Latest Online Gambling Reviews in Portugal - January 2021

Gambling Laws in Portugal

Gambling in Portugal is legal in all of its variety. While the Portuguese gambling legislation, is composed of various specialized acts for each gambling game, the Decree-Law No. 66/2015, from 29 April serves as the main regulatory act of all online gambling activities in the country (Regime Jurídico do Jogo Online). Thus, according to this act, all forms of online gambling are legal in Portugal.

The regulatory body of the land-based gambling activities in the country, with exception of the land-based lotto and betting games, is Serviço de Regulação e Inspeção de Jogos (SRIJ). The legal functioning of the online gambling sector is supervised by the same body. On the other side, Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Lisboa (SCML) is responsible for the regulation of the lotto games in the country as well as the land-based fixed odds betting and horse betting.

Besides its function as a supervisor, SRIJ is the official body that grants licenses to all Portuguese casinos or other types of gambling providers, brick and mortar as well as online.

According to Portuguese gambling laws, minors under 18 years of age are prohibited to participate in gambling activities.

Is Online Gambling Legal in Portugal? Yes, all forms of online gambling are legal in Portugal, according to Decree-Law No. 66/2015.

Online Casinos in Portugal

There are plenty of licensed internet casino sites in Portugal. The work of the online casinos is regulated by the Decree-Law No. 66/2015, from 29 April as well as the amendments of the special Portuguese casino laws, such as the Gambling Law (Decree-Law No. 422/89, from 2 December, amended by the Decree-Law No. 114/2011), the Ordinance No. 1159/90, and the Ordinance No. 217/2007. A major private platform operating in the online gambling market with a Portuguese license is 888casino.

Online Poker in Portugal

Poker in Portugal is a very popular pastime, with most of the casinos regularly offering attractive poker tournaments. In compliance with the Portuguese online poker laws, only the following forms of poker are offered in the country by several licensed poker operators: Caribbean stud poker, Omaha poker, Hold'em poker, Póquer Sintético (Spanish Poker), and tournament poker. All of them can be played on some of the online casinos in Portugal.

Online Lottery in Portugal

There are various specific Portuguese online lottery laws, which were approved as amendments to already existing lottery acts. Thus, the most important legislature on lotto games in Portugal includes the following acts: the Decree-Law No. 40 397, from 24 November 1955, as amended by Decree-Law No. 200/2009, from 27 August which regulates the work of the National Lottery, the Decree-Law No. 412/93 referring to Joker, the Decree-Law No. 314/94, from 23 December, regulating scratch card games, and the Decree-Law No. 210/2004, from 20 August, as amended by Decree-Law No. 44/2011, from 24 March which regulates Euromilhões.

SCML is the most important lotto provider in the country, being also responsible for organizing the online lottery in Portugal. Some of their most popular online lotto games offered on the domestic market, include Euromilhões, Totoloto, Raspadinha as well as Totobola.

Online Bingo in Portugal

Portuguese online bingo sites can be taken the amendments of the following acts regulating bingo in the country: Decree-Law No. 31/2011, from 4 March amended by the Decree-Law No. 65/2015 of 29 April, which gives the legal framework for the operation and functioning of the game in bingo halls; the Ordinance No. 128/2011, from 1 April and the Ordinance No. 136/2017, from 12 April, which established the conditions to operate an online casino. However, although bingo is played often in land-based halls, there is not so much demand for this game on the internet. Hence, there are no specialized sites for online bingo in Portugal. Foreign online bingo sites, licensed elsewhere in the European Union, can be accessed from the country.

Online Sports Betting in Portugal   

Online sportsbook sites in Portugal are legal and highly popular. The betting sector in the country is regulated by the Decree-Law No. 67/2015 which governs fixed odds betting, the Decree-Law No. 68/2015, which governs mutual horserace betting, and the Decree-Law No. 66/2015, from 29 April which regulates online betting in general. There are many licensed online sportsbook sites operating in the country that contribute to the diversity of the offer of sports betting. Besides, these are also a great competition of SCML, which also runs licensed online sportsbooks in the form of totalizator games.

Online DFS in Portugal

Online DFS sites in Portugal are not legally regulated. There is an ongoing debate on the status of this type of game, but considering the legality of online sports betting in the country it is very probable that internet Daily Fantasy Sports would soon become legal in Portugal.

