The Belize gambling license is issued by the Belize Gaming Control Board (GCB)<\/strong> under the Gaming Control Act 2000 and the Online Gaming Regulations 2004 \u2014 a pioneer 1995 framework currently paused by a June 2025 moratorium<\/strong> pending statutory consolidation.<\/p>\n We classify Belize licensing as a tier-three offshore regulatory framework<\/strong> under our trust-tier ratings framework<\/a> \u2014 pioneer status acknowledged, but as of 2026 there are no actively licensed online gaming operators while the Gaming and Lotteries Control Bill 2025<\/strong> progresses through statutory consolidation.<\/p>\n The Gaming Control Board comprises nine members appointed by the Minister, drawn from Belize’s Ministry of Investment, Trade, and Commerce alongside ministries of Economic Development, Tourism, National Security, and Natural Resources. The Investment Policy & Compliance Unit (IPCU)<\/strong> in Belmopan handles public enforcement notices.<\/p>\n Belize introduced the Computer Wagering Licensing Act 1995<\/strong> \u2014 making it a 1990s offshore pioneer alongside Antigua’s 1994 founding. On June 9, 2025, the IPCU formally announced the moratorium: “currently no online gaming companies are currently licensed to operate from Belize.”<\/p>\n Belize operates a distinctive Single all-vertical licence<\/strong> framework \u2014 one permit covers casino, sportsbook, poker, bingo, lottery, and other interactive gaming. This structural simplicity differentiates Belize from Antigua’s two-licence split or Cura\u00e7ao’s post-LOK B2C and B2B separation.<\/p>\n Operators must incorporate as a Belize International Business Company (IBC), maintain a 25-or-more employee minimum, and either host gaming servers in Belize or keep client databases within the country. Customer service operations must run from Belize.<\/p>\n Annual external compliance covers solvency, KYC, and Caribbean Financial Action Task Force AML\/CFT standards. Licence holders pay a fee schedule structured across non-refundable application, annual licence, and Central Bank security deposit categories, plus a low single-digit turnover tax with an annual cap.<\/p>\n Licences run for twelve months from grant, with renewal applications due sixty days before expiry. Historically the GCB processed applications within a short timeline once documentation was complete. Under the current moratorium, that processing pipeline is suspended.<\/p>\n Belize’s primary player protection mechanism is a security deposit held with the Central Bank of Belize<\/strong> \u2014 bank-grade custody designed to fund player payouts in insolvency or licence revocation. This is honest framing: the deposit is institutional custody, not segregated player accounts in the UKGC three-tier sense.<\/p>\n Dispute resolution runs through the GCB complaint mechanism. The resolution is regulator-mediated and non-binding<\/strong> \u2014 substantively narrower than UKGC’s IBAS-delegated binding ADR or Sweden’s ARN independent scheme.<\/p>\n Self-exclusion and deposit limits remain operator-level only. There is no centralised regulator-mandated self-exclusion register comparable to UKGC GAMSTOP or MGA Player Hub. KYC and AML obligations apply under the Gaming Control Act and Caribbean Financial Action Task Force standards.<\/p>\n Data protection requires encryption in transit and at rest, audit trails, and restricted access. The GCB retains authority to inspect gaming servers at any time. With the current moratorium and zero active licensees, these protection mechanisms are effectively dormant pending the Gaming and Lotteries Control Bill 2025 reform.<\/p>\n Belize and Antigua’s FSRC pioneer framework<\/a> are the two 1990s Caribbean offshore pioneers \u2014 Belize’s 1995 Computer Wagering Licensing Act and Antigua’s 1994 founding established the offshore template. Today the trajectories diverge: Antigua maintains roughly thirty-nine active licensees, while Belize sits at zero pending reform.<\/p>\nHow Belize Licensing Has Worked Historically<\/h2>\n
Player Protection Under Belize Licensing<\/h2>\n
Belize vs Other Licenses<\/h2>\n