Casino cruise ship Paul Gauguin in Tahiti, French Polynesia
This is a guide to brick and mortar as well as online casinos in French Polynesia. Find out what the best casinos and online casino sites are in French Polynesia, or learn more about the legal status of casino gambling in the country.
Online casinos in French Polynesia
Legal status: illegal, players are not prosecuted
Online casino gambling is most likely considered illegal in French Polynesia, even though it is not explicitly mentioned by the country’s gambling laws. French Polynesia is an archipelago consisting of 118 islands, located in the South Pacific Ocean. The archipelago is divided to six groups of islands. The capital, Papeete is located on the island of Tahiti, in the administrative subdivision of the Windward Islands.
French Polynesia had been a French protectorate from 1840 until 1946, at which point the country’s status was changed to overseas territory; changed once again to overseas country in 2003. As the only French overseas country at the moment, French Polynesia has significant independence concerning its internal matters, with the right to veto French laws if they are in conflict with internal regulations.
This means that the online casino gambling laws of France do not apply automatically in French Polynesia, which makes the legal status of online casinos quite interesting. While casino gambling is legal in France, online casinos are considered more addictive, and as a result are explicitly banned. In French Polynesia, on the other had, casinos in general are also illegal. The French Polynesian gambling laws do not specifically ban online casino gambling, however.
As a result, it is currently not possible for online casinos to obtain a gambling licence in French Polynesia. Accordingly, there are no online casinos based in French Polynesia. However, even though online casinos are not allowed to operate in French Polynesia, there is nothing in the laws against individual players participating in online casino gambling. Most international online casinos welcome players from French Polynesia, and many of them are also available in French. Certain online casino sites may be blocked by ISPs from French Polynesia, but the gamblers themselves face no repercussions for playing.
Online casinos accepting players from French Polynesia
The following online gambling websites accept players from French Polynesia:
888 Casino, Poker, Bingo and Sportsbook
888 online gambling: casino games, poker, bingo & bookmaker, current 2022 promos, UK players accepted (no USA)
- €1500 welcome bonus package, promo code: WELCOME1
USA players are not accepted, but UK players are accepted. Full list of banned countries can be found in the drop down menu below. All in one gambling destination with poker, sports betting, live dealer games, bingo and over 1000 casino games, all accessibe with one players account (but on separate platforms). You can read the review of 888 Casino here.
Playthrough requirements, wagering limitations, terms and conditions and list of restricted countries
General bonus terms and conditions at the 888 gambling websites:
- welcome bonuses are only available for new players
- bonuses are available in US Dollars, GBP, Euros or Canadian Dollars
- the minimum deposit to receive any bonus is €10
- the bonus + deposit needs to be wagered within 7 days from date of activation
Playthrough requirement of the welcome bonus: 30x, the deposit bonus amount must be wagered 30 times before withdrawal. Playthrough requirement of the free spins: no free spins currently, free spins expire after 14 days
Wagering limitation:
| Game type: | Contribution: |
| Video slots & other types of slots, Scratch cards, Keno, Race, Arcade, Dice (and all other types of games not specifically mentioned below) | 100% |
| Pai Gow, Caribbean Poker, Triple Card Poker and other kinds of table poker | 20% |
| Blackjack, Roulette, Baccarat, Live casino games, Video poker | 10% |
| Craps | 5% |
UPDATE COVID-19: The online casino does not use the global pandemic situation for advertisement purposes, or to encourage the usage of its online gambling platform. In fact, it's forbidden to use the namesake, name, likeness and official logo or any depiction of the casino/company (and this casino gambling blog) in conjunction with any marketing campaign, which uses the novel coronavirus pandemic for promotion.
888 Casino does not accept players from:
Land-based casinos in French Polynesia
While casino gambling is legal in France, it is not allowed by the gambling laws of French Polynesia. At one point, casinos had been legal in the country – or at least in the capital. There had been multiple casinos in operation on the island of Tahiti: the Hotel Kon Tiki Pacific & Casino, the Hotel Prince Hinoi & Casino and the Hotel Royal Papeete & Casino. Today, however, they have all been forced to shut down.
