Portugal Casinos
Portugal Online Casinos
Are you going to be able to engage in online gambling in Portugal? If you want the answer, you’ve come to the right place. Our team has expertly ripped apart the Portuguese gambling laws to uncover the truth. Portuguese online betting is very much possible, and we’re here to tell you all about it.
Where should you opt to play from the many Portuguese casinos available? Are their state monopolies you need to contend with, what will you play, and are all forms of online gambling in Portugal legal? If these are the questions you need answers to, you can discover exactly what you’re looking for in this guide. However, before that, let us introduce you to some of the best online casinos currently available for players in Portugal.
Best Real Money Online Casinos for Portuguese Players
Online Gambling Laws in Portugal
The question isn’t so much, “is online casino gambling legal in Portugal?” It is more, “what can you expect to play?” While gambling (in general) has been effectively legal since 1989, online betting has been legal in Portugal since 2015. Like many of their EU counterparts, Portugal requires operators to have obtained a license from their own national licensing body and doesn’t recognise those from other EU countries, much to the annoyance of European operators. Operators must apply for and obtain a Portuguese Gambling Regulatory Authority (or SRIJ) license to be classified as legal gambling sites in Portugal.
Online Casino
Online casino gambling is legal in Portugal, assuming you play at nationally licensed sites. Until 2015, Portuguese casinos fell into a bit of a grey zone, where their legal status was unknown. However, the passing of gambling laws now clearly states that all legit Portugal online casinos must be licensed by the SRIJ.
Portugal does try to blacklist offshore casinos, but this hasn’t been overly successful. A decent VPN gets Portuguese bettors around those blocks, and they won’t be punished for playing at international, foreign casinos either way.
Online Poker
You are free to wager on poker games in Portugal, assuming the site you choose has an SRIJ license. If it does not, you are looking at the same sort of situation as with online casinos. You can visit any offshore sites that aren’t blocked even if you aren’t technically supposed to, and no penalties are in place.
Online Sports Betting
Sports betting is legal in Portugal. Before 2015, a state-run monopoly controlled the industry. However, sports betting now falls under the jurisdiction of the SRIJ, like everything else. High taxes on winnings has made some of the mainstream European bookmakers shy away from the industry, meaning that there are few renowned bookmakers catering to players in the country. Even so, there is no penalty for visiting illegal sites to bet on sports.
Online Lottery
The Portuguese national lottery remains the only monopoly in the Portuguese sector post-2015. It is run by the Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Lisboa, and they can offer lotteries in Portugal and scratch cards. Portugal is a member of the Euro Millions, with the Santa Casa group running that side of things in the country. Any foreigners who win the Euro Millions while visiting Portugal on holiday are still required to pay tax on their winnings, which is overly harsh. International lotto sites are tolerated but not legal.
Online Bingo
Bingo is also legal in Portugal. You’ll find both land-based and internet bingo rooms in the country, with licenses required for both. Thus far, precious few online bingo rooms can be found. Again, most players are happy to nip off to a foreign site to play bingo online, and the Portuguese authorities don’t seem to have any will, power or desire to do anything about that.
Portugal’s Gambling History
Portugal’s gambling history is shrouded in mystery. However, we have managed to uncover a few key events in the country’s history. These are laid out for you below:
- 1850s: The Portuguese colony of Macau legalises gambling. Today, gambling makes up 50% of Macau’s revenue.
- 1916: Portugal’s first casino, the Casino Estoril in the Portuguese Riviera is built by President Dr Bernardino Machado.
- 1960s: José Teodoro dos Santos acquires the Casino Estoril and heavily extends it. It became a world-renowned venue and potentially inspired Ian Fleming’s novel, Casino Royale.
- 1989: Despite casinos operated as private clubs and being technically legal throughout modern Portugal’s history, a proper gambling law regulating land-based casinos was only passed in 1989.
- 2007: Ordinance 217/2007 makes it clear what types of poker games are permitting in Portugal. They include legal tournaments and games consisting of Omaha, Hold’em, Synthetic and Caribbean Stud Poker.
