--- title: "Marshall Islands gambling licensing, cost and supervision | advennt.io" canonical: https://advennt.io/jurisdictions/marshall-islands/ source_html: /jurisdictions/mh/index.html description: "Marshall Islands gambling regulation by game: 13 closed · 7 not yet assessed." generated_at: 2026-10-28T16:22:18Z content_sha256: 5ea76c0c21ecc441f83e223d4c49ab5b5e6d62c16177ef236018db04c7af2b5a generator: "fe-fleet/md-twin@1.0" --- # Marshall Islands gambling licensing, cost and supervision | advennt.io [Jurisdictions](/jurisdictions/) › Marshall Islands # Marshall Islands National jurisdiction Do not enter — the Marshall Islands has a blanket statutory prohibition on gambling with no licensing pathway. [13 closed · 7 not yet assessed → 20 classes](#products) Regulator: None — Gambling Prohibited (Ministry of Justice / National Police) · Collected 25 Oct 2026 · Published 25 Oct 2026 · Changed 4 Oct 2026 [PDF](report.pdf) [Sign in for PDF](https://advennt.io/auth/) [Compare](/compare/?j=marshall-islands) ## Can we offer our product? Every product class, in fixed taxonomy order. The band is what you can do; where the recorded legal status says something the band does not, it is shown beside the product. ### Player products - CasinoProhibitedXClosed - PokerProhibitedXClosed - BingoState monopoly (sole exception to a general prohibition)XClosed - LotteryProhibitedXClosed - Sports bettingProhibitedXClosed - Other event betting–Not yet assessed - Horse and greyhound racing betting–Not yet assessed - Esports bettingProhibitedXClosed - Exchange betting–Not yet assessed - Pool betting–Not yet assessed - Virtual event betting–Not yet assessed - Fantasy sportsProhibitedXClosed - Skill gamesProhibitedXClosed - Prediction markets–Not yet assessed - SweepstakesProhibitedXClosed - Free play–Not yet assessed ### Supply roles - Software / B2BProhibitedXClosed - Affiliate marketingProhibitedXClosed - Payments for gamblingProhibitedXClosed ### Settlement rail - Crypto gamblingProhibitedXClosed No class-level certainty grade is recorded for this jurisdiction yet; confidence is carried per section below. ## Board briefing Marshall Islands: total statutory prohibition on gaming and gambling, with no licensing pathway of any kind. #### What has changed - No change identified this cycle; the APG/FATF Mutual Evaluation Report (Nov 2024) remains the most recent authoritative secondary confirmation that no casinos operate and that the prohibition is read to extend to online gambling and cruise-ship gambling in territorial waters. #### What to do now - Treat MH as closed for any B2C or B2B gambling entry. Flag any MH-incorporated IBC or DAO LLC proposed as a vehicle for gambling or 'Web3 Gaming' activity for enhanced diligence given the FATF MER's specific DAO/Web3 Gaming risk flag. #### What to watch - Any amendment to 31 MIRC Ch.4, any FATF/APG follow-up report before the next scheduled onsite (~Nov 2032), and any enforcement action under s.404/s.405 that would evidence live regulator capacity. ## 11 answers, each dated and graded The weather grades favourability for an operator, not legality: legality is the product table above. The left rule is our confidence: solid confirmed, dashed probable, dotted uncertain. 01 · What kind of market is this? ### Overview Unfavourable The Marshall Islands maintains a blanket statutory prohibition on gaming and gambling under 31 MIRC Ch.4, the Gaming and Recreation Prohibition Act 1998, which permits no commercial licensing pathway of any kind. The only lawful gambling-adjacent activity is a narrow, locally administered permit tha… Full analysis · 149 words The Marshall Islands maintains a blanket statutory prohibition on gaming and gambling under 31 MIRC Ch.4, the Gaming and Recreation Prohibition Act 1998, which permits no commercial licensing pathway of any kind. The only lawful gambling-adjacent activity is a narrow, locally administered permit that government councils may issue for one-off, non-profit bingo, raffle, or cakewalk events. No dedicated gambling regulator sits atop this framework; enforcement runs instead through national and local police acting on statutory powers. The Asia-Pacific Group on Money Laundering's Mutual Evaluation Report, published in November 2024, is the only secondary corroboration available for this baseline, and it independently confirms that no casinos operate in the jurisdiction. Taken together, the statute and the Mutual