Estonia iGaming Overview: Market and Guide for Affiliates

Last Updated: 24 september 2025

Estonia is a fascinating country for media buyers specializing in gambling and betting verticals. It features a legalized iGaming market (online casinos and sports betting), clear licensing and taxation systems, and an active audience engaged in playing and betting. Competition here is less fierce compared to Germany or the UK, while internet and smartphone penetration ranks among the highest in Europe. A new overview on 3S.INFO delves into all aspects of promoting in Estonia: laws and legitimate brands, target audience peculiarities, and traffic acquisition techniques.

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Why Is Estonia a Trending iGaming Market?

Member of the EU, adhering to transparent European regulations.
High level of digitalization — nearly 90% of residents use the internet daily.
Loyal audience: Estonians are accustomed to gambling in a legal environment.
Open market for international brands, though local operators maintain strong positions.
No language barrier for part of the audience: many speak Russian and English fluently.

For media buyers, this means a stable GEO where they can drive traffic to casino and bookmaker offers with predictable results.

Pros and Cons of Estonia’s iGaming Market

Pros	Cons
Clear regulation and transparent laws	Small population (1.35 million)
Population accustomed to licensed operators	Intense competition among brands
Trust in licensed casinos and bookmakers	Strict advertising rules: TV and outdoor limitations
Accessibility of international brands	Expensive license for new entrants
Affluent and digitally savvy audience	Market oversaturated with slot offers

Legal Betting and Gambling in Estonia: Legislation and Regulation

In Estonia, gambling is regulated by the Gambling Act (Hasartmänguseadus), adopted in 2008 and implemented since January 2009. Since then, the law has been updated several times, but its foundation remains the permitting of both offline and online gambling.

The regulatory authority is the Estonian Tax and Customs Board (Maksu-ja Tolliamet, MTA). It oversees licensing, monitoring, maintains lists of authorized and prohibited websites and collects taxes.

How to Obtain an Estonian Gambling License?

Licenses are issued by Maksu-ja Tolliamet.

There are two types of licenses:

Activity Licence: Permission to organize a particular type of gambling activity (casino, betting, lotteries).
Operating Permit: Operational permission for a specific website or location.

Conditions for obtaining a license:

Legal entity must be registered in Estonia or the EU.
Minimum share capital ranges from €1 million (for casinos) to €130 thousand (for sports betting and sweepstakes).
Owners and management undergo reputation checks.

License Costs:

Application fee: From €47,900 (for online casinos) and from €31,950 (for bookmaking).
The license is perpetual, but renewal inspections occur every five years.

Which iGaming Brands (Gambling and Betting) Are Popular in Estonia?

More than 20 companies hold active gambling licenses in Estonia. The regulation here is quite flexible and appealing for businesses due to relatively low taxes and support for cryptocurrencies. This makes Estonia a popular hub for online casinos and gambling operators targeting international markets.

The official registry of licensed iGaming operators (online casinos and bookmakers) in Estonia can be found in a dedicated section on the regulator’s website.

According to the analytical service Blask (September 2025), the top 5 most popular casino and bookmaker brands in Estonia include:

Bet365;
Nutz;
Stake;
Fairspin;
GoldenStar.

For iGaming operators, there exists a tax on Gross Gaming Revenue (GGR):

5% for sports betting;
10% for online casinos;
18% for lotteries.

Players’ winnings from licensed operators are subject to a tax rate of 0%.

State revenues from the gambling industry continue to grow: in 2024, Estonia collected approximately €57 million in gambling taxes, doubling the tax receipts from the market since 2020.

Illegal websites are blocked upon decision by MTA: domains offering gambling services without a license end up on the blacklist. The list of gambling websites blocked in Estonia is published on the regulator’s website.

Penalties for illegal activities may reach up to €32,000 for companies and up to 3 years imprisonment for individuals.

iGaming in Estonia: Market and Target Audience

Estonia is a country in Northern Europe, member of the EU and eurozone.

Population: Approximately 1.35 million (2024).
Major Cities: Tallinn (450,000), Tartu (100,000), Narva (55,000).
Official Language: Estonian.
Approximately 30% of the population speaks Russian, and over 50% are fluent in English.
Official Currency: Euro (€).
Internet Penetration: 90% of the population. Smartphones owned by over 85% of residents.

Interesting Facts About Estonia’s Market: History and Development

The history of gambling in Estonia is truly unique and closely intertwined with the overall history of the country. It is a journey from medieval taverns to one of the world’s most advanced and regulated online markets.

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Medieval Roots: Gambling in Hanseatic Cities

The origins of gambling in Estonia date back to the era of the Hanseatic League, when cities like Tallinn (then Reval) and Tartu (Dorpat) served as major trading hubs. Merchants and townspeople played dice and other simple games in taverns. Although churches and authorities fought against gambling, it became an integral part of daily life.

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First Legal Monopoly Emerged Under Tsarist Rule

During the Russian Empire, to which Estonia belonged from the 18th century onwards, the gambling industry was strictly regulated. In the 1860s, a state monopoly on gambling was established. The first official gambling house in Reval (now Tallinn) opened in 1826. These establishments mainly catered to aristocrats and wealthy citizens.

