Online gambling in Estonia is regulated by the Tax and Customs Board (MTA or EMTA), an agency of the country’s Ministry of Finance. Below you can find the list of all online casinos that are licensed and regulated by the Estonian Tax and Customs Board.
What Is the Estonian Tax and Customs Board (MTA) Licence?
Estonian Tax and Customs Board or Maksu- ja Tolliamet (MTA) is a taxation authority in Estonia. One of its responsibilities is issuing casino licences to online casinos that wish to operate in this European country.
Online gambling became legal in Estonia in 2010, right after the economic crisis. The decision to legalise gambling came out of a need to recover financially. Just one year later, the market became open to international operators, but the only requirement they had was to obtain a licence from the Estonian authorities.
Even back then, the responsibility fell back on the MTA. The country’s also very persistent in blocking unlicensed casinos that want to target Estonian players.
How Casinos Become Licensed by MTA?
To become licensed by the MTA, companies must go through the application process. But before they do so, they need to meet legal and financial eligibility criteria. This is true for almost all online casino licences, but the process may differ.
The companies must be private or public either registered in Estonia or another EU/EEA country and their sole business must be gambling.
To apply for a licence in Estonia, companies must meet the share capital requirements:
- €1,000,000 for games of chance
- €130,000 for toto (pari-mutuel betting)
- €25,000 for games of skill
The next step is applying for an activity licence. On the Estonian Tax and Customs Board, you can find all the required documents casinos must provide with the application. There is also the state fee for the Activity Licence:
- €47,940 for games of chance
- €31,960 for toto
- €3,200 for games of skill
- €640 for lottery
Once the licence is granted, the operator is authorised to offer gambling services in Estonia, but still needs individual permits for each specific game or service. This is known as an operating permit.
The MTA will charge application review fees for each operating permit: €3,200 for games of chance, skill, and toto and €640 for lottery. The MTA takes up between 2 and 4 months to issue a licence.
The Benefits of Playing at MTA Casinos
The Estonian licence shows that online casinos passed all the necessary checks before they entered the Estonian market.
The licence increases trust among players and every Estonian knows that they’re joining an online casino which isn’t scammy. Online casinos with an MTA licence are trustworthy, despite differences between individual casinos, game and bonus offers, and other aspects such as payment options and customer service.
Even though online casinos acquire the Estonian licence, they’re not restricted to offering their services to players from Estonia only. In fact, many casinos are international, accepting players from other EU countries.
How to Find the Best Casinos With an Estonian Licence?
Every online casino which is licensed and regulated by the Estonian Tax and Customs Board (MTA) is on the list. To choose the best one, follow the guide below:
- Browse through different casinos
- Select your favourites
- Check CasinoRank
- Read casino reviews
- Explore the casino’s bonus offers
- Choose your favourite casino and register
- Enjoy top casino games.
If you’re coming from Estonia, you can also check out Estonian casinos we reviewed on AskGamblers or learn more about the laws and regulations in the country.
New MTA Licensed Casinos
There are new online casinos that acquire a license from the MTA, and once they do, we ensure that we add them to the list. We’re constantly on a lookout for casinos that obtain new licenses or open up their services in Estonia.
Besides adding the casinos, we also rank them and review them in detail. Each Estonian Tax and Customs Board licensed casino goes through the same process, providing you with all the necessary information to decide which casino to join.
Estonian Tax and Customs Board Contact Details
- Address: Lõõtsa 8a, 15176 Tallinn
- Phone: +372 676 2709
- Website: emta.ee
