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Sovereign state
Latin America
ISO GD

Grenada: gambling regulation and licensing

  • Online casinoMonopoly
  • Online pokerMonopoly
  • Online bingoMonopoly
  • Online sports bettingProhibited
  • iLotteryMonopoly
  • Land-based (reference)Regulated
Regulator
Gaming Commission
Headline tax
Not yet verified
Licence required
Yes
Last verified
24 Sept 2026

Summary

Grenada licenses land-based gambling but reserves online gambling to the state. The Gaming Act 2016, in force since 1 August 2016, requires anyone providing facilities for gaming, betting or lotteries to register with the Gaming Commission and hold a licence granted by the Minister for Finance on its recommendation. The Act deemed the National Lotteries Authority (NLA) to hold an e-gaming operating licence for 20 years and bars anyone else from being granted one, so online casino, poker and bingo are an NLA monopoly until 2036. The NLA is also the only lawful lottery operator apart from licensed bingo, promotional draws and charity lotteries, and sells its draw games online to players located in Grenada. Betting licences cover specified premises only, so no licence authorises remote sports betting. Casinos sit under the separate Casino Gaming Act 2014: licences go only to hotels of at least 300 rooms or approved resorts, on a Casino Gaming Commission report, and Grenadian citizens resident in Grenada may not play. Gaming tax is charged monthly on gross receipts at 30% for gaming machines and betting, 25% for commercial lotteries and 15% for charity lotteries and clubs, with the NLA exempt. Casinos pay an annual tax on floor space plus a banded tax on gross gaming income from 15% down to 2.5%. The 2026 budget estimates put provisional gaming tax receipts for 2025 at XCD 461,336. Gaming businesses became relevant businesses for anti-money laundering purposes in March 2022. We found no gambling legislation since the 2022 casino amendment and no pending bill.

Common pitfalls

Treating Grenada as an offshore online licensing centre: the e-gaming licence is held by the National Lotteries Authority alone until 2036 and no one else may be granted one. Assuming a betting licence covers online betting: it authorises betting on specified premises only. Confusing the two regulators: the Gaming Commission licenses under the Gaming Act, while casinos answer to the Casino Gaming Commission under a separate Act. Citing the Gambling, Lotteries and Betting Act, Chapter 120: it was repealed on 1 August 2016. Assuming locals can play in a casino: citizens ordinarily resident in Grenada commit an offence if they do.

Key facts

Regulator
Gaming Commission
Regulator type
Gaming board
Headline tax
Not yet verified
Licence required
Yes
Minimum age
18+
Tax base
Gaming Act licensees pay gaming tax monthly on the gross receipts of gaming, by the tenth day of the following month (s.25): 30% of gross receipts or XCD 250 per machine, whichever is greater, for gaming machines; 30% for betting and for pool betting; 25% for a commercial lottery; 15% for a lottery by a non-commercial society or local authority; and 15% for members' clubs (Schedule IV). The Act does not define gross receipts. The National Lotteries Authority and its agents are exempt (s.35(5)). Casinos pay instead an annual basic tax on floor space, from XCD 50,000 (6,000 sq ft or less) to XCD 200,000 (over 20,000 sq ft), in six monthly instalments (Casino Gaming Act s.36), plus a monthly tax on gross gaming income, meaning stakes less winnings paid, of 15% on income over XCD 1,000 up to XCD 250,000, 10% on the next XCD 250,000, 5% up to XCD 3 million and 2.5% above (s.37, Schedule II para. 2). The 2026 budget estimates record provisional gaming tax receipts of XCD 461,336 for 2025.

Licensing

Licence required
Yes
Application window
Not yet verified
Local establishment required
Not yet verified
Local server required
Not yet verified
Notable licensees
National Lotteries Authority: sole lottery operator and sole e-gaming licence holder, selling draw games through 112 authorised agents, two own outlets and nla.gd, BLAST Gaming: runs video lottery terminal games in four entertainment centres and agent locations in partnership with the National Lotteries Authority (company press release, 2024)
Barriers to entry
Online gambling is closed to private operators: the e-gaming licence belongs to the National Lotteries Authority until 2036 and no one else may be granted one, and betting licences are tied to specified premises. A private operator can reach the online and video lottery market only as an agent authorised by the NLA, which answers for its compliance. Casino licences are limited to companies incorporated or registered as foreign companies in Grenada that own or manage a hotel of 300 or more rooms or an approved resort, and a casino may not admit resident citizens. Anyone convicted of a Schedule II offence can be refused a Gaming Act licence (s.11(7)).

