Best 51 Online Casino​s in Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan, or as it goes by its official name the Republic of Azerbaijan, is a country that is located at the crossroads of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. This is a unitary semi-presidential republic and one of the six independent Turkic states. The republic proclaimed its independence from the Russian Empire back in 1918 and has managed to maintain its sovereignty since.

Since this country is located at a crossroad between two continents. It has a very important geopolitical location. Azerbaijan is bordered with the Russian republic of Dagestan to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia and Turkey to the west, Iran to the south, and the Caspian Sea to the east. An interesting fact about Azerbaijan is that even though 97% of the population are Muslims, the country’s Constitution does not include any official religion, which is not the case with most countries around the world.

Azerbaijan is a developing country that ranks 87th on the Human Development Index. The current party in rule has been in power since 1993, but it has been accused of authoritarian leadership, censorship, and other activities that deteriorated the country’s human rights record. Hence, civil freedom has been restricted, especially when it comes to the press.

The history of gambling in Azerbaijan is quite interesting as it involves a lot of personal feelings, which is safe to say that it is unique. Before 1997, all forms of gambling in the country were legal. Even though Azerbaijan is a Muslim country and gambling is forbidden in pretty much every Muslim country, the authorities have had a pretty liberal approach towards this industry since it had numerous contributions to the economy.

But, all of that changed in 1997 when president Heydar Aliyev banned all gambling activities for a rather bizarre reason. His son, Ilham Aliyev was a well-known gambler in the region. Thanks to his gambling addiction, Ilkham managed to issue a reported $6 million gambling debt to a Turkish magnate. This situation caused a nationwide scandal, and the president decided to make all land-based gambling activities illegal.

What’s even more interesting about the industry is that even though land-based casinos are not allowed to operate in the country, online casinos were legalized. Not only that, but the Azerbaijani government even licenses online casinos. The reason why they decided to legalize online casinos was that the residents in the country were heavily involved in illegal gambling dens.

So, instead of chasing them, the government decided to regulate the industry and profit from it. Research has shown that because online casinos were legalized in Azerbaijan, the GDP increased by several percents from 2016 to 2018.

These days, the online gambling industry is at its peak in Azerbaijan. Not only are online casinos allowed to operate, but they can also be licensed by the Azerbaijani government. Considering the fact that land-based casinos are still illegal, this is a very atypical regulation, but it proved to bring a lot of benefits.

Online casino operators are paying millions of dollars in tax money and the online casino industry is a heavy contributor to the economy. Under the circumstances, the growth of the online gambling industry really deserves praise. Thousands of players from Azerbaijan these days access casino sites to have a pleasant and unique gaming experience.

The future of online casinos in Azerbaijan is looking very promising. Due to the fact that land-based sites have been deemed illegal, this industry has managed to grow substantially over the past few years. Not only that, but it is believed that it will continue to grow and become an even greater contributor to the economy.

Thanks to the consistent growth of these platforms, it is likely that the tax money that online casinos pay will increase greatly. Not only that but since this type of gambling is legal in the country, many operators will be based and licensed in Azerbaijan, thus employing a lot of people, which is yet another great contribution to the economy. The current indicators show that the government is extremely open to this scenario and that is why online casinos have a good future in this country.

As stated earlier, Azerbaijan faces a pretty atypical situation when it comes to the gambling industry. Land-based gambling was made illegal in 1997 after the president’s son ended up becoming a gambling addict and reportedly owed around $6 million. Before that, tons of casinos were operating in the country, especially in the capital Baku.

But, the interesting thing about the regulation is that online gambling is legal. This is atypical for 2 reasons:

• First off, most countries in the world regulate land-based gambling since online gambling is still a new concept. In all the countries where land-based gambling is considered illegal, online casinos are also prohibited.
• Number 2, Azerbaijan is a Muslim country – 97% of its residents are Muslim. In every Muslim-dominant state in the world, gambling is regarded as a sin, hence it is illegal. That is not the case with Azerbaijan. Not only are online casinos legal to operate, but the government also licenses them.

Additionally, a blockage system is implemented by the authorities. This system blocks all unauthorized/unlicensed online casinos in the country. In doing so, it provides the players with security as they can only gain access to licensed casinos. In most cases, unlicensed sites are often scam sites, but thanks to the regulation, the Azerbaijani players do not have to fear falling victim.

According to the Presidential decree of 2001, gambling in Azerbaijan is partially legal. Lottery, bingo, and sports betting were legalized, but all other forms of land-based gambling are prohibited. The law that regulates the country lottery games is the Law on Lotteries. Point 525 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Republic of Azerbaijan provides further details on the gambling industry in the country.

The regulatory body of all gambling-related activities (online and land-based) is the Ministry of Economic Development. Most online casinos that are available in Azerbaijan are Russian sites. According to the laws on gambling in Azerbaijan, the legal age for participating in all of these activities is 18.

