Are online casinos regulated
New casino sites to play real money
Generally speaking, there are three requirements that an online casino needs to become certified and regulated, namely, similarly, software testing organizations test to see if software (e.G. Downloadable casino platforms) meets the highest standards of cyberspace security.
How online casinos are regulated
For the longest time, online casinos suffered from the stigma that they’re something akin to the wild west. As the internet lends a significant deal of anonymity to the situation, people believed that online gambling platforms simply couldn’t be as reliable and as secure as their brick and mortar counterparts.
Fast forward a few years and it’s pretty much public knowledge these days that online casinos are regulated. And although this has removed the scepticism gamblers had about the safety of online casinos, most betting enthusiasts still shy away from online gambling platforms because they don’t know how they work.
This is why we’ve compiled a short guide that details all that you need to know about the associations that regulate online casinos. We hope that our blog post removes any doubts you may have about the process and gives you peace of mind when gambling online.
Bodies that certify online casinos:
Generally speaking, there are three requirements that an online casino needs to become certified and regulated, namely;
1. Via their respective governments:
This is by far the most common route that online casinos take to get licenced. The problem with this method is that the degree of leniency allotted to online casinos varies from jurisdiction to jurisdiction so it’s always a wise idea to take a closer look into the relevant laws that govern online casinos in your locality.
Right now the main jurisdictions that provide licences for online casinos are:
2. Via A respectable security testing organization:
Security testing organizations earn their bread and butter from testing and reporting any glaring or subtle shortcomings in a digital platform. So, if you see that your favourite casino openly advertises that it is “SSL secured” then you can rest easy knowing that you’re funds and details are safe and secured at any online casino that has and SSL along with a jurisdiction licence.
3. Via A respectable software testing organization:
Similarly, software testing organizations test to see if software (e.G. Downloadable casino platforms) meets the highest standards of cyberspace security.
Over the years, bodies like itech labs, ecorga (e-commerce and online gaming regulation and assurance) and the canadian technical systems testing enjoy a spotless reputation in this regard. So, you should prefer to gamble at online casinos that advertise their approval from these bodies as they’re generally safer and more secure.
Appreciating the differences
Online gambling is more regulated now than ever before with more than 61 countries (including the likes of the united states, the united kingdom, france, and germany, etc.) that strictly regulate online casinos. On the other hand, there are still 39 countries (such as the UAE, singapore, and north korea, etc.) that have deemed this digital venture to be illegal.
That being said, players in these countries have little to worry about as governments tend to penalize the online betting platforms that manage these casinos. For a better understanding, please refer to the respective laws of your country.
And that concludes our blog on how online casinos are certified and licensed these days. We hope that this clears any doubts that you may have had about online gambling and betting.
The newcasinos.Org platform was founded to address the scepticism around online casinos and to make online gambling more fun for gambling enthusiasts. This is why we constantly add new casino sites to our platform and why we empower our users to play the latest casino games!
Browse through our selection of online gambling games to find something that’s perfectly tailored to your needs!
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How is gambling regulated?
The UK gambling industry offers diverse forms of gambling to the public including casino games, sports-betting, bingo and gaming machines. All these are available on the high street and online from operators who hold the necessary licences issued by the gambling commission and local authorities. You are advised to check on an operator's website which of its products is licensed and by whom, and whether you are satisfied from a review of the regulator's site that you will be adequately protected if you play.
For information about the gambling commission, the regulators of the british gambling industry, please go to www.Gamblingcommission.Gov.Uk.
Some more financial market-based products (such as 'contracts for difference') are not licensed by the gambling commission, and may be licensed by the financial conduct authority (www.Fca.Org.Uk) or even by foreign regulators (in the case of some binary options).
Legal ages
As a general rule, the minimum legal age for gambling in the UK is 18 years old. This applies to adult gaming centres, betting shops, bingo halls, casinos, racetracks and online gambling. The exceptions to this are the national lottery, lotteries and football pools – you’re allowed to take part in these from the age of 16 as well as some non-commercial gambling, or low stakes and prizes gambling. However, some gaming machines, such as coin pushers, teddy grabbers and some lower stakes fruit machines in family entertainment centres and amusement arcades don’t have a minimum legal age and are open to anyone. Note that a person who is over the age of 16 and under 18 who participates in gambling (not permitted under these exemptions) is also guilty of a criminal offence.
Responsible advertising
The industry code for socially responsible advertising can be found here. More information about the code, including details about how to make a complaint about an advert, can be found here. Adverts should usually include a link to our website.
Social gaming
Currently in the UK games that do not enable you to win anything in money or money's worth fall outside regulation. However the worldwide popularity of some of these games which are constructed be highly interactive, sociable and compelling (particularly where they bear a resemblance to play for real casino games), may ultimately prompt regulators in the UK and elsewhere to regulate.
Complaining about gambling
Gambleaware does not deal with complaints about gambling. Find out more about how to complain here.
