Online gambling in Vanuatu: laws and player risks

Vanuatu issues online-gaming licences, but a licence is not a worldwide permission slip. You still need to establish whether the particular casino may accept you where you live. The Interactive Gaming Act requires a licence to conduct interactive gaming and approval for the games offered. It also prohibits licensees from allowing under-eighteens to participate. Those are operator obligations, not proof that every website displaying a Vanuatu badge is authorised. For someone in Vanuatu, do not assume either that all local residents are banned or that every licensed site must accept them. Check the current licence conditions, the actual domain and the customer restrictions with the regulator. Have players been prosecuted? Our review did not verify a reported conviction for ordinary personal online-casino play in Vanuatu. That is a research limitation, not proof that every gambling activity is lawful under every applicable statute. Offshore casinos licensed elsewhere are another option people encounter. Their risks include uncertain local eligibility, weak complaint routes, withheld withdrawals and misleading licence claims. A regulator abroad cannot guarantee that you will recover a disputed balance. Start with verified authority, age and residence eligibility, then check payment and complaint terms before risking money. If those checks fail, do not deposit. Our Vanuatu guide links the legislation.