Is online gambling legal in Luxembourg?
The Law of 20 April 1977 on games of chance and sports betting bans gambling unless a law or regulation authorizes it. Two exceptions exist: the Loterie Nationale, which also runs the country's only legal online offer (lottery and sports betting), and Casino 2000 in Mondorf-les-Bains, the sole licensed casino, operating land-based under a 20-year licence renewed in 2019. There is no licence a private or foreign company can apply for to offer online casino, poker or betting. In 2025–2026 the government began a two-stage reform: bill 8679, filed on 7 January 2026, targets illegal gaming terminals in cafés, and a wider reform is expected to formalize a state-controlled monopoly and possibly a single online concession for the casino.
| Vertical | Status in Luxembourg |
|---|---|
| Online casino | Monopoly |
| Sports betting | Monopoly |
| Online poker | Monopoly |
| Lottery | Monopoly |
| Social casino (free to play) | Unclear |
State monopoly: A state or single licensee runs online gambling; private operators cannot be licensed.
Who regulates gambling in Luxembourg?
- Ministère de la Justice — Responsible for gambling legislation, casino licensing and supervision under the 1977 law; there is no separate gambling regulator, although a 2025 parliamentary motion raised the idea of an independent authority
- Loterie Nationale — Public lottery operator under the Œuvre Nationale de Secours Grande-Duchesse Charlotte; runs lotteries and sports betting, including the only authorized online gambling portal
Luxembourg gambling licence: how it works
No private operator can obtain a Luxembourg gambling licence for online activity. The 1977 law authorizes gambling only where a specific law or grand-ducal regulation permits it: the Loterie Nationale for lotteries and sports betting (online since the Law of 22 May 2009 framework), and one casino under the Grand-Ducal Regulation of 12 February 1979, held by Casino 2000 and renewed in 2019 for twenty years. The law makes no express provision for remote participation on foreign-licensed platforms, and Luxembourg law firms describe the framework as restrictive and monopolistic. The Justice Ministry has told parliament it is examining whether the casino could receive an online licence, subject to EU-law and geo-blocking questions, but no such licence exists as of September 2026.
What an applicant needs
- No application route exists for online casino, poker or betting licences
- Land-based casino operation is limited to the single licensee under the 1979 regulation
- Lotteries and sports betting are reserved to the Loterie Nationale by law
Gambling taxes in Luxembourg
- Operators: Casino 2000 pays a state levy on its gaming revenue under its licence terms, and Loterie Nationale surpluses fund the Œuvre Nationale de Secours Grande-Duchesse Charlotte's social and cultural grants. No tax regime exists for private online operators because none are licensed.
- Players: No specific gambling-winnings tax applies to recreational players; treatment of winnings from foreign sites is a matter for individual tax advice.
- Also: The October 2025 parliamentary motion on gambling reform listed taxation of the sector among the questions for the wider reform.
Advertising, player protection, KYC and payments
Advertising
Only the Loterie Nationale and Casino 2000 advertise lawfully; promoting unauthorized games of chance falls within the 1977 law's prohibitions. Bill 8679 strengthens sanctions for operating or hosting illegal games in cafés and other public places.
Responsible gaming
The Loterie Nationale applies age checks, self-limitation and self-exclusion on its portal and Casino 2000 operates entry controls and exclusion lists. Rising addiction cases were the trigger for the 2025 parliamentary debate on reform.
Identity and age verification
Age 18 for the Loterie Nationale's games and for casino entry, with identity checks at the casino and account verification online.
Payments
The Loterie Nationale portal takes cards and bank-based payments from Luxembourg accounts. Payments to unauthorized operators are not covered by any licensing framework.
Notable restrictions
- Games of chance are prohibited unless expressly authorized by law or regulation
- Online gambling is authorized only through the Loterie Nationale portal
- One land-based casino licence exists (Casino 2000, Mondorf-les-Bains)
- Gaming terminals and machines in cafés are the target of bill 8679's new offences
Luxembourg iGaming market: size, players and payments
No reliable public estimate of online gambling spend by residents; the Loterie Nationale and Casino 2000 publish their own results and the government has cited growing addiction cases rather than market figures.
Two authorized operators only: the Loterie Nationale (lottery and betting, online and retail) and Casino 2000 (land-based casino, slots and poker).
Timeline: how Luxembourg got here
- 1977-04Law of 20 April 1977 prohibits games of chance unless expressly authorized
- 1979-02Grand-Ducal Regulation creates the casino licensing regime later held by Casino 2000
- 2009-05Law of 22 May 2009 provides the framework under which the Loterie Nationale offers games online
- 2019Casino 2000 licence renewed for twenty years
- 2025-10Parliamentary motion calls for gambling reform, an independent regulator and addiction measures
- 2025-11Justice Minister confirms a reform toward a legal monopoly for the Loterie Nationale and the casino
- 2026-01Bill 8679 filed to tackle illegal gaming terminals in cafés; Council of State opinion follows in June
Outlook
Bill 8679 was in the Justice Committee as of September 2026 after opinions from the Council of State and the Chamber of Commerce, and it is only the first step. The government has said the wider reform will consolidate gambling under a state-controlled monopoly and is studying whether Casino 2000 could operate a licensed online platform; EU-law constraints on monopolies and geo-blocking are under internal review. No timetable for opening the market to private operators has been announced.
GameBridge and Luxembourg
Not served by GameBridge. Luxembourg offers no licence to private online operators and reserves online gambling to the Loterie Nationale, so GameBridge brands exclude Luxembourg by default; this page exists so compliance teams can verify the position quickly.
Luxembourg is on the default geo-exclusion list of every GameBridge brand for casino, live casino, poker and sportsbook. The compliance layer keeps the country blocked at registration and login, and the geo list is reviewed when the wider reform is published. If the government creates an online concession for the casino, GameBridge can support the licensee as a technology partner with French and German site languages, a euro wallet and local payment rails; nothing changes for other brands until the law does.
Frequently asked questions
Is online gambling legal in Luxembourg?
Can a company get a Luxembourg online gambling licence?
What is Luxembourg's gambling reform about?
Is there a gambling tax in Luxembourg?
How does GameBridge treat Luxembourg?
Sources and review
Reviewed against the sources below on 11 September 2026. Regulation changes; confirm the current position with local counsel before launch.
- International Gambling Laws & Regulations Review 2025-26: Luxembourg — BSP (Bonn Steichen & Partners), accessed 2026-09-11
- Dossier législatif 8679: projet de loi portant modification de la loi modifiée du 20 avril 1977 — Chambre des Députés, accessed 2026-09-11
- Projet de loi portant modification de la loi modifiée du 20 avril 1977 (chronologie) — Legilux, accessed 2026-09-11
- Luxembourg favours state monopoly in gambling reforms — SBC News, accessed 2026-09-11
- Luxembourg plans gambling monopoly, new measures as addiction cases rise — Yogonet, accessed 2026-09-11
Regulatory summaries are provided for orientation only and are not legal advice. Licensing requirements change; we validate them with you during scoping.