License

• Aland Islands
• Alderney Gambling Commission
• Antigua Gaming Association
• Austria
• Belgium Gaming Commission
• British Virgin Islands
• Cagayan Economic Zone and Free Port Authority
• Costa Rica
• Curacao
• Cyprus
• Danish Gambling Authority
• Estonia
• Gibraltar Regulatory Authority
• Greek Gaming Commission
• Isle Of Man Gambling Commission
• Italy
• Kahnawake Gaming Commission
• Latvia
• Malta Gaming Authority
• Panama
• Schleswig-Holstein Ministry of Home Affairs and Federal Affairs
• UK Gambling Commission

Online Casino Licensing

One of the biggest fears players face when venturing into the online casino world is the trustworthiness and integrity of a site. This would include holding a legitimate, regulatory license in their jurisdiction.

In essence, an online casino can be based anywhere on the planet as long as there is a decent internet connection. An online casino with integrity would almost definitely have at least one license if not more.

Luckily, Regulatory bodies are now based in various jurisdictions around the world, they only award licenses to trustworthy casinos.

Licenses

Before any regulator grants a license the company must adhere to stick rules and regulations and undergo comprehensive checks to ensure the casino protects its players.

These checks normally focus on three areas:

Credentials

Firstly, the company behind a new online casino is scrutinised to establish if it is in fact a legitimate body. The complete history of the owners is checked to verify whether they have ever been convicted of any offences that would cause any distrust.

Fairness of Games

The next checks focus on the content of an online casino. There is an abundance of games available for online casinos, many of which comes from trusted developers who do not allow their software to be utilised by untrustworthy operators.

However, some online casinos use bootleg versions of games, or titles they have developed themselves, and these games are sometimes unfair. Regulators will ensure that the house does not have an unfair advantage before offering a license.

Payments

The final set of checks revolves around the processes in place for paying players. When a player wins at an online casino, they should be able to withdraw that money quickly (any pre-stated wagering requirements, etc., do not constrain it.), and procedures must be in place to ensure this happens gambling authority will not give an online casino a license if their payment processes are not perceived to be good enough.

Other requirements

Companies must provide legitimate information to regulators before any consideration can be made regarding a license. References, viable financial history, and credibility must be available before any decision can be made.

Only then, an independent company that specialise in the specific jurisdictions perform an audit.

Regulatory Bodies

Many online casinos hold more than one license, one for where they are based, and others for jurisdictions they operate within. However, some regulatory bodies are more stringent than others regarding testing consequently, some are more respected than others.

UK Gambling Commission

The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) focuses not only on licensing regulations for UK citizens but also on protecting vulnerable gamblers and gambling-related harm.

Any company that holds a UK license must stick to very strict rules and regulations set out by the UKGC. These rules are in place solely to protect players from gambling-related harm or underhand dealings. Breaching regulatory rules result in heavy penalties or even the suspension of the license.

With much stricter regulations regarding online casino safety and fairness, the security for players has now vastly improved.