Casino reviews
There’s no shortage of online casinos, in fact there are hundreds of them, and many players have a hard time deciding which one is worthy of their trust. That’s where we step in. We compare online casinos for you, and present them rated and reviewed, so that you’ll be able to separate the best casinos from the good or average ones. All our casino reviews are full and unbiased.
At best casinos we do more than mere reviews and ratings of online casinos. Bestcasinos.Com also offers you the necessary filters to find only the casinos that suit your needs and purposes. You can browse casinos by country or region, by software, by banking options, by currency, by language, or even by licence and customer support options. It takes but a few seconds, to find exactly what you’re looking for.
In order to find the best casino for you, you will need to know what you’re looking for. For example, if you intend on funding your account via paypal or skrill, then it will be important for you to find a casino that accepts paypal or skrill as a payment method. And that’s exactly what best casinos is here to help you with.
TARGET MARKETS: africa, argentina, asia, canada, europe, finland, germany, india, international, ireland, netherlands, new zealand, nigeria, norway, sweden, switzerland, united kingdom
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TARGET MARKETS: canada, europe, finland, germany, international, netherlands, new zealand, norway, sweden, united kingdom
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Software: betsoft, big time gaming, blueprint, evolution gaming, genii , gig games, IGT, microgaming, netent, NYX, play'n go, quickspin, thunderkick, yggdrasil
TARGET MARKETS: africa, asia, canada, europe, finland, germany, international, ireland, netherlands, new zealand, nigeria, norway, pakistan, singapore, south africa, sweden, united kingdom
Software: 1x2gaming, big time gaming, cryptologic, elk studios, evolution gaming, genesis, genii , leander, microgaming, netent, next generation, NYX, play'n go, quickspin
TARGET MARKETS: canada, europe, finland, germany, international, netherlands, norway, sweden, united kingdom
Software: betsoft, big time gaming, evolution gaming, genii , gig games, microgaming, netent, NYX, play'n go, quickspin, red tiger, yggdrasil
TARGET MARKETS: europe, norway, sweden, united kingdom
Software: aristocrat, big time gaming, blueprint, yggdrasil
TARGET MARKETS: canada, finland, germany, norway, united kingdom
Software: betsoft, big time gaming, EGT, isoftbet, leander, microgaming, netent, play'n go, quickspin, rival, thunderkick, yggdrasil
TARGET MARKETS: africa, asia, canada, europe, finland, germany, sweden, united kingdom
Software: big time gaming, evolution gaming, microgaming, NYX, playtech
TARGET MARKETS: africa, asia, canada, europe, finland, germany, india, international, ireland, italy, netherlands, new zealand, nigeria, norway, pakistan, singapore, south africa, sweden, united kingdom
Software: 888 gaming, blueprint, cassava, cryptologic, dragonfish, edict, electracade, evolution gaming, IGT, merkur gaming, microgaming, netent, next generation, playtech, quickspin, red tiger, rival, WMS, yggdrasil
TARGET MARKETS: europe, finland, norway, russia, sweden, united kingdom
Software: big time gaming, evolution gaming, merkur gaming, microgaming, netent, novomatic, play'n go, quickspin
TARGET MARKETS: finland, norway, sweden, united kingdom
Software: betsoft, big time gaming, evolution gaming, gig games, IGT, microgaming, netent, NYX, play'n go, red tiger, thunderkick, yggdrasil
TARGET MARKETS: canada, germany, netherlands, new zealand, norway, south africa, switzerland, united kingdom
Software: 1x2gaming, aristocrat, blueprint, elk studios, evolution gaming, genesis, microgaming, netent, next generation, thunderkick, WMS
TARGET MARKETS: finland, germany, sweden
Software: betsoft, gig games, microgaming, netent, next generation, playtech, yggdrasil
Online casinos reviewed and tested by real players
At bestcasinos.Com and in our online casino reviews you know you will find only reliable and unbiased data. The online gambling venues that we recommend to our readers and players are always trustworthy and dependable. We also select the best and biggest online casinos on the market. They all operate within regulated gambling markets and are licensed by eminent regulatory bodies.
There are multiple criteria when deciding what the best online casino for you is. That is where we jump in. It is our mission to separate wheat from chaff and single out only those destinations that are worthy of your time. We will never recommend a virtual gambling place that is known for scams or is blacklisted. By all means, we do our best to keep a watchful eye on all of our casinos’ activities.
In our directory, you can find a lengthy list of tested and examined online casinos that have gone through a difficult and strenuous test before ending up on our website. We had high standards upon compiling this list, so rest assured that you will find you one right here. Our aim is clear. We strive to follow a role model and check off crucial segments of our to-check list.
Here are the top eight requirements all of the casinos that we recommend have to fulfil:
5 tips on how to find the right casino
After our investigation, we managed to simplify the results into five key tips. Here is how to find the right casino for you:
- Look for a casino that offers the games you intend on playing – know what you want and don’t be afraid to ask for it. For example, if you wish to play live dealers, just click on the ‘live dealer’ games and bestcasinos.Com will show you only the casinos that feature live dealer games. Use those filters!
