Legal Online Casinos in Belarus
Belarusian segment of the Internet was for a long time regulated only by the Decree of President Alexander Lukashenko On Measures to Improve the Use of the National Segment of the Internet. The Decree does not address any aspects of online casino operations. The only aspect that indirectly related to virtual gambling in Belarus was the amendment to the law that lets bookmakers accept bets through the Internet. The situation changed with Presidential Decree No. 305 of 7 August 2018 On Improving the Legal Regulation of the Gambling Business, which introduced the licensed virtual gambling establishment. Today such sites must run on domain names listed in the Unified Register of Licences, be connected to the state control system (SKKS) and store player data on servers physically located in Belarus. Only a company that has held a gambling licence and operated in Belarus for at least two years can apply for an online licence. Among the licensed brands, the most visited are Betera, Marathon and Brazino777 (.by domains). Offshore sites such as Joycasino, PokerKing and JackPoker are still widely used by Belarusian players, but they hold no Belarusian licence, and information promoting unlicensed online gambling may not be distributed in Belarus.
Slots
Roulette
Cards
Videopoker
Blackjack
Live Roulette
Slots
Roulette
Cards
Videopoker
Blackjack
Live Roulette
Gambling Games in Belarus
These are the slots that are most played among Belarusian players: Book of Ra, Lucky Lady's Charm Deluxe, Dolphin's Pearl and Sharky by Greentube, Fruit Cocktail, Crazy Monkey and Resident by Igrosoft, and Book del Sol: Multiplier by Playson. Pragmatic Play and EGT are also among the most played providers. Belatra is the most popular Belarusian developer of gaming software. This company has not released too many slots, yet many of them are very familiar to most of the experienced players from Eastern Europe. One of its newer titles, Santa Mummy (2023), is among the most played slots in Belarus. Its older classics include the ironic Chukcha slot themed to dwellers of the Far North, the Fairy Land slot themed to the adventures of a magic frog, and slots called Lucky Drink and Alcatraz. Belatra's portfolio also includes the following developments: Africa Gold, Anotherland, Jewels, Lucky Drink in Egypt, Piggy Bank, Princess of Swamp, The Elusive Gonzales, The Ghost Walks and The Spanish Armada. Belatra has been in business for over 20 years. The company was founded in Minsk.
Gambling Legislation
The following regulatory acts have shaped the gambling industry in the Republic of Belarus (several of the early decrees were repealed on 11 March 2026):
- Decree of the President of the Republic of Belarus dated 10.01.2005 No. 9 On Ratification of Regulation of Gambling Activities on the Territory of the Republic of Belarus (repealed on 11 March 2026)
- Decree of the President of the Republic of Belarus dated 01.09.2010 No. 450 On Licensing of Certain Types of Activities (replaced by the Law On Licensing from 1 January 2023)
- Decree of the President of the Republic of Belarus dated 19.11.2010 No. 599 On Certain Measures to Improve the Implementation of Activities in the Gambling Business (repealed on 11 March 2026)
- Resolution of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus dated 12.01.2011 No. 31 On Approval of the Regulation on Operating in the Gambling Business in the Republic of Belarus
- Resolution of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus dated 29.12.2011 No. 1762 On Approval of the Regulations on Operations of Special Computer Cash Register System that Provides Control over the Turnover in the Gambling Business and over the Monitoring Centre in the Area of Servicing in the Gambling Industry
- Resolution of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus dated 18.02.2011 No. 211 On Certain Measures for Implementation of the Decree of President of the Republic of Belarus dated November 19, 2010 No. 599
- Resolution of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus dated 31.12.2014 No. 44 On Approval of the Model Rules of Internal Control Implemented by the Organisers of Gambling
- Decree of the President of the Republic of Belarus dated 07.08.2018 No. 305 On Improving the Legal Regulation of the Gambling Business, which introduced licensed online casinos (repealed on 11 March 2026)
- Law of the Republic of Belarus dated 14.10.2022 No. 213-Z On Licensing, in force since 1 January 2023, which contains the licensing rules for the gambling business
- Decree of the President of the Republic of Belarus dated 06.06.2025 No. 226 On Activities in the Gambling Business, whose main provisions took effect on 11 March 2026
- Resolution of the Ministry of Taxes and Duties dated 31.12.2025 No. 59, which set new internal control rules for gambling organisers
Belarusian laws allow casino games (cards, roulette, dice, etc.), slot machines, bookmaking and totalisators, both in land-based venues and in licensed virtual gambling establishments. Only persons aged 21 or over can play. Belarusian laws allow players to impose their own restrictions on accessing gambling facilities and online casinos from 6 months to 3 years. An appropriate application must be submitted in person at a gambling venue, and it applies to all gambling organisers in the country. Casinos have no right to admit the persons who imposed these limitations on themselves. Close relatives, spouses, guardians or a prosecutor can ask a court to impose the same restriction on a person who puts his/her family in financial hardship through gambling. Under Decree No. 226, since 11 March 2026 identity documents are checked twice in land-based venues (at the entrance and at the cash desk), each player may have only one account per online casino, which must be verified by video session or a visit to the operator's land-based venue, and players may use only their own bank cards, e-wallets and accounts.
