Legal casino gambling age in AzerbaijanAzerbaijan is one of the most restrictive gambling jurisdictions in the former Soviet Union. Casinos and gambling houses have been closed since 1998, and organising or playing games of chance is an offence. The law makes two long-standing exceptions: state lotteries, which only Azerlotereya OJSC may organise under the Law on Lotteries, and sports betting under the Law on Physical Culture and Sport, offered by the two operators the Ministry of Economy listed as authorised in 2022. The Ministry of Economy supervises lotteries and sports betting. A third exception was created in 2025, when Parliament allowed licensed casinos on artificial land areas in the Azerbaijani sector of the Caspian Sea. Online casinos remain prohibited without exception, and a player caught using an unauthorised gambling website can be fined 3,000 manat. The penalties for organising online gambling were raised again in July 2026.
Key points
- Casinos were shut in 1998 under a decree of President Heydar Aliyev. Since 1 January 2022, Article 244-1 of the Criminal Code has made organising or conducting gambling games a crime, and Article 525 of the Code of Administrative Offences fines people who play.
- Lotteries are a state monopoly: under Law No. 594-IIQ of 5 March 2004 on Lotteries, only Azerlotereya OJSC may organise them, apart from promotional lotteries. Since 2021 Azerlotereya has been managed under a ten-year agreement by an affiliate of Turkey’s Demirören group.
- Sports betting is lawful only through operators designated under the Law on Physical Culture and Sport. In 2022 the Ministry of Economy named two: Azerlotereya and Caspiantech LLC, which trades as Topaz.
- A law approved by the President in July 2025 permits casinos only on artificial land areas in the Caspian Sea, for players aged 21 and over, with a state fee of 340,000 manat a year. Online casinos are expressly banned. As of January 2026, no casino licence had been reported as issued.
- Amendments passed in third reading on 10 July 2026 and reported as approved by the President on 30 July 2026 raise the penalties for organising gambling through the internet and social media to two to four years’ restriction of liberty or imprisonment, according to parliamentary and press reports.
Last reviewed: 6 October 2026.
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Historical development
Commercial gambling arrived in Azerbaijan shortly before independence. According to Meydan TV (October 2024), the first officially registered casino, Admiral Eka, opened in the Absheron Hotel in Baku on 10 January 1991, and by the late 1990s about ten legal casinos were operating in the capital alongside many unlicensed gambling dens.
In 1998 President Heydar Aliyev ordered the closure of casinos and gambling houses. The fact-checking site FaktYoxla (24 October 2024) identifies the instrument as the presidential decree of 27 January 1998 on certain measures to combat economic crime, which justified the ban by reference to harm to the economy, money laundering and the moral development of young people. OC Media reports that the decision was presented as a way to “prevent situations that negatively affect the morale of the Azerbaijani people”.
Azerlotereya was set up by presidential decree in 2001 and joined the European Lotteries association in 2003 (Azerlotereya). Sports betting followed later. In December 2009 the Ministry of Youth and Sport created a state body, Azeridmanservis, to oversee the revenue from sports totalisators and betting, under the Law on Physical Culture and Sport (Qol.az, 2 December 2009). The Topaz brand, operated by Caspiantech, launched in 2011 as the country’s legal sports betting operator (Meydan TV; Topaz overview).
The 2021 reforms
Two changes in 2021 reshaped the sector. First, a presidential decree of 16 January 2021 transferred the management of Azerlotereya to a Turkish investor, and the market for sports betting moved, in the words of Azerlotereya’s chairman, “from natural monopoly to a competitive system” with two operators (Report.az, 1 March 2021). The agreement with Demirören Holding was signed in Baku on 27 February 2021 for ten years (Lottery Daily). Azerlotereya now describes itself as a state enterprise under private management and offers lotteries and sports betting under the Azerlotereya and Misli brands (Azerlotereya).
