Gambling is a game in which people bet money or other things of value on the probability of outcomes or events that they cannot control or influence.
Gambling includes many different games, including casino games such as slots, blackjack and roulette, sports betting, poker, lottery games and more.
Gambling is a popular form of entertainment, but it can also be dangerous as it can lead to addiction and financial hardship.
It is important to play responsibly and not exceed your gaming budget. Most countries regulate gambling with laws and regulations that may include age restrictions, taxation, player protection and more.
If you decide to gamble, it is important to be aware of your gambling behavior, monitor your budget and play only in licensed and trusted casinos or sports betting portals.
If you have a gambling problem, there are help and support services that can help you solve your problems.
Gambling in Estonia
A casino is a place where you can play gambling games such as slots, table games, poker, bingo, craps, etc. and win money. Casinos can be physical, where players gather to play and have various slot machines, table games, and poker rooms, or online casinos, where players can play their favorite games online.
Casinos can vary in size and style and offer a variety of services, including lodging, restaurants, and entertainment. Most physical casinos are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, while online casinos are always open.
Casinos are popular all over the world and provide entertainment for anyone looking for an exciting and fun pastime. But it is important to remember that casino games are gambling and players should always play responsibly within ethical and financial boundaries.
Gambling in Estonia is a hot topic, but surprisingly, we are one of the few in Europe that has established very precise regulations and laws.
Land-based gaming venues and online casinos can freely offer their services in Estonia. It can be argued that the taxes imposed on operators are quite crisp, but in any case it is a free industry.
BINGO, CASINO OR POKER?
Casino games are games of chance that are designed for entertainment and allow players to win money. There are several types of casino games including:
Slot Games: As mentioned earlier, this is a casino game where players spin the reels and hope to get winning combinations.
Table Games: These include games such as blackjack, roulette, baccarat and poker. These games require skill and strategy and can be played in both an online casino and a brick-and-mortar casino.
Poker: Poker is one of the most popular casino games where players wager money and compete against each other. Poker games can vary in complexity and require different skills.
Bingo: Bingo is one of the oldest casino games where players pick a number and hope that their numbers will be called. The first player to land a winning combination wins the game.
Craps or Dice: Craps is a casino game that uses two dice and players can bet on the result of the dice.
Casino games offer different ways to win money, and many of them are available both in online casinos and in physical casinos. It is important to remember that casino games are games of chance and players should always play responsibly.
Which game you decide on should depend purely on your personal preference. We recommend playing those games that offer you a nice way to spend your free time.
Yes, it is true that some games are statistically more profitable from the player’s point of view. However, winning should not be a goal in itself. The main thing is to set a budget that you can afford to lose before you start playing.
It is entertainment, and gambling should definitely not be seen as an opportunity to make money. This possibility exists, but statistically, most players would rather stay in the loss.
DO YOU HAVE TO PAY INCOME TAX ON GAMBLING WINNING?
The topic of taxes is also very exciting. In fact, the player does not have to pay any tax on any gambling winnings. For example, if you win a million in the lottery, you can get it for pennies. The same applies in online and land-based casinos, bingo rooms and sports betting.
The payment must be made by gambling providers – online gaming places, casino halls and lotto organizers. In Estonia, the gambling tax is 5% of the gaming operator’s profit.
If you’re wondering which organizers pay the most taxes, it’s all kinds of lottery providers. On average, only 50% of ticket sales are paid to players as winnings. The rest is used to cover expenses related to the lottery offer and to pay taxes.
THE GREATEST WINNING IN ESTONIA OF ALL TIMES
Year after year, the jackpot rewards get bigger and bigger. This is partly due to the increasing popularity of casino games. On the other hand, players prefer more volatile games, which means that wins are less frequent but the maximum winnings are bigger.
Only recently, on June 4, 2021, an Estonian living in Finland achieved the biggest victory of all time. The winning amount was as much as 6.5 million euros with a bet of only €3.75! The emotions were amazing, because according to himself, the man has never won anything before! He played on Optibet.com, whose Estonian page is optibet.ee.
In January 2020, a woman in Estonia won the second largest ever in Estonian online casinos – 3.7 million! The win is all the more obvious because the value of the bet was only 20 cents, and the big win popped into the arms of PAF casino on one of the most volatile slot machines, Hall of Gods.
