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British Virgin Islands: gambling regulation and licensing

Part of United Kingdom

  • Online sports bettingPre-regulation
  • Online casinoPre-regulation
  • Online pokerPre-regulation
  • Lottery and iLotteryPre-regulation
  • Horse race bettingPre-regulation
  • Land-based (reference)Pre-regulation
Regulator
Gaming and Betting Control Commission
Headline tax
Not yet verified
Licence required
Yes
Last verified
23 Sept 2026

Summary

The British Virgin Islands has a gambling law but no working regulator. The Virgin Islands Gaming and Betting Control Act, 2020 replaced the old Criminal Code ban with a licensing regime to be run by a Gaming and Betting Control Commission. The Act has been in force since July 2021, and an amendment in October 2021 extended its definitions of gaming, betting and bookmaking to play by computer, electronic means or the internet, so online casino, sports betting and lottery products all fall inside it. The Commission, however, has never been constituted. With no body able to grant licences, commercial gaming and betting remain unlawful: conducting them without a licence carries a fine of up to 100,000 dollars or five years in prison. In September 2022 the Premier's Office told casino, gaming and betting operators to stop until licensed, and the CFATF's 2024 mutual evaluation recorded no licensed casinos and a Commission still to be set up. In February 2026 the Government advertised for a Chair, Deputy Chair, Corporate Secretary and Board members, describing a remit that covers horse racing, e-gaming, lotteries and cruise related activities. The Act sets no gaming tax rate. It directs 2.5% and 5% of the money the Commission collects into rehabilitation and development funds, and leaves fees and a horse racing levy to regulations that have not been made. Licences will be open only to individuals aged 25 or over and to BVI companies partnered with a Belonger, and the Act treats anyone under 21 as a minor. Gaming and betting is already relevant business for anti-money laundering purposes, supervised by the Financial Investigation Agency.

Common pitfalls

Reading the 2020 Act as a live regime: it is in force, but with no Commission there is nobody to grant a licence, so any gaming or betting offered in or from the Territory is unlicensed. Treating a BVI business company as authorised to offer gambling: incorporation is not a gaming licence. Confusing the British Virgin Islands with the US Virgin Islands, a separate jurisdiction with its own law.

Key facts

Regulator
Gaming and Betting Control Commission (GBCC)
Regulator type
Dedicated regulator
Headline tax
Not yet verified
Licence required
Yes
Minimum age
21+
Tax base
Not yet verified

How to get a gambling licence in the British Virgin Islands

The regulator is the Gaming and Betting Control Commission (GBCC).

We record 7 licence types for the British Virgin Islands.

Applications
Closed at present
Fee basis
Gaming Operators Licence: Prescribed fee (s.31(3)); no fee regulations have been made.
Local presence
A local company or establishment is required.

Built from the record on this page, last verified 23 Sept 2026. The Licensing and Taxation sections carry the full detail and sources.

Licensing

Licence required
Yes
Application window
Closed
Local establishment required
Yes
Local server required
Not yet verified
Certification requirements
The Commission approves every game played at a licensed gaming machine location and may designate any machine as a gaming machine (ss.52 and 53); licences may require identification discs and online monitoring software approved by the Commission on gaming and betting machines and devices (s.36(2)(e)).
Barriers to entry
No licence can be applied for until the Commission is constituted. When it is, applicants must be individuals aged 25 or over or companies incorporated in the Virgin Islands that partner with a Belonger (s.31(1)); applications are advertised in two local newspapers for public comment and residents and business owners may object (s.31(4) and (6)); owners, directors and key staff must pass a fit and proper test (s.40 and Schedule 3). Key stakeholders in racing may not hold a Bookmakers or Promoters Licence (s.30(3)).

Licence types

  • Gaming Operators Licence

    Scope
    Operating a gaming machine location for the purpose of conducting gaming (s.30(2)(a))
    Fee basis
    Prescribed fee (s.31(3)); no fee regulations have been made
    Renewal terms
    Expires on the date stated in the licence; the licensee must give at least three months' notice of intention to renew (ss.41 and 42)

  • Gaming Owners Licence

    Scope
    Owning a gaming machine location; operating it also needs a Gaming Operators Licence (s.30(2)(b))

  • Bookmakers Licence

    Scope
    Betting other than pool betting, including fixed odds and sports betting by internet since 2021 (s.30(2)(c))

  • Betting Operators Licence

    Scope
    Operating a betting business; an applicant may hold more than one (ss.30(2)(j) and 58)

  • Promoters Licence

    Scope
    Staging live racing and conducting pool (pari-mutuel) betting (s.30(2)(d))

  • Gaming Machine Operating, Gaming Machine Distributor and Technical Operators Licences

