Online betting in Barbados sits in a legal grey zone: the country regulates land-based slot machines, the national lottery and horse racing, but it has no dedicated law that licenses online casinos or sportsbooks. A regulated online-gaming framework was announced as “in the pipeline” in March 2023 but is not yet in force, so Barbadians who bet online almost always do so through offshore operators that hold no Barbadian licence and are not overseen by any local regulator.

Barbados’s gambling laws — the Gambling Act (Cap. 134), the Betting and Gaming Act (Cap. 134A), the Gaming Act (Cap. 135) and the Betting and Gaming Duties Act (Cap. 60) — were written for physical gambling. They permit land-based activities including licensed slot/gaming machines, the national lottery and horse-race betting. Casino table games such as roulette, blackjack and poker are not licensed, and there are no licensed casinos on the island.

None of these statutes creates a licensing regime for interactive (online) gambling. In March 2023 the then Minister in the Ministry of Finance signalled that legislation to regulate the online sector was being prepared, but no dedicated online-gaming licence yet exists. That leaves online play unregulated rather than clearly permitted — hence the grey status.

Licensed vs offshore operators

There is no Barbadian online-casino licence to hold, so any online casino or sportsbook available to residents is licensed elsewhere (commonly in offshore hubs such as Curacao). These sites are not vetted by a Barbadian authority, and players have no local consumer-protection recourse if a dispute arises.

The two genuinely local, regulated products are:

  • The Barbados Lottery, operated by IGT (whose global lottery business rebranded as Brightstar Lottery in 2025), offering draw and instant games.
  • The Barbados Turf Club, which launched BTCBets online/mobile pari-mutuel betting on horse racing in 2020.

Payments and crypto

MethodNotes
Local debit/credit cardsUsed for lottery and Turf Club betting; offshore casinos may decline or flag Barbadian cards
Bank transferRarely supported by offshore sites for a small market
E-walletsCommon workaround on offshore sites
CryptocurrencyNo bespoke law; not an established local rail; offshore crypto casinos are unregulated

Barbados has no dedicated cryptocurrency legislation. Crypto is not banned, and the Central Bank of Barbados and the Financial Services Commission jointly oversee virtual/digital asset service providers and operate a regulatory sandbox for fintech products. Using cryptocurrency to gamble on offshore sites is legally untested and adds volatility and counterparty risk on top of the regulatory risk.

Winnings and tax

Barbados does not impose a general personal income tax on casual, one-off gambling winnings. However, income that is substantial, recurrent or derived from professional gambling can be assessable, and residents are expected to report their income. For the national lottery, prizes exceeding BBD $100,000 have been subject to a 20% tax withheld at payout since 2019. Tax treatment is fact-specific — consult the Barbados Revenue Authority or a local tax adviser for your situation.

Safety and responsible gambling

Because offshore sites are outside local oversight, favour operators with a verifiable licence, clear terms, and working deposit limits and self-exclusion tools. The Barbados Lottery promotes responsible play. There is no widely publicised national gambling helpline; local health services and international resources such as GamCare and Gamblers Anonymous can help.

18+ only. Gambling should be entertainment, never a way to make money. If it stops being fun, take a break, set limits, or seek support.

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