Do you find it difficult to know whether you should pay tax or not when you play at casinos without a license? You are not alone. There is a lot of confusion about what applies. On the one hand, there is an EU rule that says that no winnings can be taxed within the Union, and on the other hand, there are exceptions. And of course, you need to know which casinos count as EU casinos too.
With more and more people choosing to play at foreign casinos, and the choice growing all the time, it’s worth checking the details before you start playing. In fact, the biggest factor separating online casinos right now is how winnings are taxed. Read on for more info!
When do you have to pay tax on winnings from casino games?
When it comes to tax on casino games, gambling companies can be divided into two different categories:
- Gambling companies licensed within the EU – often tax-free
- Gambling companies licensed outside the EU – never tax-free
Gambling licence determines whether winnings are taxed
It is usually, but not always, the gaming license that determines whether you have to pay tax on your casino winnings. It can therefore be a good guideline when looking for new casinos to play at. The following are the most common foreign gambling licenses:
- Malta Gaming Authority – Mostly tax-free winnings
- Gibraltar Regulatory Authority – Never tax-free winnings
- UK Gambling Commission – Never tax-free winnings
- Curacao eGaming – Never tax-free winnings
If you want to play tax-free, it is a casino with a Maltese license you should bet on. Other options can be just as safe and good. But if you choose one of them, you will never get to keep all the winnings yourself.
So the first thing you should do before registering at a new casino is to check which license it has. You can almost always find this information at the bottom of the home page. It should show the name of the license, the number, and the expiry date.