Best Online Casinos - Taiwan

It is safe to say that Taiwan has some of the strictest laws in Asia when it comes to offline and online gambling. The majority of gaming and betting activities are illegal under the Criminal Code of Taiwan. The government takes a hard stance on gambling, enforcing heavy fines and even prison sentences for those caught operating illegal gaming businesses. However, loopholes exist, and many Taiwanese players still access gambling through offshore websites or informal betting circles.

Understanding these laws is crucial for both casual players and professional gamblers. While the state actively blocks foreign gambling sites, enforcement against individual players remains weak. In this section, we break down what’s legal, what’s not, and how players engage with gambling despite restrictions—helping you make informed decisions.

Is gambling legal in Taiwan?

Sadly, by the time we were ready to roll out this review, it did not seem like anything would change for Taiwan. It was and remains a very conservative country when it comes to gambling. There are no legal brick-and-mortar casinos as any games of chance are deemed illegal under state law. 

The law does not correlate with reality though. As it usually happens in countries with conservative approaches to gambling, a prohibition led to a flourishing black market. Underground gambling dens exist in Taiwan’s major cities, catering to high-stakes players despite the risks of law enforcement crackdowns. Players caught gambling illegally can face fines, while operators face harsher penalties, including prison sentences. Without legal casinos, many Taiwanese gamblers travel abroad to play in casinos in Macau, the Philippines, or Cambodia.

The only legal form of betting is the government-run lottery, which operates under the Taiwan Lottery Co., Ltd., offering various draw games, scratch cards, and sports betting. This sector is regulated by the Public Welfare Lottery Act and it generates billions of New Taiwan dollars annually. There is no doubt that the lottery is a major source of state income. A big chunk of this income goes to fund socially important projects in the country:

• Social welfare initiatives.
• Public infrastructure.
• Charitable organizations.
• Employment programs for individuals with disabilities.

Needless to say, while being the only legal gambling activity, the lottery is very popular among the local population. It includes games like scratch cards, Power Lottery (similar to Powerball), and Bingo Bingo attracting millions of participants every year. This sector of the betting industry has shown consistent growth over the years. 

This is not to say that the state ignores the fact that the population has a high interest in games of chance and seeks this form of entertainment in international lobbies. Discussions about loosening the laws around gambling do surface once in a while. One of the alternative solutions is to allow casinos on Taiwan’s offshore islands such as Penghu and Kinmen. Not only will it be a step towards acknowledging the true scale of interest in gambling among the local populations but it will also boost tourism. However, multiple referendums have rejected the idea, keeping the country’s gambling ban firmly in place.

Between the illegal black market and the total ban on games of chance in Taiwan, there exists a legal grey area with mahjong parlors. For these venues to continue catering to players, they must classify their activities as social gaming rather than commercial gambling. 

Is online gambling legal in Taiwan?

Given that offline gambling is heavily regulated, there is not much hope for online casino providers. They are banned, too. The state has a working scheme where it cracks down on any offshore online lobbies that it can spot and block them.

However, unlike the offline world where if caught gambling at illegal parlors, players face fines and other prosecutions, when pursuing and blocking illegal online gambling, enforcement is focused on operators rather than players. In other words, avid Taiwanese gamers are still free to roam the global markets and access international gambling platforms that indicate they accept Taiwan.

Given that the state does not recognize online gambling, there is no such thing as locally licensed and audited gaming platforms either. For local players, it means that they must rely on international licenses and won’t be able to seek support and protection within the Taiwanese jurisdiction if they fall prey to unethical business practices at offshore sites.

One way to avoid the trap of poor-quality casinos is to look for those that have acknowledged international licenses, namely from the jurisdictions of the Philippines, Curaçao, or Cyprus, many of which accept Taiwanese players despite local restrictions.

The government has no direct taxation system for online gambling winnings, as the activity itself is illegal. However, authorities closely monitor financial transactions, and large, unexplained deposits from offshore gambling sites can raise red flags with Taiwanese banks. We will elaborate on how to choose a site that can provide safe payment methods in the next section.

When it comes to secure payments, this issue is of critical importance within the Taiwanese community of players. This is mainly because direct gambling-related transactions are restricted by local banks. Since gambling is illegal, banks actively monitor and sometimes block deposits and withdrawals linked to offshore betting sites. This causes a lot of anxiety, caution, and inconvenience for players.

Additionally, the New Taiwan Dollar (TWD) is not widely supported on international gambling platforms, meaning players should mind currency conversions when choosing to play in US or HK dollars. Both of these currencies are very popular in international lobbies which indicates that they accept Taiwan.

Additionally, members of the reviewed gaming community will see an abundance of online lobbies that have games and bonuses in crypto. Digital currencies are on the rise and there are reasons to prefer this method. 

Crypto is decentralized meaning that it is possible to exchange TWD for crypto online and then just keep the tokens in the digital wallet without having to deal with banks and justify transactions with casinos. Additionally, crypto is a fast and secure method to transfer money to and from a casino account. Finally, the fees are sometimes lower than those applied to classic card and bank transfers. Those players willing to try crypto but do not know where to start will find loads of useful information in our detailed BTC guide.

As for the payment methods, some options to consider that will be broadly available in online lobbies that accept Taiwanese players are:

• E-wallets (MiFinity, MuchBetter, ecoPayz, Alipay, WeChat Pay) – Used for indirect deposits and withdrawals.
• Prepaid cards (Paysafecard, AstroPay) – Popular for small transactions without revealing personal banking details.
• Bank transfers via third-party processors – Some players use intermediaries to process payments discreetly. Talk to the help desk representatives of selected online operators if they are providing such services.

Since online gambling is unregulated, there is no official taxation on winnings, but players should remain cautious about large transactions that could attract government scrutiny.

There may be a strict gambling ban on games of chance and betting right now but it does not cancel the fact that this activity remains deeply ingrained in Taiwanese culture. Some of the games that can be traced back decades and even centuries are activities like mahjong, lotteries, and sports betting. Mahjong is still traditionally played during family gatherings, festivals, and private events, often with small wagers involved.

To be fair, many of the games that can be considered part of the cultural heritage have successfully survived the test of time and are very popular in casino gaming these days. Live dealer casino providers are particularly keen on prolonging the life of these games by rethinking them, modernizing them, or simply wrapping good old traditions into trending technology. 

It comes as no surprise that for Taiwanese players who turn to offshore online lobbies, live dealer games are the most popular choice, particularly:

• Baccarat: This is a staple of high-stakes Asian gambling, with classic streams and VIP tables for the high-rollers available across premium offshore sites.
• Sic Bo: This is another fast-paced dice game that’s commonly found in live dealer lobbies.
• Dragon Tiger: A simplified, high-speed card game with straightforward betting is often included in live dealer portfolios of sites catering to Taiwanese gamblers.

Live dealer content wins the race for the preferences of the Taiwanese gambling community. However, in terms of popularity and demand, slot machines and "fishing games", a hybrid between arcade and slot-style gaming, are not that far behind. 

Asian-themed slots with luck-based elements and progressive jackpots attract casual and high-stakes players alike. They are also among the slots regularly produced by the suppliers. Among other reeled adventures that the local community fancies are all the trending modern mechanics, including popular Megaways releases, InfiniReels, and other bonus features. This abundance of features makes it so much fun to win across the games of chance.