- You need to find a casino that has a legal right to offer services to citizens of your country – by using our ‘target market’ filters you can select to view only the casinos that operate in your region. Additionally, you can also search using ‘licensing’ just to make sure that the casino is legit.
- A nice bonus is always a good way to start – all players want to start their gaming with some extra money. Bestcasinos.Com displays bonus information for every casino in the main thumbnail, so that you’ll know what to expect.
- Choose a casino that supports your preferred payment method – you would want to keep things as simple as possible without having to register new payment accounts. By using the ‘banking’ function you can filter out the casinos that don’t support your preferred payment method or methods.
- The right casino has to support the currency that you prefer to use – in most cases, it would be the currency of your country of residence, but perhaps you wish to deposit using bitcoins. Best casinos can solve that too, just click on ‘currency’ and select your preferences.
Our casino top picks for 2020
Players often have unique and specific preferences, but the majority usually have the same priorities. Now you know the whole nine yards about what it takes to run a successful, reliable and quality online casino.
Based on the most important selection criteria, we carefully selected the top 5 casinos for 2020.
How to create an online casino account
To join any online casino, you will first need to register. This is a simple procedure that takes only a few minutes. Here is an impromptu step-by-step guide to the easy process:
- Visit the homepage of the casino.
- Click on the sign-up/register button.
- Type your details (full name, address of residence, e-mail address, phone number, date of birth, username, and password)
- Verify your e-mail address using the click-through link the casino sends you
- Go back to the casino page and log in.
It is as simple as A, B, C. Then you should head to the cashier to check out the bonuses and enter your banking information. You are ready to rumble! Once all your banking details have been implemented into your casino account, you can start playing for real money.
Afterwards, you can follow daily and monthly campaigns and promotions, some of which will be opt-in. Others will be automatic enters. This depends on your casino of choice.
Basically, online casino gaming is tons of fun, especially if you choose the right casino. Follow our tips and instructions and you can’t go wrong. In fact, at the end of the day, you may even end up with few extra quid in your account.
Regulated vs unregulated online gambling sites in the USA
In an american context, there are two main types of online gambling sites – regulated and non-regulated. On this page, we’ll explain in great detail the difference between the two, highlight the pros and cons of each, and give you a list of each that we highly recommend.
It’s no secret that each day tens of thousands of american gambling fans visit and play for real money on a host of online gaming sites from the privacy, comfort and convenience of their own homes, if not ‘on the go’ using their smartphones and other mobile devices.
While a portion of these players plays at a handful of online gaming sites owned, operated and hosted in their respective states, most players sign up at offshore gambling sites that welcome americans and process their deposits, bonuses, play and withdrawals in US$.
Although these offshore sites are not regulated in an american sense, they are in a global sense, the best of which you’ll find listed below. Further down this page, we explain the difference between regulated and non-regulated online casinos and other gaming sites.
Featured US-friendly online casino sites
| name | country | bonus details | play now |
|---|---|---|---|
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| jackpot capital casino | 200% up to $200 match bonus + 20 free spins use code: NDKBIG200 | claim bonus | |
| golden euro casino | 20 spins for stardust use code: KINGSPIN | claim bonus | |
| inetbet | $20 no deposit bonus + 100 free spins if you have deposited in last 60 days use code: NEW15 | claim bonus | |
| grande vegas casino | $15 no deposit bonus use code: NDK15FREE | claim bonus |
Regulated USA online gaming sites
Although the phrase ‘un-regulated’ may suggest a category of online gaming sites (including online casinos, poker rooms, bingo rooms and sports betting sites) that should be avoided, most of these sites are 100% licensed and regulated – just not in the united states.
Whenever you come across the phrase ‘regulated online gambling in the USA,’ this refers to online gambling sites that are sanctioned by just three US states – nevada, new jersey and delaware. (A handful of other states are supposedly in various stages of regulation).
In these states – and these states alone – you’ll find a number of fully licensed and regulated online gambling sites sanctioned and overseen by their respective governments, that are exclusively open to players 21 or older that are residents of their respective states.
Because most of these sites make use of IP address tracking software, if anyone from out of state – or anywhere else in the world – tries to register and play real money games on any of these regulated USA gaming sites, they’re automatically detected and denied access.
This is one of the main conditions of online gambling self-regulation in the united states; that only player from the respective state can access and use their respective facilities. If this were ever violated, the federal government would no doubt have to get involved.
Individual states are permitted to regulate online gambling solely within their own borders. Only in instances where interstate compacts (agreements) have been signed, can they offer their services and facilities to players in fellow online gambling regulated USA states.
Regulated US online gambling sites by state
There are currently only three states in america with regulated online gambling industries – nevada, new jersey and delaware. Here is a list of the regulated remote or igaming sites offered by each of the licensed gaming firms:
Nevada regulated online gambling sites
In february 2013 the state of nevada licensed and regulated online poker. (no other forms of online gambling are permitted in nevada including online casinos, bingo or lotteries).
Nevada currently has two licensed and regulated online poker sites run by two separate gambling companies:
South point poker LLC
Caesars interactive entertainment, inc.
