Bitcoin gambling laws

Crypto is legal in Argentina and widely used, particularly as a hedge against inflation, but it is not recognised as legal tender and is treated as a taxable asset. Gambling is regulated at a provincial level, with licensed online betting frameworks in jurisdictions like Buenos Aires Province and City.

There are no specific laws addressing crypto gambling within these regulated markets, and licensed operators are generally required to use approved fiat payment methods. As a result, Bitcoin is not commonly accepted on regulated Argentine gambling sites.

In practice, crypto gambling exists mainly through offshore platforms, where Argentine players use Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies for deposits and withdrawals. While enforcement is focused on operators rather than individuals, the lack of clear regulation means users have limited consumer protections when using crypto for gambling outside licensed frameworks.

Crypto is legal and regulated, but its use in gambling is restricted by the Interactive Gambling Act 2001, which prohibits unlicensed online casinos and prevents licensed operators from accepting cryptocurrency as a payment method.

There are no specific provisions for “crypto gambling” itself — instead, it is captured under existing gambling and payment rules. In practice, Bitcoin gambling is almost entirely conducted via offshore sites operating outside Australian regulation.

With online casinos banned in Australia (despite many offshore operators targeting Aussies) and AUD betting sites not accepting cryptos, there are very few legal options for Aussies to use bitcoin to fund gambling accounts.

Crypto is legal in Belgium and treated as a financial asset, with taxation depending on how it’s used (private investment vs professional activity). Gambling is strictly regulated by the Belgian Gaming Commission, and only licensed operators are permitted to offer services to residents.

There are no specific provisions allowing crypto as a gambling payment method, and licensed operators are required to use approved, traceable fiat payment systems. As a result, Bitcoin is not accepted within the regulated market.

Any crypto gambling activity involving Belgian players is therefore largely conducted through offshore, unlicensed sites, which are actively targeted by regulators through blacklists and ISP blocking. Players using these platforms do so outside the country’s consumer protection framework.

Crypto is legal and regulated for financial use in Brazil, but licensed betting operators do not accept cryptocurrency as a payment method under the country’s new regulated gambling framework. The market, launched under Law No. 14.790/2023, requires operators to use approved, traceable payment systems, with a strong focus on KYC and AML compliance.

There are no provisions allowing crypto gambling within the regulated system, and payment processing is expected to run through local methods such as Pix, bank transfers and cards.

As a result, while crypto itself is legal, Bitcoin wagering and casinos is effectively excluded from Brazil’s licensed gambling market. Players looking to use crypto typically do so via offshore platforms, which operate outside Brazilian regulation and consumer protections.

Crypto is legal and taxed as a commodity, but crypto gambling is not explicitly addressed in federal or most provincial legislation.

Gambling in Canada is regulated at a provincial level, and licensed platforms generally do not accept Bitcoin directly. This leaves crypto gambling largely confined to offshore operators, with limited clarity on enforcement for individual users.

Essentially, those Canadians outside of Ontario can legally fund and play at offshore online casinos and betting sites that accept crypto, with these including operators base din places like Malta and Curacao.

No doubt, at some point, there will be discussions in the regulated gambling market in Ontario about adding cryptos as a payment method. Alberta has also indicated they will launch a regulated gambling market in the not too distant future, meaning there is likely to be a clampdown on offshore operators accepting players from here.

Crypto is legal in Chile and widely used, but it is not specifically regulated as legal tender. When it comes to gambling, Chile is still in a transitional phase — online gambling itself is not fully regulated, with new legislation still being developed.

There are no laws specifically addressing crypto gambling, and there is currently no fully licensed online casino framework requiring approved payment methods. As a result, there are no regulated Chilean operators accepting Bitcoin, simply because the local market is not formally licensed yet.

In practice, Chilean players access online gambling — including crypto gambling — through offshore online casinos, where Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are commonly accepted. This places activity outside any local regulatory oversight, meaning users rely on the protections (or lack thereof) offered by the offshore operator rather than Chilean law.

The European Union has not been very strong in its reaction to Bitcoin, they have issued a statement saying that it’s not regulated but are strong in their stance that users must still pay tax in their respective countries.

