Belize Online Gaming: 2026 Act, No Verified Open Intake

Cost boundary

No current open-intake price is published. 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 old 2004 regulations show USD 10,000 for grant and USD 10,000 for renewal, while an old IPCU application guide adds a USD 5,000 non-refundable application fee. Those files name the repealed framework and former Board, and the new Commission has not confirmed them as a current application quote. No official source reviewed supports the old USD 500,000 deposit claim or a current all-in launch budget.

Process timing

No current end-to-end decision period is published, and no verified open application channel was found. The June 2025 notice said that no licenses would be issued until further notice. The 2026 Act establishes an application power but does not set a decision deadline. The old IPCU files describe a former process and cannot be converted into a current Commission service level. 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 are to be prescribed by the Minister responsible for finance. We found no current official rate instrument under the new Act. The frequently repeated 0.75 percent turnover rate and competing cap figures are therefore excluded from this page. 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. The preserved 2004 regulations and old IPCU guide refer to a Belize-incorporated company, local premises, and a 25-person staffing threshold, but the Commission has not published a current transitional application standard. Do not present those legacy requirements as a confirmed 2026 checklist without written Commission confirmation.

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 must be confirmed by the Commission. No current license exists in the official record reviewed from which to verify the new term or renewal process.

On June 9, 2025, the Government of Belize said that the country had a moratorium on online gaming licenses, that no online gaming company was licensed to operate from Belize, and that no licenses would be issued until further notice. 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 official reopening notice, new online application pack, current online-license register, or new fee and tax schedule was found during this review.