Top 8 countries for gambling

There are countries where gambling is not only officially allowed, but also brings a good income both to casino owners and the state in the form of tax. If you go there, you can not only spend extra money (if you have any) but also tickle your nerves – sometimes the excitement reaches its peak when playing. Publi tells us about 8 countries that are the most lenient on gambling.

USA

There are several huge gambling areas in the United States, the most famous of which is undoubtedly Las Vegas. You can say that the whole city consists of casinos, clubs and other similar establishments – gambling is the basis of the city’s economy. People purposely come to Las Vegas from other countries to immerse themselves in a gambling atmosphere, so if you suddenly have an “extra” tidy sum, Las Vegas is a great way to spend it.

One of the most famous casinos in this city is Stratosphere Las Vegas, a hotel-casino located on Las Vegas Strip. The gambling establishment has an area of 7,000 m2, and there are games for every taste – cards, roulette, slot machines, and in some halls you can bet on sweepstakes games like horse racing that take place all over the country. By the way, Stratosphere attracts players with democratic rates compared to most other city casinos: for example, the minimum bet in blackjack here is only five dollars.

Las Vegas is not the only place of this kind in the United States: the U.S. government is well aware that money tourists spend in casinos is a good way to fill the state budget, so investment in gambling industry in this country is actively encouraged by law, and the shares of major gambling firms are listed on U.S. stock exchanges and attract serious investors.

Monaco

Gambling in Monaco is one of the country’s leading industries, and, of course, everything is regulated by law.

The casinos in Monaco are considered to be the most prestigious casinos in the world, not primarily because of the service and variety of entertainment provided, but because of the clientele. To get into one of the institutions – especially the world-famous Monte Carlo – you have to comply with a certain dress code: a suit, shirt and tie for men and an evening gown for women. The stakes in the Monaco casino are quite high: with about ten dollars in your pocket you even with great luck will not be able to hit the jackpot – you have to stock up on a larger amount. In addition, Monte Carlo is one of the oldest casinos in Europe: the building where it is located is 120 years old and was built specifically for this purpose.

Malta

Thanks to the progressive legislation regulating gambling business in Malta anyone who has enough money can open a casino. The state offers entrepreneurs the maximum degree of protection and confidentiality in conducting business in this sphere, so it’s not surprising that there are more than a hundred casinos, slot halls, lotteries, bookmaker’s offices and betting exchanges.

Malta’s gambling laws are strictly regulated – in particular, it’s the only country in the world where the types of gambling business are specified in the corresponding statute.

The most famous Maltese gambling establishments are classic Dragonara Casino, more modern and undemanding to the player’s budget and dress-code “Oracle Casino”, luxurious “Casino at Portomaso” and known as the museum “Casino di Venezia”.

Online casinos are hugely popular in Malta: wagers are accepted via the Internet, and access to online services of this kind is available in the country from anywhere.

United Kingdom

The passion for gambling is characteristic of almost all Britons. People in this country began to gamble for money centuries ago – betting at horse races and sporting events. Relatively small gambling houses appeared in Britain a couple of centuries ago and have been successfully operating since then.

In 2007, Prime Minister Tony Blair proposed to open several huge casinos in London, the scale and luxury comparable with Las Vegas casinos. Initially it was planned to open 40 such casinos, but as a result there is only one so called “super casino” in London, the Ritz, which can be found at 150 Piccadilly, W1J 9BR London.

The most striking thing about British casinos is that they don’t give any credit: the pedantic English reckoned that you can only play for cash. If you have spent all the money in your wallet, even if you ask to borrow money from the casino or offer real estate, jewelry, or any other valuable asset as collateral, you are very likely to be refused. The “No money, no play” mentality is probably the only one in Britain.

Gibraltar

Gibraltar is characterized by an extremely low tax rate for gambling businesses – only one percent of the value of cash turnover, while not more than £425 thousand a year. That is, even if the casino has earned more money during the year – and this is usually the case in Gibraltar – the state does not oblige the company to pay more than the agreed amount, and this applies to both the classic “land” casinos, as well as virtual.

At the same time for each such firm the state ensures strict control – it abolishes the possibility of tax evasion and provides protection and patronage of casino owners, so only companies with untainted reputation can obtain a license to open a business in this field.

Like almost everywhere else in Europe Gibraltar online casinos are flourishing: a few are among the top 10 in the world like 888.com and Eurogrand Casino. Apart from the standard card games and roulette there are also dice games like craps and sic bo at Gibraltar’s regular casinos.

India

Today India ranks ninth in the world in gambling revenues: there are more than 200 casinos where you can find all kinds of gambling games, although officially only horse racing and lottery are allowed in the country. Nevertheless, in 2001 a large casino Royale was opened in Goa, the most popular tourist destination: it is based on the liner Caravelle and is as good as other world-famous venues, both in terms of service and money they spin.

The Indian government believes that gambling is a progressive industry, which may become one of the main items of the country’s budget in the future. Despite the government’s conservatism and the mentality, which made the creation of such establishments in the country seem impossible until recently, there is a probability that in the near future India will please the players with a great number of various gambling houses. The only problem is that the legislation in India is not yet perfect – most of the money from existing casinos goes into the pockets of foreign investors, and this issue has yet to be resolved.

Cambodia

Cambodia is one of the poorest countries in the world, it is one of the 50 least developed countries, and more than 80% of the population is below the poverty line. The standard income for most Khmer people is $2 a day, and the prices of basic necessities are comparable to other Asian countries. Ironically, this is what caused the opening of several world-class casinos in Cambodia – no other way to attract foreign investment, as the country is rich neither in natural resources, nor any developed industry.

Unfortunately, there is no control over these investments and, as in the case with India, most of the proceeds from the casinos do not go into the country’s treasury, but into the pockets of casino owners – that is why in 2009 Prime Minister Hun Sen ordered the closure of all casinos in the country.

As often happens in such cases, some of the institutions were indeed closed, but the other part remained and thrives: for example, a player may visit the casino “Naga” – a guest can stay in a comfortable four-star hotel, where room rates are relatively small, and play for fun until the money runs out. And even if they run out of money, Cambodia – not England, and there are happy to lend, though sometimes at high interest rates.

China

Gambling in China has a rich past – the money started to play for money more than 4,000 years ago. In the seventh century AD in the then empire began to appear lavish gambling houses for the rich and nobility, and in the XX century Chinese casinos have become very popular among foreign players.

In the Chinese province of Macao, considered the “crown jewel” of Asian gambling centers, almost any gambling-related activity, including various sweepstakes, is legally allowed. In addition, China has about 30 huge casinos – in most cases similar gambling centers are located in Macau, Shanghai and Hong Kong.

The Chinese are a gambling people, so even those who cannot for some reason go to large gambling areas indulge themselves in the lottery. This may be due to the fact that for centuries China has been dominated by the philosophy of Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism, where great importance is attached to belief in fate and chance.