Second, Parliament rewrote the sanctions for illegal gambling. A law signed by the President on 27 December 2021 amended the Code of Administrative Offences (official text, president.az), and a parallel law amended the Criminal Code (official text, president.az). Both took effect on 1 January 2022. Article 244-1 of the Criminal Code, previously titled “organising or maintaining a gambling house”, was renamed “organising or conducting gambling games” and organising gambling was removed from the list of administrative offences, making it a matter for criminal law only (E-huquq, 26 December 2021).
Legal framework
Criminal Code, Article 244-1
Since 1 January 2022 Article 244-1 has punished organising or conducting gambling games, or providing premises for them (president.az). Its structure, as enacted in 2021, is:
- 244-1.1, the basic offence: a fine of 5,000 to 10,000 manat, or restriction of liberty or imprisonment for up to two years;
- 244-1.2, aggravated forms, including repeat offending, use of internet information resources or telecommunications networks, allowing minors to take part, acting as a group by prior agreement, or obtaining substantial income (50,000 to 200,000 manat): a fine of 10,000 to 15,000 manat, or two to three years’ restriction of liberty or imprisonment;
- 244-1.3, offences by an organised group or criminal organisation, or with large income (200,000 to 500,000 manat): three to four years;
- 244-1.4, particularly large income (over 500,000 manat): four to five years’ restriction of liberty or four to eight years’ imprisonment.
A note to the article defines a gambling game as a bet or game for money, goods or other benefits whose outcome depends on chance, and excludes lotteries and sports betting conducted under their own laws. A first offender can avoid liability by paying the criminal proceeds to the state budget together with an equal amount as a fine. The penalties were increased again in 2026 (see Recent developments).
Code of Administrative Offences
The amending law of 27 December 2021 (president.az) sets out the administrative offences that sit alongside the criminal ban:
- Article 401 fines anyone who creates opportunities, from the territory of Azerbaijan, to take part in gambling, “including providing access to the virtual environment in which gambling games are played” (401.1); who organises the sale of tickets for gambling (401.2); who accepts bets or pays out winnings (401.3); or who processes payments connected with gambling (401.4). Each carries a fine of 3,000 manat for individuals, 7,000 manat for officials and 40,000 manat for legal entities.
- Article 428.9 imposes the same fines for advertising gambling games or their organisers.
- Article 429.0.5 imposes a fine of 1,000 manat for allowing minors to take part in sports betting.
- Article 525 penalises playing gambling games. The 2021 law replaced the previous fine of 400 to 600 manat with a fine of 3,000 manat, together with confiscation of gaming equipment, stakes, and “winnings, prizes or other income”.
Law on Lotteries
The Law on Lotteries, No. 594-IIQ of 5 March 2004 gives the relevant executive authority power to regulate lotteries and allows only the state-designated organiser to run them, with an exception for promotional (“stimulating”) lotteries linked to the sale of goods, which must be notified in advance. For draw lotteries, between 50% and 80% of ticket revenue must be returned as prizes. The Ministry of Economy has stated that “lotteries in Azerbaijan are organised only by Azerlotereya OJSC”, promotional lotteries aside (Ministry of Economy, 5 May 2022).
Law on Physical Culture and Sport
Sports betting is defined in Article 1.0.27 of the Law on Physical Culture and Sport as games based on predicting the results of official sports competitions or other events, run through the operator’s central betting system. The operator must be a legal entity of the kind provided for in Article 53-1, Article 4.0.42 makes the organisation of sports betting subject to state regulation, and Article 13.2 bans advertising of suspended, cancelled or prohibited sports betting. We could not read Article 53-1 in full.