Gambling Licensing
Gambling licenses in Belarus are issued by Tax and Duties Ministry (Ministerstva pa padatkah i zborah Respubliki Belarus). To obtain the license, an application must be submitted, which contains the prospective gambling operator's legal address, list of services to be provided and tax registration data. The licensee must also attach copies of organisational documents and registration documents of a legal entity, along with the state fee payment receipt. The decision is made within 15 working days starting the day the documentation package was submitted. A state fee set in basic units is charged; the basic unit is a dynamic economic indicator formed from the current purchasing power of the national currency. Since the Law On Licensing came into force in 2023, licences are no longer issued for a fixed term: their validity is unlimited.
Companies, whose manager or deputy manager has at least 3 years of experience in the gambling business, and which have the premises with appropriate characteristics, can qualify for a license. The operator must run the gaming establishment in compliance with all legislative requirements, provide safety for the players and commit to the guarantees of fair play.
Development of the Gaming Market in Belarus
Belarus did not follow the example of its Eastern European neighbours. While in Russia the first step in regulating the virtual gambling was a complete ban, there is the opposite trend being observed in Belarus: online casinos have been legal for licensed Belarusian operators since the 2018 reform. In recent years, however, the Belarusian authorities have started regulating online casino operations by introducing more restrictive measures. Decree No. 226 of 6 June 2025 replaced the 2005 and 2010 decrees, and since 11 March 2026 Belarusian banks block payments to foreign online casinos. Existing online casinos must obtain a test report confirming that they meet the government's technical requirements by 1 July 2027. In August 2026 the Ministry of Antimonopoly Regulation and Trade sent out for approval a draft law that would ban gambling advertising on the Internet and in public transport. On 10 September 2026 President Lukashenko instructed the Presidential Administration and the State Control Committee to take a further look at the gambling business and its advertising.
As far as land-based casinos are concerned, this sector is closely regulated and characterised by a relative stability. All gaming tables and slot machines must be registered in the state control system before use. Establishments in Minsk are widely popular not only among the locals, but also among foreign visitors who come to Belarus exactly for that purpose. They are mainly players from Russia, Ukraine, Georgia and Turkey.
So, the Republic of Belarus can still claim the status of one of the most open countries in the region towards gambling and players: both land-based and online gambling are legal. The laws are based on licensing and strict state control instead of bans.
Tax rates on the gambling industry in Belarus
Land-based gambling establishments pay the gambling business tax as a fixed amount per gaming table, slot machine and bookmaking or totalisator cash desk. In 2017, amendments were adopted, according to which new tax rates for land-based gambling establishments in Belarus were effective starting from 2019: 7140.95 BYR - per gaming table, 241.53 BYR - per slot machine, 2,250 BYR - per sportsbook pool betting and1,500 BYR - per bookmaking counter. So, for a slot machine the tax bracket remained unchanged, but for a gaming table it became larger than what it used to be — 6314.8 BYR, for sportsbooks — 1,300 BYR, and for bookmakers — 6,000 BYR. The rates have been revised since then and are now set in the Tax Code, so operators should check the current figures with the Ministry of Taxes and Duties. Gambling organisers also withhold personal income tax from the winnings they pay out.
