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Is It Legal to Play Natural8 in Taiwan?

No. Article 266 of Taiwan's Criminal Code was amended in January 2022 to state expressly that anyone who “gambles for property through telecommunications equipment, electronic communications, the internet or other similar means” is punished with a fine of up to NT$50,000 — and that includes playing offshore online poker on your phone at home.

Updated: · natural8.cn editors

On this page
  1. Article 266 of the Criminal Code: the key points
  2. Natural8's operations in Taiwan
  3. If you are in Taiwan
  4. FAQ

Article 266 of the Criminal Code: the key points

On 2026-10-30 we checked the current text (as amended and promulgated on 12 January 2022) in Taiwan's national Laws & Regulations Database:

ParagraphContent
Paragraph 1A person who gambles for property in a public place or a place open to the public is punished with a fine of up to NT$50,000.
Paragraph 2 (added in 2022)The same applies to a person who gambles for property through telecommunications equipment, electronic communications, the internet or other similar means.
Paragraph 3This does not apply where the stake is something provided for temporary amusement.
Paragraph 4Gambling equipment and lottery tickets found at the scene, and property on the gambling table or at the chip exchange, are confiscated.

In addition, Article 268 punishes anyone who “provides a place for gambling or assembles people to gamble with intent to make a profit” with imprisonment of up to 3 years, and a fine of up to NT$90,000 may be imposed as well. “Agents” who top up accounts for others or take a cut for recruiting players should pay particular attention to this article.

What changed in 2022? The old article only punished gambling “in a public place or a place open to the public”, so it was unclear whether betting online from your own home was covered. The amendment wrote online gambling directly into the article in paragraph 2, so it no longer matters where you go online from.

Natural8's operations in Taiwan

Natural8 invests more visibly in Taiwan than in any other region:

  • Ambassadors: Kitty Kuo (5th on Taiwan's all-time money list), Eric Tsai (7th), WinPokerCouple (6th), Fan Chih Wei (10th) and Charlie Chiu (21st) — see the ambassadors page.
  • Livestreams: the official Mandarin Twitch channel natural8_taiwan; the October 2026 schedule included APT Online and Journey to APTC streams.
  • Taiwan-only events: “N8TW x APT Championship 2026” is open only to players of Taiwanese nationality, with NT$2,880 super satellites and NT$300 satellites from 2026-10-20, NT$1,552,000 guaranteed in total, plus a US$500 travel allowance.
  • Live event: APT Championship 2026 runs in Taipei from 12 to 29 November, with a US$10,000 Main Event buy-in and a US$5 million guarantee. Event details are on the APT page.

Platform marketing ≠ legal permission. Running Taiwan-only events and signing Taiwanese ambassadors only shows that Natural8 treats Taiwan as a key market. For anyone in Taiwan playing poker online for real money, Article 266, paragraph 2 still applies.

If you are in Taiwan

  1. Understand the legal risk first. Real-money online gambling is a criminal offence (punishable by a fine). This page is not legal advice; for your own situation, consult a lawyer qualified in Taiwan.
  2. Account opening follows Natural8's official rules. Natural8 does not publish a list of restricted countries; its terms (section 2.11) say you can't open an account if your country of residence isn't in the sign-up list, and this also applies while travelling.
  3. Don't use a VPN or give a false country. That breaks Natural8's terms; the KYC checks before withdrawal verify your ID and proof of address, which can lead to account closure and frozen funds.
  4. Don't use private top-up agents. Having a third party handle your money is the riskiest option, and it may also involve Article 268. The reasons are in the agents explainer.

For a comparison across regions, see regions; Hong Kong's rules are on the Hong Kong page.

FAQ

Can I play Natural8 in Taiwan?
Natural8 has a Traditional Chinese site, Taiwanese ambassadors and Taiwan-only tournaments, so it clearly targets the Taiwan market; whether you can open an account depends on the country drop-down on the sign-up page. But under Article 266, paragraph 2 of the Criminal Code, gambling for property online in Taiwan is a crime, punishable by a fine of up to NT$50,000.
When was Article 266 changed?
The amendment was promulgated by presidential order on 12 January 2022. The old article only punished gambling in a public place or a place open to the public and said nothing about the internet. The amendment added paragraph 2, which punishes gambling for property over the internet and similar means in the same way as gambling in a public place.
Is it still illegal if I only play freerolls and never deposit?
Article 266 punishes “gambling for property”; paragraph 3 says there is no punishment where the stake is something provided for temporary amusement. Playing only with play money generally doesn't involve property, but buying in with real money, or playing for prizes that can be withdrawn as cash, may count as gambling for property. Ask a lawyer about your specific situation.
What is N8TW x APT Championship?
It is Natural8's country-exclusive satellite series for APT Championship 2026 (Taipei). Natural8 states it is open only to players of Taiwanese nationality. It includes NT$2,880 super satellites and NT$300 satellites, with NT$1,552,000 guaranteed in total, plus a US$500 travel allowance.
Is natural8_taiwan the official Twitch channel?
Yes. The Natural8 Livestream Hub lists twitch.tv/natural8_taiwan as the official channel for Taiwan (Mandarin). It streams events such as the APT and gives away prizes on stream.

Sources

Facts on this page were checked against these official Natural8 pages on 2026-10-30. The official terms always prevail.

Natural8 Restricted Countries and Local LawsWhich countries can play Natural8? No official restricted list; the sign-up country list d…Natural8 APT: APT Online 2026 and APT Championship TaipeiNatural8 APT: APT Online 2026 with $40M GTD and three Mega Lion events, plus the satellite…Natural8 Ambassadors, Twitch Channels and SponsorshipsNatural8 Team Hot ambassadors and results, Friends of Natural8 creators, Taiwan, Hong Kong…Is It Legal to Play Natural8 in Hong Kong?Is Natural8 legal in Hong Kong? Under the Gambling Ordinance (Cap. 148) gambling is unlawf…

natural8.cn is an independent guide, not the official Natural8 website, and is not affiliated with Run Good N.V. or the GGPoker network. Sign-up, deposits and play all happen in the official Natural8 client. Online poker carries financial risk and is restricted or illegal in some countries — check your local law first.

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