Is esports betting legal?
Esports betting is an emerging market and is growing in popularity daily. In fact, Super Data Research found that the esports betting scene made $892 million in revenue last year, with an expected rise to $1 billion this year.
But betting on esports is not without complications in some parts of the world. In fact, we strongly recommend you do some research to find the answer to ‘is esports betting legal?’ in your country of residence. Luckily for you, we’ve done some digging into the areas of Europe where CSGO betting is growing at its quickest – just to make things a little easier.
UK
All UK based esports gambling sites are monitored by the UK Gambling Commission and esports gambling is legal in the UK. In August 2016, they decided to take the first steps in making esports betting safe for UK gamblers after recent issues surrounding ‘skin gambling’ (gambling using in-game items instead of money).
The UKGC were the first gambling commission worldwide to begin discussions on the legal clarifications of esports betting. They also created esports gambling laws to incorporate the ideas of the UK Gambling Commission & the Gambling Act 2005 to protect players from fraud.
Germany
In Germany, state law applies when it comes to gambling. But while each area of Germany can decide upon their CSGO betting legal guidelines, there have always been more restrictions in the country than in other European destinations. Hosting a gambling site in Germany is prohibited, but those interested in betting on esports games such as CSGO can use one of the out of country providers that allow German citizens to place bets. We recommend Germans wishing to place bets on esports tournaments go with reputable sites in countries that have a history of bookmaking, such as the UK (if available).
Netherlands
Perceived as a liberal country, it may surprise you to learn that esports betting was outlawed in the Netherlands in August 2016, and all other kinds of online betting are prohibited in the country. There is however hope for Dutch residents hoping to place bets on their favourite CSGO teams. New laws are being presented to parliament to allow gambling on esports gaming events. Nevertheless, the senate is notoriously slow at dealing with new legislation. In fact, gambling has been an unresolved parliamentary issue since 2011.
Nordics
With many of the successful European esports teams such as Astralis and North coming from Nordic countries, it should come as no surprise to know that the Nordic esports betting market is almost as competitive as the tournaments they offer odds on. Here’s a rundown:
Norway – all esports betting operations are provided by the state, making them a safe and regulated option.
Sweden – Has embraced the esports betting market thanks to their country’s successes in the esports world.
Denmark – Betting on esports is available in the country with Danish betting giant Danske Spil investing heavily to provide online esports betting.
Finland – Recognises esports as a sport and gambling on the market is regulated in the same way sports betting is.
