Estonia remote gambling licence: requirements, fees, timing and register check

Quick facts

What does an Estonian licence cover, and what does it not?

An Estonian remote operating permit authorises remote gambling offered to players in Estonia. It is a national licence: it gives no rights in other EU markets, and an EU licence from elsewhere gives no rights in Estonia. EMTA blocks the domains of operators that offer gambling in Estonia without a permit and publishes the list of blocked sites.

Which licence and permit do you need?

• Activity licence. Issued separately for games of chance, toto (betting) and games of skill. It has no end date, cannot be transferred, and only entitles the holder to apply for operating permits (Gambling Act, § 16).
• Operating permit. Needed for each type of gambling actually offered; a remote gambling permit is issued for up to five years (§ 26).
• No supplier licence. The Act licenses operators only. An operator may hand gambling functions to another person only with EMTA's written consent (§ 8).

What does an Estonian licence cost in state fees?

Fees from the State Fees Act, §§ 260–261, and EMTA. They are paid once per application. There is no annual licence or supervision fee; the recurring cost is gambling tax.

How is remote gambling taxed in Estonia?

From 1 March 2026 remote games of chance, remote games of skill, toto and tournaments are taxed at 5.5% of the amount received as bets or fees less winnings paid out, declared and paid monthly by the 15th (Gambling Tax Act, § 6). The Riigikogu adopted the cut from 6% in December 2025, and the versions of the Act already published set 5% from 2027, 4.5% from 2028 and 4% from 2029.

• The January–February 2026 gap. The version in force for the first two months of 2026 taxed only remote games of skill, leaving remote games of chance outside the tax; the Ministry of Finance acknowledged the error (Ministry of Finance) and the 1 March version closed it.
• Use the Act, not the tax page. On 27 October 2026 EMTA's gambling-tax page still showed 5.5% only for remote games of skill.
• The cut is contested. A bill to set the rate at 7% and cancel the scheduled cuts (984 SE) was filed in September 2026; the Finance Committee proposed rejecting it, with a first reading on 11 November 2026 (Riigikogu). Until it is decided, the adopted rates stand.

How long does an Estonian licence take?

EMTA decides on an activity licence within four months of receiving all documents, and not later than six months after the application; on an operating permit within two months, and not later than four (Gambling Act, §§ 18 and 23). Since 1 January 2026 EMTA must also obtain the Financial Intelligence Unit's approval of an activity licence application, which the Unit gives or refuses within 60 days of receiving all documents. An expert assessment can extend the timeline.

What company and capital does Estonia require?

• Company. A public or private limited company registered in Estonia or in the European Union (EMTA).
• Share capital. At least €1,000,000 for games of chance, €130,000 for toto and €25,000 for games of skill.
• Sole activity. Organising gambling must be the operator's only business. Since 2026 it may also run catering, recreational and cultural events and support services within its group (Gambling Act, § 9).

Which rules catch operators most often?

• HAMPI checks. Before letting anyone play, the operator must check the list of persons with gambling restrictions, which includes self-exclusions (Gambling Act, § 39).
• Minimum age 21 for games of chance and games of skill played remotely; 18 for toto.
• Re-filing by 1 January 2027. Operators licensed before 2026 must bring their application data up to the requirements in force from 1 January 2026 by 1 January 2027.
• No transfer. Neither the activity licence nor the permit can be transferred, so a change of operating company means new applications.

How do you verify an Estonian operator?

1. Open EMTA's list of legal gambling operators and find the gambling type (for example online casino).
2. Check the operator, its brand and the licensed domains listed against the website you are checking.
3. Follow the link to the permit in the Register of Economic Activities for the permit number and dates.
4. Check the blocked sites list if the domain is not on the legal list.

How does Estonia compare with other licences?

What this page does not cover yet

Advertising rules, AML and compliance-officer duties, payment and reporting requirements, land-based gambling taxes and toto permit terms. They are added after review.

Sources

• Gambling Act (English translation of the text in force from 1 January 2026; the Estonian original is binding), read 27 October 2026.
• Gambling Tax Act, version from 1 March 2026, and the published versions from 2027, read 27 October 2026.
• State Fees Act, §§ 260–261, read 27 October 2026.
• EMTA: applying for permits, legal operators, blocked sites, read 27 October 2026.
• Ministry of Finance on the 2026 tax error and bill 984 SE, read 27 October 2026.

Next review: after the first reading of bill 984 SE on 11 November 2026, then monthly. Found an error? Report a correction.