    Scope
    Selling or leasing, importing and supplying, and installing or repairing gaming machines (s.30(2)(e) to (g))

  • Premises Licence and Personal Licence

    Scope
    Premises where licensed activities take place, and key employees of licensed betting or gaming locations (ss.30(2)(h), 30(2)(i), 38 and 39)

Taxation

Headline GGR tax
Not yet verified
Effective date
Not yet verified
Tax base
Not yet verified

Earmarked levies

  • Rehabilitation Fund: 2.5% of the monies the Commission collects from gaming and betting, deposited annually (Non-governmental organisations and groups working with people harmed by gaming and betting addiction and their families (s.61))
  • Development Fund: 5% of the monies the Commission collects from gaming and betting, deposited annually (Sport, social and community work, arts and culture (s.61))
  • Horse racing betting levy: To be prescribed by Commission regulations approved by Cabinet; none made (Gaming and Betting Control Commission (s.60(2)))

Compliance

Minimum age
21+
National self-exclusion
Not yet verified
KYC timing
Threshold based: one-off transactions of US$3,000 or more
AML regime
Gaming and betting is relevant business under reg. 2(1)(l) of the Anti-Money Laundering Regulations for transactions of US$3,000 or more, and every licence is conditional on compliance with AML and counter-terrorist financing law (s.36(1)(e)). The Territory's 2022 money laundering risk assessment, as reported in the CFATF's 2024 mutual evaluation, rated gaming and betting a high-risk emerging product.
AML supervisor
Financial Investigation Agency
KYC requirements
Customer due diligence is required on one-off transactions of US$3,000 or more, including linked transactions (AML and Terrorist Financing Code of Practice s.19(4)(bb)); licence conditions may also require the recording of users of facilities (s.36(2)(d)).
Stake limits
Not yet verified
Mandatory player messaging
Rules of all games played in a gaming machine location must be available to patrons at a prominent place, and licensees must help patrons judge the merits of playing a game (s.54).
Reporting obligations
Licensees must give seven days' prior notice of changes in directors, management or control, report relevant convictions, and may be required to file annual audited accounts (s.36).
Game content restrictions
Only games approved by the Commission may be played at a licensed gaming machine location (s.53).

Advertising

Advertising permitted
Not yet verified
Penalties for breach
Inviting a minor to game or bet carries a fine of up to 10,000 dollars, two years' imprisonment, or both (s.74(3)).

Restrictions

  • Licence conditions may set how licensed activities are advertised (s.36(2)(c))
  • Knowingly inviting, causing or permitting a minor (under 21) to game or bet is an offence (s.74)
  • Knowingly enticing a person to a place where gaming is conducted in breach of the Act, intending them to play, is prohibited (s.70(3)(d))

Enforcement

ISP blocking
Not yet verified
DNS blocking
Not yet verified
Payment blocking
Not yet verified
App store takedowns
Not yet verified
Administrative penalties
Notification of contraventions, enforcement notifications enforceable by injunction, and penalties up to the maximum the High Court could impose for the equivalent offence (Part IX, ss.79 to 83); suspension and revocation of licences (ss.44 and 45).
Criminal penalties
Conducting gaming or betting or providing facilities without a licence: fine of up to 100,000 dollars or five years' imprisonment (s.68(1)). Using premises without a licence: up to 50,000 dollars or two years (s.67). Supplying gaming software without a licence: up to 5,000 dollars or six months (s.69).
Operator liability
Any person who conducts gaming and betting, operates as a bookmaker or promoter, or provides facilities for gaming and betting of any kind without the appropriate licence commits an offence (s.68(1)); since 2021 these activities include those carried out by internet.
Player liability
Resorting to premises used for unlicensed betting is an offence punishable by a fine of up to 10,000 dollars or two years' imprisonment (s.72(2)), and betting in a street or public place is an offence (s.73).

Notable actions

  • Casino, gaming and betting operators in the Virgin Islands14 Sept 2022

    Premier's Office public notice requiring anyone operating casino, gaming or betting services to cease immediately until the Commission is in effect and grants a licence

Timeline

  1. 18 Jun 2020

    House of Assembly passes the Virgin Islands Gaming and Betting Control Act, 2020

  2. 20 Aug 2020

    Act gazetted after the Governor's assent on 18 August 2020

  3. 9 Jul 2021

    Act brought into force

  4. 19 Oct 2021

    Amendment Act gazetted, extending the regime to internet and electronic gaming and betting

  5. 31 Mar 2022

    Government invites proposals for a consultancy to set up the Commission and draft its regulations

  6. 14 Sept 2022

    Premier's Office tells casino, gaming and betting operators to cease until licensed

  7. 26 Feb 2024

    CFATF mutual evaluation published, recording that the Commission has not been established

  8. 4 Nov 2025

    Government welcomes the CFATF follow-up report; the casino licensing regime is unchanged

  9. 6 Feb 2026

    Government advertises for the Chair, Deputy Chair, Corporate Secretary and Board of the Commission, closing 27 February 2026

Outlook

The next step is for Cabinet to appoint the Commission's Board; applications closed on 27 February 2026, and no appointment appears in the Cabinet decisions published up to 17 September 2026. Once constituted, the Commission would have to make regulations under section 85 on fees, licence conditions, betting and lotteries before it could license anyone. The CFATF's next enhanced follow-up report on the Territory is due in November 2026.

