Gambling in Micronesia: State Laws and Online Casinos

Published by Casino News Daily editorial teamReviewed byFilip RadulovicOur editorial approach

The Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) has no national gambling law, no gambling regulator and no licensed casino, land-based or online. Under the FSM Constitution, powers not expressly given to the national government belong to the four states: Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei and Kosrae. Gambling is not on the list of national powers, so each state sets its own rules. Chuuk bans gambling and gaming devices outright, Pohnpei bans commercial gambling but regulates commercial bingo, Yap prohibits gambling in public places with an exception for charitable raffles, lotteries and bingo, and Kosrae’s criminal code makes it an offence to bet with or as a minor. Several casino resort projects have been proposed since the 1990s, mainly in Pohnpei and Yap, but none has been built. No law in any of the four states provides for licensing online gambling, and no bill on the subject appears in the lists of the national Congress up to September 2026.

Key points

Gambling is a state matter. Article VIII of the FSM Constitution reserves to the states every power not expressly delegated to the national government, and gambling is not among the delegated powers.
All four state codes restrict gambling. Chuuk State Law No. 2-94-21 makes gaming a felony and playing a misdemeanour; Pohnpei prohibits commercial gambling but allows regulated commercial bingo; Yap penalises gambling in public places; Kosrae penalises wagering by or with minors.
There is no licensing framework for online gambling at either national or state level, and no regulator to issue licences, block websites or restrict payments.
Casino resort proposals in Pohnpei (1995, 2009–2011, 2018) and Yap (2011–2013) met organised opposition from traditional leaders, churches, conservation groups and legislators, and none has gone ahead.
No gambling-specific helpline or self-exclusion scheme exists; protection rests mainly on prohibition and on age rules in Pohnpei and Kosrae.

Last reviewed: 13 October 2026.

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Historical development

The FSM is a federation of four island states spread across the western Pacific. It became independent in 1986, when the Compact of Free Association with the United States entered into force. The Compact provides US economic assistance; according to the US Department of the Interior, the amended arrangement approved in March 2024 provides $3.3 billion to the FSM over 20 years, to 2043. This dependence on external grants, and the search for other sources of revenue, forms the background to repeated proposals for casino tourism.

Disputes over gaming machines in Chuuk go back at least to 1988. In In re Slot Machines, 3 FSM Intrm. 498, the Truk (now Chuuk) State Supreme Court refused the prosecutor’s request to forfeit poker machines seized under a warrant that named only “slot machines”, concluding that poker machines were not gaming devices because a player can use skill to affect the odds. The decision is summarised in a later ruling of the same court.

Pohnpei has considered a casino several times. In a 1995 discussion paper, the Jesuit historian Francis X. Hezel of the Micronesian Seminar recorded that gambling was then illegal in Pohnpei, that Pohnpei Law 3L-97-95 had set aside land at Lukop in Madolenihmw for a resort, and that resort proposals including a casino were being considered. He also noted that churches in Chuuk had strongly opposed casinos when the issue arose there in about 1994. According to the Kaselehlie Press, the 1995 project never went ahead and the law expired.

In 2009 Governor John Ehsa signed a memorandum of understanding with a Taiwanese investment group for a hotel, golf course and casino on public land at Lukop. The resulting bill, LB 238-09, the “Micronesian Tourism Complex Omnibus Development Act of 2010”, would have created a single casino licence for Pohnpei with a 30-year term, a one-time fee of up to $100,000 and a 5% gaming tax, and would have limited play to non-resident hotel guests holding passports. The Kaselehlie Press reported in December 2010 that the bill had been deferred to the January 2011 session, that several senators had declined to sign, or signed with reservations, the joint committee report, and that the Nahnmwarki (paramount chief) of Madolenihmw and church representatives opposed it. An opinion piece in Cultural Survival Quarterly (June 2011) argued that Pohnpeians had not been consulted. A 2018 report said that a casino bill was passed during the Ehsa administration but had a sunset clause that has since expired (Kaselehlie Press, via Pacific Island Times, 2018).

In Yap, a Chinese tourism developer proposed in 2011 a very large resort project, with thousands of hotel rooms and gaming as a central element. According to a 2014 paper by Donald H. Rubinstein (University of Guam) and Clement Yow Mulalap, gambling was illegal in Yap, and the developer’s 2012 concept plan described gaming as “the most important requirement” of the development. More than 1,500 residents petitioned the Yap State Legislature, which adopted Resolution No. 8-31 on 19 April 2012 asking the developer to stop further action until the Legislature had authorised the project. Further resolutions followed, including one in May 2013 instructing the Foreign Investment Board to cancel the developer’s foreign investment permit. Radio New Zealand reported in March 2013 that local opponents were prepared to go to court to stop the project. The casino element did not proceed.

Legal framework

Checking gambling legislation and licensing

National level

Article VIII of the FSM Constitution divides powers between the national government and the states. Section 1 provides that a power expressly delegated to the national government, “or a power of such an indisputably national character as to be beyond the power of a state to control”, is national. Section 2 states that “a power not expressly delegated to the national government or prohibited to the states is a state power”. Section 3 prohibits state and local taxes that restrict interstate commerce.

