The British Virgin Islands (BVI), a British Overseas Territory in the eastern Caribbean, has a gambling law on its statute book but, as of October 2026, no working system for licensing gambling. The Virgin Islands Gaming and Betting Control Act, 2020 (Act No. 14 of 2020) replaced a long-standing criminal prohibition with a framework for licensed casinos, betting, lotteries and gaming machines, overseen by a Gaming and Betting Control Commission. Six years later the Commission has still not begun licensing. The government advertised for its founding board members in February 2026, and the regulations needed for licensing and enforcement have yet to be introduced. Until they are, no gambling business can hold a BVI licence, and the government has warned that operating without one is an offence.
Key points
- Gambling was prohibited under section 335 of the Criminal Code, 1997, until the Virgin Islands Gaming and Betting Control Act, 2020 was passed on 18 June 2020 and gazetted on 20 August 2020.
- The Act creates a Gaming and Betting Control Commission to license and supervise casinos, betting, lotteries and gaming machines. In September 2022 the government confirmed that the Commission had not been set up, and in February 2026 it was still recruiting the Commission’s chair and board.
- Section 29 of the Act provides that no one may take part in the gaming and betting sectors without a licence from the Commission. No licences are known to have been issued.
- A 2021 amendment widened key definitions to cover gaming and betting carried out by computer, electronically or over the internet. Detailed rules for online gambling have not been made.
- The Territory has no national lottery, no regulator-run self-exclusion scheme and no dedicated gambling helpline.
Last reviewed: 13 October 2026.
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Historical development
For most of its modern history the BVI prohibited commercial gambling. According to the BVI Beacon’s March 2020 report on the draft law, section 335 of the Criminal Code, enacted in 1997, penalised establishments that allowed “gambling, betting or the holding of a lottery or sweepstakes”, with up to one year’s imprisonment and a fine of up to $100,000. (The Territory uses the US dollar.) One practical consequence, noted by the BVI law firm O’Neal Webster in a 2020 commentary, was that cruise ships did not stay overnight in the Territory because they could not open their onboard casinos there.
Proposals to relax the prohibition came and went for two decades. The same Beacon report records that legislators said in 2003 that a pool betting bill was being prepared, but the plan was later described as “on hold”. In 2015 the then Education and Culture Minister, Myron Walwyn, called for legal pari-mutuel betting on horse racing and a horse racing commission. Pari-mutuel (or pool) betting means that all stakes on an event go into a pool that is shared among the winners after a deduction for the operator. Racing in the Territory takes place at Ellis Thomas Downs, which the BVI Horse Owners Association maintained with government funding. Neither initiative became law.
The Speech from the Throne of 14 November 2019 announced a gaming and betting framework covering sectors such as horse racing and the cruise industry. Cabinet approved the bill on 19 February 2020 and it received its first reading in the House of Assembly on 25 February 2020 (Virgin Islands News Online, March 2020). The draft was gazetted for public comment on 4 March 2020. Then-Premier and Finance Minister Andrew Fahie presented it as a new source of public revenue and argued that “we can’t over-legislate people’s lives and under-regulate the opportunities for them to make money in this territory” (BVI Beacon, March 2020).
The bill was debated in June 2020. Opposition members raised concerns about addiction, and the government replied that illegal betting was already widespread and that the choice was between suppressing it and regulating it (BVI Beacon, June 2020). After changes made in closed-door committee sessions (BVI Beacon, August 2020), the House passed the bill without dissent on the evening of 18 June 2020 (Virgin Islands News Online, 18 June 2020). During the debate Premier Fahie also said that the government intended to introduce a BVI lottery “to take the place of the illegal foreign lottery” sold in the Territory, as reported by the trade publication Lottery Daily.
Legal framework
The Gaming and Betting Control Act, 2020
The principal statute is the Virgin Islands Gaming and Betting Control Act, 2020 (Act No. 14 of 2020), published on the Attorney General’s Chambers’ legislation portal. The Cabinet Office announced that it had been published in an extraordinary issue of the Gazette (No. 109) dated 20 August 2020, noting that the gaming and betting sectors are “vulnerable to infiltration by money launderers and terrorist financing” (Government of the Virgin Islands, August 2020). The law firm Ogier states that the Act came into force on 9 July 2021 (Ogier, October 2021); the official commencement notice could not be located for this guide.
The Act’s main elements, as described in the sources above, are:
- Repeal of the prohibition. It repealed the Criminal Code provision that had outlawed gambling and the holding of lotteries (BVI Beacon, August 2020).
- A regulator. It establishes the Gaming and Betting Control Commission to license operators and collect fees and levies.
