Gambling and sports betting in Liechtenstein, a country in the heart of Europe is quite different when compared to other countries. In the context of the Liechtenstein Bookmakers and the growing popularity of Liechtenstein sports betting it is crucial to explore the legislation of the country concerning gambling, the history as well as the process of obtaining a license and taxation. This article elaborates on these aspects while summarising the existing situation and possible developments in the sphere of gambling in Liechtenstein.
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Table of Contents
Summary of Key Events
Gambling Legal Framework in Liechtenstein
Gambling laws and regulation has been rather a convoluted issue in the case of Liechtenstein. The history of the country’s introduction into regulated gambling can be traced back to the middle of the 20 th century and left a significant impact on the industry in the 1990s.
Key Dates in Gambling Legislation:
- 1995: The only online lottery license that the government has released was for the Internationale Lotterie in Liechtenstein Stiftung (ILLF) that managed several online lottery websites until 2011.
- 2010: The Parliament approved a gambling legislation which was a complete legal framework for modern casinos.
- 2019: This particular year became a critical year as the government opted to stop the consideration of applications for online gaming licenses up to the end of the year 2023.
- 2024: The estimated year when the licensing of online gambling may be brought back into the market, although this is still uncertain.
Regulatory Agencies and Licensing
The body that regulates gambling and the issuing of gambling licenses in Liechtenstein is the Ministry of Home Affairs, Economy, and Environment. At the beginning, this comprised of the brick and mortar as well as the cyber gambling businesses. Though, the licensing system of online gambling is still not active, and the suspension has been further continued till the end of 2023. This has left the country with no legally allowed online gambling operators except for the historical case of the ILLF.
The government established a new gambling department within the Ministry in 2019 to regulate the existing casinos as well as the expected online casinos. However, this department’s full operational capacity is still in the process of being built up.
Licences and Charges
Liechtenstein gambling licenses include all sorts of gambling, starting from the classical casinos and ending with the sports betting. Current online gambling licenses are suspended and the Ministry is still in charge of licensing other types of gambling.
License Types:
- Casino Licenses: Contemplate the running of physical casinos.
- Sports Betting Licenses: Both the physical and, in the future, the online activities of betting on sports should be covered.
- Lottery Licenses: These have also comprised of physical and online lotteries; however, there has been no new license for online lotteries since ILLF.
Fees:
Fees depend on the kind of gambling and the size of the business. Exact information is not made available to the public, but they are normally in accordance with the European norms in order to foster equality and conformity to law.
Taxes for Liechtenstein Bookmakers
Gambling establishments in Liechtenstein are subject to the provisions of progressive taxation. It therefore provides that the more revenue a casino rakes in, the more taxes they have to pay. Here’s a breakdown of the tax rates:
- Casinos: Depending on the size of the company, it can be from five to forty percent of the gross revenue.
- Lotteries and Sports Betting: It is 10% – 20% of the gross revenue.
- Online Gambling: 5-12 percent of people are estimated to have a fear of heights. 5% of gross revenue (although at the moment it is only on paper because the activity of online licenses has been suspended).
For players, the first million in gambling winnings are tax exempt and for this reason Liechtenstein is an ideal location for gambling.
Prohibited and Allowed Bets
In Liechtenstein, there are laws regarding what can be bet and what cannot be bet. In general, the country aims at promoting a healthy and clear gambling environment and all activities must be legal.
Allowed Bets:
- Sports Betting: Both local and foreign games are allowed to be held within the nation.
- Casino Games: It features all forms of games whether they are the slot games or the table games such as poker or blackjack.
- Lotteries: Lotteries which are owned by the state or approved by the state.
Prohibited Bets:
- Online Gambling: At the moment, there are no forms of online gambling allowed, apart from some historical reaming exceptions such as the ILLF.
- Unlicensed Operations: According to the set laws and regulation any form of gambling that is not authorised by the Ministry is prohibited.
Sports Betting of Liechtenstein Bookmakers
The Liechtenstein gambling environment is characterized by rather cautious attitude to the development of the industry, and yet sports betting is slowly emerging as one of the most popular types of gambling. The country allows sports betting only through the authorized operators; football is considered a number one sport in the country. Other activities that are also commonly played include snow skiing, tennis, swimming, and mountain biking among others.
Sporting Event Glory Milestones:
- 1875: The very first sporting event in the history of Liechtenstein.
- 1936: Olympic Games.
- 1980: Hanni Wenzel takes the two gold medals in the alpine skiing at the winter Olympic Games.
- 1996 & 2008: National football team gets through to the UEFA European Championship.
- 2011: National ice hockey team takes the championship at the IIHF World Championship Division III.
Conclusion
Liechtenstein has a special environment for gambling and sports betting due to the clear regulatory environment and favorable taxation. Although the current situation in which online gambling licenses are suspended to some extent is less favorable for the development of Liechtenstein Bookmakers and Liechtenstein sports betting, the future prospects are rather encouraging. Therefore, with the right policies in place and good cooperation with other gambling operators, Liechtenstein has a chance to join the big players in the European gambling industry.
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