As someone who has spent over a decade on the inside of the global online gaming industry, my world is a complex, ever-shifting map. It’s a map not defined by geographical borders, but by the intricate and often bewildering patchwork of international laws and regulations that govern our industry. For many players, the world of gambling online can seem like a single, borderless digital nation. But from my perspective as a representative of a global operator, I see a very different reality. I see a world of firewalls, of payment blocks, of diverse cultural attitudes and complex legal frameworks that determine where our services can be offered. The question of which countries ban online gambling is not a simple list of names. It’s a deep dive into different models of prohibition, each driven by a unique combination of cultural, religious, social, and economic motivations. In this article, I want to take you on a guided tour of this complex global landscape. We will explore the different philosophies behind a gambling ban, examine specific case studies from around the world, and understand the real-world implications of these restrictions for both players and operators. This is the insider’s guide to the invisible, but very real, borders of the digital casino world.

The Spectrum of Prohibition: Not All Bans are Created Equal

Before we start naming countries, it’s essential to understand that a “ban” is not a monolithic concept. It exists on a spectrum of severity and enforcement. Broadly, we can categorise any country’s prohibitive stance into two main models.