Online casino legislation in Portugal: status update
Portugal is a fascinating gambling market brimming with potential and enjoying every aspect of the legal gambling experience already. As the country has legalized everything from poker to bingo, to online casinos and sports betting, local players have plenty of opportunities to explore games of chance as well as a few games of skill.
Gambling in the country is controlled by the Santa Casa da Misericordia de Lisboa Games Department and if any operator hopes to set foot in Portugal, and operate in the country legally, it must comply with all regulations set out by SCML.
How are casinos regulated in Portugal?
Casinos in Portugal are divided between the brick-and-mortar and online segment. The country is split into several gambling counties and each has one brick-and-mortar casino allowed to operate in it.
Today, players can visit various established facilities, including Casino Estoril, Casino Lisboa, Casino de Vilamoura and quite a few relevant properties. All operators that run gambling activities must comply with existing gambling law which was passed with the Portuguese Decree Law 114/2011.
Yet, it wasn't until 2013 that Portugal decided it would make a lot of sense for the...