This win undoubtedly brought the Estonian to the absolute top of casino players, but there are other lucky ones. In 2017, for example, a player at the Betsafe live casino became a millionaire, winning 1.55 million euros with a lucky bet on the roulette table.
These numbers sound like science fiction to the average person, but they are still possible in our little Estonia.
For operators, big jackpot wins mean a great opportunity to promote their games and services. There are cases when some players immediately get into a lucky groove, for example, after the first deposit of only a few tens of euros.
HOW TO PLAY RESPONSIBLY?
Whether it’s casino, lotto, poker or sports, the most important thing to remember is to bet responsibly. But what does that really mean?
Responsible gaming is very important for both gaming operators and players. No one wants excessive gambling to negatively affect a gambler’s daily life, relationships with loved ones, or finances.
We have discussed this topic at length in our article “Feel your limits”. You will find detailed information on how to use different limits such as loss limit, deposit limit and game limit.
Of course, in the form of casinos, we are dealing with commercial projects, the goal of which is to earn as much money as possible. But if players spend more than they can afford, the operator can also face problems. One example is the potential damage to reputation.
SECURITY AND RELIABILITY
We have already talked about how online casinos work and how to win at the casino. When playing from time to time, and especially when you are unlucky, the question still arises: “Are online casinos fair at all and how to check it?”
In all countries where casinos are allowed, their activities are supervised by the relevant authority. Whether it is the tax office, as it is in Estonia, or another authority. However, the main question is whether the games are fair and whether the casino can, for example, influence the result of the spins?
Licensed online casinos
What does a licensed gaming portal mean? This means that the operator of online games has submitted the relevant documents to the control body, which is, for example, the Tax and Customs Administration in Estonia, and has fulfilled all the requirements in order to be able to offer the service in Estonia or any other country. This includes, for example, the requirement that the company that owns the online casino must have a sufficient amount of money to pay out larger winnings within a reasonable time.
Games
The game selection of today’s best online casinos is incredibly wide. However, casinos cannot offer all kinds of games, they also have strict requirements.
Any games added to the website must be certified by the relevant control bodies. The important term here is RTP, which refers to the percentage of profitability.
The profitability of online casino games must always be above 90%. This ensures that the casinos don’t get too greedy and that the players also win a reasonable amount.
The most reliable casinos in Estonia
The most reliable gaming places in Estonia are Coolbet, OlyBet and Optibet. With them, there is no question about who is behind the brand. These are online gambling sites that have been operating for a long time, which have proven themselves as fully capable operators to offer a consistently good gaming experience.
Which casino to play at?
If you’re looking for a place to try your luck, it’s good to know that not all online casinos are the same. Take Kiirkasino or Maria Casino, for example, where you can only find slots, live casino tables and some table games. On the other hand, if you are familiar with the Unibet or Coolbet portals, you know that they have a much wider selection of games.
Traditional casinos basically cover all types of gambling, such as sports betting, poker, casino, live casino, table games and other games of skill. So it is easy for the player to find everything interesting in one place. On the other hand, such a large selection can sometimes make the decision difficult.
Instant Casinos
If you want to get started right away, the best option is probably the no-account slots, which means that all you need to do is make a deposit through the bank to get started.
There are also a lot of newer playgrounds in Estonia, which have not been heard about much before. These include, for example Boost casino.
A closer look reveals that these are flexible gaming venues that do not offer anything superfluous, but at the same time meet all the requirements of a responsible gambling provider.
COMPLAINTS
If you feel that the game operator has done you too much, we recommend contacting the operator directly. There are several ways to do this, such as calling them, sending an email with a description of the problem, or live chat.
If the solution to the problem seems difficult and there is no solution, you can always call Eesti Tarbijakaitse for help or ask for advice from the Tax and Customs Board, which deals with regulating the activities of online casinos and gambling providers.
You may have also heard of the world’s most popular online casino website provider AskGamblers. It is not quite an ordinary advertising platform. They have taken helping players to heart.
If you feel that your relationship with the casino has gone awry and you want professional help from a third party, enter your complaint on AskGamblers complaints page.
In this way, their team is already dealing with solving a possible injustice, and you can be sure that negative feedback from such a high-impact website will not make any operator happy.