- 2015: Portugal passed online gambling laws in a bid to regulate the industry. The SRIJ (Serviço de Regulação e Inspeção de Jogos do Turismo de Portugal, or Portuguese Gambling Regulatory Authority) has the power to administer licenses to operators, taking this role away from Santa Casa.
- 2020: The Portuguese government raises the flat tax rate from 15% to 25% for sports, with betting exchanges hit with a higher 35% tax.
Is It Safe to Gamble at a Portuguese Online Casino?
The safety of Portuguese casinos really depends on where you are playing. For instance, while all sites licensed by SRIJ are safe online casinos in Portugal, so, too, are a few offshore betting sites. Those licensed out of the United Kingdom, Malta and Gibraltar all have arguably better regulation than national sites. Some Curacao licensed sites are also safe for Portuguese players.
If you doubt where it is safe to play, don’t hesitate to check our list of trusted and reliable casinos. Each has been given our seal of approval and scores highly in many areas. We’ve detailed those for you below.
How to Choose the Best Online Casino?
The quickest way to find the most trusted online casinos for Portuguese players is to head to our online gambling reviews for players in Portugal. Each of the casinos we recommend has passed all sorts of tests. They are licensed, certified for fair play gaming, have fair RTP rates, decent payment options and Portuguese language gameplay.
Below, we will go into a bit of detail about the key things our team looks for in these trusted casinos:
Casino Bonuses
Any casino bonuses found at the site must meet certain requirements. For instance, they should have fair wagering requirements, allow players to claim offers with minimal deposits, not restrict what they win with bonus funds too heavily, and provide good value for money. On top of that, Portuguese casino bonuses should have transparent terms and conditions and be valid on a range of games at the casino offering them.
Games and Software
What are you hoping to play at Portugal’s top casinos? We want to see several hundred games at the very least. These should come from an array of providers and include slots, video poker, live dealer games, RNG table games are more. All games should be RNG certified and offer fair RTP rates.
The Reputation of the Casino
A reputable Portuguese casino will be licensed and regulated. It will also provide responsible gambling tools to its players, be affiliated with major problem gambling programs, and have a proven track record of security, fair play, and prompt payouts. These are things we look for before recommending a top casino to Portuguese players.
Casino Customer Support
You should be able to obtain support from Portuguese casinos at any time and for any reason. Ideally, live chat support will be available and in Portuguese, no less. Furthermore, an FAQ guide is a plus, as is e-mail support. We’re not overly set to telephone assistance, but any casino that provides it for free will have an advantage.
Payment Methods
Portuguese players can use plenty of payment methods to deposit, so we naturally expect a wealth of them to be available. Moreover, the euro should be the currency of choice. Payment methods should be free to use, and fast transaction times should be expected at any top casino worth its salt and catering to Portuguese bettors.
Online Casino Games Available for Portuguese Players
You will want to be able to play new online casino games in Portugal. You will also require an array of the best online casino games that Portugal has to offer. These aren’t the only top things to consider when looking at games at the best online casinos that accept Portuguese players. We also want to see…
- High RTP rates in slots, low house edges in table games.
- Casino games that span slots, video poker, live dealer games, table games and more.
- RNG certificates showcasing that a casino’s games are fair.
- The ability to play games on the go and free-to-play demo modes where possible.
- Jackpot slots have their own dedicated section, so you can easily find them.
Online Slots
As touched on, we want to see online jackpot slots in Portugal. However, we also expect a decent mix of classic slots and fruit machines, modern MegaWays games and video slot machines in Portugal, with an array of themes and features.
Online Blackjack
It is legal for you to play blackjack online for real money in Portugal, so we want to see various versions of the game (including Spanish 21 and Pontoon) supported, with side-bets aplenty available in these games.
Online Roulette
The best online roulette gambling sites in Portugal tend to be casinos, and they usually come sporting titles such as European, American, French, and live dealer roulette games aplenty. Roulette is a popular table game in the country.
Live Dealer Games
Live dealer casino games can be played online in Portugal and often span baccarat, blackjack, roulette, table poker, money wheel, game show, dice and bet on number-style games. They should be playable in Portuguese.
