Simon’s Guide to Gambling in Guadeloupe
Guide to Gambling in Guadeloupe
Guadeloupe is an insular region of France located in the Leeward Islands, part of the Lesser Antilles in the Caribbean. It is an overseas region of France consisting of one single overseas department. Guadeloupe’s population is around 400,000. The territory’s capital is Basse-Terre (with around 12,000 residents) located on the island of the same name. Like other overseas departments, Guadeloupe is an integral part of France thus part of the European Union. Therefore, the region’s currency is the Euro. However, (due to it being an overseas territory) Guadeloupe is not part of the Schengen Area.
Christopher Columbus was the first European to visit the island of Guadeloupe during his second voyage in 1493. The island wasn’t colonized until the late 17th century, though. It was annexed to the kingdom of France in 1674. The British captured the island in 1759 but gave it back to France at the end of the Seven Years War because they thought Canada is more important strategically. However, the British took control of the island in 1794 again, but they got repelled in the same year. The British captured the territory for the final time in the early 19th century, however, the island became an official French territory after the signing of the Treaty of Vienna in 1815.
Because Guadeloupe is a French territory, the French gambling laws apply. Therefore, gambling is legal and regulated by the government. The region has only 2 operating casinos at the moment but they offer the most popular casino games players usually look for like poker, roulette, or blackjack to name a few. Online gambling is regulated as well. Operators for both land-based and online gambling have to acquire proper licenses, though. Unlicensed gambling establishments are fined heavily and the ISPs often block unlicensed foreign gambling websites.
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Summary:
- Casino gambling in Guadeloupe
- Bingo in Guadeloupe
- Poker in Guadeloupe
- Sports betting in Guadeloupe
- Lottery in Guadeloupe
- Bitcoin gambling in Guadeloupe
Casino gambling in Guadeloupe
Online casino gambling in Guadeloupe: illegal, players are not prosecuted
Land-based gambling is legal and regulated in Guadeloupe because it is a French territory and gambling in France is legal. Therefore, there are casinos in the region, specifically 2, the Casino de Saint-François and the Casino de Gosier. These casinos offer all the popular games to players like roulette, poker, and blackjack amongst others. Online gambling is legal and regulated as well as land-based gambling but with a little more strictly. Only 3 forms of gambling are allowed to be conducted online: poker, sports betting, and horse race betting (online lottery and bingo are state monopolies of France). Players are not prosecuted if they paly at an offshore online casino, though.
Bingo in Guadeloupe
Online bingo in Guadeloupe: legal, state monopoly of France
Bingo is a quite popular game amongst players around the world, especially in the United States. It is legal in France and its territories, however, it is not that popular. There is little to no information about land-based bingo halls in Guadeloupe. Online bingo is a state monopoly in France and its territories. The state-owned company, Française des Jeux is the only company allowed the hosting of bingo games online.
Poker in Guadeloupe
Online poker in Guadeloupe: legal, requires proper licenses
Poker is quite possibly the most popular form of gambling out there. The main reasons behind its ever growing popularity are the constant television broadcasts, regularly held international tournaments, and the game’s competitive nature. Many would argue that poker is more about skill and knowledge than luck but in nature, it still counts as a form of gambling. Poker is legal in France and its territories, therefore, it is legal in Guadeloupe as well. Poker is one of the 3 permitted forms of gambling (along with sports betting and horse race betting) to conduct online too. Operators have to acquire proper licenses, though.
Sports betting in Guadeloupe
Online sports betting in Guadeloupe: legal, requires proper licenses
Sports betting is one of the most popular pastime activities around the world. It is popular in Guadeloupe too as the island has its own horse race track. Sports betting along with horse race betting and poker is the only form of gambling allowed to conduct online. Unlicensed gambling providers can face a hefty fine if they caught. The government often blocks unlicensed foreign gambling websites as well.
Lottery in Guadeloupe
Online lottery in Guadeloupe: legal, state monopoly of France
Arguably, the lottery is the most common form of gambling in the whole world. It is safe to say that where gambling is legal there is a national lottery. It is no different in Guadeloupe either. Although the island does not have its own lottery, Guadeloupean citizens are eligible to play the French ones. The lotteries in France are a state monopoly and drawn by the government-owned company, Française des Jeux (FDJ). Players from Guadeloupe can enjoy the French lotteries at the official website of the FDJ too.
Bitcoin gambling in Guadeloupe
Bitcoin gambling in Guadeloupe: illegal, players are not prosecuted
Bitcoin is a digital currency often referred to as a “cryptocurrency” invented by an unknown person under the name of Satoshi Nakamoto 2008. It has grown in popularity significantly the following years as an alternative mean of payment. Bitcoin gambling appeared shortly after the introduction of the currency and continues to gain popularity as more and more online casino started to specialize in it. However, Bitcoin is still a relatively new phenomenon son only just a handful of countries issued laws concerning it. Some countries see Bitcoin as an asset rather than a currency (like Norway or Lithuania for example). France does not have any specific laws concerning Bitcoin gambling or Bitcoin in general at the moment. However, French law says that online casino gambling is illegal, therefore, it is safe to assume that online casinos specializing in Bitcoin are not welcome either.
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This page is part of Simon’s List – Legal Status of Online Gambling – a definitive guide to the legal status of all forms of online gambling activities in every country around the world.
Last updated: 2016.02.23.
