Official language: Estonian
Population: 1,340,602
Currency: Estonian Kroon (EEK)

Current Exchange Rate
1 EUR = 15.6466 EEK
1 GBP = 16.9182 EEK
1 USD = 10.4737 EEK

Casinos in Estonia
Casinos have been legal in Estonia for over a decade. In the early 1990s, the country was experiencing economic hardship after the recent end of the Soviet regime, and they felt that legalizing gambling might give the economy the boost it needed. Today, 18 companies, mostly foreign, run a total of over 170 casinos in the small country of Estonia. A few are large-scale operations attached to major hotels, but most are small high street shops with a few dozen slot machines and a handful of table games.

The Olympic Entertainment Group, which is partly owned by HSBC, has an estimated 45 per cent share of the Estonian market. Casinos are only open to adults aged 21 or over. The tax on winnings in Estonia is quite high, averaging around 18%, and all winnings over 5000 kroon (about 300 Euros) must be reported to the Estonian Ministry of Finance. Despite this high tax, an estimated 80% of Estonian adults have gambled, and as much as 6% gamble habitually.

Online Casinos in Estonia
Online gambling is legal in Estonia. In 2004 the state-run sportsbook, called Spordiennustus, set up the first Estonian internet gambling site. Today, it is paired with the Estonian lotto site. Neither sites, however, offer online casino games. Estonian online casinos do exist, but are hosted in other countries. The Estonian government is responsible for handing out online gaming licenses, so it is not surprising that licenses have only been given to state organizations.

One testament to the popularity of Estonian internet casinos is the fact that Playtech operates from Estonia. Playtech is one of the world's foremost producers of online casino, poker, and bingo gaming software. The company was started in 1999, and is now listed on the London Stock Exchange, and produces millions of euros in profits every year.