Is online gambling legal in the Bahamas?
Status of online casinos, the regulator, the minimum age and where to get help, with our sources and the date we checked them.
Short answer
Online casino games are legal for domestic players only through a licensed gaming house operator (web shop) with a face-to-face verified account. Offshore sites are not licensed to serve them. The minimum age to gamble is 18.
Legal overview
The Bahamas regulates gambling under the Gaming Act, 2014 (No. 40 of 2014), together with the Gaming Regulations, 2014, the Gaming House Operator Regulations, 2014 and later amendments. The Gaming Board for The Bahamas, set up in 1969, is the regulator. The Act separates two markets. Resort casinos serve visitors: Atlantis, Baha Mar and Resorts World Bimini currently hold licences. Domestic players may not gamble there. The Act defines a domestic player as a citizen ordinarily resident in The Bahamas, a holder of a permanent residence certificate or residence permit, a work-permit holder, or the spouse of any of these. A casino licensee may run online gaming only with a restricted interactive gaming licence, and only for citizens of permitted foreign jurisdictions or people on its licensed premises.
Domestic players have their own channel: gaming house operators, the web shops. Under section 44, a gaming house operator licence is issued only to companies wholly owned by Bahamian citizens ordinarily resident in The Bahamas. It covers gaming on licensed premises and online gaming from a website on a server located in The Bahamas, for domestic players only. Players must open the betting account face to face after their identity and status are checked. The Board describes this domestic sector, which offers lotto, slots and sports betting, as conducted via the internet. Seven gaming houses are licensed.
Under section 69, no one under 18 may take part in any gaming. Running gaming without a licence is an offence. Since the Gaming (Amendment) Act, 2019, the Board can ask a judge to order an internet service provider to cut off a suspected unlicensed operator for up to 90 days. Offshore casinos hold no Bahamian licence and cannot lawfully serve domestic players.
| Status | Regulated market |
|---|---|
| Regulator | Gaming Board for The Bahamas |
| Main law | Gaming Act, 2014 (No. 40 of 2014), as amended by the Gaming (Amendment) Act, 2019 (No. 32 of 2019); Gaming Regulations, 2014; Gaming House Operator Regulations, 2014 |
| Licensing model | Limited licences: seven gaming house operator licences, reserved for wholly Bahamian-owned companies, cover online gaming for domestic players. Resort casino licences, with optional restricted interactive gaming licences, serve visitors and foreign players. |
| Online casinos | Online casino games are legal for domestic players only through a licensed gaming house operator (web shop) with a face-to-face verified account. Offshore sites are not licensed to serve them. |
| Advertising rules | Section 66 of the Gaming Act makes it an offence to conduct, advertise or promote gaming on premises under your control without the appropriate licence; we found no separate online advertising code. |
| Enforcement | Under section 63A, added in 2019, the Gaming Board can obtain an ex parte court order directing an internet service provider to suspend all services to a suspected unlicensed operator for up to 90 days while police investigate. |
| Minimum age | 18 years |
| Currency | BSD |
| Self-exclusion scheme | Gaming Board exclusion list (Gaming Act 2014, section 74) |
| Last checked | October 25, 2026 |
Frequently asked questions
Can Bahamians gamble online legally?
Yes, but only with one of the seven licensed gaming house operators (web shops), through an account opened face to face after identity and residency checks.
Can residents play in the resort casinos?
No. Citizens ordinarily resident in The Bahamas, permanent residents, work-permit holders and their spouses count as domestic players and are barred from casino gaming.
How does self-exclusion work in The Bahamas?
Section 74 of the Gaming Act lets you apply to the exclusion list kept under the Board's rules for one year, five years or life. The exclusion cannot be revoked during the chosen period.
Sources
- gamingboardbahamas.com/
- gamingboardbahamas.com/license-holder/
- gamingboardbahamas.com/legislation/
- gamingboardbahamas.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Gaming_Act_2014-comp.pdf
- gamingboardbahamas.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/14-Gaming-Amendment-Act-2019.pdf
- gamingboardbahamas.com/offences-and-penalties/
- gamingboardbahamas.com/taxation-rates/
- gamingboardbahamas.com/responsible-gaming/
- bahamas.gov.bs/wps/wcm/connect/MOF_Content/internet/The+Government/Non-Residents/Visiting+The+Bahamas/Gaming
- ewnews.com/gaming-board-chairman-no-appetite-for-bahamians-to-gamble-in-casinos/
- gamblingmaps.org/map/regulations/bahamas
This overview is editorial information, not legal advice. Laws change; the regulator's own publications are binding.