The powers of Congress listed in Article IX, Section 2 include taxes on imports and on income, regulation of banking, foreign and interstate commerce and insurance, and the definition of national crimes. Gambling is not mentioned. The 2014 Annotated Code of the FSM, published on the Pacific Islands Legal Information Institute (PACLII), contains no title or chapter on gambling, gaming or lotteries. In practice, therefore, gambling is regulated by the states, although a national regulation of online gambling might be argued to fall within the power over foreign and interstate commerce. That question has not been tested.

The courts have treated gambling as a matter for the state legislature rather than for municipalities. In a decision of 11 October 2000 reported at 9 FSM Intrm. 543 (Chuuk State Supreme Court, Trial Division), the court held that “gambling is of statewide concern and an area properly within the state legislative function”, so a municipality could not rely on its constitutional power over local affairs to permit gaming.

State laws

The four state codes take different approaches:

State	Main provision	Position
Chuuk	Chuuk State Code, Title 12, Chapter 28 (Chk. S.L. No. 2-94-21)	Conducting gaming, possessing gaming devices and playing are all prohibited
Pohnpei	Pohnpei State Code, Title 70 (Regulated Activities)	Commercial gambling prohibited; commercial bingo permitted under operating rules; juveniles may not gamble
Yap	Yap State Code, Title 11, Chapter 6, section 601	Gambling for money in a public place prohibited; certified non-profits may run raffles, lotteries and bingo
Kosrae	Kosrae State Code, Title 13, section 13.515	Wagering by a minor, or by an adult with a minor, is an offence

Chuuk. Chapter 28 of Title 12 of the Chuuk State Code, headed “Prohibition on Certain Forms of Vice”, derives from Chuuk State Law No. 2-94-21. It defines gambling as playing any game or gaming device for money or other value, naming bingo, poker and slot machines among others, but excludes games in private homes where no one profits. Conducting gaming or running a gaming establishment is a felony punishable by up to 10 years’ imprisonment, a fine of up to $100,000, or both. Possessing a gaming device is a felony carrying up to three years’ imprisonment and a fine of $500 to $10,000. Intentionally playing is a misdemeanour punishable by up to one year’s imprisonment and a fine of $100 to $5,000. The online version of the chapter is marked as a draft compilation. In the 2000 decision at 9 FSM Intrm. 543, the court held that the statute’s list of 23 prohibited devices did not include poker machines, ordered the return of machines seized by the state and enjoined the state from interfering with their use under the law as it then stood. Whether the gap was later closed could not be verified.

Pohnpei. Title 70 of the Pohnpei State Code (2012 consolidation, PACLII) defines gambling as staking something of value on an outcome “dependent on chance, even though accompanied by some skill”. Section 1-102 provides that “no person shall engage in the business of commercial gambling in Pohnpei State” and prohibits importing or possessing gambling devices for commercial use. Bingo is excluded from commercial gambling and is regulated instead: commercial bingo may operate only within set hours, in separated areas, and without anyone under 18 present. Breaches are misdemeanours punishable by up to one year’s imprisonment and a fine of up to $1,000. Local governments may restrict gambling or bingo further and may require licences. Chapter 2 makes it unlawful for any juvenile to take part in gambling for money or property.

Yap. Section 601 of Title 11 of the Yap State Code, in the chapter on offences against public morals, penalises any person who wagers, bets or gambles money, or who permits money to be gambled, “in any public place”. The maximum penalty is a fine of $100, 30 days’ imprisonment, or both. Non-profit organisations certified by the Treasurer may conduct raffles, lotteries or bingo to raise money for educational, charitable or public purposes. A 2018 report described gambling as “illegal in Yap” (Pacific Island Times, 30 October 2018).

Kosrae. Chapter 5 of Title 13 of the Kosrae State Code (offences against the public welfare and tradition) contains section 13.515, under which wagering by a minor, or betting by an adult with a minor, is a category three misdemeanour. A general prohibition of adult gambling could not be located in the online version of the Code; readers should confirm the position with the Kosrae State authorities.

Regulator and licensing model

The FSM has no gambling regulator. No national or state agency issues gambling licences, and none publishes a register of licensed operators. The model is best described as prohibition with limited exceptions: commercial gambling is banned or restricted in each state, while small-scale activities are tolerated within defined limits. These include non-profit raffles, lotteries and bingo in Yap, regulated commercial bingo in Pohnpei (with possible local licensing), and private social games in Chuuk.

There is no national lottery and no state lottery. Casino licensing has been proposed only in bills. The 2010 Pohnpei bill, for example, would have created a single casino licence for non-resident hotel guests. A 2018 bill, No. 332-18, described as the Micronesian Tourism Omnibus Development Statute, was before the Pohnpei State Legislature in November 2018. The available sources do not show that it was enacted, and no casino has been licensed.

Online gambling and enforcement

Online casino games on mobile devices

No law in the FSM authorises online gambling, and no authority licenses it. The state statutes were drafted with physical premises and devices in mind. They do not mention remote or internet gambling, and none has been applied to an online operator in any reported case found for this guide. Pohnpei’s ban on commercial gambling and Chuuk’s ban on conducting gaming would, on their wording, cover a business run from within those states, but the position of a foreign website is untested.