Licence types

  • E-gaming operating licence

    Scope
    Providing gaming machines or other facilities for e-gaming, including importing, installing, maintaining or repairing e-gaming machines (Gaming Act s.9(1)(b))
    Term
    20 years from 1 August 2016 for the National Lotteries Authority
    Fee basis
    Not available to applicants: the National Lotteries Authority is deemed to hold it and no other person shall be granted one (s.35(1)).
  • Gaming machines operating licence

    Scope
    Providing stand-alone gaming machines, other than e-gaming machines, on specified premises; machines connected to a central network are excluded (s.9(1)(a); Regulations reg. 12(2))
    Term
    As set by the Gaming Commission in line with ministerial policy directives (reg. 12(1) as amended in 2017)
    Application fee
    XCD 1,000
    Fee basis
    Application XCD 1,000, renewal XCD 1,000, variation XCD 600 (Regulations Schedule II)
    Renewal terms
    Apply between three months and two weeks before expiry; the licence continues until the renewal is decided (Act s.13)
  • Gaming machines technical licence

    Scope
    Supplying, importing, installing, maintaining or repairing gaming machines or parts (s.9(1)(c))
    Application fee
    XCD 1,000
    Fee basis
    Application XCD 1,000, renewal XCD 1,000, variation XCD 600
  • General betting operating licence

    Scope
    Providing facilities for betting, other than pool betting, on specified premises (s.9(1)(d))
    Term
    Up to two years (reg. 13)
    Application fee
    XCD 500
    Fee basis
    Application XCD 500, renewal XCD 500, variation XCD 300
  • Pool betting operating licence

    Scope
    Providing facilities for pool betting on specified premises (s.9(1)(e))
    Term
    Up to two years (reg. 13)
    Application fee
    XCD 500
    Fee basis
    Application XCD 500, renewal XCD 500, variation XCD 300
  • General lotteries operating licence

    Scope
    Bingo or promotional draws promoted by a person other than a non-commercial society or local authority (ss.9(1)(f), 35(2)(a))
    Term
    One year; one licence per person or group under common control (reg. 14)
    Application fee
    XCD 500
    Fee basis
    Application XCD 500, renewal XCD 500, variation XCD 300
  • Special lotteries operating licence

    Scope
    Lotteries promoted by a non-commercial society (charitable, sporting, religious or cultural) or a local authority (s.9(1)(g))
    Term
    Up to six months, renewable without fee (reg. 15)
    Application fee
    XCD 200
    Fee basis
    Application XCD 200; the Minister may waive or refund fees and gaming tax (ss.10(3), 25(5))
  • Club's gaming licence

    Scope
    Gaming for members of a club registered under the Registration of Clubs Act, excluding lotteries and e-gaming (s.9(1)(h))
    Application fee
    XCD 500
    Fee basis
    Application XCD 500, renewal XCD 500, variation XCD 300
  • Casino licence

    Scope
    Operating a casino in a separate gaming room of a hotel of at least 300 rooms accredited by the Grenada Tourism Authority, or a resort approved by the Minister (Casino Gaming Act ss.12, 13)
    Term
    Up to ten years, extendable by up to five years at a time
    Application fee
    XCD 100,000
    Fee basis
    Non-refundable application payment of XCD 100,000 (s.6(1)); licence issue fee XCD 2,500; certificates of approval for gaming staff XCD 300 and permits XCD 100 (Schedule II para. 1). Annual basic tax and gross gaming income tax are separate.
    Renewal terms
    Extension only if the licensee has performed all its obligations and it is in the public interest (s.13(2))