Other Online Casino Games
Alongside those online casino games, we wouldn’t mind seeing an array of oddballs, including video poker, scratch cards, keno, and bingo, but also lotto games, instant win titles and even virtual sports betting options.
Most Popular Casino Software in Portugal
The most popular casino sites in Portugal may offer you a myriad of software providers to choose from. It is possible to find selected Microgaming casinos in Portugal, while the best NetEnt casinos Portugal has to offer will be licensed by the SRIJ. Here are just a few of the software providers affiliated with Portuguese betting sites…
- BetSoft Gaming
- Evolution Gaming
- Ezugi
- IGT
- Microgaming
- NetEnt
Banking Information for Portuguese Players
If you want to play from Portugal at an online casino that accepts PayPal, you must ensure that it is SRIJ licensed. However, offshore online casinos galore in Portugal can accept VISA and credit card options. Other payment methods worth considering include:
- Bank Transfer
- EcoPayz
- MasterCard
- Neteller
Before choosing any casino and payment method to go with, be sure that the following applies at your Portuguese online casino…
- Payments are processed instantly (deposits) and within 2-3 days (withdrawals).
- The casino doesn’t charge a fee either for deposits or withdrawals at a casino.
- You can get away with minimum deposit limits.
- Your withdrawals have high limits, and that any progressive prizes are paid out in full.
- Payments are securely processed and protected behind SSL encryption.
Cryptocurrencies
Playing with cryptocurrencies in Portugal is not something that nationally licensed (SRIJ) sites will permit. However, there are perks to using cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Dogecoin, Ethereum, Litecoin and Tether, and these include:
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You can play at offshore casinos without being tracked.
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Your withdrawals will likely be processed faster than with fiat options.
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Many of today’s top slots and games are BTC-friendly.
Portuguese Gambling Apps
If you wish to play at mobile casinos in Portugal, there are two things you need to know. Firstly, online gambling apps in Portugal are not a must. Some casinos have iOS and Android apps, and some don’t. Secondly, you aren’t required to use an app to play. Top Portuguese casinos should be powered by HTML5, so you can play using nothing more than the web browser on your phone or tablet.
Portuguese Online Casino Bonuses & Promo Codes
You can find a mix of bonuses at top Portuguese casinos. Some require Portugal players to use online casino bonus codes to claim them, and some don’t. Most offer a welcome bonus, while some go further and provide an array of loyalty deals to boot.
Whatever bonus you decide to claim, it is important that you check each offers’ terms and conditions. You want to see low wagering requirements, high maximum win caps, and minimum deposit limits. We’ll look at some of the best bonus deals at online casinos in Portugal more closely in the next section.
No Deposit Bonuses
The biggest perk of visiting a no deposit casino in Portugal is that you get the chance to spin slot reels for free and potentially win real money. New Portugal no deposit casinos tend to have more luxurious offers than their most established counterparts, and you can find many of their best deals right here on this website.
Deposit Match
A deposit match is more commonly known as a first deposit bonus at casinos in Portugal. In a nutshell, Portuguese bettors can deposit to claim a sum of money linked to the amount they drop into their account. When browsing our array of top Portuguese casinos and their welcome bonuses, look for those Portugal-based online casinos with low deposit limits, as these allow you to get more value for money.
Free Spins
You can often claim free spins either as a Portuguese casino loyalty bonus or at an online casino for free as a sign-up bonus with no deposit required by the Portugal-based sites. In both cases, you’ll be entitled to spin the reels for free with the chance to win anything from a few euros up to thousands of euros on selected slots.
Reload Bonuses
If your casino continues to supply you with deposit bonuses (after the welcome bonus or welcome package), then they are said to be offering reload bonuses. These work in the same way as the welcome offer, except that they apply to every reload (deposit) you make or are timed to be weekly, monthly, or annual bonuses.
FAQs
If you’ve still got questions regarding Portuguese online casinos, we’re here to help with this brief FAQ (frequently asked questions) guide.
