation in New Brunswick, Canada. A Costa Rica company registration is not a gambling licence at all. Most casinos in our data fall into one of these groups.

European regulators do act against offshore operators. Sweden’s regulator banned Softon Ltd, the operator of Dracula Casino, on 9 July 2026, and Santeda International B.V., named as Velobet’s operator, on 11 June 2024.

How we chose

We looked through the 58 casinos in our database (see how we review) for any European connection: a current or past EU licence, a licence claim, an operator company in Europe, action by a European regulator, or a European market being targeted.

“Licence confirmed” means we found the casino’s own domain in the Anjouan public licence register on 30 October 2026, with a licence still in date, as set out in our offshore casino licence audit. “No” means we could not confirm a licence. The Curaçao and Tobique registers cannot be searched as a full list, so those claims are unchecked, not proven false.

Casinos in our data with a European connection

Casino	European connection in our data	Licence confirmed	Our position
Casoola	The original Casoola held a Malta (MGA) licence and closed in January 2023 (LCB). Today’s site lists Costa Rica (AskGamblers).	No	Do not recommend
VegasHero	The original Vegas Hero held UK and Malta licences and closed in 2022–23. The 2025 relaunch lists Costa Rica.	No	Do not recommend
Dracula Casino	Operator Softon Ltd is a Cyprus company; Sweden banned it on 9 July 2026.	Yes, Anjouan (not European)	Do not recommend
Velobet	Sweden banned operator Santeda International B.V. in June 2024; the decision does not name Velobet.	No	Do not recommend
BetRiviera	Targets Portuguese players but is not licensed by Portugal’s SRIJ (MightyTips).	No	Do not recommend
Glorion	Casino.org names a Malta-registered company but says the casino has no MGA licence.	No	Do not recommend
Rolletto	Some pages claim a Malta licence; LCB lists no licence.	No	Do not recommend

Low-quality pages also claim Malta licences for Godz and Chanze. No reliable source in our research supports these claims, and we have not yet checked them against the Malta Gaming Authority’s register.

What a national licence gives you

People often look for a “European casino” because they want more choice or larger bonuses than local sites offer. What a site licensed in your own country gives you is harder to see but matters more when something goes wrong:

• A regulator that can investigate the operator and fine it or take away its licence.
• A complaints route, often through an independent dispute service.
• Access to your country’s self-exclusion scheme and to deposit limits the casino must offer.
• Rules on how bonuses are advertised and how your data is handled, including your rights under the GDPR in EU countries.

None of this follows you to an offshore casino, even one that uses European languages, currencies and payment methods.

If you live outside Europe

A European licence covers that European market, not yours. In Australia, the Interactive Gambling Act 2001 does not allow online casino games to be offered to people there, whatever licence the site holds. In Canada, Ontario licenses online casinos through iGaming Ontario, and other provinces run their own sites. Check the rules where you live before you sign up anywhere.

How to check a European licence

1. Find the licence number and the company name in the casino’s footer or terms.
2. Open the regulator’s own website by typing its address, not through a link on the casino site.
3. Search the public register for the company and the casino’s exact domain.
4. Check that the licence is active and covers online casino games.
5. If the domain is missing, treat the claim as unconfirmed.

What to watch out for

• Euro symbols are not licences. Offshore casinos in our data list iDEAL, SOFORT, EPS, Giropay, BLIK, Bancontact and MB WAY. These are payment methods, not a sign of regulation.
• Reused brand names. Casoola and VegasHero now trade on names once linked to Malta-licensed casinos that closed. Check who runs the site today.
• Fake licence claims. Lookalike domains claim UK licences for GreatSlots, HadesBet and Dracula Casino without evidence.
• Restricted countries. Dracula Casino’s list excludes the Netherlands, France, Spain, Austria, Germany and Sweden. Dazard excludes Spain, France, the Netherlands, Lithuania and Greece.
• No dispute route. A European regulator can only help with a casino it licenses. With an offshore site you may have no one to complain to.

Gambling is for adults 18+ only, or older where local law says so; see our responsible gambling page for support.

FAQ

Is there an EU-wide gambling licence?

No. Gambling is regulated country by country. A casino needs to meet the rules of each country it serves.

Is a Malta licence valid across Europe?

A Malta licence is issued by an EU member state, but many EU countries require their own national licence for local players. Whether you may play depends on your country’s rules.

Can UK players use European casinos?

Only casinos licensed by the Gambling Commission may offer gambling to people in Great Britain. A site licensed only in Malta or another EU country is not part of GAMSTOP, and the Gambling Commission cannot help you with a dispute there.

Are winnings from European casinos taxed?

It depends on the country you live in. Some countries tax the operator rather than the player, while others can tax winnings, especially from casinos licensed outside the EU. Check with your national tax authority.

Does a European operator company mean a European licence?

No. Dracula Casino’s operator is registered in Cyprus, yet its licence is from Anjouan. A company address and a gambling licence are two different things.