Portugal is a fascinating gambling market brimming with potential and enjoying every aspect of the legal gambling experience already. As the country has legalized everything from poker to bingo, to online casinos and sports betting, local players have plenty of opportunities to explore games of chance as well as a few games of skill.
Gambling in the country is controlled by the Santa Casa da Misericordia de Lisboa Games Department and if any operator hopes to set foot in Portugal, and operate in the country legally, it must comply with all regulations set out by SCML.
How are casinos regulated in Portugal?
Casinos in Portugal are divided between the brick-and-mortar and online segment. The country is split into several gambling counties and each has one brick-and-mortar casino allowed to operate in it.
Today, players can visit various established facilities, including Casino Estoril, Casino Lisboa, Casino de Vilamoura and quite a few relevant properties. All operators that run gambling activities must comply with existing gambling law which was passed with the Portuguese Decree Law 114/2011.
Yet, it wasn't until 2013 that Portugal decided it would make a lot of sense for the country to introduce a framework allowing it to run and operate iGaming verticals, such as online casinos.
The framework took a wee bit of time to enact, but was finally given green light in 2015 and Portugal has been providing citizens with all sorts of fun and entertaining gaming options ever since.
Understandably, much of the laws passed to regulate the industry have one sole purpose - to protect and safeguard consumers who may be otherwise exposed to illicit businesses and abuse. All domains that are licensed and allowed to operate legally on the Portuguese market today must use the country domain in their address name.
It wasn't until 2016 when Serviço Regulação e Inspeção de Jogos do Turismo de Portugal (SRIJ) brought on Betclic.pt online that the country's monopoly over the live segment began breaking up a little, and it has been going in the right direction ever since.
From 2017 onward, online casino gaming is quite popular in Portugal albeit taxation is a bit of a drag, and some big brand names are a little shy to join.
Can you play in online casinos in Portugal?
As it turns out, online casinos are now part of the very fabric of the country's iGaming industry and that is a lot of good news. Players will have no issue whatsoever finding a venue they like and playing. All online casinos using a Portuguese domain are verified and licensed as safe and reliable gaming facilities you can trust.
From the standpoint of a player, you have nothing to worry about. The only things you need to comply with are the mandatory KYC and AML verifications that are necessary to achieve better consumer protection.
Online casino Portugal is subject to rather steep taxation, ranging from 15 to 30 per cent of gross gaming revenue (GGR), but despite the onerous tax, these operations are upholding their end and providing players with a reliable and safe portfolio.
Poker in Portugal and casinos
While you may wonder what poker has to do with any of it, it's worth mentioning, even in passing, that some of the biggest online poker brands are now live in Portugal. They bring both a great liquidity, because most countries are now interlinked, but also great casino products.
Presently, the only poker websites to operate in the country as fully-licensed entities are 888 Poker and PokerStars. The country shares its poker base with France, Italy and Spain, making for one of the most impressive poker ecosystem in Europe, combining millions of players.
Final word
Overall, the legal situation in Portugal is one that has been evolving. While Portugal certainly doesn't have the breadth of other European countries, the jurisdiction has been able to prevail and create a safe overall gaming environment.
The confusion of laws that reigned for the better part of the early 2010s has now been settled to the point where you can enjoy worthwhile gaming products in Portugal today legally and without having anything to worry about.
Disclaimer: Play responsibly. Players must be over 18. For help visit https://www.gamcare.org.uk/.