Where the list is
It is in the terms and conditions, usually under a heading such as "restricted use" or "prohibited jurisdictions", and each review on this site quotes it under Restricted territories. Craze's terms name Australia, Austria, Comoros, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States, plus every country on the FATF blacklist. Shuffle's terms name fourteen countries, including Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States, and add a catch-all for any place where use is unlawful or would need a local licence. Gamdom's terms name 37 territories, taking in most of Western Europe as well as Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States. The other reviews record their operators' lists the same way.
Three things are true of every list we read. Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States are on it. The list applies to where you physically are as well as where you live. And the operator can change it without telling you.
Why those countries
An offshore licence from Curaçao or Anjouan lets an operator take players from countries that do not regulate online gambling themselves, or that regulate it but do not enforce against offshore sites. Countries with their own licensing regimes, such as the United Kingdom, Australia, most of the United States and much of Western Europe, make it an offence to offer gambling to their residents without a local licence, so the operator's own licence conditions require it to exclude them. The list is the operator protecting its licence, not a judgment about you.
What the terms say happens if you play anyway
- Winnings can be voided and withdrawals refused. Craze's terms say it cannot guarantee successful processing of withdrawals for a player who breaches the restricted-use clauses. Shuffle's terms treat concealing your location with a VPN or proxy as a breach.
- The account can be closed and the balance withheld. The standard clause allows the operator to void bets and keep funds, including the deposit, when the terms are breached.
- There is nobody to complain to. The regulator that licensed the casino did so on the condition that it did not serve your country. Your own regulator does not license the casino. A dispute from a restricted country has no forum.
The point at which this bites is not registration or play. It is verification before a withdrawal, when the address on your identity document has to match the country the operator has recorded for you. The verification guide explains when that check happens.
What we saw from Australia
CoinHero's checks were made from an Australian connection. Five of the ten casinos blocked the visit outright: Shuffle, BC.Game, Roobet, Thrill and, from 27 September, Craze each showed a notice on arrival saying they cannot accept players from the region because of their gaming licence. Gamdom's site loaded, but its Originals reported themselves disabled for the country. Stake and Rollbit answered with a bot check rather than a country notice. Duelbits and BetFury loaded in full, and BetFury even defaulted to Australian dollars. Loading at the front door says nothing about eligibility: every one of the ten excludes Australia in its terms or help centre.
How to check your own position
- Read the restricted-territories clause in the current terms, not the one quoted here, because lists change. The review links to it.
- Check the licence. A validation seal in the footer that links to the licensing authority is the only independent confirmation that the licence is current; the reviews note where one exists.
- Check your own regulator. In a licensed market, the regulator publishes a register of operators permitted to serve you, and an offshore crypto casino will not be on it.
- If your country is on the list, or your regulator does not license the casino, the answer is not a VPN. It is a different operator.