New jersey regulated online gambling sites
In november 2013 new jersey became the second US state to regulate online gambling. Today it has 23 licensed sites that offer real money casino, poker and bingo gambling.
They are operated by five licensed bricks and mortar gambling firms and only accept players 21 or older who live in new jersey:
Borgata hotel casino & spa
Caesars interactive entertainment new jersey
Golden nugget atlantic city
Resorts casino hotel
Tropicana casino and resort
Delaware regulated online gambling sites
In june 2012, the state of delaware became the 3rd (and to date last) to license and regulate online gambling and is considered one of the most progressive.
It has 3 licensed and regulated online casinos (that also offer online poker) operated from the premises of three licensed ‘racinos’ (race tracks with built-in land casinos):
Delaware park
Dover downs
Is daily fantasy sports (DFS) considered gambling?
Daily fantasy sports (DFS) is a very popular derivative of traditional skill-based fantasy sports games in the united states conducted over briefer periods (like a day or a week) as opposed to an entire season
so popular is this category that the world’s leading DFS platforms – draftkings and fanduel – are billion dollar companies. However, their huge success caused lawmakers to question if DFS is skill-based (as both firms claim) or another form of online gambling?
In answer, most US states do consider DFS a non-gambling skill-based activity, some of which are proposing laws to cement daily fantasy sports as a permitted online activity. A handful of states, however, have categorized it as gambling and banned it.
Here is a list of US states where draftkings and/or fanduel are available (as of july 2017):
| State | draftkings | fanduel |
|---|---|---|
| alabama | ||
| alaska | X | X |
| arizona | ||
| arkansas | X | X |
| california | X | X |
| colorado | X | X |
| connecticut | X | X |
| delaware | ||
| florida | X | X |
| georgia | X | X |
| hawaii | ||
| idaho | ||
| illinois | X | X |
| indiana | X | X |
| iowa | ||
| kansas | X | X |
| kentucky | X | X |
| louisiana | ||
| maine | X | X |
| maryland | X | X |
| massachusetts | X | X |
| michigan | X | X |
| minnesota | X | X |
| mississippi | X | X |
| missouri | X | X |
| montana | ||
| nebraska | X | X |
| nevada | ||
| new hampshire | X | X |
| new jersey | X | X |
| new mexico | X | X |
| new york | X | X |
| north carolina | X | X |
| north dakota | X | X |
| ohio | X | X |
| oklahoma | X | X |
| oregon | X | X |
| pennsylvania | X | X |
| rhode island | X | X |
| south carolina | X | X |
| south dakota | X | X |
| tennessee | X | X |
| texas | X | |
| utah | X | X |
| vermont | X | X |
| virginia | X | X |
| washington | ||
| west virginia | X | X |
| wisconsin | X | X |
| wyoming | X | X |
Is online betting permitted in the united states?
No. While it isn’t illegal for american residents to place sports bets online, it is for US-based sportsbooks to accept interstate sports-related wagers remotely (via phone, the internet, TV or radio) as interpreted by the wire act of 1961, which is still valid today.
There is no federal law stopping US citizens from betting at offshore online sportsbooks. If their US bank or financial institution sees they’re making online gaming-related payments, they could forfeit their winnings, and/or have their account closed.
USA unregulated online gaming sites
There are two types of unregulated online gaming sites in the context of the united states; those that are unregulated in the US but licensed and regulated in recognised and reputable offshore online gambling jurisdictions, and those that are not licensed in any jurisdiction.
Always stay away from the latter whether you live in the US or anywhere else. We do not feature or recommended unlicensed or unregulated sites. We only highlight reputable and lucrative USA-friendly casinos that welcome US dollars and, in some cases, bitcoin.
The impact of UIGEA on online gambling in the USA
In late 2006 the unlawful internet gambling enforcement act (UIGEA) was signed into law, making it illegal for US banks and financial institutions to process online gambling-related payments.
The subsequent difficulty in making deposits and withdrawals is why so many US players stopped playing at offshore sites, and why said sites stopped accepting players from the US.
Since then there’s been a resurgence in US-friendly offshore sites including poker rooms (e.G. Intertops.Eu), bingo halls (e.G. Southbeachbingo.Ag) and sportsbooks (e.G. Bet365.Com) and casino sites that accept americans and US dollars, like those we feature.
Our featured US casino sites are licensed and regulated
All of our featured US online casino sites are 100% licensed and regulated by one or more of the world’s most respected online or remote gambling jurisdictions. These include the UK, alderney, the isle of man, antigua and barbuda, kahnawake (canada( and gibraltar.
These sites are closely monitored by their jurisdictions and accountable for amongst other things, their conduct, game quality, game suppliers (software vendors), random number generator (RNG) software, security levels and protocols, and 24/7 support facilities.
American online casino sites deemed safe and secure
When it comes to selecting the premier american-friendly online casino sites, our team of reviewers have a clear and concise brief; only seek out online casinos that are 100% safe and secure that being completely trusted by US players.
They do this is by rating every casino using a tried and tested range of criteria. Only online casinos that match all of these criteria are reviewed and featured on no deposit kings – no exceptions. Those that do not are ignored.
