Israel can be found in the Middle East and was formed in 1948 as a place for Jews to seek refuge after the Second World War. You can play online games in Israel and in its vibrant capital Tel Aviv. Israel is considered a holy land with many religious sites, particularly in the city of Jerusalem. Many casinos are operating on the internet today. AFN (Afghan afghani) ALL (Albanian Lek) ARS (Argentine Pesos) AMD (Armenian Dram) AWG (Aruban florin) AUD (Australian Dollar) AZN (Azerbaijani Manat) BSD (Bahamian Dollar) BHD (Ba. If you are taking a trip to Israel, boy have they got a treat for you. The beautiful southernmost port city of Eilat brings gamblers the experience of a lifetime! Eilat presents a host of Casino Ships! You heard it right. You are taking a fabulous cruise while playing some great casino games. It’s quite the combination.
Many virtual players might be wondering what is the current state of online gambling in Israel and if there are any plans for a change in 2020.
If you are also interested in the online casino industry in the country, you can continue reading this article. It will provide information on the current gambling laws, the overall casino industry in Israel, and how the Israeli government regulates the market.
A very good research into the situation in the country shows that gambling is illegal in Israel according to the 1977 Israeli Penal Law 5737. This is why you cannot find any legitimate casino in the country. Meanwhile, engaging in gambling activities is also considered illegal. The exception to the law includes sports betting and lotteries.
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Since online gambling was not a thing in 1977, for a long time this sector remained a gray area that was not specified in the law. In 2005, the Israeli Attorney General had to clear the misunderstanding and stated that online gambling is also governed by the Penal Law 5737 of 1977. This change forced all virtual casino operators based in Israel to shut down. Meanwhile, card issuing companies that allowed transactions to and from interactive casinos were fined. This effectively prevented online gambling in Israel and to this day, it is considered illegal to participate in virtual gambling if you are located in the country.
Even though online gambling is not allowed in Israel, there are still some offshore casinos that accept Israeli players. This being said, it is quite difficult to access such websites as they are blocked by Israeli ISPs. In addition to that, payments are also difficult to be processed as Israeli players might have a limited number of available banking options.
Despite the difficulties, some Israeli players resort to using VPNs (virtual private networks) to access foreign online casinos. As for the payments, some players utilize foreign bank accounts or other banking alternatives.
Despite the gambling laws in Israel, there are also unauthorized land-based casinos in the country. This is one of the several reasons why the Penal Law is often criticized and many believe that legalizing online and offline gambling will ensure that players will be playing only at safe and properly regulated virtual and land-based casinos.
The fact that there are quite a few offshore virtual casinos that allow players from Israel to place real money bets online shows that the gambling industry in the country could be quite big. There are some estimates that show the illegal gambling scene in Israel roughly amounts to $3.5 billion every year. This shows that legalizing the industry could bring the country significant revenue and players will no longer have to resort to illegal means just to play online.
Despite the potential benefits the legalization of gambling in Israel could have, most forms of gambling still remains illegal in the country.
At the moment, offline and online casinos are still considered illegal in Israel. This being said, in 2019, some alterations in the law changed the gambling scene in Israel, or at least gave hope for more lax regulations for poker players.
Last year, in January, the Israeli Supreme Court declared that poker was a game of skill. According to the Penal Law, only games that depend mostly on luck and less on skills are banned in the country.
Due to the new amendment to the law, poker is not considered a form of gambling and as of 2019, residents of Israel are allowed to play poker online and offline. After the changes in the laws and regulations in the country, Sharren Haskel, who is a politician in Israel, proposed a bill for the decriminalization of poker tournaments. As of now, however, the bill still has not been passed, which means that Israeli players will still have to wait to enjoy poker legally.
In 2020, most forms of gambling are still not legal in Israel and you can enjoy casino games neither offline nor online. The only exceptions are sports betting and lotteries. Back in 2015, there were speculations that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was planning to open a brick-and-mortar casino in Eilat. This is also the territory where poker tournaments are played on cruise ships. Since technically they are not located in Israel, these ships are one of the few ways for Israeli players to legally enjoy poker.
