Online gambling is not lawfully available in Liechtenstein in 2026. The country’s licensed land-based casinos operate legally under the Gambling Act (Geldspielgesetz, GSG), but the government has frozen the licensing of online gambling under a moratorium extended to 31 December 2028. That means there is no regulated domestic online casino, sportsbook or crypto-casino. Players have no locally licensed, locally protected online option.

Gambling in Liechtenstein is governed by the Geldspielgesetz (GSG), which came into force in 2011. It permits games of chance and skill games for money, including casinos, lotteries, betting and, in principle, online gambling. Land-based casinos have expanded rapidly, but the government suspended the processing of online concession applications to gather experience and observe neighbouring Switzerland’s regulated online market. That suspension has been repeatedly extended and now runs to the end of 2028. In practice, no lawful online gambling is offered from within Liechtenstein.

Regulator and licensing

The Office of Economic Affairs (Amt fuer Volkswirtschaft, AVW) is the licensing and operational authority for gambling. The Financial Market Authority (FMA) supervises anti-money-laundering obligations. Casino permits follow an entitlement-based model: where the statutory criteria are met, an applicant is generally entitled to a permit rather than being selected by discretion. Requirements are substantial, including a high minimum share capital.

Licensed vs offshore

Because there is no domestic online licence, any online casino or sportsbook reaching Liechtenstein residents is by definition not licensed in Liechtenstein. It may hold a foreign licence (for example Malta, or an offshore hub), but that gives you no Liechtenstein consumer protection, no local complaints route and no local self-exclusion enforcement. No site can accurately be described as ‘Liechtenstein-licensed’ for online play; none exists.

Payments and crypto

Everyday money in Liechtenstein is the Swiss franc (CHF), and land-based casinos use standard cash and card methods. On crypto, Liechtenstein is genuinely a leading jurisdiction: the 2020 Token and TT Service Provider Act (TVTG, the ‘Blockchain Act’), supervised by the FMA, gave token businesses a clear framework. But a friendly crypto-finance regime is not the same as legal crypto gambling. With online gambling under moratorium, there is no regulated crypto-casino market, and using an offshore crypto casino is not a Liechtenstein-licensed activity.

Winnings tax

Good news for players: gambling and lottery proceeds are generally not taxed as personal income where a gambling tax under the Gambling Act (or an equivalent foreign tax) has already been paid on them. Because Liechtenstein’s land-based casinos pay the Geldspielabgabe levy on gross gaming revenue, winnings from those casinos are effectively untaxed for players. Note this is Liechtenstein’s own rule and is not the Swiss ‘portion above CHF 1 million’ model. The Geldspielabgabe has been reported historically at roughly 17.5% to 40%, with the government having proposed higher bands; the exact current rates could not be confirmed from primary sources. If you might be treated as a professional gambler, take local advice.

Safer gambling and help

Since 7 January 2025, Liechtenstein and Switzerland operate a joint cross-border player self-exclusion (gambling-ban) register, so a self-exclusion is recognised across both countries. There is no prominent standalone national gambling helpline; residents commonly rely on Swiss support services such as SOS-Spielsucht (sos-spielsucht.ch). If gambling stops being fun, use self-exclusion and reach out early.

Gambling is 18+. Play only for entertainment, never to make money or chase losses, and seek help if it stops being fun.

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