Is online gambling legal in Taiwan?
Taiwan's Criminal Code punishes gambling in public places and, after a 2021 amendment that took effect on 14 January 2022, gambling by telecommunications, electronic communication or the internet, closing the earlier argument that password-protected websites were not public places. Operating a gambling venue or gathering people to gamble for profit is a separate offense. Two state-mandated products are legal: the Public Welfare Lottery, issued by CTBC Bank through Taiwan Lottery under a Ministry of Finance mandate for 2024 to 2033, and the Sports Lottery, whose third ten-year term (2024 to 2033) is issued by ADATA Technology and operated by Taiwan Sports Lottery with online and in-play betting. Casinos are permitted in law only on outlying islands after a local referendum, and none has been built.
| Vertical | Status in Taiwan |
|---|---|
| Online casino | Prohibited |
| Sports betting | Monopoly |
| Online poker | Prohibited |
| Lottery | Monopoly |
| Social casino (free to play) | Permitted |
Prohibited: Online gambling is illegal for operators and players and is enforced.
Who regulates gambling in Taiwan?
- Ministry of Finance (財政部) (MOF) — Competent authority for the Public Welfare Lottery under the Public Welfare Lottery Issue Act; selects and supervises the issuing bank
- Sports Administration, Ministry of Education (教育部體育署) (SA) — Competent authority for the Sports Lottery under the Sports Lottery Issuance Act; selects and supervises the issuer and operator
- Ministry of Justice (法務部) (MOJ) — Prosecution policy for gambling offenses under the Criminal Code; publishes the consolidated law database
Taiwan gambling licence: how it works
No licence exists for private casino, poker, bookmaking or online gambling. The two lotteries are awarded by competitive selection for ten-year terms: the Ministry of Finance chose CTBC Bank as issuer of the fifth Public Welfare Lottery term (2024 to 2033), and the Sports Administration chose ADATA Technology as issuer of the third Sports Lottery term (2024 to 2033), with Taiwan Sports Lottery Co. as the operating company. The Offshore Islands Development Act, amended in January 2009, allows a casino inside an international resort on an outlying island if residents approve it in a referendum and the legislature passes an enabling casino law; Penghu voted no in 2009 and 2016, Matsu voted yes in 2012 but no enabling law followed, and Kinmen voted no in 2017.
What an applicant needs
- Private casino, poker, bookmaking and online gambling: no licensing route exists
- Public Welfare Lottery: bank issuer selected by the Ministry of Finance for a ten-year term
- Sports Lottery: issuer and operating company selected by the Sports Administration for a ten-year term
- Outlying-island casino: local referendum approval plus a dedicated casino law, which the legislature has not passed
Gambling taxes in Taiwan
- Operators: None for private gambling because none is licensed. Lottery surpluses flow to the National Sports Development Fund (all Sports Lottery surplus since a 2016 amendment) and to social welfare programs, in addition to the issuers' corporate taxes.
- Players: Lottery prizes above NT$5,000 are subject to a 20% withholding tax on the prize. Winnings from illegal gambling are confiscated on conviction.
- Also: The Ministry of Finance forecast NT$40.9 billion of prize withholding tax and NT$298.5 billion of lottery surplus over the 2024 to 2033 Public Welfare Lottery term.
Advertising, player protection, KYC and payments
Advertising
Advertising illegal gambling is unlawful and gambling websites are blocked or taken down on prosecutors' requests. The two lotteries advertise freely with responsible-gambling messaging and age warnings, and sports lottery promotions are supervised by the Sports Administration.
Responsible gaming
Lottery sales are restricted to adults (18 and over) and retailers are licensed, with a quota for people with disabilities and indigenous retailers under the Public Welfare Lottery Issue Act. The Sports Lottery applies account limits on its online channel.
Identity and age verification
Online Sports Lottery accounts require Taiwanese ID verification and a local bank account; retail lottery sales are anonymous up to prize thresholds that require ID for payout.
Payments
Legal betting is funded by cash at retail outlets and by bank transfer or approved e-payment on the Sports Lottery platform. There is no lawful payment rail for online casino or foreign sportsbook play, and prosecutors pursue third-party payment providers that settle gambling funds.