Here are some of the key criteria we use to rate the best american online casino sites:
- Accept US-based players – premier american online casinos accept players from the united states no questions asked provided they are of legal gambling age.
- Belong to ‘online gambling watchdog’ organisations – many reputable US casinos are endorsed and monitored by the likes of ecogra, interactive gaming council, online players association or the gambling commission to ensure they (and other online gambling-related entities) operate using the best practices.
- Offer US$ as currency – most of the world’s premier online casinos offer US dollars as one of their currencies, and united states online casinos are no exception.
- Are accessible on desktop and mobile devices – every USA casino site worth its salt can be accessed on pcs, laptops, notebooks, smartphones or tablets regardless of the operating system (windows, mac, linux, android, ios, blackberry). All they need is fast and stable internet connection via wifi, 3G, 4G or LTE.
- Offer no download instant play games – while there still a few US online casinos with downloadable games, most offer browser-based HTML5 fun + real games for any platform, from desktop to mobile devices – just click to open and play.
- Powered by the best software developers – top USA online casinos are powered by many of the best, most reputable and fairest gambling software developers like WGS technology, realtime gaming (RTG), top game technology and rival gaming.
- Big game selections – the best US casino gaming sites have hundreds of top quality games that range from classic slots, video slots and progressive slots to video poker, blackjack, roulette, craps, baccarat, scratch cards, bingo and much more.
- Attractive bonuses and promotions – only the most frequented american online casinos offer the best and most generous welcome and reload bonuses and worthy daily, weekly or monthly promotions with big benefits and rewards.
- Wide range of banking methods – when it comes to funding and cashing out their US casinos accounts, the casinos we promote offer a broad range of US-friendly payment options that are proven to be safe, reliable and secure.
- 24/7 casino support facilities – without exception, all top american casinos online offer players fast and efficient support facilities that are available around the clock via phone, email, live chat and in some instances, comprehensive faqs.
Regulated vs. Unregulated online casinos – pros and cons
Whether you play at a USA regulated online casinos or the best US unregulated casino sites featured on this site, you should have an entertaining experience at both provided you play responsibly and always within your means. Here are a few pros and cons of each:
Casino regulation and safety
The truth is, 99.99 percent of online casinos are perfectly fair and properly regulated. There is a simple reason for this – to operate online, a casino must have a licence, and to obtain (or at least keep) that licence, they must be seen to be 100 percent legitimate. Any casino that goes in for anything underhand risks not only having their licence revoked, but also the possibility of heavy fines and even prison time for any perpetrators of shady goings-on.
Casino regulatory bodies
There are a number of regulatory bodies for online gambling concerns all over the globe, but perhaps the number one body is ecogra (ecommerce online gaming regulation and assurance). This organisation is a not-for-profit business venture that which helps players identify online casinos that are safe to play at.
Ecogra has incredibly strict standards for responsible conduct and fair gaming, and only those online casinos that meet their exacting standards receive the ecogra ‘play it safe” seal, which can then be displayed on the site’s landing page. Sites that have been deemed ‘fit for purpose’ in this way are regularly checked and rechecked to make they maintain expected standards.
If you are thinking of signing up for a site, then spin down to the bottom of the site’s landing page and search for an ecogra seal. If you find one, then you know that you’ll receive a fair deal from the site.
Online casino licensing
Every bona fide online casino must have an operating licence. If you are looking around an online casino’s site and you cannot find specific details of the licence that they hold, then you should avoid it like going all-in at texas hold’em with a pair of deuces. You will find that a lot of online gambling sites have licences from slightly obscure places: antigua & barbuda, malta, gibraltar, curaçao and kahnawake (a canadian province) to name but five. Rest assured, there is nothing ‘dodgy’ about these casino licenses – it just means the casino in question has established an ‘offshore’ base mainly for taxation purposes.
Casino license websites:
In the UK, the UK government passed a law in late 2014 that meant all online casinos that offered online gambling facilities to UK-based players needed a separate, UK licence. If you’re in the UK and you are thinking of using an online casino, then look for the ‘gambling commission’ logo which will prove that the site is above board.
Random number generators
Not a lot of people know that computers cannot ‘do’ randomness. Randomness is a very much a human trick, but we have no idea of how the human brain manages to come up with (seemingly) random numbers all on its own. Computers cannot simply pick a number out of thin air, so instead really on fiendishly complicated algorithms to simulate randomness as randomly as they can get. It’s important that these ‘random number generators’ (rngs) really do give an acceptable level of randomness, which is why most online casinos have their rngs regularly checked out by independent auditors and will usually have the results of any such audits published on their website.
Encrypted information
Of course, putting your personal information, and especially your personal financial information out on the internet does not come without risk as identify theft is one of the internet age’s biggest problems. That is why any information you give to an online casino – no matter how reputable it is – is encrypted, and usually by what is known as ‘128-bit encryption’. Every piece of information you send via the web is encrypted by having a ‘key’ consisting of a string of 128 ones-and-zeroes applied to it. This renders the information you send as being completely meaningless – unless you have the same ‘128-bit’ key at the other end of the transaction. Anyone who intercepts your data has a very, very minuscule chance of de-coding it into anything meaningful.