Taxation

Headline GGR tax
Not yet verified
Effective date
1 Aug 2016
Player winnings tax
Schedule II para. 3 of the Casino Gaming Act sets a 1% rate of "tax on winnings from all games played in any casino" without saying in that paragraph who bears it. We found no tax on lottery prizes.
Tax base
Gaming Act licensees pay gaming tax monthly on the gross receipts of gaming, by the tenth day of the following month (s.25): 30% of gross receipts or XCD 250 per machine, whichever is greater, for gaming machines; 30% for betting and for pool betting; 25% for a commercial lottery; 15% for a lottery by a non-commercial society or local authority; and 15% for members' clubs (Schedule IV). The Act does not define gross receipts. The National Lotteries Authority and its agents are exempt (s.35(5)). Casinos pay instead an annual basic tax on floor space, from XCD 50,000 (6,000 sq ft or less) to XCD 200,000 (over 20,000 sq ft), in six monthly instalments (Casino Gaming Act s.36), plus a monthly tax on gross gaming income, meaning stakes less winnings paid, of 15% on income over XCD 1,000 up to XCD 250,000, 10% on the next XCD 250,000, 5% up to XCD 3 million and 2.5% above (s.37, Schedule II para. 2). The 2026 budget estimates record provisional gaming tax receipts of XCD 461,336 for 2025.

Compliance

Minimum age
18+
National self-exclusion
Not yet verified
AML regime
Casinos, for cash transactions of XCD 3,000 or more, and since March 2022 the business of gaming under the Gaming Act 2016, are relevant businesses under the Proceeds of Crime (AML/TF) Regulations 2012, bringing customer due diligence, record keeping and reporting duties. The Financial Intelligence Unit and the AML/CFT Commission supervise relevant businesses jointly and conduct joint examinations.
AML supervisor
Financial Intelligence Unit jointly with the Anti-Money Laundering and Combating Terrorism Financing Commission
Deposit limits
The National Lotteries Authority caps web sales spending at XCD 4,000 a day (its own terms, not a statutory limit).
Source of funds thresholds
Casino cash transactions of XCD 3,000 or more, including linked transactions (AML/TF Regulations 2012 reg. 2(1)(l) and (3))
KYC requirements
Licensees must not admit anyone to gaming facilities unless they believe the person is 18 or over and, where in doubt, must demand and examine written proof of age (Gaming Regulations 2016 reg. 16). Casino licensees must take all reasonable steps to keep out under-18s and citizens ordinarily resident in Grenada (Casino Gaming Act s.19). The NLA web sales site admits only persons over 18 located in Grenada, and online winnings are claimed with identification.
Stake limits
Not yet verified
Mandatory player messaging
Every oral or written communication advertising gaming must declare that it is an offence to cause or permit a person under 18 to take part in gaming and that the facilities are not for under-18s (Gaming Act s.31(4)).
Reporting obligations
Gaming Act licensees file a monthly return of particulars by the tenth day of the following month, with records of all receipts and all winnings paid, by machine for gaming machine licensees (s.26; reg. 17), and notify any change of circumstance, including change of control, within seven days (s.14). Casinos file a monthly statement of daily gross gaming income with the Casino Gaming Commission (s.37(4)). The NLA gives the Minister quarterly statements of draw proceeds and publishes audited annual accounts laid before the House (NLA Act ss.5(5), 25B, 25C).
Game content restrictions
Gaming machines operating licences cover stand-alone machines only, not machines connected to a central network (Gaming Regulations 2016 reg. 12(2)). Casino gaming is limited to persons on the premises at the time (Casino Gaming Act s.22).

Minimum age by vertical

  • iLottery: 18+
  • Land-based (reference): 18+

Advertising

Advertising permitted
Yes
Mandatory warnings
That it is an offence to cause or permit a person under the age of eighteen years to participate in gaming, and that the facilities or activities advertised are not for use or participation by any person under eighteen (Gaming Act s.31(4)).

Restrictions

  • No sending gaming advertising to, or bringing gaming information to, a person under 18 with a view to encouraging them to gamble; a person named as the payee or contact in such a document is treated as the offender (Gaming Act s.31(1) to (3))
  • No licensee advertising of gaming facilities or activities within 500 feet of a primary or secondary school (Gaming Regulations 2016 reg. 16(3))
  • Every advertisement for gaming must carry the prescribed under-18 declaration (Gaming Act s.31(4))

Payments

Credit card ban
Not yet verified
Crypto stance
Not yet verified
Permitted methods
Top-ups bought at National Lotteries Authority agents and service centres, Visa and Mastercard cards, when available, Prize winnings credited to the virtual wallet
Withdrawal timeframe rules
Web sales wallet funds can be withdrawn only by cashing out prizes; prizes must be claimed within 90 days of the draw, at agents up to XCD 4,800 and above that at the NLA office in St George's (NLA web sales terms).