When players access off-shore sites, they are always relying on international regulatory bodies to indicate whether an online casino is legal and licensed or not. With that being said, some of the regulatory bodies that they search for at online casinos are the Malta Gaming Authority, the UK Gambling Commission, and the Alderney Gambling Control Commission.

Since Azerbaijanis have limited access to casino games, the ones that are considered legal in the country are also their favourites. First off, sports betting is the most popular form of gambling game that the people in this country participate in. Residents are willing to bet on pretty much every available sport. The beauty in sports betting is that both land-based bookmakers and online bookmakers are considered legal, which means that access is very easy and there are tons of available options for the players. Football is among the most betted on sports in Azerbaijan.

Next up, the lottery comes right behind sports betting. The state’s lottery holds a monopoly on the market. The elderly people are extremely fond of playing this game as they hope that it can bring rewards to their homes. Finally, bingo is the final form of legal gambling in Azerbaijan, which is why this game is also considered a favourite.

Online casino gambling remains illegal in the country, but players still find ways to access online casinos, so if they are fond of every online gambling game that they can find.

If Azerbaijani players somehow manage to access an online casino, they will always make sure that the site is licensed and legal to operate. A license is an indicator that the online casino is trustworthy and that it is not a scam site. With that being said, they are always searching for reputable brands such as Playtech, Yggdrasil, Asia Gaming, Microgaming, NetEnt, Play’n GO and Evolution.

Bitcoin games have become extremely popular all around the world in the recent period, but these games do not have a big impact on the Azerbaijani market. There are two reasons for that. First, online casinos are illegal in the country and even though the players can somehow access these sites, it is not very likely that the site will feature these games.

Secondly, to play Bitcoin games, players need to make a deposit with the said cryptocurrency. Azerbaijani are not too fond of spending money on Bitcoin as it comes at a high price, especially in 2021. These days, Bitcoin is valued at around $50,000, which is more than the players from this region can afford.

Since sports betting is the most popular form of gambling game in Azerbaijan, every bonus connected to betting is adored by the players. That starts with sportsbook welcome packages. These bonuses are available to newly-registered players at betting sites. Sportsbook welcome packages reward the players with match deposit bonuses and Free Bets.

Free Bets allow them to wager on selected games/competitions without the need for an extra deposit. The winnings are rewarded in real money and players can easily withdraw them once they meet the wagering requirements. Free Bets can also be provided as daily reload bonuses, which is why these daily reload bonuses are also popular.

Finally, cashback bonuses are just as popular as the aforementioned 2 bonuses. As the name of the bonus suggests, through cashbacks, players receive some refunds from online bookmakers. These sites return some of the lost amounts on betting over a certain period. Every betting site has a specific percentage of cashback.

Some online bookmakers even have VIP programs for the most loyal players. These VIP programs consist of levels through which players receive more benefits. In many cases, higher cash back percentages can be some of the privileges that players receive as they move higher up the scale.

To claim the sportsbook welcome packages, players must first register at an online sportsbook. After the process of registration is complete, they need to make the minimum deposit amount. Some sportsbooks divide their welcome packages, which means that players may need to deposit money in a few consecutive days to receive the full bonus.

Daily reload bonuses require players to just log in on a certain day of the week, while cashback bonuses require players to wager on certain competitions over a period given by the sportsbook. Some betting sites may even feature bonus codes that players will have to enter before they can claim any of the aforementioned bonuses.

So, to make sure that players are fully informed on the process of receiving bonuses from the chosen online sportsbook, it would be smart to read the terms at the Promotions tab of the chosen site.

Credit and debit cards are by far the most popular way for Azerbaijani players to deposit and withdraw money at gambling sites. They are extremely secure, many people use them for all types of online transactions and pretty much every gambling platform accepts them.

By using credit and debit cards, the players are provided with pretty secure transactions, which are also faster than most of the payment methods accepted at betting sites. All deposits are instant, while withdrawals have a processing time of around 3 business days.

E-wallets can be used sometimes, but they are not as preferred as credit and debit cards. The reason for that is that even though e-wallets such as Neteller and Skrill provide the players with instant withdrawals, they often come with fees. Not only that, but many online sportsbooks do not consider them as eligible payment methods for claiming bonuses.

Some less popular payment methods in Azerbaijan include wire transfers, direct banking, and Bitcoin. Due to the rise of this cryptocurrency, some players decided to use it as a payment method. Bitcoin has all of the best advantages of the aforementioned popular payment methods.

All transactions made with this cryptocurrency are instant, users gain a certain level of online anonymity when trading with it, thus their security is increased, and no fees are applied when withdrawing money, thanks to the peer-to-peer focus. But, it was mentioned earlier that even though Bitcoin has all of these advantages (plus the fact that players can access unique games by using it as a payment method), not many Azerbaijani players use it as it is too expensive to get a hold of.