The 2025 casino amendments
The bill to allow casinos, published by the Milli Majlis in June 2025, amends the Civil Code, the Criminal Code, the Code of Administrative Offences and the laws on information, state fees, advertising, licences and permits, anti-money laundering, and artificial land areas. Its main elements:
- a new chapter in the law on artificial land areas in the Caspian Sea (itself adopted on 7 May 2024), whose Article 8-2 permits casino games only on such land areas, bars anyone under 21 from taking part directly or indirectly, and prohibits virtual casinos operated through the internet, mobile networks or social media;
- casino games as a new licensable activity, with a state fee of 340,000 manat for the licence and a further 340,000 manat for each year of validity;
- exemptions from Article 244-1 of the Criminal Code and Article 401 of the Code of Administrative Offences for casino games organised under the new chapter;
- anti-money-laundering duties for casino operators, with full customer due diligence for transactions of 3,000 manat or more;
- a new Article 1086-1 of the Civil Code preserving winners’ claims if a licence is suspended or revoked, and permission for the licence holder alone to advertise its casino.
Parliament passed the bill in third reading on 8 July 2025 (OC Media), and the President approved it on 29 July 2025 (Bakı Vaxtı). The committees argued that limiting casinos to artificial islands allows “controlled and centralised regulation”, curbs illegal gambling, raises tax revenue and supports tourism (Report.az, 18 June 2025). On mainland Azerbaijan the 1998 ban continues.
Regulator and licensing model
Azerbaijan has no single gambling regulator. Responsibilities are divided by product:
- Ministry of Economy: supervises lotteries and sports betting, registers promotional lotteries and approved the transfer of Azerlotereya’s management in 2021 (Ministry of Economy; Report.az). The State Service for Antimonopoly and Consumer Market Control, which sits under the Ministry, acts against unlawful betting advertising (Report.az, 16 February 2023).
- Ministry of Youth and Sport: oversees sports betting revenue through its subordinate body Azeridmanservis (Qol.az; Report.az).
- State Tourism Agency: designated by a presidential decree of July 2025 to issue casino licences for artificial land areas, according to Report.az (29 July 2025). We did not see the decree itself.
- Law enforcement: the police and the Prosecutor General’s Office investigate illegal gambling under the Criminal Code.
The resulting model mixes prohibition with monopoly, a legal arrangement under which only designated operators may offer a product. Lotteries are reserved to Azerlotereya. In its 2022 statement the Ministry of Economy listed only two authorised sports betting operators: Azerlotereya, under the Misli brand, and Caspiantech LLC, under the Topaz brand (Ministry of Economy). There is no open licensing regime for online betting or online casinos, and no licence of either kind can be obtained by a private company. Casinos are licensable only on artificial islands. SiGMA World reported in March 2026 that, as of January 2026, no casino licence had been issued, and we found no later report of a licence.
Online gambling: what is permitted and how it is enforced
Online gambling is lawful in Azerbaijan only within the two state-backed channels. Azerlotereya sells lottery products and sports bets online through registered player accounts that require identity verification (Azerlotereya participation agreement). Every other online gambling offer is unlawful. That includes online casinos, which the 2025 amendments expressly exclude even from the new casino regime (Milli Majlis).
Blocking of websites
The legal basis for website blocking is the Law on Information, Informatisation and Protection of Information. Article 13-2.3.7 lists, among prohibited information, information that encourages the organisation of gambling and other illegal betting games or participation in them. Under Article 13-3, as amended by Law No. 539-VQD of 10 March 2017, the competent executive authority notifies the owner and host of the website, who must remove the material within eight hours. If they do not, the authority asks a court to restrict access, and the court must decide within five days. In urgent cases the authority can restrict access at once and seek a court order at the same time, and blocked resources are entered in an official register.
A further amendment passed in third reading on 10 July 2026 adds the promotion of gambling, other than state lotteries, sports betting and licensed casinos, to the grounds for temporary restriction of internet resources (Adalet). Müsavat reported that the package approved by the President also instructs the authorities to build, within seven months, AI-based systems to detect and block prohibited content.
Payments and prosecutions
Article 401.4 of the Code of Administrative Offences fines banks and, after the 2025 amendments, other financial institutions that process payments for gambling (president.az; Milli Majlis). The authorities have pursued payment channels in criminal cases. In February 2025 the Prosecutor General’s Office announced a case against an organised group accused of running online gambling and laundering more than 161 million manat through electronic wallets and bank accounts, charged under Article 193-1 (money laundering) and Article 244-1.4 (Azərbaycan newspaper, 17 February 2025). These are allegations, and we did not find a court outcome.
