Online casinos operate in an unregulated environment in Saint Lucia, where land-based gambling has been legal since the Gaming Control Act of 2004, but online gambling remains without specific regulatory oversight. Saint Lucia is a Caribbean country with legal gambling, currently hosting 1 city with gambling facilities and 1 legal gambling establishment in total, specifically the Treasure Bay Casino located in Gros Islet (1). While land-based casino operations are governed by the Gaming Control Act and overseen by the Saint Lucia Gaming Authority, online casino activities exist in a regulatory gap without dedicated licensing frameworks for internet-based gambling operations.
The island's gambling history began with state lotteries in 1998, but expanded significantly when the 2004 Gaming Control Act legalized games of chance and allowed casino operators to establish land-based facilities. This legislation led to the opening of Treasure Bay Casino in 2010, which served as Saint Lucia's first and only land-based casino until its closure in 2020 (2). The Gaming Control Act was specifically designed to attract tourism and boost the local economy through regulated gambling activities, though its scope did not extend to comprehensive online gambling regulation.
"The law was essentially passed to legalized games of chance within the jurisdiction and to allow casino operators to set up land-based establishments."
Currently, Saint Lucian residents and tourists can access numerous foreign-operated online casinos that accept players from the jurisdiction, though these operate without local licensing or regulatory oversight. While there are no local online casino operators based in Saint Lucia, international gambling sites continue to provide services to Saint Lucian players through offshore licensing arrangements (2). The absence of specific online gambling legislation means that players must rely on international regulatory frameworks and should verify that operators hold proper licenses from recognized gambling authorities such as the UK Gambling Commission or Malta Gaming Authority. The Saint Lucia Gaming Authority continues to focus primarily on land-based gambling regulation, leaving online casino operations largely unaddressed in current legislative frameworks.
Source:
https://www.worldcasinodirectory.com/saint-lucia
https://www.traveldailynews.com/column/featured-articles/what-tourists-should-know-about-casinos-in-st-lucia/
Last updated: 20-07-2025 Disclaimer: This article does not provide legal advice. If you need legal advice, please contact an attorney directly.