Frequently asked questions

Is online gambling legal in the British Virgin Islands?
Not yet. The Gaming and Betting Control Act, 2020, as amended in 2021, covers internet gaming and betting, but only a Commission licence makes them lawful and the Commission has not been constituted, so no licence exists.
Who regulates gambling in the BVI?
The Act gives the job to the Gaming and Betting Control Commission, whose Board is appointed by Cabinet. The Government advertised for the Board in February 2026. For anti-money laundering purposes gaming and betting is supervised by the Financial Investigation Agency.
Can an operator apply for a BVI gaming licence?
Not until the Commission is set up. When it is, applicants must be individuals aged 25 or over or BVI companies that partner with a Belonger, and applications are advertised for public comment.
What is the minimum gambling age?
21. The Act defines a minor as anyone under 21 and makes it an offence to invite a minor to game or bet.
What tax will licensed operators pay?
The Act sets no gaming tax rate. Fees and a levy on horse racing bets are left to regulations that have not been made, and the Commission must put 2.5% and 5% of what it collects into rehabilitation and development funds.
How much does a gambling licence cost in the British Virgin Islands?
For the Gaming Operators Licence: Prescribed fee (s.31(3)); no fee regulations have been made. Last verified 23 Sept 2026.

Glossary and directory

iGT coverage of British Virgin Islands

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Regulatory

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Sources

Source tiers. Tier 1: the law, official gazette, licence register or regulator itself. Tier 2: other official sources such as ministries, parliaments, courts and statistics agencies. Tier 3: established trade press, used to find and date the primary source. Only tier 1 and tier 2 sources can support a fact on their own.

  1. Virgin Islands Gaming and Betting Control Act, 2020 (No. 14 of 2020), as gazetted 20 August 2020

    Attorney General's Chambers, Virgin Islands Laws Online (laws.gov.vg)

    Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published 20 Aug 2020
  2. Virgin Islands Gaming and Betting Control (Amendment) Act, 2021 (No. 37 of 2021)

    Attorney General's Chambers, Virgin Islands Laws Online (laws.gov.vg)

    Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published 19 Oct 2021
  3. Virgin Islands Laws Online: laws in force listing (checked for regulations made under the Gaming and Betting Control Act)

    Attorney General's Chambers, Virgin Islands Laws Online (laws.gov.vg)

    Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026
  4. Gaming And Betting Control Act Gazetted For Public Information (Cabinet Office bulletin, archived copy)

    Government of the Virgin Islands

    Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published 20 Aug 2020
  5. Government Seeks Consultancy For Gaming And Betting Control Commission (Premier's Office press release, archived copy)

    Government of the Virgin Islands

    Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published 31 Mar 2022
  6. PUBLIC NOTICE: Casino and Gaming Operators (Premier's Office bulletin, archived copy)

    Government of the Virgin Islands

    Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published 14 Sept 2022
  7. Vacancy: The Gaming and Betting (Gambling) Control Commission (Chair, Deputy Chair, Corporate Secretary and Board members)

    Government of the Virgin Islands, Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sustainable Development

    Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published 6 Feb 2026
  8. Cabinet decisions, published November 2024 to 17 September 2026 (none concern the Gaming and Betting Control Commission)

    Government of the Virgin Islands, Cabinet Office

    Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026
  9. British Virgin Islands Makes Progress in FATF Ratings

    Government of the Virgin Islands, Financial Investigation Agency

    Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published 4 Nov 2025
  10. Anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing measures: Virgin Islands (British), Fourth Round Mutual Evaluation Report

    Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF)

    Tier 2Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published 26 Feb 2024
  11. Virgin Islands (British): 2nd Enhanced Follow-up Report and Technical Compliance Re-Rating, October 2025

    Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF)

    Tier 2Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published 29 Oct 2025
  12. British Virgin Islands' progress in strengthening measures to tackle money laundering and terrorist financing

    Financial Action Task Force (FATF)

    Tier 2Accessed 23 Sept 2026
  13. Gaming and betting controls in the BVI

    Ogier

    Tier 3Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published 29 Oct 2021

Spotted something out of date? Report a correction.

This page is industry reference information and not legal advice.

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