Trinidad and Tobago Approves Remote Gambling Order, Licences Due Jan 1 2027

The Remote Gambling Order 2026 received final parliamentary approval on 2 October 2026, and the government says the regulatory and licensing processes will be in place by 1 January 2027. The order removes provisions that previously criminalised operators offering remote gambling services internationally from within Trinidad and Tobago, enabling both domestic and foreign igaming businesses to apply for licences.

What the Remote Gambling Order 2026 changes in Trinidad and Tobago

The Gambling (Gaming and Betting) (Remote Gambling Order 2026) passed the Senate on Friday 2 October 2026, after unanimous approval in the House of Representatives days earlier. The Order amends the Gambling, Gaming and Betting Control Act by removing parts of Section 76 that had made it an offence for operators based in Trinidad and Tobago to offer remote gambling services to persons outside the jurisdiction.

Attorney General John Jeremie told lawmakers the remaining administrative measures for issuing remote gambling licences will be fully implemented on or before 1 January 2027. The government has framed the change as the final legislative step needed to bring regulated online gambling into Trinidad and Tobago's formal economy.

Licensing timetable and regulatory coordination

The Gambling Control Commission of Trinidad and Tobago will oversee the licensing framework and coordinate with the Central Bank to finalise operational details ahead of the January 2027 start date. Those preparations include:

• establishing procedures for issuing remote gambling licences to local and foreign operators

• integrating digital payment mechanisms into the regulatory regime

• creating licensing arrangements for electronic money issuers that will support the remote market

The Attorney General said issues raised in parliamentary debate, including the mechanics of licensing and foreign exchange flows, will be addressed in the administrative measures due before January.

Government rationale: revenue, jobs and formalisation of activity

Finance Minister Davendranath Tancoo argued in support of the Order that regulated remote gambling could unlock economic opportunity and new government revenue. Minister of Planning, Economic Affairs and Development Kennedy Swaratsingh noted that prohibition had not eliminated unregulated remote gambling and that legalisation would allow the State to monitor operators and capture tax and employment benefits.

Swaratsingh cited industry forecasts to place the opportunity in context: the global gambling industry is expected to reach US$700bn in revenue by 2028. He said the Order's objective is to legislate remote gambling while imposing regulatory rules on licence holders rather than permitting unrestricted activity.

Compliance and obligations for licence holders

The Order will permit holders of a remote gambling licence issued by the Gambling Control Commission of Trinidad and Tobago to offer remote gambling, subject to rules the Commission will set. Ministers emphasised that licence holders must adhere to regulatory requirements; the text of the Order eliminates the blanket criminal prohibition but does not dispense with oversight or conditions attached to operating remotely from Trinidad and Tobago.

Parliamentary concerns and questions

Opposition Senator Faris Al‑Rawi raised concerns about the speed of the legislative process and requested more detail on how licensing will be regulated. He highlighted that the Gambling Control Commission of Trinidad and Tobago was appointed in 2022 and questioned how the government will manage the potential outward flow of foreign exchange resulting from a remote gambling sector that serves international customers.

Attorney General John Jeremie said the administrative framework — including measures to address foreign exchange and enforcement — will be settled before the 1 January 2027 implementation date.

Current size of Trinidad and Tobago's regulated gambling market

Finance Minister Davendranath Tancoo highlighted existing, regulated gambling activity to support the case for remote licensing. At the time of his remarks there were 1,150 registered gaming-related tax accounts with the Board of Inland Revenue: 926 Gaming Amusement Tax accounts and 224 Club Gaming Tax accounts. Revenue recorded from the sector in 2025 totalled approximately TTD 72.66m (US$10.74m), comprising TTD 15.06m (US$2.23m) in Gaming Amusement Tax and TTD 57.60m (US$8.51m) in Club Gaming Tax.

Tancoo also referred to a coordinated enforcement exercise between October 2025 and February 2026 that produced 247 payments across 240 Gaming Amusement Tax accounts, worth around TTD 15.58m (US$2.30m). He used those figures to argue that bringing additional gambling activity into the formal system could expand the country’s tax base and generate revenue on a global scale if remote gambling develops successfully.

What operators and service providers should expect

Operators seeking licences will face a regulatory regime to be set by the Gambling Control Commission of Trinidad and Tobago, coordinated with the Central Bank for payments and electronic money issuer oversight. Platform providers, payment processors and compliance vendors should prepare for requests related to digital payment integration and e‑money licensing as part of the Commission’s operational framework. The Commission will define the specific conditions, reporting obligations and enforcement mechanisms for remote licence holders.

Where this sits in the regional context

The Order updates Trinidad and Tobago’s gambling laws that originated in earlier statutes such as the Gambling and Betting Act of 1963 and other legacy instruments. Ministers framed the change as a modernisation of the legal framework to reflectinternet-era activity while bringing remote gambling under formal regulation.

For the Commission and Treasury, the immediate priority is delivering the administrative and operational scaffolding announced by the Attorney General so that licences can be issued and regulated remote gambling can begin from 1 January 2027. The Gambling Control Commission of Trinidad and Tobago has public responsibility for licence issuance and ongoing supervision; stakeholders can expect further detail from the regulator as the implementation timetable progresses.