No step towards licensing internet gaming has been found. A review of the bill lists published by the national Congress for the 23rd Congress (2023–2025) and the 24th Congress (bills up to CB 24-224, dated 23 September 2026) found no bill whose title concerns gambling, gaming, lotteries, casinos or online gaming.

There is no mechanism for blocking gambling websites, no list of prohibited domains and no rule on payment blocking. No advertising rules specific to gambling were found. In short, there is no enforcement against offshore operators, and anyone in the FSM who uses a foreign gambling site is relying on an operator that no FSM authority supervises.

Position of players

The position depends on the state:

Chuuk: intentionally playing a game or gaming device for money is itself a misdemeanour, with a fine of $100 to $5,000 and up to a year’s imprisonment. Private home games where no one profits are excluded.
Yap: wagering money in a public place is an offence carrying a fine of up to $100 or up to 30 days’ imprisonment.
Pohnpei: the Code targets the business of commercial gambling and those who provide premises, not adult players. Juveniles may not gamble.
Kosrae: the provision found applies to minors and to adults who bet with minors.

None of these provisions refers to online play, and no prosecution of a player for online gambling was found. It would be wrong to conclude that online gambling is lawful in the FSM: there is no licensed provider, and in Chuuk the broad definition of gambling could arguably extend to play on a device for money. Equally, there is no evidence that the laws have been enforced against individuals gambling online. Players using offshore sites have no local body to complain to and no local legal remedy designed for gambling disputes.

Taxation

No gambling tax exists in the FSM, because there is no lawful commercial gambling sector to tax. The Constitution gives Congress the power to tax income and imports (Article IX), while states may not impose taxes that restrict interstate commerce (Article VIII, Section 3). No national or state provision specifically taxing gambling winnings was found. The casino proposals contained their own revenue terms: the 1995 Pohnpei framework required a guaranteed state income of 2.5% of gross receipts (Hezel, 1995), and the 2010 bill proposed a 5% gaming tax, of which 75% would go to the general fund and 25% to a public safety fund (Kaselehlie Press, 2010). Readers with questions about the tax treatment of particular winnings should consult the FSM Department of Finance and Administration or the relevant state revenue office.

Consumer protection and responsible gambling

The FSM has no national self-exclusion scheme, no gambling helpline and no gambling-specific support organisation. Protection comes mainly from prohibition and from age rules: Pohnpei bars juveniles from all gambling and anyone under 18 from bingo areas, and Kosrae penalises wagering involving minors.

Opponents of casino projects have repeatedly raised social harms. Church representatives in Pohnpei cited money laundering, crime and the erosion of Pohnpeian social values in 2010 (Kaselehlie Press). In 2018 the conservation community asked the Pohnpei legislature to add provisions on money laundering, fraud and human trafficking to the casino bill and stated that Pohnpei lacked the capacity to manage these risks (Kaselehlie Press, 24 December 2018). In Yap, the Catholic vicar cited the criminal activity associated with casinos in June 2012, and the Yap Women’s Association asked leaders to stop the project, mainly over the leasing of land to foreigners (Rubinstein and Mulalap, 2014).

No gambling-specific treatment or support service was identified in the sources reviewed; people affected by gambling would need to rely on general health and social services. General guidance is available in our responsible gambling guide.

Recent and upcoming developments

Pohnpei casino bill (2018). The Pohnpei Governor’s office prepared a casino bill in 2018, again restricted to foreign visitors and with a sunset clause (Kaselehlie Press, May 2018). Bill No. 332-18 was heard in November 2018, and conservation groups called it “premature”. Its enactment could not be verified.
Yap foreign investment bill (2018). A revised Foreign Investment Permit Act presented in August 2018 placed gambling on an “amber list” of investment sectors. The legislature’s committee removed the gambling provision, and the bill was defeated on 26 October 2018 (Pacific Island Times).
Compact funding (2024). US approval in March 2024 of $3.3 billion in Compact assistance to the FSM through 2043 (US Department of the Interior) reduces the immediate fiscal pressure that drove earlier casino proposals.
No pending gambling legislation (2026). The bill list of the 24th FSM Congress, current to September 2026, contains no gambling or online gaming bill (Congress of the FSM). No new state casino or lottery bill from 2023 to 2026 was found in the sources reviewed.

Casino listings for players in Micronesia

The listings below are generated automatically from our casino database. They do not show that an operator is licensed in the Federated States of Micronesia: no FSM authority licenses online gambling, and there is no official register to check. Commercial gambling is prohibited or restricted in all four states, and in Chuuk playing for money is itself an offence. The listings must not be read as an indication that playing is lawful.

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Key points

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Historical development

Legal framework

National level

State laws

Regulator and licensing model

Online gambling and enforcement

Position of players

Taxation

Consumer protection and responsible gambling

Recent and upcoming developments

Casino listings for players in Micronesia

Related country guides

Sources and further reading

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