Israel Clears Charges against Online Casino Owner

Naphtali Goldman, an Israeli man who is the sole owner of an online gaming site called Lucky 18 Casino, has spent the past two months facing interrogation from Israeli authorities. A misunderstanding on the behalf of the state lead to accusations that claimed Goldman was offering internet gambling in Israel, which is technically not allowed. Goldman’s site is actually licensed out of Costa Rica, and the site’s servers are not located anywhere near Israel. In fact, the only real connection between the casino and the country of Israel is Goldman’s nationality.


If Goldman had been running his online casino from servers located in Israel, then the government would have had the power to shut down the site in accordance with Israeli gambling laws, which currently do not allow online gambling sites to be hosted inside the country’s borders. Because Goldman’s casino is hosted elsewhere, and because it is properly licensed, the Israeli state had no choice but to exonerate the accused of any wrongdoing.


Goldman’s lawyers have hinted at the possibility of filing a civil lawsuit against the state. They have stated that the Israeli authorities “acted irresponsibly” and that their accusations and subsequent two-month disruption of Lukcy 18 Casino’s operations ultimately stemmed from a “lack of understanding about the online gaming industry”.


While it is illegal to operate online casinos in Israel, local players can still get access online gambling sites from Israel. As this decision about Lucky 18 Casino has demonstrated, the Israeli government has no power over casinos and other gaming sites that are hosted in foreign countries. The state has in the past attempted to block these sites from reaching Israeli citizens by using internet filtering technology, but these filters have proven ineffective. Lucky 18 Casino has been asked to refuse service to Israeli players, but there are still dozens of online casinos that gamblers in Israel can use to sign up and play.