Is online gambling legal in Azerbaijan?

Foreign sites in Azerbaijani, some priced in manat, are unlawful: taking part in unlawful gambling is fined AZN 3,000, with the stake and any winnings confiscated. Winnings are taxed at 10% after your stake, withheld when you are paid; up to AZN 500 is exempt. Casinos are legal only on land, on artificial islands in the Caspian Sea, for players aged 21 or over.

1. 1Law on Physical Education and Sport No 847-IIIQ of 30 June 2009 (Bədən tərbiyəsi və idman haqqında), consolidated text, version of 28 Jun 2024
2. 2Law No 1143-VIQ of 7 May 2024 on the creation of artificial land areas in the Azerbaijani part of the Caspian Sea, consolidated text including Chapter 3-1 (arts 8-1, 8-2) added by Law 240-VIIQD
3. 3Law on Lotteries No 594-IIQ of 5 March 2004 (Lotereyalar haqqında), consolidated text as amended to Law 119-VIIQD of 29 Dec 2024 (in force 17 Feb 2025)
4. 4Licences and Permits Portal, lisenziya.gov.az (home page; register search at /license-search)
5. 5Administrative Offences Code of 29 Dec 2015 (consolidated; version in force from 14 Jul 2026)
6. 6Tax Code of 11 Jul 2000 (Vergi Məcəlləsi), consolidated text of 13 Jul 2026

Gambling with crypto: Banned.

You must be 18 to gamble online in Azerbaijan, for sports betting and lottery alike. 18 for lotteries and sports betting. 21 for casino games, which are lawful only in land-based casinos on Caspian artificial land; online casino is banned.

Whoever pays you withholds 10% income tax on cash winnings from sports betting and lotteries, on the amount left after deducting what you paid to take part (Tax Code arts 101.5, 150.1.10), and pays it monthly. Winnings up to AZN 500 from the lottery organiser or the betting operator are exempt (art 102.1.26). The Code does not say whether a winning above AZN 500 is taxed in full or only on the part above AZN 500: ask the Ministry of Taxes. Winnings and stakes above AZN 3,000 must be paid cashless.

2 (no online licence) in Azerbaijan, as of 22 Oct 2026.

Always verify a casino holds a valid Ministry of Economy (lotteries, sports betting); State Tourism Agency (land-based casinos) licence before depositing.

Prominent operators in Azerbaijan

If a site isn't on the regulator's licensee register, ask the regulator before you play: an unlisted site is usually not licensed here (a register can lag behind a new licence). An unlicensed site is outside the regulator's supervision, so you cannot complain to the regulator about it.

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  Use only Azerlotereya, Misli or TOPAZ

  Azerlotereya names azerlotereya.com and misli.az as its only official addresses; TOPAZ sells at topaz.az. Every other site taking Azerbaijani players is unlawful.

• ✓
  Manat prices and Azerbaijani pages prove nothing

  Foreign sites run Azerbaijani-language pages, and Pin-Up prices in manat, under Curaçao licences they print; none is lawful in Azerbaijan.

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  Playing there can cost you AZN 3,000

  Taking part in unlawful gambling is fined AZN 3,000, with the stake and any winnings confiscated.

• ✓
  Big payouts go to your bank account

  Lawful operators pay winnings and take stakes above AZN 3,000 only cashless; lottery winnings go to your bank account, a prepaid card or, below the limit, cash.

1. 1

   1. Contact the operator

   Start with Azerlotereya (lotteries, Misli) or TOPAZ. No rule requires operators to run a complaints procedure, so keep your ticket and payment records.

2. 2

   2. Complain to the Ministry of Economy (lotteries)

   A lottery participant may complain to the Ministry of Economy, which supervises the payment of winnings and can order the organiser to correct a breach. For sports betting the law states no complaint route.

3. 3

   3. Go to court

   No independent dispute body exists for gambling; the courts are the remaining route.

• Myth

  All gambling is illegal in Azerbaijan.
  Reality

  No. Lotteries are legal with Azerlotereya (azerlotereya.com, misli.az), sports betting with its brand Misli and with TOPAZ, and casinos only on land, on artificial islands in the Caspian Sea, for players aged 21 or over.

• Myth

  Winnings under AZN 500 are taxed, bigger ones only above AZN 500.
  Reality

  Winnings up to AZN 500 from the lottery organiser or the betting operator are exempt. Above that, 10% is withheld on the winning net of your stake; the Tax Code does not say whether that falls on the whole winning or only on the part above AZN 500.

• Myth

  Only the site gets in trouble if I play on a foreign casino.
  Reality

  You do too. Taking part in unlawful gambling is fined AZN 3,000, with the stake and any winnings confiscated; a repeat within a year is fined AZN 5,000 or punished with up to 15 days’ detention.