Belize Online Gaming: 2026 Act, No Open Intake
Belize enacted a new gaming law in 2026, but the online-license moratorium remains in effect until the Commission formally reopens applications.
Content updated · Research checked
Belize now has a current gaming statute. The Gaming and Lotteries Control Act, 2026 creates a unified Commission, includes online gaming in the licensing framework, requires publication of issued licenses in the Gazette, and replaces four older laws. That change did not reopen online-license intake. The June 2025 moratorium remains the controlling position until the Commission issues a formal reopening notice.
Legacy fee schedules and application forms from the former Board do not establish current Commission requirements. Do not budget, pay an intermediary, or claim Belize authorization from those forms unless the Commission opens an application route, sets current fees and tax, and produces a Gazette-backed license record.
License facts: The Gaming and Lotteries Commission established by the Gaming and Lotteries Control Act, 2026. It replaces the former Gaming Control Board; applications and forms addressed to the former Board do not establish a current route.
- Cost boundary
- There is no current open-intake price. The 2026 Act leaves application, administrative, registration, compliance, security, and gaming-tax amounts to prescribed instruments or Commission decisions. Section 62 preserves earlier subsidiary legislation only to the extent that it is consistent with the new Act. The 2004 regulations set USD 10,000 for grant and USD 10,000 for renewal, while an older application guide adds a USD 5,000 non-refundable application fee. Those amounts belong to the repealed framework and are not a current Commission quote. The former USD 500,000 deposit claim and any all-in launch budget should not be used.
- Process timing
- No current end-to-end decision period or open application channel exists. The June 2025 moratorium blocks license issuance until further notice. The 2026 Act establishes an application power but does not set a decision deadline, and no timeline from the repealed regime applies to the new Commission. Any provider promising approval in days or weeks must first produce the current Commission form, fee notice, intake confirmation, and Gazette-backed result.
- Tax / revenue model
- The 2026 Act creates a gaming tax on licensed gaming premises and online gaming service licensees, but the rate, return, and payment method must still be prescribed by the Minister responsible for finance. No current rate applies under the new Act. The frequently repeated 0.75 percent turnover rate and competing cap figures belong to the old framework and should not be used. Corporate, business, withholding, and transaction tax treatment also depends on the operating entity and current Belize tax law and is separate from the gaming tax.
- Applicant / local requirements
- The 2026 Act requires fit-and-proper review of the applicant, associates, ownership, management, financial resources, experience, and relevant officers. Every online gaming service licensee must maintain a transaction-processing account with a bank licensed to carry on banking business in Belize. The Act itself does not set a universal local-company form, server location, physical-office rule, or staff count for online operators. Legacy local-company, premises, and 25-person staffing rules have not been adopted as the Commission's current application standard. Treat those points as unresolved until the Commission sets the transitional requirements in writing.
- Term / continuation
- The 2026 Act requires the duration to appear in the issued license but does not create one universal online-license term or renewal fee. The preserved 2004 regulations describe a twelve-month term, a renewal application no later than 60 days before expiry, and a USD 10,000 renewal fee. Because those regulations name the former Board and operate only where consistent with the new Act, their practical use requires Commission confirmation. No current issued online license establishes the new term or renewal process.
A moratorium on online gaming licenses took effect by June 9, 2025, when no online gaming company was licensed to operate from Belize and no further licenses were available. The Gaming and Lotteries Control Bill was revised after Senate review and became Act No. 3 of 2026. It received assent on February 23 and was gazetted on February 24, 2026. The Act creates the Gaming and Lotteries Commission, repeals the Gambling Prevention Act, Computer Wagering Licensing Act, Lotteries Control Act, and Gaming Control Act, and carries forward prior licenses and consistent subsidiary legislation. No reopening notice, new online application pack, current online-license register, or new fee and tax schedule exists.
Licensing decision matrix
Belize enacted a new licensing framework in 2026, but online intake remains closed under the moratorium. The repealed regime's fee sheet, application guide, and staffing claims are not current application terms.
Definedfixed by the route or ruleScope-specificchanges with the entity, product, or approvalUnresolvedno dependable rule or figure yet
- Applicant route Defined
- The 2026 Act creates gaming-services licenses including online operator categories, but the Commission has not reopened online applications.
- Applicant entity Unresolved
- Online intake has no applicant form or final local-company requirement under the current Commission process.
- Local presence Unresolved
- The current framework sets no office, staff, server, or local-company standard. A licensee will need a transaction-processing account with a Belize-licensed bank.
- Key people Defined
- The Act requires fitness review of the applicant, associates, owners, managers, resources, experience, and relevant officers.
- Technical approval Unresolved
- Online intake has no current system, game, testing, security, or certification standard under the Commission process.
- Tax or revenue base Unresolved
- The Act creates a gaming tax, but its rate, return, and payment method have not been prescribed for the new regime.
- Ongoing duties Unresolved
- Open intake has no current online reporting, audit, compliance, renewal, or supervisory procedures.
- Approval timing Unresolved
- No application channel or end-to-end decision period is open while the moratorium remains in force.
- Fees and cost Unresolved
- The new regime has no current application, annual, security, or compliance fee schedule. Figures from the repealed regime are not current quotes.
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Compare licensing service providersFAQ
Did Belize pass a new gaming law in 2026?+
Yes. Act No. 3 of 2026 received assent on February 23 and was gazetted on February 24. It creates the Gaming and Lotteries Commission and repeals four older gambling statutes.
Can I apply for a Belize online gaming license now?+
No. The June 2025 moratorium remains in effect. The new Act authorizes the Commission to license online gaming, but there is no reopening notice, current form, current fee decision, or new online-license register. Obtain written confirmation from the Commission before paying anyone.
How much does the Belize online gaming license cost?+
There is no current open-intake quote. The repealed framework charged USD 10,000 for grant, USD 10,000 for renewal, and a USD 5,000 application fee. The 2026 Act allows new fees and security requirements, and the Commission has not adopted those figures as its current application price.
How long does a Belize application take?+
There is no current Commission decision period. The 2026 Act does not set an end-to-end deadline, and applications are not open under the existing moratorium. A commercial timeline does not create regulator intake or approval.
Who regulates gaming in Belize after the 2026 Act?+
The statute establishes the Gaming and Lotteries Commission. The IPCU resources page still refers to the former Gaming Control Board and links to forms under the repealed structure. That page is useful as a legacy record but should not override the new Act.
What does the new Act require from an online licensee?+
The Commission must find the applicant and relevant people fit and proper, including ownership, management, financial resources, experience, and integrity. An online gaming service licensee must maintain a transaction-processing account with a bank licensed in Belize. Other application, security, technical, and operational requirements depend on current regulations and license conditions that were not yet published in a new application pack.
Does Belize currently have licensed online gaming companies?+
No online gaming company was licensed to operate from Belize on June 9, 2025, and the moratorium remains in effect. The 2026 Act requires new licenses and changes to appear in the Gazette, but no current online-license register or later license announcement exists.
Does a Belize license authorize other countries?+
No. Even a valid Belize license would govern the Belize-licensed activity only. It would not override operator licensing, product, advertising, payment, tax, or blocking rules where players are located. Every target market and every supplier relationship still requires a separate check.