- A licence requirement. Section 29 provides that no person shall take part in any aspect of the gaming and betting sectors without first obtaining the necessary licence from the Commission.
- Scope. Its licence categories cover betting, including pool betting on live racing, casino gaming and gaming machines (Ogier, October 2021); the 2021 amendment expressly brought lotteries within “gaming”.
- Offences. Operating without a licence is a criminal offence. The final Act increased the penalties in the draft: for example, the maximum fine for illegal bookmaking rose from $20,000 to $100,000, and that for unlicensed wagering shops or gaming machines from $10,000 to $50,000 (BVI Beacon, August 2020).
- Dedicated funds. A Rehabilitation Fund and a Development Fund receive 2.5% and 5% respectively of the Commission’s gaming and betting receipts.
- Oversight. It adds an appeals tribunal and a Horse Racing Unit, and requires Cabinet approval for some Commission decisions.
Several features of the draft did not survive into the final law. According to the BVI Beacon, provisions on internal controls, accounting and audit, and on device-level tracking of transactions, were removed in committee, as were provisions on “remote facilities” for gaming. The opposition leader, Marlon Penn, questioned these changes, and the gaming law scholar I. Nelson Rose told the newspaper that he saw no clear reason for removing the accounting measures (BVI Beacon, August 2020). The Act also left specific tax rates to be set later rather than fixing them in the statute.
The 2021 amendment
The Virgin Islands Gaming and Betting Control (Amendment) Act, 2021 (Act No. 37 of 2021) was passed on 23 September 2021, assented to on 13 October 2021 and gazetted on 19 October 2021. It amends only section 2, the interpretation section, substituting new definitions of nine terms, including “betting”, “bookmaker”, “gaming”, “gaming machine” and “sports betting”. The substituted definition of “gaming” covers playing a game “whether on the computer, by electronic means, the internet or otherwise” and expressly includes lotteries, raffles and scratch cards. “Betting” now applies whether or not it is “carried out electronically or via the internet”, and “sports betting” means betting on sports events “wherever held”. The effect is to bring online activity within the Act’s definitions, although the amendment adds no operative rules specific to online gambling.
Anti-money laundering law
Gambling businesses are also covered by the Territory’s general anti-money laundering (AML) regime: the Proceeds of Criminal Conduct Act, 1997, the Anti-Money Laundering Regulations, 2008 and the Anti-Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Code of Practice issued by the Financial Services Commission (FSC). A 2025 guide by the law firm Conyers notes that “the business of gaming and betting” is a relevant business under the Regulations where a financial transaction equals $3,000 or more, which brings customer due diligence and record-keeping duties.
Regulator and licensing model
The BVI has chosen a licensing model, in which private operators may run gambling businesses if they obtain a licence from an independent regulator, rather than a state monopoly, where a single public operator has exclusive rights. In practice, however, the model has not yet been put into operation.
The Commission
Under the draft published in 2020, the Commission is a body corporate managed by a board of a chairman and eight other members, appointed by the Minister of Finance, with one member nominated on the recommendation of the BVI Chamber of Commerce and Hotel Association and the BVI Tourist Board (BVI News, March 2020). It may share information with the Inland Revenue Department, the Financial Investigation Agency, the Commissioner of Customs and the Commissioner of Police, vet applicants’ character and associates, inspect licensed operations and collect fees and levies.
The Commission’s establishment has been repeatedly postponed:
- The Speech from the Throne of 18 January 2022 said the Act would be implemented in 2022, with “Gaming and Betting Regulations … introduced to govern the licensing and operation of businesses”. A revenue official projected about $5.7 million in gaming revenue for 2022 (Virgin Islands News Online, January 2022).
- On 31 March 2022 the government invited proposals from consultancy firms to develop the Commission’s procedures and draft regulations for gaming activities (Virgin Islands News Online, April 2022).
- On 23 September 2022 Premier Natalio Wheatley confirmed that “the Commission hasn’t been formed as yet” and that the government wanted to “take a good look” before proceeding (Virgin Islands News Online, September 2022).
- The Speech from the Throne of 7 January 2025 promised steps that year to make the Act more effective, to start the Commission’s legal mandate and to make regulations enabling licensing and enforcement (Virgin Islands News Online, January 2025).
- On 6 February 2026 the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sustainable Development advertised the posts of Chair, Deputy Chair, Corporate Secretary and Board Members of the Commission, with applications closing on 27 February 2026. The notice describes the Commission’s remit as covering horse racing, e-gaming, lotteries and cruise-related activities (Government of the Virgin Islands, February 2026).
