Is online gambling legal in Guyana?

Legal overview

Guyana's gambling rules rest on the Gambling Prevention Act, which was changed in early 2007 by the Gambling Prevention (Amendment) Act (passed by the National Assembly on 22 January 2007 and assented to on 31 January 2007) to allow licensed casinos. The amendment created the basis for a Gaming Authority that issues casino premises licences and casino operator's licences. A casino premises licence may only go to a new hotel or resort complex with at least 150 guest rooms, with no more than three per region, and admission is limited to casino staff, hotel guests and people authorised by regulation. Breaking these rules can lead to fines of GYD 1 million to 20 million and six months to two years in prison. The 2007 text does not mention internet or remote gambling.

Guyana has no licence category for online casinos at present, and we found no provision that deals specifically with offshore gambling sites or with residents who use them. The online market is therefore unregulated rather than expressly banned.

That is expected to change. Following a pledge by Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo in October 2025, and after pressure from religious groups worried about betting shops and mobile betting apps, the government tabled the Gaming Authority Bill 2026, published in the Official Gazette on 27 July 2026. The government says it would license, supervise and tax gaming, betting and wagering, naming remote gaming platforms alongside casinos, gaming lounges, betting shops and simulcast horse racing, with administrative penalties and anti-money-laundering duties. State media report that remote operators would pay a 30% tax and land-based operators 14%, with the money going to a Special Responsible Gaming Fund. We found no report that the bill had been passed by October 2026.