Online Gambling Laws in Estonia

Giuseppe Faraone
Senior Author
clock badge 2 Min Read

Estonia is quite an attractive country regarding the legalities of gambling, both for gamblers and operators, as most forms of gambling are legal in the country. Players have a wide range of options, for the most part, while operators benefit from one of the lowest tax rates in Europe. Read on to find out more about gambling laws in Estonia.

Gambling regulations in estonia

Gambling Regulation by Casino Type

The main legislation regarding gambling in Estonia is the 2008 Gambling Act, which effectively makes all forms of gambling legal in the country. Operators are generally required to obtain a licence to offer their services in the country, with the Estonian Tax and Customs Board responsible for the licensing process. Two types of licences are available: a casino licence and a toto licence, the latter covering sports betting. Let's look at the legalities of gambling in Estonia by each activity.

Casino Games

Land-based casino gaming is legal in Estonia and has been since 1995. Though there are fewer casinos now than in the past, there are still more than 50 of them scattered throughout the country, which is a lot given Estonia's relatively small size compared to other EU member states. 

Due to law changes in 2010, casinos must have at least 40 slot machines and five gaming tables, the closing of many smaller slot halls. Many of the country's casinos are run by Olympic Entertainment Group (OEG), a large operator in the Baltic region, with Estonia's biggest being the Olympic Park Casino in Tallinn.

Online casino gaming has been legal in Estonia since 2008, although licences to foreign companies were only awarded in 2011. The first online casino in Estonia to obtain a licence was OlyBet, which Olympic Casinos owns. Access to online slots, table games and live casino games is restricted to licensed operator sites, with unlicensed sites actively blocked by ISPs.

Poker

Poker games have been legal in Estonia since 1995, with most of the larger casinos in the country offering the game. Interestingly, Estonia is one of just a few countries worldwide that defines poker as a game of chance and skill. While poker is a popular game in the country, there are no separate poker halls due to a lack of distinction between venues in licensing laws.

Online poker is also legal in Estonia and has been since 2008. Operators are required to hold a licence, and local and foreign sites offer the game to residents. OlyBet offers online poker games and was one of the first to do so, with PokerStars following shortly behind them.

Bingo

Both online and offline bingo games are legal in Estonia. Still, they are classed as a type of lottery and are under monopoly by the country's state-owned lottery company, Eesti Loto. Offline bingo games consist only of the televised version, Bingo Loto, and the game, generally, isn't very popular.

Online bingo gambling games are available to Estonia residents via Eesti Loto's website, where tickets for the TV Bingo Loto games can also be bought.

Lotteries

Lottery games are legal in Estonia and under monopoly by the country's lottery company, Eesti Loto. Games include standard lotteries, scratch cards, keno, bingo and Viking Loto. Profits from the company's lottery games are used to fund various causes such as science and education projects, the country's Olympics committee, and sports, welfare and cultural projects.

Online lottery games are also legal; while it is generally the monopoly of Eesti Loto, there are no laws prohibiting Estonians from playing online lottery games for real money via foreign sites.

Social Casinos and Crypto Casinos

Estonia's gambling laws do not mention free online or social casinos, so these activities are unregulated. The same goes for lootboxes and skins gambling, neither of which have been specifically referred to in gambling legislation in the country.

Regarding crypto casinos, Estonia's government officials were initially skeptical of cryptocurrencies. While the country does recognize coins such as Bitcoin as having digital value, they are still not recognized as legal tender; as such, no licensed operators, offline or online, offer cryptocurrency transactions. Players can get around this issue by joining online casinos with third-party payment service providers to deposit and withdraw using cryptocurrencies.

Sportsbet laws

Estonia Sports Betting Laws

Sports betting is legal in Estonia and has been since 1995. Still, the country's sports betting shops were initially only permitted to operate by Spordiennustus, a company owned by the Olympics committee. However, EU regulations meant the country was legally obligated to open the market to other companies.

Today, sports betting kiosks, including in some casinos, can be found nationwide. While football betting is the most popular type in Estonia, the country also has a horse racing track, the Tallinna Hipodroom, with horse racing betting offered by Totalisaator. Online sports betting is also legal in Estonia and has been since 2010. Spordiennustus has its website, but residents of the country are also free to bet on sports via other licensed operators' sites.

Gambling Age Restriction

The legal gambling age in Estonia is 21, which means only those of this age or above are permitted to enter gambling establishments in the country or gamble online. The only exception is lottery games, which can be played by those aged 16 or over.

Tax Regulation

Estonia's gambling tax regulation dictates that operators pay taxes based on their operating machines. The tax rates are around €1,278 per table, €300 per gaming machine (+10% of bets minus winnings), €31.95 per game of skill machine, and 18% lottery tax. Online gambling operators pay one of the lowest tax rates in Europe at just 5% of total bets minus winnings. Gamblers in Estonia can enjoy their winnings completely tax-free.

History of Gambling Laws in Estonia

Estonia was once part of the USSR, where most forms of gambling were illegal. However, shortly after Estonia gained its independence in 1991, the country began implementing its gambling laws, starting with the 1994 Lottery Act, which gave birth to Estonia's national lottery.

The 1995 Law on Gambling gradually made other forms of gambling legal in the country, but it wasn't until 2008 that Estonia laid out a more updated legal framework for gambling in the Gambling Act. This act was designed to provide more regulation in the industry and increase revenue, but it also made online gambling legal. Unlicensed gambling operators serving Estonia have been actively blocked by ISPs since 2011, although only the larger operators are targeted.

Key facts

Key Facts

Estonia's gambling laws are pretty straightforward, with most types of gambling legal in the country. Here's a breakdown of the key facts regarding gambling in Estonia:

  • Casino gaming, including online casino slots, poker, table games and live dealer games, is legal in Estonia, with operators required to obtain a licence.

  • Bingo and lottery games are legal, but they fall under the monopoly control of Eesti Loto.

  • Sports betting is legal in Estonia, with operators required to hold a licence.

Giuseppe Faraone

Giuseppe Faraone

Author & Online Gambling Expert

1139 Articles
Being so close to the action in iGaming, Giuseppe is on top of any new developments the minute they come through the door, as his book is testament to. Published in October 2022, his first book; The Untold Story of Online Gambling is available on Amazon.
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