Why Casino Licensing Is Critical for Player Protection
Playing at licensed and regulated online casinos is crucial for players to stay safe when gambling online. Illegal casinos don’t offer any guarantees that they’ll cash out your winnings or keep your personal information safe. When you register at a licensed casino, you have a level of security you don’t have elsewhere.
If licensed casinos break any rules, they can receive financial penalties from the regulator. These breaches often result in fines of hundreds of dollars or more. Therefore, regulated online casinos must provide games that are tested for fairness, offer guarantees that your details, accounts and the money you deposit will be safe.
Not all verified online casinos have the licence issued by the same authority. In fact, there are many regulators and some are more demanding than others when issuing licences. For example, all online casinos operating in Germany must be licensed by their regulatory body Gemeinsame Glücksspielbehörde der Länder (GGL). GGL-licensed casinos have strict rules to follow and players who register at such casinos don’t have to worry about missed payments or security issues.
Casino Licences Across the Globe
There are dozens of casino licences operators can apply for. Some licences may be harder to obtain than others, and more expensive. Players who plan to gamble online need to look for licensed operators and this is online casino safety 101. Let’s browse through different licences you’ll encounter in the world of online casinos.
Highly Respected Authorities
There are several regulatory bodies which have strict rules for online casinos who wish to provide gambling services in these countries and regions.
First that comes to mind is the UKGC that regulates the United Kingdom. Players who join UKGC licensed casinos have various deposit limits depending on their age, while casinos themselves must offer clear bonuses, not mix gambling and betting and keep the wagering requirements up to 10. The UK players also must have access to responsible gambling tools at all times and casinos must provide help lines for players who wish to self-exclude.
National licences are usually more strict than international and The Netherlands Gambling Authority as well as Swedish Gambling Authority are considered highly respectable.
Offshore and International Licensing Bodies
Some licences allow online casinos to provide games in multiple countries and the licence issued by the Malta Gaming Authority is the perfect example. There are hundreds of MGA licensed casinos and playing at such casinos is completely safe.
As a player, you have to check if your country isn’t on the list of restricted countries before you join MGA casinos.
Other popular international licences are issued by the Curacao Gaming Control Board, Anjouan Gaming Board and other authorities. These licences are easier to obtain and there are some excellent online casinos listed here. However, these regulators are a bit more loose and some online casinos might look to make use of it.
Still, playing at these casinos is completely safe, but players should look for other factors such as CasinoRank and see what other players have to say.
State-Level US and Local Regulators
Licensing in the US and Canada functions differently than the rest of the world. There’s the federal level, but it’s up to the states to decide whether to allow online gambling and how to regulate it.
In Canada, Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) grants licences to casinos that wish to provide gambling services in Ontario. This province is well-regulated and players have plenty of choices when registering to online casinos.
In the US, only several states allow online gambling and these markets are well-regulated too. However, each state has some rules and regulations unique to the area, so players must inform themselves before gambling online.
How to Verify the License of an Online Casino
Verifying whether an online casino is licensed and regulation isn’t difficult. Here’s how you can do it in a few simple steps:
- Access the online casino site
- Scroll to the bottom
- Find the licence seal
- Click on the licence
Casinos are obliged to have their licences clearly visible. When you clean on the seal, this should take you to the licence issued by the regulator with all the details needed.
Also, you can check the issuer’s website and find the casino there. That’s an additional way and an extra step you can do to make sure the licence is valid.
💡AskGamblers tip: If you can’t find the licence in the footer, check Terms and Conditions and contact support. If you can’t find the licence anywhere on the site, think twice before joining the casino in question.
On AskGamblers, we test and review each casino and check the licence for you. It’s impossible to list a casino on our site if we don’t receive the proof of licence. Because of that, you immediately have access to regulated casinos, now all you have to do is find the right one for you. Some online casinos receive our Certificate of Trust. Not only are these casinos licensed, but they excel at various categories.
Warning Signs: Identifying Untrustworthy or Scam Sites
When you want to identify the reliability of a casino site, you should look at some different aspects:
- Casino licence hard to find/hidden/doesn’t exist
- Customer service refuses to provide link to licence
- Bonuses are way too good
- There are no popular game studios
- You can’t find them listed on review sites
Responsible Gambling at Online Casinos
Some licence issuers require online casinos to provide responsible gambling tools in order to be granted licence. It’s important players have tools at their disposal as well as customer support trained to assist players if they require any help.
Not all authorities require casinos to have all the tools, but they must provide some responsible gambling information to players as well as assistance. Players who have problems with responsible gambling (for example, their requested self-exclusion isn’t fulfilled) can submit complaints with the casino and the regulatory body too.
On AskGamblers, we also process online casino complaints regarding responsible gambling tools and issues with this segment of the casino sites, regardless of the licence of the casino.