Evaluation Report describe a closed-market jurisdiction with a thin public record, where the prohibition's reach into online and maritime channels is read in by evaluators rather than stated in the Act's own text. - Blanket statutory prohibition (s.402) with criminal and daily civil penalties (s.404) - No licensing authority or application pathway of any kind - FATF MER reads the prohibition as extending to online/offshore-facing gambling Probable AI-generated [Read full analysis & tables →](/jurisdictions/marshall-islands/overview/) 02 · Can we get a licence? ### Licensing and regulation Unfavourable 31 MIRC Ch.4, the Gaming and Recreation Prohibition Act 1998, is the sole instrument governing gambling in the Marshall Islands. Section 402 imposes a general prohibition on gaming and gambling activity, and section 403 creates the only exception: local government councils may issue per-occasion per… Full analysis · 156 words 31 MIRC Ch.4, the Gaming and Recreation Prohibition Act 1998, is the sole instrument governing gambling in the Marshall Islands. Section 402 imposes a general prohibition on gaming and gambling activity, and section 403 creates the only exception: local government councils may issue per-occasion permits authorising non-profit bingo, raffle, or cakewalk events. The Act establishes no licence class, no application process, and no issuing authority for commercial gambling of any kind, and there is no business-to-business registration or supply pathway under the statute. As at 4 October 2026, no subsequent amending Act to 31 MIRC Ch.4 had been identified in the legislative record, so the prohibition and its narrow carve-out stand as the complete licensing picture for this jurisdiction. There is no licensing authority comparable to a gambling commission or ministry division; the statute is administered through the police enforcement powers set out in section 405 rather than through a dedicated regulator issuing or reviewing licences. Confirmed AI-generated [Read full analysis & tables →](/jurisdictions/marshall-islands/licensing/) 03 · How hard is entry, really? ### Market entry in practice Not assessed Not recorded [Read full analysis & tables →](/jurisdictions/marshall-islands/market-entry/) 04 · What do the licences cost? ### Licence fees Not assessed Not recorded [Read full analysis & tables →](/jurisdictions/marshall-islands/fees/) 05 · What is the tax take? ### Tax Not assessed Not recorded [Read full analysis & tables →](/jurisdictions/marshall-islands/taxes/) 06 · Can we move player money? ### Payments and banking Not assessed Not recorded [Read full analysis & tables →](/jurisdictions/marshall-islands/payments/) 07 · Can we advertise? ### Marketing Not assessed Not recorded [Read full analysis & tables →](/jurisdictions/marshall-islands/marketing/) 08 · What must the platform meet? ### Technical compliance Unfavourable No RNG certification regime, approved testing laboratory, game-approval process, or access-interdiction instrument such as IP blocking, DNS poisoning, or SNI filtering exists for gambling in the Marshall Islands. This follows directly from the general prohibition in 31 MIRC Ch.4: because no commerci… Full analysis · 107 words No RNG certification regime, approved testing laboratory, game-approval process, or access-interdiction instrument such as IP blocking, DNS poisoning, or SNI filtering exists for gambling in the Marshall Islands. This follows directly from the general prohibition in 31 MIRC Ch.4: because no commercial gambling licence category exists, there is no technical-standards body with an object to certify against, and no instrument has been created to interdict unlicensed online access, since the statute's enforcement mechanism runs through police powers under section 405 rather than through technical blocking measures. The section 403 non-profit permit carve-out for bingo, raffle, or cakewalk events likewise carries no technical-certification requirement in the available record. Confirmed AI-generated [Read full analysis & tables →](/jurisdictions/marshall-islands/technical/) 09 · Can we ship through apps and platforms? ### Distribution and platforms Unfavourable Affiliate marketing and advertising of gambling products fall within the same general prohibition that governs gambling activity itself under 31 MIRC Ch.4: processing or facilitating gambling-related activity for Marshall Islands-facing customers carries exposure