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"The Golden Age" of Casinos in Independent Estonia (1920s-1930s)

After gaining independence in 1918, Estonia experienced a brief but brilliant boom in the gambling industry. In Tallinn, especially at the luxurious Glória Hotel, opulent casinos modeled after European standards operated. They attracted elites from across Europe. However, this period ended in 1933 when public discontent and the impact of the Great Depression led to a complete ban on gambling.

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Half a Century Underground: Ban During Soviet Times

Throughout the entire Soviet period (1944-1991), gambling in the Estonian SSR, like elsewhere in the Union, was strictly forbidden. This did not mean that gambling disappeared entirely — it went underground. Illegal card games and shell games (“naperstki”) were widespread phenomena.

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Revolution: First Legal Casino in the USSR

This is perhaps the most intriguing fact. In the late 1980s, during the period of Perestroika, Estonia, like other republics, gained greater autonomy. In 1989, while still part of the Soviet Union, a casino named Olympia opened in the hotel Tallinn (currently Viru) in Tallinn. It became THE FIRST LEGAL CASINO on the territory of the entire Soviet Union. This bold step demonstrated Estonia’s aspiration towards Western development paths.

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Creation of One of the World's First State Online Monopolies
In 2010, Estonia radically reformed its gambling market with a new Gambling Act that:
- Introduced a state monopoly on online casinos and poker rooms, granted to the state-owned company Eesti Loto (now part of Eesti Metsatööstus).
- Allowed private operators to function only in land-based casinos and betting shops.
Estonia thus became one of the first countries globally (alongside Finland, for instance) to regulate the online segment so rigidly and clearly.
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"Grey" Licenses and Their Closure

Before 2010, certain Estonian operators (such as Enlab, OÜ) managed to obtain online gaming licenses, which later came to be viewed as “grey” following reforms. Despite this change, they continued operating internationally using their Estonian license, creating legal ambiguities. In recent years, the regulator (Tax and Customs Board) tightened controls and began cancelling such licenses, demanding that all operations be exclusively oriented toward the Estonian market.

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Focus on Security and Technology
Today, Estonia’s gambling market is considered one of the safest and most technologically advanced in the EU. This stems from the country’s general digital development (e-Residency, digital IDs). Control measures include:
- Mandatory identification through ID-card or Mobiil-ID for all players.
- A unified self-exclusion system allowing players to block themselves simultaneously across all licensed casinos in the country with a single click.
- Transparency and anti-money laundering efforts.
Read more

Features of Estonia’s iGaming Audience: Who Plays?

Statistics show that up to 84% of Estonia’s population engages in gambling, with around 40% participating online and 58% visiting offline halls and casinos. Slot machines and lotteries occupy a significant portion of the market, while the popularity of sports betting continues to rise.

Based on data from regulators and research studies:

Around 70% of adults have tried gambling at least once.
Active audience falls within the age bracket of 25–44 years old.
Men gamble more frequently than women (65% vs. 45%).
Income levels are medium to upper-middle class.

Casino favorites include slot games such as Book of Ra, Starburst, Gonzo’s Quest, Sweet Bonanza.

Popular sports for betting include:

Football (local Meistriliiga, Champions League, English Premier League);
Basketball (EuroLeague, NBA);
Ice Hockey (KHL, NHL);
Esports (CS:GO, Dota 2, FIFA) — growing interest among youth.

What Payment Solutions Matter for Casino and Bookmaker Websites in Estonia?

Methods functioning for deposits and withdrawals in Estonia include:

International: Visa, Mastercard, Skrill, Neteller, PayPal;
Local: Swedbank, SEB, LHV;
Mobile payments: MobilePay, Siirto;
Cryptocurrencies (BTC, ETH) accepted by some operators.

Estonians are accustomed to fast payments and withdrawals, hence supporting SEPA transfers and local banks is essential.

Affiliate Marketing in Estonia: Traffic, Tips, Checklist

Why Can You Make Money on Traffic from Estonia?

Affluent audience;
Lower competition compared to the EU’s “top 5” markets;
High CPA and RevShare rates (CPA from €100, RevShare 35–45%).

Channels Suitable for Promoting Gambling and Betting in Estonia:

Social networks (Facebook*, Instagram*, TikTok);
Streamers on Twitch and YouTube;
Local sports portals;
SEO and content marketing.

*Social networks Facebook and Instagram are blocked in Russia by court order.

Top Influencers:

Estonian Twitch streamers for CS:GO;
YouTube channels covering betting and predictions.

SEO Hacks for iGaming Promotion in Estonia:

Create bilingual content (Estonian + Russian/English);
Write reviews of local operators;
Use local keywords (“online kasiino,” “spordiennustus”).

Checklist for Launching a SEO Site in Estonia:

Register a .ee domain.
Implement multilingual content (Estonian, Russian, English).
Publish reviews of local brands (OlyBet, Betsafe, Optibet).
Include content about popular sports and esports.
Highlight local payment methods in reviews.
Sell traffic through CPA and RevShare offers.

Estonia is a small GEO with immense potential. It boasts a legal market with clear regulations, robust local and international brands, an affluent audience, and accessible white-label offers for media buying.