Portugal Gambling Authority

  1. Portugal Gambling Authority Meaning
  2. Portugal Gambling Authority Jobs
  3. Portugal Gambling Authority Definition
  4. Portugal Gambling Authority Act

Betamo casino is licensed and regulated by the Malta Gaming Authority under the licences: MGA/B2C/394/2017 (issued on ). Gambling can be addictive. Play responsibly. Betamo casino only accepts customers over 18 years of age. Portugal finally got around to issuing its first gambling license to Betclic.pt in early 2016. More licenses eventually followed, but Betclic was the first site authorized by the government to accept real money wagers from Portuguese citizens.



Updated on Thursday 26th April 2018
All types of gambling activities are legalized in Portugal at the moment, including casinos, as well as lottery. The gambling industry in this country is thought to be very promising, being more relaxed from the legislation point of view when compared to other European jurisdictions.
As follows, ourcompany formation consultants in Portugal present a few key aspects related to gambling activities in Portugal.

Which authorities are responsible for regulating gambling?

In Portugal, gambling activities are regulated by the Gambling Regulatory Authority. This authority monitors, inspects and regulates land-based games of chance (casino games, bingo, slot machines and poker) and the online gambling (these are games of chance, pari-mutuel and fixed-odds horseracing bets and so on).
Games which are run by the state (lotteries, land-based pari-mutuel horse betting and others) are operated by the Santa Casa da Misericordia de Lisboa (SCML), through its Games Department.
Gambling

What license is required for land-based gambling?

When it comes to casinos and bingo halls, land-based gambling operators have to attend a public tender procedure in order to obtain a license.
Several licenses can be obtained, however, a license covers only a certain geographic area.
Our Portugal company formation advisors can provide more details on this type of license.

What are the eligibility criteria for the gambling license in this jurisdiction?

To be eligible for a land-based gambling license in Portugal, the operator has to:
  • - Be a limited liability legal entity with a registered office in an EU member jurisdiction or in a country which signed the EEA;
  • - Be compliant with the administrative cooperation with regards to taxation, combating fraud and money laundering.
Legal entities which are not registered in Portugal must have a branch in the country, too, in order to be able to obtain this type of license.
Our company registration agents in Portugal can assist entrepreneurs who are interested in opening a gambling company in Portugal.

What limitations are placed on customers of gambling activities in Portugal?

Land-based gambling activities in Portugal, namely games of chance (casinos and bingo halls), have to respect the following restrictions placed on their customers:
  1. The minimum age for entering these facilities and playing is fixed at minimum 18 years;
  2. The limitation and prohibition on certain individuals to attend the gambling activities based on the fact that these individuals have positions of responsibility in public authorities;
  3. The limitation and prohibition for entering these facilities and playing for individuals who are self-excluded or banned from gambling by the authorities or by a court decision;
  4. The limitation and prohibition of persons who are employed by casinos to take part in the game;
  5. Other limitations: we can provide more information on what these other limitations are.
If you need further details on the gambling laws and regulations in Portugal, or for help in setting up a company in Portugal, please get in touch with us.

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Portugal Gambling Authority Meaning

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Portugal Gambling Authority Jobs

It isn’t unusual for a country that allows gambling on its territory to be a significant tourist destination. For Portugal in particular, this comes as a considerable source of income. In fact, last year’s GDP of Portugal was around $210 billion, and the revenue from online gambling was $122 million – which makes up for 0.05%. This is just a small part of what is about to come in the upcoming years.

The Laws Behind the Gambling Industry – Which Games are Regulated

Online gambling is a fresh phenomenon in Portugal, and it is due to the fact that the government had recently changed it’s gambling laws, which now include online betting. This means that online casinos and sportsbooks are completely legal, licensed, and regulated by the nation’s Regulatory and Inspection Services of Games and Tourism of Portugal or RISGTP administration for short.

While it is somewhat strange that a governing body that answers for tourism in the country would also be responsible for regulating any type of gambling activity, it’s not very surprising. In the regulatory code, it states that “the practice of games of chance may be held only in casinos located in specific law-determined gaming zones”. So far, 10 areas have been approved, every single one of which sees its fair share of tourists.

The Taxes are Merciless

Something that makes a big impression in the online casino and sportsbook sectors is the amount of tax those businesses pay in Portugal. The online gambling tax is 44%, and yes, it is considered to be quite high. Because of that, many economists projected that the online business in the country would decline, but what happened was quite the opposite. Today, there are many new companies lining up to apply for an online gaming license.

Online Gambling Laws are Recent in the Country

In order to be able to start issuing licenses, a government needs to cover a particular set of requirements. Portugal fulfilled its own in 2015. After the legislation was passed, it required testing labs and online operators to obtain licenses in 4 different fields – horse race betting, fixed odds sports betting, bingo, and games of chance, such as poker, roulette, slots, and other casino games. Today, there are many land-based and online gambling venues that provide people with the actions they’re looking for.

Tourism is a Unity of Sports Gambling and Cultural Events

Portugal Gambling Authority Definition

Last year, it was reported that the revenue from tourism in Portugal was around $23 billion – which makes up for almost 11% of the national GDP. This includes entertainment events such as sports games, concerts, and even cultural events. A lot of tourist regions include fascinating beaches and coastlines, castles, shrines, city squares and parks. In truth, Portugal holds around 14 awards as a more preferred tourist destination in more than 10 categories.

Improvement of Social Welfare Programs

Portugal Gambling Authority Act

It is an all-known-fact that the state of public administrations and social welfare programs in Portugal were in a very poor state even since the beginning of the 90’s. The country is also renowned for having an outstandingly slow and inefficient administrative structure, which results in slow, over-blown bureaucratic proceedings. As the European Union announced its decision to help Portugal out of the financial crisis, measures were taken to improve the government’s overall public system.

Some Challenges Remain to Be Tackled

As Portugal is making its slow recovery from a dynamic decade of financial woes, there are many other issues that await to be resolved. While this is happening, the country continues its steady rise by providing superior tourist destinations and services to its visitors and re-developing its national industries. Despite the difficulties, you can expect many great things to happen for Portugal in the future!