Notable restrictions
- Gambling via the internet or telecommunications is a Criminal Code offense since 14 January 2022
- Operating a gambling venue or gathering people to gamble for profit carries imprisonment
- No casinos exist; outlying-island casinos need a referendum and an enabling law that has never passed
- Only the Public Welfare Lottery and Sports Lottery may be sold, and only through licensed retailers and the official online channel
Taiwan iGaming market: size, players and payments
Sports Lottery sales hit a record NT$64.3 billion in 2024, up 9%, contributing more than NT$7 billion to the sports development fund (Sports Administration); Public Welfare Lottery sales were NT$132.1 billion in 2024 after a record NT$162.5 billion in 2023 (Ministry of Finance). No reliable public estimate exists for illegal gambling.
Lottery play is broad-based and retail-led; the Sports Lottery added 12 new bet types in 2025 including esports markets, and major events such as the Olympics and the WBSC Premier12 drove the 2024 record.
The Sports Lottery sells online through its app with in-play betting; retail remains the main channel for both lotteries.
Two mandated monopolies: Taiwan Lottery (CTBC Bank) for the Public Welfare Lottery and Taiwan Sports Lottery (ADATA Technology as issuer) for sports betting; no private operators are permitted.
Timeline: how Taiwan got here
- 1999Public Welfare Lottery Issue Act passed; computerized lottery launches in 2002
- 2008-05Sports Lottery launched under the Sports Lottery Issuance Act
- 2009-01Offshore Islands Development Act amended to allow island casinos subject to referendum
- 2012-07Matsu residents approve a casino referendum, but no enabling law is enacted
- 2016-10Penghu rejects casinos in a second referendum
- 2022-01Criminal Code Article 266 amendment takes effect, expressly criminalizing internet gambling
- 2024-01Third Sports Lottery term and fifth Public Welfare Lottery term begin, both running to 2033
- 2025-01Sports Administration reports record 2024 Sports Lottery sales of NT$64.3 billion
Outlook
No legalization of online casino or private betting is under consideration; enforcement against online gambling rings and their payment providers continues under the 2022 rules. Legislators have proposed removing the casino clause from the Offshore Islands Development Act rather than expanding it. The Sports Lottery is expected to keep adding sports and bet types within its monopoly through 2033.
GameBridge and Taiwan
Not served by GameBridge. Online gambling is a Criminal Code offense in Taiwan for operators and players, and the only legal products are two state-mandated lotteries, so no GameBridge brand may accept players located there.
Taiwan is excluded by GameBridge geo-controls by default, with IP, device, payment-country and identity-document checks blocking registration and play. This page exists so compliance teams can confirm the position quickly, including the 2022 amendment that removed any doubt about internet betting. Brands that use the Traditional Chinese localization for other markets keep Taiwan on the exclusion list.
Frequently asked questions
Is online gambling legal in Taiwan?
Is sports betting legal in Taiwan?
Are there casinos in Taiwan?
How big is Taiwan's lottery market?
Can a foreign company get a gambling licence in Taiwan?
How does GameBridge treat Taiwan?
Sources and review
Reviewed against the sources below on 11 September 2026. Regulation changes; confirm the current position with local counsel before launch.
- Criminal Code of the Republic of China, Chapter 21 Offenses of Gambling (Article 266) — Laws and Regulations Database of the Republic of China (Taiwan), accessed 2026-09-11
- 中華民國刑法第266條 歷史法條 (legislative history of Article 266) — Ministry of Justice, accessed 2026-09-11
- Taiwan tightens the noose on online gaming — Transatlantic Law International (Eiger), accessed 2026-09-11
- Taiwan Sports Lottery sales hit record last year — Taipei Times, accessed 2026-09-11
- Statistical Bulletin: Public Welfare Lottery 2024 — Ministry of Finance, accessed 2026-09-11
- CTBC Bank wins right to continue running Taiwan's public welfare lottery (2024–2033) — CTBC Financial Holding, accessed 2026-09-11
- Penghu says no to casinos for second time — Taipei Times, 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.