Timor-Leste Casinos
Online casinos in Timor-Leste are effectively closed off. The country briefly launched an export-oriented offshore online gaming regime in 2025 under the Inspectorate General of Gaming, building on Decree-Law No. 6/2016, but that framework never allowed residents to play: licences targeted only international customers. In late 2025, lawmakers voted to shut the industry down and revoke all licences over national-security and organised-crime concerns. Land-based casinos have long been illegal, so there is no legal route for residents to gamble online or in person.
This page explains the legal status of online casinos in Timor-Leste, the short-lived offshore regime and its reversal, and what it means for residents. It is an informational overview rather than a recommendation to play.
Are online casinos legal in Timor-Leste?
Not for residents. Timor-Leste briefly ran an export-only offshore online gaming regime in 2025, but it never permitted residents to play, and lawmakers voted to shut it down and revoke all licences later that year. Land-based casinos are also illegal, so there is no legal route for residents to gamble.
How gambling in Timor-Leste is regulated
Timor-Leste is a young and developing nation, and for most of its history it has had no functioning gambling market: land-based casinos have long been illegal. The main legal reference point is Decree-Law No. 6/2016, which set out a regime for games of chance and entertainment and later underpinned an attempt to build an offshore online gaming sector overseen by the Inspectorate General of Gaming.
The short-lived offshore online regime
In April 2025, Timor-Leste issued its first offshore online gaming licence, aiming to attract foreign operators and diversify the economy. The regime was strictly export-oriented: operators had to block Timor-Leste residents and target only international players. Within months, following a police raid and United Nations warnings about organised crime, lawmakers voted to shut the industry down, revoke all licences and suspend new applications. As a result, there is no legal online casino market for residents, and anyone playing on offshore sites does so outside the law and without local protection.
Playing responsibly
With no legal local online market and land-based casinos illegal, this page does not endorse circumventing the law. For information and support on gambling-related harm, resources such as BeGambleAware are available, and you can read more country guides in our countries section.
Can residents play at online casinos in Timor-Leste?
No. The short-lived 2025 offshore regime was export-only and always blocked residents, and it has since been shut down. Land-based casinos are also illegal, so there is no legal way for residents to gamble online or in person; offshore sites carry no local protection.
What happened to Timor-Leste’s online gaming licences?
Timor-Leste issued its first offshore online gaming licence in April 2025, but in late 2025 lawmakers voted to shut the industry down, revoke all licences and suspend new applications over national-security and organised-crime concerns.
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