Enforcement

ISP blocking
Not yet verified
DNS blocking
Not yet verified
Payment blocking
Not yet verified
App store takedowns
Not yet verified
Administrative penalties
The Minister may suspend or revoke a Gaming Act licence on the Commission's recommendation for conduct against the public interest, breach of conditions, failure to report changes or unsuitability, and the Commission may inspect premises and records and confiscate and detain machines (ss.17 to 20). Casino licences may be suspended or cancelled (Casino Gaming Act ss.17, 18).
Criminal penalties
Providing gaming or betting facilities, or using premises for them, without a licence: 12 months or XCD 100,000 or both (Gaming Act ss.27, 28). Cheating: 6 months or XCD 50,000 summarily, 2 years or XCD 150,000 on indictment (s.29). False statements or failing to file returns: XCD 50,000; failing to report a change of circumstance: XCD 20,000 (ss.14, 26, 30). Admitting under-18s to gaming premises: 6 months or XCD 50,000; employing them: 12 months or XCD 75,000 (ss.32, 33). Operating a casino without a licence: XCD 100,000 (Casino Gaming Act s.4(3), added in 2022); a casino licensee failing to keep out prohibited persons: XCD 100,000 (s.19(3)).
Operator liability
Anyone who invites others to gamble, runs or administers gaming, supplies gaming software or machines, or even possesses a gaming machine without a licence provides facilities for gaming and commits an offence (Gaming Act s.27(2)). An agent of the National Lotteries Authority remains liable for its own breaches, and the NLA is liable for its agents' failures (s.35(6); NLA Act s.5(3) as amended).
Player liability
A person under 18, or a Grenadian citizen ordinarily resident in Grenada, who takes part in casino gaming commits an offence (fine XCD 10,000), except visitors, hotel guests and staff in the course of employment (Casino Gaming Act ss.19(1), 20). The Gaming Act creates no offence for players.

Timeline

  1. 3 Sept 1999

    National Lotteries Authority Act comes into force, taking over the Grenada National Lottery

  2. 3 Oct 2014

    Casino Gaming Act 2014 comes into force, allowing casinos in hotels of at least 300 rooms

  3. 1 Aug 2016

    Gaming Act 2016 comes into force, creating the Gaming Commission, repealing Chapter 120 and granting the NLA an exclusive 20 year e-gaming licence

  4. 26 Aug 2016

    Gaming Regulations 2016 set licence forms, fees, limits and mandatory conditions

  5. 28 Apr 2017

    Gaming (Amendment) Regulations lift the 31 July 2017 end date for gaming machine licences

  6. 4 Mar 2022

    Casino Gaming (Amendment) Act 2022 makes unlicensed casino operation an offence and adds a beneficial owner test

  7. 25 Mar 2022

    Gaming businesses added to the relevant businesses under the AML/TF Regulations

  8. 1 Jul 2025

    Gaming Commission reminds the public that bingo, raffles and promotions must be registered and licences renewed

Outlook

We found no gambling bill or consultation: the laws portal lists no gaming, casino or lottery instrument after the Casino Gaming (Amendment) Act 2022, through Act No. 5 of 2026. The Gaming Commission continues to register seasonal bingo, raffles and promotions and to renew licences, as its July 2025 notice shows. The structural date to watch is further out: the National Lotteries Authority's exclusive e-gaming licence runs for 20 years from 1 August 2016.

Frequently asked questions

Can a private operator get an online gambling licence in Grenada?
No. The Gaming Act 2016 deemed the National Lotteries Authority to hold the e-gaming operating licence for 20 years from 1 August 2016 and bars anyone else from being granted one. A private business can take part only as an agent the NLA authorises to operate under its licence.
Is online sports betting legal in Grenada?
No licence authorises it. General and pool betting licences cover specified premises only, and providing betting facilities without a licence carries up to 12 months in prison or a XCD 100,000 fine. The Act does not make placing a bet an offence.
Who can open a casino in Grenada, and who can play?
Only a company that owns or manages a hotel of at least 300 rooms or an approved resort, licensed by the Minister for Finance on a Casino Gaming Commission report. Players must be 18 or over, and Grenadian citizens ordinarily resident in Grenada may not play.
How is gambling taxed in Grenada?
Gaming Act licensees pay monthly gaming tax on gross receipts: 30% for gaming machines (or XCD 250 a machine if greater) and betting, 25% for commercial lotteries, 15% for charity lotteries and clubs. The NLA is exempt. Casinos pay an annual floor space tax plus 15% to 2.5% banded tax on gross gaming income.
What is the minimum gambling age?
Eighteen. It is an offence to invite or permit anyone under 18 to gamble or to enter gaming premises, and every gaming advertisement must say so.