Online casinos – your safety is virtually guaranteed
Anyone who thinks that online casinos are ‘dodgy’ is wrong. These are legitimate businesses here to make legitimate money in legitimate ways. Unscrupulous dealings are simply not worth it, as a handful of people throughout the history of online gambling has found out with multi-million dollar fines and lengthy prison sentences.
How online casinos are regulated
For the longest time, online casinos suffered from the stigma that they’re something akin to the wild west. As the internet lends a significant deal of anonymity to the situation, people believed that online gambling platforms simply couldn’t be as reliable and as secure as their brick and mortar counterparts.
Fast forward a few years and it’s pretty much public knowledge these days that online casinos are regulated. And although this has removed the scepticism gamblers had about the safety of online casinos, most betting enthusiasts still shy away from online gambling platforms because they don’t know how they work.
This is why we’ve compiled a short guide that details all that you need to know about the associations that regulate online casinos. We hope that our blog post removes any doubts you may have about the process and gives you peace of mind when gambling online.
Bodies that certify online casinos:
Generally speaking, there are three requirements that an online casino needs to become certified and regulated, namely;
1. Via their respective governments:
This is by far the most common route that online casinos take to get licenced. The problem with this method is that the degree of leniency allotted to online casinos varies from jurisdiction to jurisdiction so it’s always a wise idea to take a closer look into the relevant laws that govern online casinos in your locality.
Right now the main jurisdictions that provide licences for online casinos are:
2. Via A respectable security testing organization:
Security testing organizations earn their bread and butter from testing and reporting any glaring or subtle shortcomings in a digital platform. So, if you see that your favourite casino openly advertises that it is “SSL secured” then you can rest easy knowing that you’re funds and details are safe and secured at any online casino that has and SSL along with a jurisdiction licence.
3. Via A respectable software testing organization:
Similarly, software testing organizations test to see if software (e.G. Downloadable casino platforms) meets the highest standards of cyberspace security.
Over the years, bodies like itech labs, ecorga (e-commerce and online gaming regulation and assurance) and the canadian technical systems testing enjoy a spotless reputation in this regard. So, you should prefer to gamble at online casinos that advertise their approval from these bodies as they’re generally safer and more secure.
Appreciating the differences
Online gambling is more regulated now than ever before with more than 61 countries (including the likes of the united states, the united kingdom, france, and germany, etc.) that strictly regulate online casinos. On the other hand, there are still 39 countries (such as the UAE, singapore, and north korea, etc.) that have deemed this digital venture to be illegal.
That being said, players in these countries have little to worry about as governments tend to penalize the online betting platforms that manage these casinos. For a better understanding, please refer to the respective laws of your country.
And that concludes our blog on how online casinos are certified and licensed these days. We hope that this clears any doubts that you may have had about online gambling and betting.
The newcasinos.Org platform was founded to address the scepticism around online casinos and to make online gambling more fun for gambling enthusiasts. This is why we constantly add new casino sites to our platform and why we empower our users to play the latest casino games!
Browse through our selection of online gambling games to find something that’s perfectly tailored to your needs!
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Are online casinos legal?
Some of these discrepancies concern the legal status of making and accepting bets, others have to do with processing payments to online gambling operators, and openly promoting casino websites. In other words, what is legal in one region may be against the law in another. What further contributes to the complexity of the situation are the constant modifications some jurisdictions introduce to their online gambling legislation.
The question many casino players are asking themselves is whether the legislation of their country of domicile allows them to legally engage in interactive gambling activities and put real money on stake over the internet. The following article aims at answering this question as well as at providing essential information in regard to pivotal regulatory authorities and the status of online gambling in key european jurisdictions.
Main differences between regulated, grey and black markets
As far as interactive gambling is concerned, it is possible to distinguish between three main types of markets, the first one being the regulated market. In jurisdictions where online gambling is regulated, online casinos are not allowed to offer their products and services to the residents unless they have been issued a license from the respective country’s gambling regulatory body. Often, the websites of casinos which do not hold a local license are blocked, which prevents players from accessing them and opening accounts.
This course of action has a number of merits. To begin with, this works to the advantage of the local players because they have an authority (the one issuing the licenses) to protect them, someone they can turn to in case any issues with their payments or their casino accounts ensue. Then again, introducing adequate market regulations is beneficial for the country itself because it boosts its economy.
The regulatory bodies are the ones to decide what taxation should be imposed on the licensees’ profits. Needless to say, these taxes bring additional revenue to the country’s treasury. This also helps create more job positions for the locals, in instances where the casino operator is required to open an office in the country. Last but not least, in countries where the markets are regulated, a greater stress is placed on gambling addiction prevention, intervention, and treatment which also works to the benefit of a certain group of players. This is the situation in the following regulated markets in europe – the united kingdom, italy, belgium, spain, denmark, bulgaria, portugal, and romania.