Advertising
Advertising of gambling is an administrative offence under Article 428.9, with fines of up to 40,000 manat for companies (president.az). In February 2023 the State Service for Antimonopoly and Consumer Market Control said it had found numerous internet portals advertising illegal sports betting, in breach of the Law on Advertising, the Law on Physical Culture and Sport and the Law on Lotteries, and announced enforcement (Report.az). The 2025 amendments allow the holder of a casino licence to advertise its casino, while keeping the restrictions on advertising aimed at minors (Milli Majlis).
Position of players
Azerbaijan penalises players directly. Article 525 of the Code of Administrative Offences, as amended with effect from 1 January 2022, fines a person who plays gambling games 3,000 manat and provides for confiscation of gaming equipment, stakes, and any winnings, prizes or other income (president.az). Lotteries and sports betting with the authorised operators are excluded from the definition of gambling and are lawful for adults.
The fine is applied in practice, including to online play. On 29 August 2026 Axar.az reported that the Qabala District Court had fined a resident 3,000 manat under Article 525 for depositing small sums, of about 11 to 16 manat each, on two gambling websites from his mobile phone. The Criminal Code is aimed at those who organise or conduct gambling, not at players.
Taxation
The tax treatment of gambling could only be partly verified:
- Casinos pay the state fee of 340,000 manat on the grant of a licence and again for each year of its validity (Milli Majlis). Report.az noted in July 2025 that casino operators would fall under the general 20% profit tax, and that experts were proposing higher rates on gaming winnings; we found no adopted special casino tax.
- Lottery and sports betting operators are described by secondary market guides as paying a tax of 6% of amounts received, with sellers of betting services paying 4% of their commission (Gamebridge). We could not confirm these rates against the Tax Code.
- Players’ winnings from Azerlotereya are credited to the player’s account after deduction of the “taxes and other deductions provided for by legislation” (Azerlotereya participation agreement, Article 12.2). Secondary sources state that winnings up to 500 manat are exempt and that 10% is withheld above that amount (Gamebridge), but we could not verify this against the Tax Code. Winnings from unlawful gambling are liable to confiscation under Article 525.
Consumer protection and responsible gambling
Age limits differ by product. Azerlotereya requires players to be at least 18 and verifies age through identity documents (Azerlotereya participation agreement, Article 4.1). Allowing minors to take part in sports betting is an administrative offence under Article 429.0.5, and allowing minors to take part in gambling is an aggravating factor under Article 244-1.2 of the Criminal Code (president.az; president.az). Casinos on artificial islands are restricted to people aged 21 and over (Milli Majlis).
We found no national self-exclusion register and no dedicated, state-funded gambling helpline in Azerbaijan. Azerlotereya’s participation agreement allows a player to close their personal account for an indefinite period (Article 8.2), allows the operator to impose spending limits (Article 10.2) and asks players to accept that games are “entertainment, not a source of income” (Azerlotereya participation agreement). These controls apply only to that operator. General guidance is available in our responsible gambling guide.
Recent and upcoming developments
- Casino legalisation on artificial islands (2025 to 2026). Adopted on 8 July 2025 and approved on 29 July 2025. At least one MP opposed it, arguing that “casinos harm society” (OC Media). No casino licence had been reported as issued by January 2026 (SiGMA World).
- Tougher criminal penalties (2026). Amendments to Article 244-1 were discussed in committee on 23 June 2026, passed in first reading on 30 June and in third reading on 10 July 2026 (Report.az; Milli.az; Adalet). They expressly cover gambling organised through the internet, mobile networks, social media and mobile applications. According to these reports, the basic online offence will carry two to four years’ restriction of liberty or imprisonment and a fine of up to twice the criminal proceeds. Offences by a group or with substantial income will carry three to five years, and the most serious tier five to eight years’ imprisonment. Müsavat reported on 30 July 2026 that the President had approved the amendments. We did not find the published text or the date of entry into force.
