Online Casino Licence in Estonia
In order to operate a legal gambling business in Estonia you will need to hold an Activity Licence to organise gambling activities and an Operating Permit to organise remote gaming activities. The Activity Licence is issued for an indefinite period of time and is not transferable. The Operating Permit is issued for up to 5 years and can be transferred to another person with the written consent of the Estonian Tax and Customs Board. The decision to consent or refuse the request for transfer will be made within 30 working days from the date of receipt of the application.
Licences
The Activity Licence for organising gambling entitles a person to apply for an Operating Permit for organising gambling. Activity licences are issued separately for:
- Organising games of chance
- Organising Totos
- Organising Games of Skill
An Operating Permit is issued separately for each type of gambling entertainment:
- Games of Chance
- Toto
- Games of Skill
- Remote Gambling
- Lottery (except a commercial lottery)
Jurisdiction
The organisation of online gambling activities in Estonia is regulated by the Gambling Act that was adopted on the 14th of June 1995 and was last revised on the 15th of March 2019.
The Estonian Tax and Customs Board decides on the issuance and revocation of Activity Licences and Operating Permits for online gambling activities.
How to Open an Online Casino in Estonia
In Estonia, the only area of activity of the company should be the organisation of gambling entertainment.
It can be a public or private limited liability company and the authorised capital should be:
- gambling - at least 1 million euros
- skill games - at least 25,000 euros
- totalizator - at least 130,000 euros
A lottery can be organised by a joint stock company with a capital of at least 1 million euros, all of whose shares are owned by the Estonian state.
If the organisation meets these requirements it then needs to apply for an Activity Licence and Operating Permits.
Activity Licence
To obtain an Activity License, an application should be submitted to the Estonian Tax and Customs Board, which indicates:
- name and registration code of the applicant
- the address and contact details of the applicant
- type of gambling entertainment
- position, name and signature of the person who filled out the application
- date of payment of the state fee
Attached to the application:
- Information and documents about the members of the Board and the Supervisory Board of the applicant: name, surname, personal identification code (if it is absent, date of birth), place of residence, full list of jobs and positions.
- Information about the auditor of the applicant: name, place of residence, personal identification code (in its absence - date of birth or registration code).
- List of Shareholders/Partners of the applicant: name, registration code or personal identification number of each (in the absence - date of birth), information on the size and number of votes acquired or owned by each.
- Information about persons holding at least 10% of the authorized capital of the company.
Estonian Tax and Customs Board may require additional documents such as:
- a copy of the charter or articles of association of the applicant
- information regarding companies in which the applicant, their Board member or Supervisory Board member own more than 25% (the size of the authorized capital, the list of activities, the size of each share)
The Tax and Customs Board will decide whether or not to issue a licence usually within 4 months from the date of submission of all documents, but no later than 6 months from the date of the application.
Operating Permit Application
An application needs to be submitted to the Estonian Tax and Customs Board, which indicates:
- name and registration code of the applicant
- the address and contact details of the applicant
- the name of the type or subcategory of Internet entertainment
- the physical address of the server on which the software for Internet entertainment is installed
- name and position of the organizer contact person
- name, position and signature of the person who filled out the application
- date of payment of the state fee
Attached to the application:
- Information about gambling equipment for organising Internet entertainment
- Rules of the game
- An overview of the security measures used in the implementation of gambling
- Information on how the protection of players at online casinos in Estonia is ensured in accordance with the Personal Data Protection Act (adopted on 15.02.2007 and revised on 15.01.2019
- Information about the software
- Independent examination (in writing) of software compliance with the requirements provided for by the current law. The Estonian Tax and Customs Board publishes on its website a list of experts whose assessments do not need additional evidence.
- Phone numbers, Internet addresses and other contact information of the operator
- Information about current accounts that will be used to mediate payments between the organiser and the participants
- Confirmation of the legal basis for the activities of the authorities for the supervision of gambling and anti-money laundering of the host country and their ability to cooperate with the Tax and Customs Board. This information does not need to be provided if the server is located in Estonia or a state that has acceded to the Convention against Cybercrime or whose competent authorities have entered into a cooperation agreement with the Tax and Customs Board.
The Estonian Tax and Customs Board decides whether or not to issue an Operating Permit within 2 months from the date of submission of all necessary documents, but no later than 4 months from the date of receipt of the application.
Fees
For consideration of an application in Estonia, the following fees need to be paid:
- 47,940 euros Licence fee for games of chance
- 31,960 euros Licence fee for games of skill
- 3,200 euros Totalisator Licence Fee
A State fee of 3,200 euros needs to be paid for reviewing a gambling operating permit application (except for lotteries) and a State fee of 640 euros needs to be paid for reviewing an application for a lottery operating permit.
All application forms are available on the Estonian Tax and Customs Board website along with instructions.
The decision to issue an Activity license will include:
- Number and date of the decision to issue and commencement of validity
- Name, registration code and address of the organiser
- A type of gambling entertainment
- Basis for extradition
The decision to issue an Operating permit shall indicate:
- Decision number and date
- Validity
- Name, registration code and address of the organiser
- Type or subtype of gambling entertainment
- Name and title of the contact person within the organisation
- Basis for extradition