There are also unregulated markets where the local authorities have not expressed any stance whatsoever on online casinos’ legal status. No regulations are imposed, and no licenses are granted either, which is to say interactive gambling is neither legal, nor illegal. In other words, the legality of online casinos there is questionable. Such markets are sometimes referred to as “grey” and online gambling is not explicitly denounced as illegal there.
Some online casinos, operating from other jurisdictions where interactive gaming is legal, venture to offer their services to the local players without a license because there are no repercussions to worry about and their websites are not blocked, either. Unfortunately, in such cases there will be no one there to come to players’ aid and offer them protection. In addition, the jurisdiction collects nothing in taxes and the online casinos get to retain all profits they generate in the country.
Finally, there are jurisdictions which fall into the black-market category. There are countries where online gambling is explicitly deemed illegal and licenses are not issued to local or foreign operators. In some countries like the USA, for example, financial institutions are instructed by the government to block payments to and from interactive gambling websites in an attempt to prevent local players from illegally partaking in such activities.
However, both players and casino operators find loopholes in the legislation and some web-based casinos still accept registrations from countries where online gambling is explicitly declared illegal. This creates the perfect prerequisites for a thriving illegal economy. Some of the countries which fall into this category include france (where only online sports betting is legal), the USA (where only online poker is legal in specific states), singapore, and australia.
Legal status of online casinos in europe
As was mentioned in the beginning, the laws regarding the legality of online casinos may differ substantially from one jurisdiction to another. Moreover, many countries tend to introduce modifications in their gambling legislation every now and then so things tend to change over time. If players are unfamiliar with the legal situation in their country of residence, we offer them several brief overviews of the legal status of online casinos in some key european jurisdictions, the UK included.
The united kingdom
This piece of legislation requires online casinos to obtain licenses from the local regulatory authority, known as the UK gambling commission, abbreviated as UKGC. The latter issues several types of licenses, including those for sports betting, gambling software, bingo, lotteries, and virtual casino games. Each of these interactive gaming activities requires a separate license to be obtained by casino operators. However, UK players who open real-money accounts at unlicensed online casinos are not persecuted by law, although the latter are prohibited from openly promoting their services and products to the locals.
The local authorities have imposed a flat tax of 15% on the gross profits of the casino providers but players themselves are not required to pay taxes on the winnings they have accrued while gambling on the web.
Germany
Sweden
Meanwhile, swedish players are not persecuted for registering and betting on foreign gambling websites. The access to such online casinos is not restricted in any way, either. However, casino operators without licenses are not allowed to promote their services and products on the swedish market and there were even instances of local newspapers being fined for publishing advertisements of unauthorised online casinos.
Sweden is currently leaning towards opening its market to foreign gambling providers, following the pressure on behalf of the european commission. The plans are to introduce taxes of 18% of the gross gaming revenue of all licensees and demand payment services providers to cease serving unlicensed gambling operators, which would effectively prevent swedish players from processing transactions to unauthorised websites. The first licenses are expected to be issued in the first half of 2019, at the earliest.
Norway
There are only two legal gambling websites allowed to operate in the country and these are run by state-owned companies. Norsk risktoto has been granted a license to legally offer betting on horse racing to norwegian residents while norsk tipping is allowed to provide interactive lotteries, poker, keno games, scratch cards, and sports betting. The norwegian gaming authority has gone as far as demanding banking institutions to cease processing payments to and from online casinos, based outside the country.
In reality, the situation in norway is not as dire as it originally appears to be. There are no known cases of norwegian players being pursued by the authorities for betting on foreign websites. Moreover, there are various loopholes to bypass the ban on casino transactions, such as players using intermediary digital wallets like skrill and neteller.
Spain
At the present moment, operators can acquire licenses for offering poker, bingo, slots, table games like blackjack, baccarat and roulette, exchange betting, fixed-odds sports betting, and fixed-odds horse race betting. The majority of specific licenses are valid for a period of five years, with the exception of those for table games which expire within three years of issuing. Also, there are taxes of 25% on the gross revenue of the licensed online gaming providers.
Italy
Portugal
Under portuguese law, foreign operators with a local license are allowed to offer interactive bingo, table games, and tournament poker as well as fixed-odds betting on sports and horse racing. All licensees offering virtual casino games and poker are expected to comply with heavy taxes which amount to 30% of their annual revenue. Many foreign gambling providers appear reluctant to apply for a spanish license because of the burdensome taxes they are expected to comply with.
Denmark
What is the function of regulatory authorities
Regulatory authorities are in fact federal governments which have enforced legislation that allows them to regulate and issue licenses for interactive gambling activities. Needless to say, one of the key incentives for such federal governments is to generate additional revenue as becomes evident by the fact some of the most popular regulatory bodies are indeed located in small countries where the natural resources are quite limited. The countries having the power to regulate and license online casino operations are frequently referred to as “licensing jurisdictions”.
