Fiji’s gambling culture is modest and lottery-led rather than casino-driven: the everyday face of gambling is the low-value scratch card and licensed lottery draw sold at shops, alongside raffles and a long tradition of betting on Australian horse racing that dates to the 1960s. There is no operating casino, high-stakes gaming is limited, and attitudes are shaped by Fiji’s strongly Christian and multi-faith society, where lottery play is broadly tolerated but heavier gambling is often viewed with caution. It is a small market with limited published data, so much of the picture is qualitative rather than statistical.

A short history

Organised gambling in Fiji has grown around lotteries, charitable draws and imported sports betting rather than casinos. Betting on Australian horse racing emerged in Fiji around 1964 and became an increasingly common pastime among urban Fijian men, with betting shops functioning as informal social spaces distinct from village life (as documented in academic research on horse-race gambling in Fiji). Licensed lotteries and “scratch and win” cards later became the most widespread everyday form, reaching ordinary shoppers through retail outlets.

The modern legal framework was consolidated in the Gaming Act 2009, which set the rule that gambling is prohibited unless licensed and created licensing categories for gaming and lotteries administered locally.

  • Licensed lotteries & scratch cards — instant “scratch and win” tickets and lottery draws sold through everyday retail, the most widespread form.
  • Raffles and charity draws — permitted under licence, often tied to community or charitable fundraising.
  • Australian horse-race betting — a long-standing pastime, historically associated with betting shops and urban social life.
  • Small-stakes social gaming — permitted within the social-gambling exemption, with prizes historically capped.

Why there’s no casino

Fiji has no operating casino. Its first exclusive casino licence (One Hundred Sands, Denarau) was granted in 2011 but revoked in 2015 after the project failed to proceed and breached its conditions; the Court of Appeal upheld the revocation in 2017. In 2023, following interest in new casino proposals, the Prime Minister confirmed the government had not approved any policy guidelines on casino licensing and that no licence would be issued until comprehensive consultation had taken place.

Attitudes and social context

Gambling in Fiji is culturally sensitive. Lottery play and the occasional scratch card are broadly accepted, but heavier gambling and betting shops are sometimes viewed as sitting outside traditional Fijian norms and the values of a strongly Christian and multi-faith society. Cash circulated through betting has, in some communities, been characterised critically. The overall picture is of a small, cautious market rather than a gambling hub.

Safer gambling

If gambling is causing harm, free confidential help is available in Fiji: Empower Pacific 24/7 counselling helpline 5626 and Lifeline Fiji 1543.

18+. Gamble responsibly. If gambling is affecting you or someone you know, call Empower Pacific on 5626 (Fiji).

Sources