The main reason for the prohibition of casinos in French Polynesia is a worry about the social effects of problem gambling on French Polynesian players. Multiple religious groups also strongly oppose the introduction of casinos to French Polynesia, just like Oscar temaru, the former president of the country.
Since casino gambling is currently prohibited in French Polynesia, there are no licensed casinos in the country – however, that does not mean that casino gambling is completely absent. Underground gambling is definitely present on the islands; to the point where lawmakers are considering legalising casino to be the least harmful of choices. Still, due to the aforementioned opposition, no proposals for legalising casinos have passed. There is, however, a single legal option for casino gambling in French Polynesia: cruise ships visiting the islands are allowed to offer casino games, but only to the passengers.
Other forms of online gambling in French Polynesia
Similarly to online casinos, most other forms of online gambling are also banned in French Polynesia. This is also a difference from the French laws, as the latter allow both online sports betting and online lotteries – these are considered less addictive than online casinos.
The Pacifique des Jeux offers sports betting, lottery and keno in the Pacific region, operating in cooperation with the French Francaise des Jeux. While the French version offers its games online as well, in accordance with the French Polynesian gambling law they are only available at physical retailers on the islands.
Operating online gambling ventures is not allowed in French Polynesia, but it is not completely clear whether the locals may play on the website of the affiliated Francaise des jeux or not. On the other hand, since online gambling is not explicitly banned on the level of individual players, locals are actually free to choose from international online gambling sites. Most of these online lottery, online sports betting and online poker sites welcome players from French Polynesia.
The following online gambling websites accept players from French Polynesia:
888 Casino, Poker, Bingo and Sportsbook
888 online gambling: casino games, poker, bingo & bookmaker, current 2022 promos, UK players accepted (no USA)
- €1500 welcome bonus package, promo code: WELCOME1
USA players are not accepted, but UK players are accepted. Full list of banned countries can be found in the drop down menu below. All in one gambling destination with poker, sports betting, live dealer games, bingo and over 1000 casino games, all accessibe with one players account (but on separate platforms). You can read the review of 888 Casino here.
Playthrough requirements, wagering limitations, terms and conditions and list of restricted countries
General bonus terms and conditions at the 888 gambling websites:
- welcome bonuses are only available for new players
- bonuses are available in US Dollars, GBP, Euros or Canadian Dollars
- the minimum deposit to receive any bonus is €10
- the bonus + deposit needs to be wagered within 7 days from date of activation
Playthrough requirement of the welcome bonus: 30x, the deposit bonus amount must be wagered 30 times before withdrawal. Playthrough requirement of the free spins: no free spins currently, free spins expire after 14 days
Wagering limitation:
| Game type: | Contribution: |
| Video slots & other types of slots, Scratch cards, Keno, Race, Arcade, Dice (and all other types of games not specifically mentioned below) | 100% |
| Pai Gow, Caribbean Poker, Triple Card Poker and other kinds of table poker | 20% |
| Blackjack, Roulette, Baccarat, Live casino games, Video poker | 10% |
| Craps | 5% |
UPDATE COVID-19: The online casino does not use the global pandemic situation for advertisement purposes, or to encourage the usage of its online gambling platform. In fact, it's forbidden to use the namesake, name, likeness and official logo or any depiction of the casino/company (and this casino gambling blog) in conjunction with any marketing campaign, which uses the novel coronavirus pandemic for promotion.
888 Casino does not accept players from:
This article supplements the general guide to the legal status of gambling in French Polynesia.
Simon’s Guide to Land-based and Online Casinos in French Polynesia is part of Simon’s Online Casino Guide.
Last updated: 2021-01-16
Gamble responsibly,
SimonTheSorcerer
Last Updated on 2021-01-16 by Simon
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