Gambling Licences & Jurisdictions
Casinos & the Need for a License
Keep reading, and we'll let you in on everything you need to know about this very important online casino feature. We'll also answer questions you may have about gambling licences, regulators, and jurisdictions.
Without a doubt, we can answer this question with a resounding yes! Online gambling licences at casinos are so very important. Having a licence generally means that you can trust the quality online casino you're frequenting is more than just a tick box that needs to be fulfilled before they're legal.
Without a gambling license, an online casino cannot be legal. It's that simple. If you're playing at an online casino that doesn't display its licence in plain view, you could be playing illegally and, therefore, dangerously.
You may be wondering what makes an unlicensed casino so dangerous? If an online casino has no licence, they're essentially lawless. Pirates out at sea with no one to answer to! And that means they can do as they please with your personal information and the money you deposit into your account without being accountable by any higher powers.
Another reason online gambling licences are so important is that you cannot work with a bank, or create a merchant account, without one. Banks know that online casinos can be risky business but having a licence in hand means there's automatically a level of trust that wasn't there before.
Rules Licensed Casinos Have to Follow
More than just a piece of paper or a licence fee that must be paid, certain requirements must be met for an online casino to be legal. These requirements mean you can play with peace of mind!
The owners and managers of the casinos must undergo a fit and proper person test.
The casino sticks to a list of permitted customers and notes those who are prohibited from gambling.
Regular testing of the random number generator used to keep casino games fair must be done.
Updated data on the RTP rate for each casino game must be recorded and available.
Casinos must provide a telephone number and email address and offer online support for all customers.
It must be visible how long customers have played a particular casino game.
Players must have the ability to set deposit limits on their accounts.
There must be waiting periods on any limit increases.
All complaints about the casino should be handled quickly and fairly.
Jurisdictions VS Gambling Regulators
When dealing with the best online casinos and the industry as a whole, many different terms are floating around for you to understand. Jurisdictions and regulators maybe a couple that isn't quite clear.
Gambling jurisdictions refer to the parts of the world where gambling is either regulated or has specific laws in place to allow licencing and regulating gambling in its many different forms.
Gambling regulators are the organisations that have been established within these jurisdictions to enforce the laws that exist there. These regulators are the authorities on gambling within their jurisdictions and help protect you as you play.
It must be noted that certain gambling regulators are more trustworthy than others. While all regulators have a hand in making sure casinos in their area are legal, some choose to steer clear of keeping a firm hand on the industry, while others prefer to side with casinos rather than players.
Gambling Licences FAQs
Do you have any questions? Here you can find the most common questions answered by our team of experts.
The process behind obtaining a casino licence is rather complex. First of all, it depends on the licence you want to apply for. The best solution is to head to the website of the license and follow the listed steps. The review process will take into consideration several factors, such as transparency, software provider and much more.
The cost of a licence is very relative. They range from €217,080 for the Maltese licence to €6,827.150 for the Pennsylvania licence. For a single gambling license, you won't spend less than €48,000.
The casino licence allows online casinos to operate in certain countries. Countries such as the UK, Spain and Italy have their own gaming licences, while others such as India, New Zealand and Ireland allow casinos with a general licence (Malta, Curacao) to operate.
The gambling authorities ensure online casinos follow the rules, payout winnings and treat their customers with respect and fairness.
UKGC and Kahnawake are among the most trusted casino gambling licenses.
You can find the casino license information at the bottom of their web page or in the about us section.
It means a license with less-strict gambling rules, like MGA or the Curaçao gambling license.
No. Gambling at online casinos without a license is risking and it's not guaranteed the payout of winnings.
Fact-checked by Julia Attard
Senior Author & Online Casino Expert