No announcement of board appointments, published regulations or a public register of licensees could be found as of 13 October 2026. The Commission does not appear to have its own website.
Licence categories
According to Ogier’s analysis of the Act, the licence categories include:
- Gaming Operators Licence and Gaming Owners Licence (an owner may not operate a gaming location without an operators licence);
- Bookmakers Licence (betting other than pool betting) and Betting Operators Licence;
- Promoters Licence (staging live racing and conducting pool or pari-mutuel betting);
- Gaming Machine Operating Licence, Gaming Machine Distributor Licence and Technical Operators Licence (installing, maintaining or repairing machines);
- Premises Licence and Personal Licence (for key employees); and
- any other licence the Commission considers necessary.
Licensable activities also include manufacturing or supplying gaming software and equipment. On fees, the published draft set annual charges of $1,000 per gaming table and $250 per slot machine and provided for a levy on bets on live and simulcast horse racing (draft Bill, 2020). Because the enacted text was amended in committee, readers should confirm current fee levels against the official Act.
Online gambling and enforcement
The legal position of online gambling in the BVI is unsettled. Three points can be stated with confidence:
- The Act, as amended in 2021, defines gaming and betting to include activity carried out by computer, electronically or over the internet, so online gambling falls within its scope.
- Any participation in the gaming and betting sectors requires a licence from the Commission (section 29), and the Commission has issued none.
- No regulations, technical standards or licence conditions for remote gambling have been published.
As a result, no operator holds a BVI licence to offer online casino games, whether to residents or to players abroad. Reports from 2020 differ on how far the original Act was meant to cover online gambling: the BVI Beacon reported in June 2020 that the bill as debated allowed online gambling and that legislators had questioned how it could be regulated, but reported in August 2020 that “remote facilities” for gaming were removed from the final version. The 2021 amendment later broadened the definitions, and the 2026 vacancy notice lists “e-gaming” among the Commission’s sectors. How e-gaming will be licensed will depend on regulations not yet made.
BVI companies and offshore gambling
Many international groups use companies incorporated in the BVI. Ogier has pointed out that the Act sets no express territorial limit on where licensable activities take place, so the licensing requirements “might arguably” apply to a BVI-incorporated company engaged in gaming even outside the Territory, and advised such companies to assess whether they need a licence (Ogier, October 2021). This reading has not been tested in court, and there is no public guidance from the government on it. Incorporation in the BVI does not itself amount to a gambling licence.
Enforcement
On 14 September 2022 the Premier’s Office issued a notice to casino, gaming and betting operators, warning that “any person undertaking gaming and/or betting operations … without a licence commits an offence” under the 2020 Act, and pointing also to the Proceeds of Criminal Conduct Act, 1997 and the Anti-Money Laundering Regulations, 2008 (Virgin Islands News Online, September 2022). No public information was found on prosecutions under the Act. No website blocklist, internet service provider (ISP) blocking or payment blocking for gambling was found, and no gambling-specific advertising code has been published.
Position of players
The sources reviewed do not identify an offence that applies simply to a person who places a bet or plays a casino game, whether online or in person, and no prosecutions of players were found. The former Criminal Code offence was aimed at establishments that allowed gambling, and the offences described in the 2020 Act and in the government’s 2022 notice concern those who provide gambling operations or facilities without a licence. The published draft contained offences that could involve participants, such as cheating and resorting to unlicensed betting premises, but the final wording of these provisions could not be checked against the official text for this guide.
In practical terms, a player in the BVI has no locally licensed online operator to use, and therefore no local regulator to whom a complaint about an online casino could be made. Premier Wheatley acknowledged in 2022 that he was “pretty sure persons gamble in the territory”, and legislators in 2020 referred to illegal betting and the sale of foreign lottery tickets in the BVI. Under the draft Act, persons under 18 are minors who may not be permitted to gamble or enter licensed premises other than a racetrack.
Taxation
There is no gambling tax currently being collected, because there are no licensed operators. The Act does not fix tax rates (BVI Beacon, August 2020), and the draft’s licence fees and racing levy, described above, would apply once licensing begins. The government’s 2022 projection of about $5.7 million in gaming revenue did not materialise, because the Commission was never established that year.
For players, the BVI does not levy a general personal income tax; O’Neal Webster describes payroll tax, which is charged on employment remuneration, as “the only tax on income” in the Territory (O’Neal Webster, 2020). No source found suggests that gambling winnings are taxed in the BVI. Residents who are taxable elsewhere, such as US citizens, should check the rules of that country.
