6 Best Online Gaming Regulators and Casino Licensing Bodies

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Nowadays, you can play anywhere you want, at any time you please, but you always need to be confident about the casino site you are playing at. Online gambling jurisdictions really go the extra mile to guarantee a secure and safe online gambling experience for all users. Thanks to their work, only reputable and reliable casino sites can get licenses. Of course, it’s really necessary to provide a gambling license and regulation to help prevent scams and avert any potential risks. However, before you register and make any transaction at any site, you do need to make sure it has been licensed by a well-known government authority.

What Are the Licensing Authorities Responsible For?

Gambling operators are required to obtain a license from any of the recognized authorities, in order to operate legally and provide online gambling activities. Such certificates are only given to those casino sites that meet the requisite standards of safety, security, fairness, reliability, and confidentiality. All online casino operators must comply with a number of regulations and rules, as set by the respective authority. Almost all trusted jurisdictions demand the following requirements, plus some other additional ones, to be fulfilled:

  • Publish and update statistics on the RTP of all the games on offer
  • Have a list of permitted and restricted customers and clients
  • Test the senior management and owners with a “fit and proper person” test
  • Have a set deposit limit
  • Display the time spent playing gaming software
  • Provide customer support via live chat, email, and telephone
  • Testing and validation of the software
  • Quick and instant response to customer questions
  • Create and check the waiting periods on limit increases

5 Best Online Gaming Regulators for Europe

As unbelievable as it sounds, 2 out of 3 leading sport betting sites and online casinos were certified and regulated by 5 biggest online gambling authorities. These regulatory bodies are doing their best to guarantee the safety of the players at all times.

United Kingdom Gambling Commission (UKGC)

gambling commision

The UK Gambling Commission was formed under the auspices of Gambling Act 2005 to regulate commercial gambling in Great Britain, in partnership with the licensing authorities; the latter authorities bear the responsibility for governing gambling operations and activities in Great Britain. It aims to facilitate fair and crime-free gambling, while preventing illegal slot manipulation as well.

The UKGC has different types of specific licenses that range from £2,640 to £57,304; remote casino licenses range between £2,709 and £512,083. This regulatory body provides 4 types of services: eServices for gambling businesses, application for a business or a personal management license, personal functional one (such as for dealer, cashier, inspector, supervisor, pit boss, security, or surveillance), application for a personal functional license.

The Malta Gambling Authority (MGA)

malta-GA

The aim of this organization is to regulate different areas of the industry to ensure the transparency and fairness of the games they have on offer. MGA was founded in 2001 and was initially called the Lotteries and Gaming Authority; it changed its name to the present version in 2015. It regulates different sectors of the industry in Malta for table games, online poker, and slot machines. It oversees skill games, bingo halls, land-based casinos, amusement machines, non-profit games, advertising lotteries, the national lottery, and gaming devices. As of now, more than 500 sites are licensed under its rules and regulations.

It provides 4 different types of licenses: for casino online gambling operations (lotteries, skill games, slot machines, table games), pool and sportsbook operations (spread betting, odds betting), player vs player gambling operations (betting exchanges and gaming); each license costs about €25,000 annually, and a license for gaming software vendors that plan to host and manage virtual gaming operators costs €10,000 annually.

Gibraltar Betting and Gaming Association (GBGA)

Gibraltar-Betting-and-Gaming-Association

The GBGA represents online gambling businesses that have remote gambling licenses issued in Gibraltar. It is funded by its members and has been in operation since 2005. GBGA supports a regulated environment in which Gibraltar-based remote gambling operators can conduct their business in a fair and open market. It promotes responsible gambling and protection both for gamblers who play online and for online gambling companies.

Alderney Gambling Control Commission

Alderney-Gambling-Control-Commission

The Alderney Gambling Control Commission or AGCC was founded in May 2000; it is a well-known license provider for online gambling. In 2009 and 2018, more rules and regulations were added by this international jurisdiction to ensure crime-free e-casinos. It offers licenses for B2C and B2B customers.

If an online casino wants to be licensed under this jurisdiction, it needs to meet international standards and rules: for example, submit their software for regular testing. The websites must regularly publish reports about the RTPs of their games, have set financial limits on initial deposits, and add time tracking devices in their software. The initial fees vary between £17,500 and £35,000, and the annual renewal may cost from £35,000 to £400,000, depending on the net revenue of the casino.

The Isle of Man Gaming Commission

The-Isle-of-Man-Gaming-Commission

The Isle of Man Gaming Commission offers 4 types of gaming licenses which include land-based casinos, gaming machines, online gambling and betting offices. It issued its first gaming permit in 2001. The casinos that want to get that certificate must fulfill all the requirements for the documentation and submit their business plans and gaming software for control. Independent companies check the reliability, fairness, and randomness of winnings in online casino games.

The licenses provided by the Isle of Man cover almost all betting and gaming activities. The fees that the company pays for being licensed vary between £5,000 and £35,000 per year.

Other Online Gambling Jurisdictions

It’s not only European companies that offer licenses for the online gambling industry; another organization is the Curaçao eGaming authority. It is the oldest gaming certification authority, and it dates back to 1996.

Curaçao eGaming

The mission of Curaçao eGaming is to ensure and supervise the conduct and integrity of Curaçao IP operators. It provides only one license type, which grants eGaming authority to operators of services, software and services providers. The license covers all forms of interacting eGaming: exchanges, sports betting, lotteries, casinos, games of skill and chance.

This regulating body provides a full range of services to the companies:

  • Consulting
  • Online gambling license
  • Compliance Supervision
  • Formation of Curaçao and EU companies
  • Banking Assistance
  • Payment processing
  • Leased dedicated servers
  • Worldwide data center colocation
  • Private and public clouds
  • Advanced DNS hosting services
  • Administrative and legal services
  • Backoffice support

Top Most Asked Questions

  • Are online casinos regulated?

The majority of online casinos are 100% fair and regulated, according to the legislation of the countries where they’re operating. These casinos have a certificate proving their legitimacy. You should never play at a casino that is not licensed, as such places don’t have any credibility.

  • What is a gambling license?

A gambling license is a certificate issued by a licensing authority. The organizations that offer any games of chance and that involve wagering (slots, poker, roulette, etc.) need one of these in order to operate.

  • How much is a gambling license?

The application fees and annual cost of the license vary, depending on the authority issuing it; the price starts at several thousands of dollars. The application process may take some time, and you need to provide a lot of documentation to prove your casino’s fairness.

  • Is a Kahnawake online casino license trustworthy?

It is regarded as one of the world’s most trustworthy gambling regulators. It may give way to the authorities such as the UKGC and Malta Gaming Authority, but still, any casino licensed under Kahnawake is surely reliable and safe.

  • Who regulates gambling in the UK?

The United Kingdom Gambling Commission regulates gambling and oversees gaming laws in England, Scotland, and Wales. It regulates remote betting, including internet sites and telephone betting, as well as arcades, bingo, casinos, lottery games, and fruit machines. a

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