Trinidad and Tobago's Senate approved the Remote Gambling Order on 2 October 2026, lifting the ban on online gambling services provided from the jurisdiction. The House of Representatives had passed the bill unanimously days earlier.
The amendments remove provisions in section 76 of the Gambling, Gaming and Betting Control Act that criminalised operators based in the country serving clients abroad. Finance Minister Davendranath Tancoo called the reform a new source of tax revenue. Planning Minister Kennedy Swaratsingh cited forecasts putting the global gambling market at $700 billion by 2028. In 2025 the regulated sector brought TTD 72.66 million ($10.74 million) into the budget. The country holds 1,150 gaming accounts: 926 under Gaming Amusement Tax and 224 under Club Gaming Tax. A tax enforcement sweep from October 2025 to February 2026 collected TTD 15.58 million from 240 accounts.
Attorney General John Jeremie said administrative procedures — licensing for local and foreign operators, digital payment integration — must be operational by 1 January 2027. The Gambling Control Commission will coordinate the rollout with the Central Bank. Opposition Senator Faris Al-Rawi criticised the speed of the bill's passage and the lack of clarity on licensing and foreign exchange controls.
For operators the vote opens a potential base, not a ready hub. The specifics on licences, payments and oversight will determine whether Trinidad and Tobago becomes a working jurisdiction or stays on paper.