Despite the different attempts for legalizing casino games in Israel, currently, it is not allowed to offer or participate in gambling activities on the territory of the country. This remains a complex issue as there are mixed opinions about whether gambling should be decriminalized in Israel.
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Why have we included Israel as a country in this website? Partly for religious reasons, you would assume that gambling would be taboo, even illegal, in this country. Having learned from experience, we have discovered that Israel is one of the leading countries in the online casino industry. After all, Israel is home to many, large gaming companies and that surprised us. That is why we started to find out what the legal rules are in the country.
Is Gambling legal in Israel?
Let's get straight to the point: there are no strict regulations for online casinos but due to court rulings you can assume that online casinos are illegal in Israel, which thus confirms our suspicion. But there is a certain contradiction in previous rules: the Israelish government has no problem with online casinos operating in Israel, but prohibits the Israelis from playing. Israeli casino players therefore have no choice but to visit foreign casinos to play their favorite games but notice that you will have no player protection if you play on an offshore site. Our list of top online casinos for Israeli players will help you choose which casino sites to visit if you want to play video slots, card games or roulette from Israel without legal penalties. Every site on our list of the best Israeli casinos offers you a chance to win welcome bonus packages, free spins and a host of other lucrative prizes.
The Best Israel Online Casinos
The scope of online casino games includes RTG, NetEnt, Evolution Gaming, Playtech, Play'n GO and others so that thousands of slots, video slots, live casino games, card games such as poker, baccarat, blackjack and roulette are available, with extensive bonus packages on offer. Playing mobile on a mobile phone or tablet is of course no problem.
Top Casino Sites for Israeli Players
Our recommended Israel online casino sites accept players in Israel where they can safely play online casino games supported by various software providers including Microgaming, NetEnt, Play N Go, Betsoft, Realtime gaming. Great Israel online casinos will always offer a host of slots games, table games, and live casino games from top game provider studios in the world, including names like NetEnt, Play n Go, Playtech, RTG, and so many more. While slot games offer players a great variety of game themes with many exciting bonus options, table games allow players to pit their skills against the house for rewards. Live Casinos use mostly Evolution Gaming software for their live games experience.
ISR Payment options
A variety of payment options and fast payout times is necessary. There is no point in playing at an online casino unless the operator supports payments from your country. Major Israeli online casinos offer a wide variety of payment options to allow players to choose how to deposit and withdraw money from the site. Some of the sites we recommend accept payments via Israeli shekel, US dollars, and other currencies.A variety of deposit and withdrawal methods are ideal for Israelis, such as credit or debit cards, PayPal, prepaid cards and a host of other methods. Top casinos in Israel offer credit and debit card facilities (Visa and Master Card), most e-wallet facilities such as Neteller, Skrill, EcoPayz, Paypal and more, as well as mobile money wallets (ApplePay and others). The laws in the country can make wire transfers and electronic bank transfers a problem, which means receiving money through these channels can lead to seizure of the money. E-wallets provide fast and secure money transfers, enabling the fastest withdrawal times. Top casinos will release funds within 24 hours of your request.
Poker In Israel
Playing Casino Games from within Israel
About the language: in Israel, Hebrew and Arabic are the most widely spoken and it would be ideal to play in these languages. Unfortunately, and perfectly understandable, most online casinos do not support these languages (low demand for games and expensive translation costs). The larger Israeli casinos therefore offer Russian, English or French as common languages on their website as an interim solution. The explanation for this is that one fifth of the population speaks Russian, while many Israelis understand English and French.
Gambling In Israel
Israel Online Casinos Licensing
Last but not least, the best Israel casinos will be licensed. Make sure that they are overseen by either the Malta Gaming Authority or Curacao iGaming Commission, as these are the regulators that usually license casinos offering Israeli players entertainment, delivering fair and safe gameplay, and responsible gambling tools.
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