Consumer protection and responsible gambling
The Act includes some protective elements: the Rehabilitation Fund, which receives 2.5% of the Commission’s gaming and betting receipts and is intended to support programmes addressing gambling harm, the minimum age of 18, and fit-and-proper tests for licence applicants. During the 2020 debate, Natalio Wheatley, later Premier, called for public education on gambling addiction, and opposition leader Marlon Penn suggested limiting the number of days residents could play (BVI Beacon, June 2020).
None of these measures is yet working in practice. There is no national self-exclusion register, meaning a list that bars a person from licensed gambling at their own request, no gambling-specific helpline and no public body supporting people affected by gambling in the BVI. Residents seeking help should approach their doctor or local health services, and can use the tools offered by any service they use to set limits or exclude themselves. General guidance is available in our responsible gambling guide.
Recent and upcoming developments
- Commission recruitment (2026). The government advertised for the Commission’s Chair, Deputy Chair, Corporate Secretary and Board Members on 6 February 2026, with a closing date of 27 February 2026. No appointments had been announced by 13 October 2026.
- Promised reforms (2025). The Speech from the Throne of 7 January 2025 committed the government to improving the 2020 Act, starting the Commission’s mandate and making licensing and enforcement regulations during the Second Session of the Fifth House of Assembly. No amending bill or regulations had been published by October 2026.
- National lottery. A government-run or licensed lottery was promised in 2020 as a replacement for illegal foreign lotteries, and lotteries are within the Commission’s remit, but no BVI lottery has been launched.
- Casino licences. No casino licence has been issued under the Act, and there is no licensed land-based casino in the Territory.
Casino listings for players in the British Virgin Islands
The listings below are generated automatically from our casino database and do not show that an operator is licensed in the British Virgin Islands. The Gaming and Betting Control Commission has not yet issued licences or published a register, so no online casino currently holds a BVI licence, and offering gambling without one is an offence under the 2020 Act. The listings must not be read as an indication that any operator is authorised in the Territory.
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Related country guides
- Puerto Rico gambling guide
- Saint Kitts and Nevis gambling guide
- Antigua and Barbuda gambling guide
- Dominican Republic gambling guide
- Saint Lucia gambling guide
Sources and further reading
- Attorney General’s Chambers, Virgin Islands Laws Online, Virgin Islands Gaming and Betting Control Act, 2020 (Act No. 14 of 2020) (accessed 13 October 2026).
- Attorney General’s Chambers, Virgin Islands Laws Online, Virgin Islands Gaming and Betting Control (Amendment) Act, 2021 (Act No. 37 of 2021) (accessed 13 October 2026).
- Government of the Virgin Islands, Cabinet Office, Gaming and Betting Control Act Gazetted for Public Information (20 August 2020).
- Government of the Virgin Islands, Vacancy: The Gaming and Betting (Gambling) Control Commission (6 February 2026).
- Government of the Virgin Islands, Gambling (Gaming and Betting) Control Bill, 2020 (draft as gazetted, hosted by the BVI Beacon) (2020).
- BVI Beacon, Report on the gambling bill gazetted for public comment (March 2020).
- BVI Beacon, Report on the House of Assembly passage of the gaming and betting bill (June 2020).
- BVI Beacon, Report on changes made to the gambling law before enactment (August 2020).
- BVI News, Proposed gambling law: Commission to oversee gaming sector, issue licenses (6 March 2020).
- Virgin Islands News Online, Cabinet approves Gambling (Gaming & Betting) Control Act 2020 (6 March 2020).
- Virgin Islands News Online, Historic gambling legislation passed in HoA (18 June 2020).
- Virgin Islands News Online, Gov’t projecting $5.7M in gaming & betting revenues for 2022 (18 January 2022).
- Virgin Islands News Online, VI Gov’t seeking consultants for Gaming & Betting Control Commission (3 April 2022).
- Virgin Islands News Online, Casinos, betting services warned against unlicensed operations in VI (14 September 2022).
- Virgin Islands News Online, Unity Gov’t admits to dragging foot on Gaming & Betting Commission (26 September 2022).
- Virgin Islands News Online, Throne Speech: VI Gaming & Betting Act 2020 to be improved (8 January 2025).
- Ogier (Michael Killourhy), Gaming and betting controls in the BVI (29 October 2021).
- O’Neal Webster (Jenelle Archer), via Mondaq, BVI Legalizes Gambling: What Are The Odds? (2020).
- Conyers, Anti-Money Laundering Measures: British Virgin Islands (2025).
- Lottery Daily, British Virgin Islands Premier announces lottery implementation (18 June 2020).
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