Sources

  1. Gaming Act, 2016 (Act No. 21 of 2016)

    Parliament of Grenada (Government Printer text)

    Text as enacted. The laws portal lists no amendment to this Act through Act No. 5 of 2026; its schedules may be amended by regulations (s.37), and the only regulations made under it on the portal are S.R.O. 48 of 2016 and S.R.O. 6 of 2017.

    Tier 1Accessed 24 Sept 2026Published 15 Jul 2016
  2. Gaming Act (Commencement) Order, 2016 (S.R.O. 43 of 2016)

    Parliament of Grenada (Government Printer text)

    Tier 1Accessed 24 Sept 2026Published 29 Jul 2016
  3. Gaming Regulations, 2016 (S.R.O. 48 of 2016)

    Parliament of Grenada (Government Printer text)

    Tier 1Accessed 24 Sept 2026Published 26 Aug 2016
  4. Gaming (Amendment) Regulations, 2017 (S.R.O. 6 of 2017)

    Parliament of Grenada (Government Printer text)

    Tier 1Accessed 24 Sept 2026Published 28 Apr 2017
  5. National Lotteries Authority Act, Chapter 205A (Act No. 20 of 1999 as amended by Act No. 19 of 2008)

    Parliament of Grenada (Government Printer text)

    Revised edition text that predates the amending Acts of 2015 and 2016, which we read separately. The NLA website says the Authority was established by "Act No. 29 of August 1999"; the Chapter itself cites Act No. 20 of 1999, in force on 3 September 1999.

    Tier 1Accessed 24 Sept 2026
  6. Tier 1Accessed 24 Sept 2026Published 12 Jun 2015
  7. Tier 1Accessed 24 Sept 2026Published 15 Jul 2016
  8. Tier 1Accessed 24 Sept 2026Published 29 Jul 2016
  9. Casino Gaming Act, 2014 (Act No. 40 of 2014)

    Parliament of Grenada (Government Printer text)

    Text as enacted, read with the Casino Gaming (Amendment) Act 2022. Schedule II paragraph 2 refers to the gross gaming yield tax as charged "under section 36(1)", but the banded tax on gross gaming income is imposed by section 37; section 36 is the basic tax on floor space.

    Tier 1Accessed 24 Sept 2026Published 24 Sept 2014
  10. Casino Gaming Act (Commencement) (No. 2) Order, 2014 (S.R.O. 57 of 2014)

    Parliament of Grenada (Government Printer text)

    Revokes S.R.O. 51 of 2014, which had set 30 September 2014 as the commencement date.

    Tier 1Accessed 24 Sept 2026Published 9 Jan 2015
  11. Casino Gaming (Amendment) Act, 2022 (Act No. 2 of 2022)

    Government of Grenada, Ministry of Legal Affairs (laws.gov.gd)

    Tier 1Accessed 24 Sept 2026Published 4 Mar 2022
  12. Tier 1Accessed 24 Sept 2026Published 1 Jul 2025
  13. Proceeds of Crime Act, 2012 (Act No. 6 of 2012), sections 63 and 64

    Government of Grenada, Ministry of Legal Affairs (laws.gov.gd)

    Tier 1Accessed 24 Sept 2026Published 27 Jan 2012
  14. Tier 1Accessed 24 Sept 2026Published 2012
  15. Tier 1Accessed 24 Sept 2026Published 25 Mar 2022
  16. Financial Intelligence Unit of Grenada, Annual Report 2022

    Financial Intelligence Unit, Grenada (laid before Parliament)

    Tier 2Accessed 24 Sept 2026Published Mar 2024
  17. About NLA

    National Lotteries Authority, Grenada

    Dates the NLA to 1982 and its Act to "Act No. 29 of August 1999"; the statute in force is the National Lotteries Authority Act, Chapter 205A (Act No. 20 of 1999).

    Tier 2Accessed 24 Sept 2026
  18. Tier 2Accessed 24 Sept 2026
  19. Tier 3Accessed 24 Sept 2026Published 20 Sept 2024

Spotted something out of date? Report a correction.

This page is industry reference information and not legal advice.

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