title: Estonia — Licensing and regulation: Can we get a licence? | advennt.io canonical: https://advennt.io/jurisdictions/estonia/licensing/ [Jurisdictions](https://advennt.io/jurisdictions/) [Estonia](https://advennt.io/jurisdictions/estonia/) Licensing and regulation Estonia · Question 02 of 11 # Licensing and regulation: Can we get a licence? Favourable · Confirmed · Expert approved · 2 post-review updates · Not reviewed · [Back to full Estonia report →](https://advennt.io/jurisdictions/estonia/) Key section parameters | Jurisdiction | Estonia (EE) | |---|---| | Regulator | Recorded in register | | Favourability | Favourable | | Confidence | Confirmed | | Review status | Expert approved · 2 post-review updates · Not reviewed | | Last collected | 18 Oct 2026 | Summary answer Estonia's licensing framework is anchored in the Gambling Act 2008, amended by legislation promulgated 18 December 2025 and in force from 1 January 2026. The amendments redefine remote gambling and widen the statutory bet definition to include crypto-assets. EMTA remains the sole licensing authority… Not reviewed Information added after the 20 Aug 2026 expert review — published for currency and labelled not reviewed. 11 Oct 2026 Not reviewed Amendments to the Gambling Act, promulgated 18 December 2025 and in force from 1 January 2026, add crypto-assets to the statutory definition of a bet and clarify remote gambling as electronic participation occurring outside a licensed venue. The change closes what had previously been ambiguous treatment of crypto-denominated wagering, bringing it unambiguously within the Act's licensing perimeter. The amendment is described in law-firm commentary rather than confirmed against the primary Riigi Teataja text, so the precise statutory wording has not been independently verified. As the statutory anchor of the regime, the Gambling Act's amendment carries more weight than any implementing circular would, and the reclassification should be treated as a settled feature of the licensing framework going forward rather than a provisional position. 9 Sep 2026 Not reviewed The core development this cycle is a set of Gambling Act amendments, promulgated 18 December 2025 and in force from 1 January 2026, which formally bring crypto-assets within the statutory definition of a 'bet' and clarify that remote gambling covers participation, gameplay and outcome determination occurring outside a licensed venue via electronic devices. This is a durable, primary-legislation change to the licensing perimeter rather than guidance or circular-level detail. Existing licence-holders have been given until 1 January 2027 to bring their operations into compliance with both the amended definitions and the new payment-channel requirements introduced alongside them. The amendments also touch the regulator's own procedure: EMTA must now consult the Financial Intelligence Unit during licensing decisions, and annual auditor reviews of licensed operators must cover more detail, both effective from 1 January 2026, tightening the conditions attached to continued licensure. ## Full section analysis Estonia's licensing framework is anchored in the Gambling Act 2008, amended by legislation promulgated 18 December 2025 and in force from 1 January 2026. The amendments redefine remote gambling and widen the statutory bet definition to include crypto-assets. EMTA remains the sole licensing authority and maintains a publicly available register of licensed operators. Existing licensees are granted a transition period to 1 January 2027 to bring their operations into compliance with the amended framework, softening the impact of the change for incumbents. The statutory basis for this regime is durable primary legislation, giving the licensing framework itself a stable long-term footing even as the substantive definitions it governs are actively shifting. A signalled increase in coordination between EMTA and Estonia's Financial Intelligence Unit on licensing decisions suggests closer integration of gambling oversight with financial-intelligence review going forward. An operating permit for remote gambling is issued for up to 5 years, as is an operating permit for an instant lottery. For a land-based gaming location for games of chance, toto or games of skill, the permit term is up to 20 years but limited to the period specified in the relevant local authority's written consent for opening that gaming location.