Casino websites are still considered illegal in Azerbaijan on paper. Online betting has been mostly legal since the update of the country’s Lottery Act in 2011. However, the official license has only ever been granted to state-owned entities, which leads to suboptimal products and services.
Still, locals can reach offshore casinos and sportsbooks, which allow for more flexibility. And the optimal way to do it is via cryptocurrencies. Crypto online casinos in Azerbaijan allow for 0% tax, lighting fast transaction speed and low fees due to the increased privacy & safety that comes with the technology behind crypto coins & tokens.
After meticulous research, our team has compiled a list of the most reliable casinos where gamblers who reside in Azerbaijan can sign-up with no issues and deposit cryptos. All of them offer vast slot libraries, instant withdrawals and valuable Bitcoin casino bonuses. Dig in!
The legal status of Crypto Online Casinos in Azerbaijan
After Azerbaijan gained its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, right on the brink before its dissolution, gambling saw a steep rise. No wonder why, as under the USSR, it was considered an illegal activity.
This was the case until 1998 when gambling came again under a total ban in the Caucasian nation. This was allegedly due to the then Azerbaijani president's son's shenanigans. There are rumours that he gathered an immense gambling dept in activities related to local and Turkish organised crime.
After more than a decade, in 2011, gambling laws changed again and certain forms of gambling became legal, like sports betting and lotteries, but not casinos. Yet, all activities are controlled and managed by the state, meaning that private companies can not set up legal online websites or brick-and-mortar betting shops.
As for Bitcoin and other coins, there is no specific crypto regulation that dictates its use for gambling transactions. It is quite clear that the safest way to avoid the local monopoly in sports betting and the total casino ban is via crypto gambling sites.
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Azerbaijani Gambling Facts
1
Both online & land-based casinos are still illegal in Azerbaijan.
2
Any Winnings from eTopaz, the nation’s legal online bookie are subject to a 10% tax.
3
Although authorities have not taken any action towards players that gamble on offshore sites, they have blocked several brand domains.
Azerbaijan Crypto Betting Sites
In contrast to casinos, which are outright banned, bettors can wager in the state-owned eTopaz bookmaker, which is respectable. Still, winnings are taxed at 10%, it offers fewer markets and lower overall odds than most international bookies. If you want to step up your game and give your bankroll more value, take a look at our approved Azeri crypto betting sites.
Azerbaijani bettors follow the norm of most European betting enthusiasts. Major football leagues like UCL, EPL, La liga, Serie A, basketball tournaments such as NBA and Euroleague, as well as Tennis Grand Slams are the primary betting options.
And as is true for most Caucasians, fighting sports are high up there too, in their preferences. Regardless of what you like, you must keep in mind the following points before depositing.
Evaluate both the pre-live and live sections of the sportsbook. See if your favorite betting options are available.
Inspect the odds offered. Don’t just look at the primary markets, as most bookies lower the payout in secondary markets. Anything less than 95% is not optimal.
See what betting features are available. Full Cash Out and Live Streaming are essentials, but Partial/Auto Cash Out and Bet-Builder can significantly boost the overall experience.
How To Deposit To Azerbaijani Crypto Gambling Sites
After finding the ideal crypto-friendly brand for you, it is time to acquire a crypto bankroll. To do so, you will need to start an account with an exchange. And as Azerbaijan is a relatively small nation, there are no local platforms. Nevertheless, you can safely get cryptos via known international exchanges like Binance, Kraken or Kucoin.
After acquiring the amount you wish, send it to your private wallet. We recommend not transferring cryptos directly from exchanges to casinos and sportsbooks. Just make sure the wallet you pick supports the coins or tokens you bought. Follow the steps below as a guideline.
Step-By-Step Process
Step-By-Step Process
1
Start an account at a crypto exchange. Fund it via debit card, bank transfer or any other local option. Acquire the cryptocurrency that you are going to use as a gambling bankroll.
2
If you are not in a hurry, limit orders hold fewer fees than market orders. Sometimes, it is better to acquire the proprietary coin of the exchange first, as trading pairs with them cost less.
3
Transfer the cryptocurrency amount to your private wallet. Never make direct transactions between crypto exchanges & crypto gambling sites. Crypto exchanges may freeze such accounts.
4
Head over to the gambling site’s cashier section. Click on the relevant crypto method. The wallet’s address will appear. Copy the address and paste it into your wallet’s send function. QR code scans are commonly available too.
5
If a brand does not support crypto-only wallets, watch out for the exchange rate. Any spread above 1% of the current market rate is too much.
6
After a few seconds or minutes, your deposit will settle. This depends on the cryptocurrency and the number of block confirmations required by the operator.
What’s the crypto tax on gambling in Azerbaijan
Taxation is an issue that plagues all players using offshore gambling websites. Moreso for crypto transactions. Let’s start by clarifying that there is no specific tax on winnings from crypto websites in Azerbaijan.
However, any crypto holdings should normally be declared on your tax form, as profits can be taxed depending on your overall fiscal profile. But if you keep your bankroll in anonymous crypto wallets, there is no reason to. Just avoid cashing out large Fiat amounts from crypto exchanges, in order to avoid attracting attention.
Why should I prefer Azerbaijani crypto gambling sites
Why should I prefer Azerbaijani crypto gambling sites
The reasons why are pretty straightforward. First of all, you can play at multiple online casinos in the safest way possible. Second, you avoid the eTopaz monopoly on sports betting, avoid the 10% tax on winnings and gain access to numerous betting sites with thousands of exciting sports markets.
All this, while enjoying top-notch bonuses, instantaneous withdrawals and enhanced privacy. Our opinion is that crypto-friendly online casinos & betting sites in Azerbaijan are the only way for locals to level the field and enjoy the same benefits as most players around the world.
FAQs
Only Certain forms of gambling have been legal in Azerbaijan since 2011. These are lotteries and state-owned betting shops & websites.
The only officially licensed online sportsbook that locals can wager is eTopaz. However, they can still reach offshore bookies without danger.
Cryptocurrency assets are legal in the country, as there is no legislation against them. The latest directives mention that they are to be included in the tax forms, however the state has no way to directly detect any assets in private anonymous wallets.
Winnings from the state-owned bookmaker, eTopaz, are taxed at a 10% rate. Winnings from offshore websites are not taxed, since they are technically considered illegal, so it would be better to avoid declaring them nevertheless.