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European Friendly Internet Casinos
Europe is one of the biggest continents in the world when it comes to Internet gambling. Because of that, we have listed the best European online casinos in the table below. Also, later on this page we have a full write up detailing the legality of online gambling in European countries and the continent as a whole:
| Rank | Online Casino | Bonus | Get Started | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 |  |
Spin Palace Casino | Up to $/€/£ 1000 | » Visit Site |
| #2 |  |
All Slots Casino | Up to $/€/£ 200 + 10% | » Visit Site |
| #3 |  |
Mummy's Gold Casino | Up to $/€/£ 1000 | » Visit Site |
| #4 |  |
All Jackpots Casino | Up to $/€/£ 200 + 10% | » Visit Site |
| #5 |  |
Casino.com | Up to $/€/£ 200 | » Visit Sit |
Bovada Casino is by far our favorite online casino for European players.
Pound and Euro Transactions
It is important to note that all three casinos above offer gambling in pounds, Euros, and US dollars. You can deposit, play, and withdraw via all three currencies.
European Commission Taxation
You should also note that the three casinos above are free from taxation by the European Commission. The European Commission (EC for short) employs taxes on transactions that occur between different countries in Europe. However, all transactions at the casinos above are not subject to EC taxation.
Internet Gambling Legality in Europe
The
legal landscape of online gambling is very complicated
in the European Union. As members of the EU, each of the
twenty-seven countries are obligated to accept goods and
services from other members without restriction, but at
the same time, each member nation has the authority to
decide for itself the legality of online gambling.
Several members of the EU have completely outlawed all online gambling, some have embraced it, and for others, online gambling remains in a sort of legal purgatory - neither legal nor illegal.
For the most part, Europeans are able to gamble online without worry of legal repercussion. Having said that, it is still each gambler’s responsibility to check local laws and regulations before gambling online. This article does not constitute legal advice. It is merely a brief overview of the legal situation in Europe.
Legalization and Regulation
The UK became the first member nation to legalize and regulate online gambling. The Gambling Act of 2005 made it legal for citizens to gamble online, and gave online gambling operators the ability to apply for state-issued licenses.
Even foreign casinos are allowed to do business in the UK without worry of prosecution or financial penalty. As long as an online casino is licensed by its home country, it may accept customers from the UK. Learn more about UK online casinos.
In 2006, Italy went in the opposite direction by ordering Internet service providers in the country to block access to a list of gambling related websites. Later that year, the decision was completely reversed and Italy went so far as to become the second member nation of the EU to legalize and regulate online gambling.
Similarly to the UK, Italy passed laws that gave citizens the right the gamble online and casino operators the right to apply for licenses. The system is still going through growing pains and there are currently talks to make licenses easier to obtain. Under the current system, it is difficult and expensive for casinos to obtain licenses.
Online Gambling in Europe Today
The legal landscape in Europe is always changing, but today online gamblers from the UK, Italy, Ireland, Sweden, Norway, and Denmark are able to play online to varying degrees.
Germany took a major step backwards in 2008 by banning virtually all forms of online gambling until 2011. These regulations have been challenged by the EU as illegal on the grounds that Germany allows state-owned online gambling but restricts foreign competition.
The Austrian gambling company Bwin sued all 16 German states in response and has regained the ability to operate in several states. It is hard to tell how the lawsuit will change things in the long term, but so far it has been a mixed success.
Gamblers from France have had a tough time in recent years but it looks like the legal situation is improving there. There is a tentative goal to open France’s online gambling market to competition by January 1st, 2010.
Online Gambling in Europe Tomorrow
With all the political wrangling within and between EU member nations, the future of online gambling is uncertain. Over the short term anything can happen but over the long term, it looks like online gambling stands a strong chance of widespread legalization.
The demand for online gambling is just too great and too many countries have already embraced it for it to simply be stamped out. In addition to that, the EU member nations work so closely together that it is difficult for any one country to ban online gambling without breaking one trade agreement or another.
On top of that, censorship of the Internet is difficult and costly. Some might even say it’s impossible. If the demand is there and it can be found on the Internet, people will find it.
Other European Friendly Casinos
Besides the casinos listed on this page, we have also reviewed a few other outstanding casinos that accept European players. Read the reviews here:
