Is Online Gambling Legal in Iceland?
Only through the organisations Icelandic law authorises. The Lotteries Act 38/2005 says no lottery may be run without a licence or a specific basis in law, and licences go only to associations and institutions established in the EEA that raise money for public benefit causes in Iceland. The General Penal Code adds that running gambling as a business is an offence. There is no licence category for a private online casino, so no foreign casino holds an Icelandic licence.
The authorised operators each have their own act of parliament:
- Happdrætti Háskóla Íslands: the University of Iceland lottery, including scratch cards and the Gullnáman slot machines, funding university buildings and equipment.
- Íslandsspil: slot machines, owned by the Red Cross and the search and rescue association ICE-SAR.
- Íslensk getspá: Lottó, Víkingalottó, Jóker and EuroJackpot.
- Íslenskar getraunir: sports betting through 1X2 and Lengjan.
- DAS and SÍBS: class lotteries with cash prizes.
Casinos licensed abroad accept Icelandic players, and Iceland does not block their sites. The casinos on this page hold licences of that kind.
Will Iceland License Online Casinos?
The question has come back to parliament several times. A 2012 to 2013 bill to stop payment services to unlicensed gambling did not pass. A working group appointed by the justice minister in 2021 reported in December 2022 and recommended a licensing system for foreign operators, with payment blocking only as a fallback, though its members did not reach consensus.
In autumn 2025 the Althing debated unregulated betting again. Members cited estimates of ISK 10 to 12 billion a year wagered on foreign sites, and Justice Minister Þorbjörg Sigríður Gunnlaugsdóttir said a ban was not the solution. The Lotteries Act of 2005 remains the framework.
Casino Bonuses for Icelandic Players
The welcome offers on this page are set by casinos licensed abroad, under the rules of their own regulators, and the wagering and time limits differ widely. The terms beside each card show what an offer asks of you before anything can be withdrawn. The current offers are on our page of welcome bonuses for Iceland.
Which Licence Stands Behind an Offshore Casino
With no Icelandic licence available, the regulator that matters is the one that licensed the casino, and the protection it gives on fairness, verification and complaints varies a great deal between authorities. That is what separates a local licence from an offshore one, and for an Icelandic player it decides who will take up a dispute.
Our page of casinos by licence shows which regulator stands behind each casino, and how the main casino licences compare matters most on the day a payout is refused.
Responsible Gambling in Iceland
Iceland has no national self-exclusion register covering online casinos licensed abroad, so the tools that work are the ones each casino provides: deposit limits, time outs and self-exclusion on that account. Countries with a single register work very differently, and how national self-exclusion registers work shows what one adds.
Free, confidential support is available 24 hours a day from the Red Cross helpline, Hjálparsíminn, on 1717, by phone or web chat. SÁÁ offers treatment and support groups for gambling problems, and Gamblers Anonymous holds meetings in Iceland.
Casino Payment Methods in Iceland
Visa and Mastercard, bank transfers and e-wallets are the usual ways Icelandic players pay at casinos licensed abroad. Many of those casinos hold balances in euros rather than krónur, which means a currency conversion on every deposit and withdrawal. Our list of casino payment methods shows which casinos take each one.
Finding the Right Online Casino in Iceland
For an Icelandic player the licence comes first, because with no local regulator it decides who will hear a complaint. Then come the practical points: the currency your balance is held in, the payment methods on offer and how quickly the casino pays, and after that the bonus terms.
Our page of casino bonuses by country shows how the offers in Iceland compare with the rest of Europe.