under sections 402 and 404, and the … Full analysis · 124 words Affiliate marketing and advertising of gambling products fall within the same general prohibition that governs gambling activity itself under 31 MIRC Ch.4: processing or facilitating gambling-related activity for Marshall Islands-facing customers carries exposure under sections 402 and 404, and the statute provides no registration, carve-out, or safe-harbour regime specific to affiliates, advertising networks, or app-store distribution of gambling products. There is no distribution-platform rule, ISP-blocking instrument, search-de-listing mechanism, or payment-provider platform restriction specific to gambling beyond the general prohibition's reach. An affiliate or distribution platform reaching Marshall Islands-connected customers should accordingly be read as falling within the same exposure as a payment processor or operator servicing the same flows, given the absence of any carve-out distinguishing intermediary roles from direct operation under the statute. Probable AI-generated [Read full analysis & tables →](/jurisdictions/marshall-islands/distribution/) 10 · How hard does the regulator enforce? ### Enforcement Mixed Enforcement of 31 MIRC Ch.4 runs through the police rather than through a dedicated gambling regulator. Section 405 gives national and local police the power to enter and search premises, close premises, detain suspects, seize gaming devices, and confiscate profits upon suspicion that an offence und… Full analysis · 168 words Enforcement of 31 MIRC Ch.4 runs through the police rather than through a dedicated gambling regulator. Section 405 gives national and local police the power to enter and search premises, close premises, detain suspects, seize gaming devices, and confiscate profits upon suspicion that an offence under the Chapter has been committed. Section 404 sets the sanction ceiling for a breach at a misdemeanour level: a fine of up to USD 1,000 or imprisonment of up to one year, layered with a civil penalty of up to USD 1,000 per day. These statutory powers are broad on their face, but no named, dated enforcement action — a prosecution, closure, or seizure — has been identified in the available record, so the practical enforcement posture beyond the statutory text itself remains unestablished. The Asia-Pacific Group on Money Laundering's Mutual Evaluation Report, published November 2024, separately notes capacity limits in national AML/CFT coordination generally, a finding that bears on enforcement capacity for prohibited-activity offences including gaming, though it is not gaming-specific. Probable AI-generated [Read full analysis & tables →](/jurisdictions/marshall-islands/enforcement/) 11 · What is coming? ### Outlook Not assessed Not recorded [Read full analysis & tables →](/jurisdictions/marshall-islands/outlook/) Evidential record & source register 0 enforcement · 4 red flags · 8 sources · Expand full record ## What gets operators fined 4 red flags (2 high, 1 medium) and 0 controls that address them. - highMH DAO LLC or IBC used as the operating or holding entity for a gambling or 'Web3 Gaming' platformFATF MER specifically flags DAO/Web3 Gaming structures as an ML/TF vulnerability given absent VASP-specific supervision.Source 2 · T2 - highOperator or affiliate activity targeting MH-resident customers onlineThe prohibition is read by evaluators to extend to online gambling; s.404 criminal and daily civil penalties attach regardless of the operator's own licensing status elsewhere.Source 1 · T1Source 2 · T2 - mediumGambling conducted aboard a vessel while within Marshall Islands territorial watersFATF MER confirms the prohibition is read to reach cruise-ship gambling within territorial waters, a commonly overlooked exposure for the large MH open ship registry.Source 2 · T2 - criticalAny representation that an 'MH gaming licence' or 'MH gambling licence' existsNo licensing authority exists in the Marshall Islands for gaming or gambling; any such claim is categorically false and indicates fraud or misrepresentation.Source 1 · T1Source 2 · T2 ## Worked scenarios 5 entry scenarios, each with the move we would make. #### An offshore B2C online casino operator markets to MH-resident players via web and mobile. The FATF MER reads the s.402 prohibition as extending to online gambling; there is no licence or registration pathway to legalise this activity for MH-resident customers. Do