The source review describes strict local gambling laws and says there are no land-based casinos in the territory. It also notes that offshore online casino businesses may route their financial operations through the BVI.
According to the review, local law makes wagering on games of chance illegal, while the stated prohibition does not currently extend to online gambling. It describes petitions, lobbying and ongoing reviews concerning both online and land-based gambling, and says the rules could change.
This distinction has contributed to a mistaken belief that the BVI has its own online gambling regulator. The review links that confusion to the treatment of gambling laws and the presence of offshore companies operating online gambling businesses from the territory.
A company with a BVI business licence for its financial operations might seek an online casino licence from another licensing authority. The review says it would have to meet that authority’s financial and regulatory requirements.
Claims about a British Virgin Islands online casino licence
A website claiming to hold an online casino licence issued by the BVI is making a false claim.
If a casino says it is licensed there, treat the statement cautiously and investigate further; if you cannot establish what it means, you may decide to avoid the site. The review says that such research often reveals a BVI company registration, which by itself does not establish that the business holds a casino licence.
Casino players may also be left with this impression through how a site is described by online casino review publishers. Some review sites classify a casino as BVI-licensed or make that claim directly.
A company may be licensed or registered in the BVI, but the review distinguishes a Financial Services Commission (FSC) licence from a casino licence. It says reviewers sometimes assume a company’s BVI registration also authorizes online gambling. The next section explains why the review calls that conclusion a misconception.
Online gambling companies registered in the BVI
The review attributes the presence of many offshore casino companies in the BVI to its stable legal system, which it says is not interrupted by US or EU laws, and to the territory’s favourable tax treatment.
Incorporating a casino company in the BVI does not, by itself, show that it has a BVI gambling licence or serves local residents. The review describes this arrangement as routing the company’s financial dealings through the territory, where it says they fall within the scope of the BVA Financial Services Commissions and the Registry of Corporate Affairs.
A casino website might say ‘Company xxx is licensed to operate in the British Virgin Islands under company number *****’. That wording may be read as proof of an online casino licence, but the review says it indicates only that the operating company exists.
British Virgin Islands and US Virgin Islands compared
The British Virgin Islands and the US Virgin Islands are separate territories, though their proximity can cause confusion. The review notes that people sometimes use the British and US prefixes interchangeably.
Confusing the territories can also lead to confusion about which gambling laws apply. The review says the US Virgin Islands are subject to federal laws, while the BVI has its own government. It also says that, although some British law applies to the Virgin Islands, the British Virgin Islands are outside the European Union (EU).
Conclusion
The source review concludes that a claim to hold an online casino licence issued by the BVI is untrue. It says gambling is illegal in the territory and that no local authority issues licences for online or land-based casinos. It also attributes the presence of hundreds of offshore companies to the territory’s tax laws.
Many online casino companies may have their head offices in the BVI, but the review stresses that a company’s permission to operate there is separate from casino licensing. It says a company seeking an online casino licence would need to apply to a gambling licensing authority, giving the UKGC and MGA as examples.