Casino listings for players in Azerbaijan
The listings below are generated automatically from our casino database and do not show that an operator is authorised in Azerbaijan. Online casino games are prohibited in Azerbaijan without exception, playing them is an administrative offence punishable by a 3,000 manat fine, and the only lawful online products are the lotteries and sports betting of the authorised operators named by the Ministry of Economy. The listings must not be read as an indication that playing with these operators is lawful.
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Sources and further reading
- Republic of Azerbaijan, Law amending the Criminal Code (new Article 244-1, organising or conducting gambling games), published on president.az (2021).
- Republic of Azerbaijan, Law of 27 December 2021 amending the Code of Administrative Offences (Articles 401, 428.9, 429, 525), published on president.az (2021).
- Milli Majlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Law No. 594-IIQ of 5 March 2004 on Lotteries (accessed 6 October 2026).
- Milli Majlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Draft law amending the Civil Code, Criminal Code, Code of Administrative Offences and related laws (casino games on artificial land areas) (2025).
- Republic of Azerbaijan, Law on Information, Informatisation and Protection of Information (consolidated text) (accessed 6 October 2026).
- Republic of Azerbaijan, Law on Physical Culture and Sport (consolidated text published by Azerlotereya) (accessed 6 October 2026).
- Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Lotereyaların təşkilində qanuna əməl edilməlidir (2022).
- Azerlotereya OJSC, Biz kimik (About us) (accessed 6 October 2026).
- Azerlotereya OJSC, İştirak müqaviləsi (Participation agreement) (accessed 6 October 2026).
- FaktYoxla, Kazinoların fəaliyyəti ilə bağlı Azərbaycan və dünya təcrübəsi (2024).
- Meydan TV, Keçmiş kürəkənin arzusu: Azərbaycanda kazino və qumarxanalar yenidən açılacaqmı? (2024).
- OC Media, Azerbaijani Parliament votes to allow casinos on artificial islands in Caspian (2025).
- Focus Gaming News, Casinos in Azerbaijan set to be legalised (2025).
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- Report.az, Nəzarətli oyun, sərt lisenziya: Azərbaycan öz modelini yaradır (2025).
- Bakı Vaxtı, Kazinolarla bağlı dəyişiklik təsdiqləndi (2025).
- SiGMA World, Deep dive: Azerbaijan’s gambling sector trends (2026).
- Report.az, Azərbaycanda yeni mərc oyunları operatoru fəaliyyətə başlayır (2021).
- Lottery Daily, Turkey’s Demirören Holding to manage Azerbaijan National Lottery (2021).
- Qol.az, Totalizatorlarla bağlı dövlət qurumu yaradıldı (2009).
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- Report.az, Dövlət Xidməti: İnternet portallarında qanunsuz idman mərc oyunları reklam edilir (2023).
- Azərbaycan newspaper, İnternet informasiya resurslarında qumar oyunları təşkil edənlər məsuliyyətə cəlb olunub (2025).
- Report.az, Azərbaycanda qumar oyunlarının keçirilməsinə görə cəzalar sərtləşdirilir (2026).
- Milli.az, Sosial şəbəkələrdə qumarla bağlı yeni cəza: 4 ilədək həbs (2026).
- Adalet, Qumar oyunlarının keçirilməsi ilə bağlı cəzalar sərtləşdirilir (2026).
- Adalet, Bu hallarda elektron resurslar müvəqqəti məhdudlaşdırılacaq (2026).
- Müsavat, Qumar oyunlarına görə cəzalar sərtləşdirilir: Prezident təsdiqlədi (2026).
- Axar.az, Qumar oynayan Qəbələ sakini 3 min cərimələndi (2026).
- Gamebridge, Azerbaijan gambling law and market guide (accessed 6 October 2026).
- Wikipedia, Topaz (bookmaker) (accessed 6 October 2026).