Crypto is banned in China, including trading, exchanges and mining, under a series of directives from the People’s Bank of China and other regulators. Gambling is also illegal outside state-run lotteries, meaning there is no legal pathway for crypto gambling.

In practice, however, activity has not disappeared — it has moved underground. Chinese users have historically accessed offshore gambling platforms using VPNs and intermediaries, with crypto used as a funding layer due to restrictions on traditional payment channels. Enforcement has tightened in recent years, with authorities targeting both crypto transactions and cross-border gambling networks, including arrests linked to “capital outflow” and fraud cases.

While there is still an underground market for crypto gambling, it operates in a high-risk environment. Platforms, payment channels and access points are frequently disrupted, and users have no legal protection. Overall, China represents one of the clearest examples of a market where both crypto and gambling are banned — but continue to exist informally under significant enforcement pressure.

Crypto is legal in Denmark and treated as a taxable asset, with gains subject to income or capital taxation depending on use. Gambling is tightly regulated by the Danish Gambling Authority, which requires all licensed operators to use approved, traceable payment methods.

There are no provisions allowing cryptocurrency as a gambling payment method within the regulated framework, and licensed Danish gambling operators do not accept Bitcoin or other cryptoassets. Strict AML and consumer protection requirements effectively prevent its integration.

As a result, while crypto itself is permitted, crypto gambling is not supported in the regulated market. Any use of Bitcoin for gambling by Danish players typically occurs via offshore, unlicensed platforms, which are subject to enforcement measures such as ISP blocking and payment restrictions.

Crypto is legal in Estonia and regulated under financial supervision rules, with service providers required to comply with licensing, AML and KYC obligations. Gambling is also regulated, with licensed operators overseen by the Estonian Tax and Customs Board.

However, crypto gambling is not explicitly provided for within Estonia’s gambling framework, and licensed operators are generally required to use approved, traceable fiat payment methods. As a result, Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are not commonly accepted by regulated Estonian gambling sites.

In practice, while Estonia is considered crypto-friendly from a financial perspective, its gambling sector remains more conservative. This means crypto gambling activity is largely limited to offshore platforms, where Estonian players may use Bitcoin for deposits and withdrawals outside the local regulatory environment.

Crypto gambling is legal and regulated in Malta, making it one of the few jurisdictions where Bitcoin can be used within a licensed framework. Gambling is overseen by the Malta Gaming Authority under the Gaming Act, with additional oversight of crypto activity through financial laws such as the Virtual Financial Assets framework.

Malta has taken a progressive approach to crypto integration. The MGA introduced policies allowing licensed operators to use blockchain technology and accept cryptocurrencies, provided they meet strict compliance requirements, including AML, KYC and system audits.  

Crucially, operators cannot simply accept crypto directly — they must do so via approved payment providers licensed by the Malta Financial Services Authority, ensuring transactions remain traceable and compliant.  

In practice, this has led to a hybrid model at Malta gambling sites:

• Some MGA-licensed casinos now accept crypto deposits
• Funds are often converted to fiat before gameplay
• Full “pure crypto casinos” are still more common offshore

In WGL’s opinion, Malta represents one of the clearest examples of a regulated pathway for crypto gambling, balancing innovation with strict regulatory oversight.

Crypto is legal and taxed, with oversight from the UK Gambling Commission and financial authorities. While crypto gambling is not banned outright, operators must meet strict AML and KYC requirements, which has effectively limited adoption.

Licensed gambling sites in the UK rarely accept Bitcoin, meaning most crypto gambling activity takes place on offshore platforms not regulated in the UK.

Crypto is legal, but gambling laws are set at the state level. There is no clear legal framework permitting crypto as a gambling payment method, and licensed sportsbooks do not accept Bitcoin directly.

Some US gambling sites use crypto-to-fiat conversion methods, but most Bitcoin gambling remains tied to offshore sites that fall outside US regulatory systems.

In practice, many offshore gambling sites (that we choose not to promote illegally) accept Americans and allow crypto payments, with some notable operators being BetOnline and Boavada, which were household names in the US, pre-regulation.

With the patchwork nature of gambling laws across the USA, it is likely, over time, that online casinos and betting sites in certain states will begin to accept bitcoin and other cryptos, but it will take law changes.