this: Geo-block MH IP ranges and MH-issued identity documents; do not accept MH residents as customers. Source 1 · T1 Source 2 · T2 #### A promoter proposes incorporating an MH IBC to act as the licence-holding entity for an online gambling brand. MH issues no gambling licence of any kind; an MH IBC confers no gambling authorisation and the underlying activity remains prohibited if it reaches MH residents or is conducted from MH territory. Do this: Reject any 'MH gaming licence' representation as false; treat as a critical red flag (MH-RF-001). Source 1 · T1 #### A DAO LLC registered in the Marshall Islands operates a decentralised 'Web3 Gaming' platform. The FATF MER specifically identifies DAO structures used for Web3 Gaming as an ML/TF vulnerability given the absence of VASP-specific supervision in MH. Do this: Apply enhanced AML/CFT diligence; do not treat MH DAO registration as a compliance substitute for gambling licensing anywhere. Source 2 · T2 #### A cruise operator flagged in the Marshall Islands' open ship registry offers casino gaming while transiting MH territorial waters. The FATF MER confirms the prohibition is read to extend to gambling on cruise ships within territorial waters, distinct from flag-state registration questions. Do this: Suspend onboard gaming operations while within MH territorial waters; confirm precise territorial-water boundaries with counsel before resuming. Source 2 · T2 #### A community group seeks to run a one-off charity bingo night. This is the only lawful gambling-adjacent activity under MH law, conditional on obtaining a per-occasion permit from the appropriate local government council under s.403. Do this: Apply for a local-council permit before the event; do not treat this as precedent for any recurring or commercial gambling activity. Source 1 · T1 ## What we looked for and could not find Confirmed absence is a finding of its own. These are the questions we searched and could not answer from a citable source, with the searches we ran. Never behind the paywall. Market opportunity. no credible GGR or market-size figure exists for a wholly prohibited, non-publishing jurisdiction; cannot estimate without inventing figures. - searched: Marshall Islands gambling market size estimate - searched: Marshall Islands GGR online gambling - searched: Marshall Islands illegal gambling market study - checked: fatf-gafi.org Competitive landscape. no named-source figure for unlicensed market share; MER confirms zero casinos but offers no quantified illegal-market estimate. - searched: Marshall Islands unlicensed gambling operators estimate - searched: Marshall Islands offshore gambling websites residents - searched: Marshall Islands illegal gambling enforcement statistics - checked: fatf-gafi.org Enforcement. no named, dated enforcement event (prosecution, closure, seizure) under s.404/s.405 was located in open sources during this run. - searched: Marshall Islands gambling prosecution police - searched: Marshall Islands illegal casino raid news - searched: Marshall Islands gaming machine seizure police - checked: rmiparliament.org Data protection. no gambling-specific or general MH data-protection statute was identified within this gambling-focused research pass. - searched: Marshall Islands data protection law - searched: Marshall Islands privacy act - searched: Marshall Islands personal data legislation - checked: rmiparliament.org Consumer protection. no general consumer-protection statute or regulator was identified and cross-checked for gambling application. - searched: Marshall Islands consumer protection act - searched: Marshall Islands consumer protection authority - searched: Marshall Islands unfair trade practices law - checked: rmiparliament.org ## Source register Every source on a four-step tier scale. A claim is never shown at a stronger tier than the source it cites. 8 sources · 1 tier 1 · 5 tier 2 · 2 tier 3 No. Source Tier Verification 1 MH-31MIRC-CH4-1998 T1 of 4 Source 1 · Open in drawer → 2 APG-FATF-MER-MH-2024 T2 of 4 Source 2 · Open in drawer → 3 FATF-MER-MH-LANDING-2024 T2 of 4 Source 3 · Open in drawer → 4 RMI-PARLIAMENT-LEGIS-DB T2 of 4 Source 4 · Open in drawer → 5 FATF-ASSESSMENT-CALENDAR-2026 T2 of 4 Source 5 · Open in drawer → 6 FATF-GAMING-GAMBLING-RISK-2026 T2 of 4 Source 6 · Open in drawer → 7 FATF-APG-VULN-CASINOS-2009 T3 of 4 Source 7 · Open in drawer → 8 RMI-PARLIAMENT-HOMEPAGE T3 of 4 Source 8 · Open in drawer →