Gambling Laws in Madeira

Gambling in Madeira, a Portuguese autonomous region in Africa, is legal in all of its variety. The general Madeira gambling legislation coincides with the Portuguese one and is composed of several acts among which the central place belongs to the Decree-Law No. 66/2015, from 29 April amended by Law No. 49/2018 from 14 August which is considered to be the main regulatory act of all online gambling activities in the country (Regime Jurídico do Jogo Online). Thus, according to this act, all forms of online gambling are legal in Madeira. The regulatory body of the land-based gambling activities in this autonomous region, with exception of the land-based lotto and betting games, is Serviço de Regulação e Inspeção de Jogos (SRIJ). Lotto and betting games, on the other side, are supervised by the Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Lisboa (SCML). Besides its function as supervisor, Serviço de Regulação e Inspeção de Jogos (SRIJ) is the official body which grants licenses to all Madeira casinos or other types of gambling providers, brick and mortar as well as online. 

According to Madeira gambling laws minors, under 18 years of age are prohibited to participate in gambling activities.

Is Online Gambling Legal in Madeira? Yes, all forms of online gambling are legal in Madeira.

Online Casinos in Madeira

As it is the case with Portugal, Madeira has two licensed internet casino sites. The work of the online casinos is regulated by the Decree-Law No. 66/2015, from 29 April as well as the amendments of the special casino laws in the country such as the Gambling Law (Decree-Law No. 422/89, from 2 December, amended by the Decree-Law No. 114/2011), the Ordinance No. 1159/90, and the Ordinance No. 217/2007. The two major online casinos in Madeira, operating the gambling market with a Madeira license, are Estoril Sol Casino and the Betclic Casino.

Online Poker in Madeira

Poker in Madeira is a very popular pastime, with most of the casinos regularly offering attractive poker tournaments. In compliance with the Madeira online poker laws, only the following forms of poker are offered in the country by several licensed poker operators: Caribbean stud poker, Omaha poker, Hold'em poker, Póquer Sintético, and tournament poker. You can play all of them at online poker rooms in Madeira.

Online Lottery in Madeira

The Portuguese lotto provider, Santa Casa de Misericordia de Lisboa (SCML), is the most important lotto provider in the country being also responsible for organizing the online lottery in Madeira. Some of their most popular online lotto games, offered on the domestic market, include Euromilhoes, Totoloto, Raspadinha as well as Totobola. These lotto games are organized according to various specific Madeira online lottery laws, which were approved as amendments to already existing lottery acts. The most important legislature on lotto games in Madeira, thus,  includes the following acts: the Decree-Law No. 40 397, from 24 November 1955, as amended by Decree-Law No. 200/2009, from 27 August which regulates the work of the National Lottery, the Decree-Law No. 412/93 referring to Joker, the Decree-Law No. 314/94, from 23 December, regulating scratch card games, and the Decree-Law No. 210/2004, from 20 August, as amended by Decree-Law No. 44/2011, from 24 March which regulates EuroMillions.

Online Bingo in Madeira

The Decree-Law No. 31/2011, from 4 March amended by the Decree-Law No. 65/2015 of 29 April, which gives the legal framework for the operation and functioning of bingo in bingo halls and the Ordinance No. 128/2011, from 1 April can be taken as constitutive of the Madeira online bingo laws. These laws make online bingo in Madeira, legal, as of August 2020. Foreign online bingo sites, licensed elsewhere in the European Union can be accessed from the country.

Online Sports Betting in Madeira

Bet.pt and Betclic, are considered to offer some of the most visited internet sportsbook sites in continental Portugal as well as in Madeira. These two online sportsbooks have a considerable contribution to the diversity of the sports betting offer in the country. Both of them are a great competition of SCML which also runs licensed online sportsbooks in the form of totalizator games. Online sportsbook sites in Madeira are regulated by the Decree-Law No. 67/2015 which governs fixed odds betting, the Decree-Law No. 68/2015, which governs mutual horserace betting, and the Decree-Law No. 66/2015, from 29 April which regulates online betting in general.

Online daily fantasy sports in Madeira

Online DFS sites in Madeira do not have an especially legally regulated status. There is an ongoing debate on the status of this type of game, but considering the legality of online sports betting in the country it is very probable that internet Daily Fantasy Sports would soon receive a legal status in Madeira.