Each of these licensing jurisdictions is home to a big central organisation which grants the casino licenses and also oversees the operations of the licensees. The licenses offered by each regulatory authority are valid within specific gambling markets only. As a general rule, all applicants are required to go through rigorous security and background checks in order to ensure the fairness and randomness of their casino software. Applicants are also subjected to strict financial and tax audits. Another role of the regulatory bodies is to act as mediators whenever there are disputes between the online gambling operators and their players.
Major regulatory authorities in the online casino industry
Every licensing jurisdiction has outlined its own criteria that all applicants must meet in order to receive and maintain their licenses. Read on for brief overviews of five of the most respected regulatory bodies in the industry and the guidelines their licensees are expected to adhere to.
The UK gambling commission
The UK gambling commission (UKGC) regulates online gambling in the UK under the gambling act of 2005 and is granted the right to issue licenses for a variety of interactive gambling activities, including virtual casino games, bingo, poker, sports betting, race betting, casino software, and lotteries. A separate license is issued for each type of online gambling service. As of the fall of 2013, the UKGC is also responsible for overseeing and controlling the UK national lottery.
Apart from issuing the licenses themselves, the UKGC bears the responsibility for monitoring and regulating all its licensees. The commission is also allowed to undertake regulatory and financial audits of its licensees any time it chooses to do so. The operators are required to pay a flat tax of 15% on their overall gaming profits.
The isle of man gambling supervision commission
All casino providers applying for licenses from this regulatory body are required to undergo thorough tests to ensure the fairness and true randomness of the online casino software they are using. The latter is subject to exhaustive audits several times per year. The operators are also subjected to financial tests to guarantee their solvency – this is to eliminate the risk of such casino providers experiencing issues with payments to players. The gambling supervision commission also deals with resolving any issues players may experience with the casinos, carrying an isle of man license.
The alderney gambling control commission
Online casinos which carry the seal of approval of the AGCC, are expected to undergo rigorous software testing on a regular basis and publish information regarding their games’ return to player percentages. In addition, alderney licensees are required to set strict limits in regard to the maximum amounts their players are allowed to deposit into their online casino accounts. Should a player request an increase of the original deposit limit, the request may (or may not) be approved within a seven-day period. The AGCC has issued licenses to as many as thirty online gambling operators, all of which target predominantly the UK market.
The malta gaming authority
There are four different types of MGA licenses gambling operators can potentially apply for. Class 1 licenses cover interactive casino games, games of chance, and games where the outcome is determined by a random number generator. Class 2 licenses are related to online sports betting while class 3 licenses cover advertising and promoting gambling activities. Meanwhile, class 4 licenses are issued to companies that host remote gambling operations but are not operators themselves.
Operators interested in acquiring a license from malta need to pay an initial license fee as well as a 0.5% tax on their turnover. The MGA licenses are valid for a period of five years and need to be renewed once expired. Online casinos carrying the seal of approval of the MGA are not allowed to accept registrations from players, based in malta.
The gibraltar gambling commission
Many online casino providers apply for a gibraltar license because this territory is not subject to the burdensome UK tax laws. Acquiring a license from this jurisdiction is significantly more cost-effective for applicants, with gaming taxes set to 1% of the operators’ overall turnover. The tax amounts are capped at a minimum of £85,000 while the upper limit stands at £425,000. A gibraltar license covers all types of online gambling activities and expires within a period of one year. Another benefit of applying for a gibraltar license stems from the lack of value added taxes, or VAT, in this jurisdiction.
The role of independent software auditors
When licensed online casinos assure their players the games on offer are entirely fair and random, they have the necessary audit information to back their claims up. All respected online casino operators reference the independent testing agencies which have conducted the audits on the available gaming collections. If the portfolio passes the tests for fairness, the gambling operator receives a certification for randomness to publish on the homepage of its website. Moreover, there are many online casino operators which prefer to further transparency by offering extensive lists comprising the theoretical player return percentages of all available games.
Some of the most highly-esteemed independent software auditors in the world, such as ecogra, are actually based in the united kingdom. Other notable third-party testing agencies include itech labs, technical systems testing (TST), gaming laboratories international (GLI), and gaming associates (GA). Those, who register at an online casino which undergoes audits by one of these testing facilities, can rest safe in the knowledge the games they invest their funds in are up to par with the highest standards of fairness.
A look at how online gambling is regulated
A lot of people who gamble online don’t give so much as a single thought to how the how the online gambling industry is regulated. In an ideal world they wouldn’t have to either, as the industry would be uniformly regulated across the global spectrum. We don’t live in an ideal world though, unfortunately, so this is not the case. And regulation is something that you SHOULD be thinking about.
The online gambling industry is still quite young relatively speaking. Its incredible rise in popularity was probably unexpected, and it’s fair to say that most lawmakers were not prepared for it. As a result, it took a while before countries started passing legislation that dealt with online gambling. Prior to that, they relied on outdated laws that were not really relevant and some countries still do.
As a whole, the legal and regulatory landscape of online gambling has improved in recent years. There’s still a long way to go before it can be considered a well regulated industry on a global basis though. We look forward to the day that happens, but for now we have to accept the way things are.
In this article we explain why it’s important to understand regulation if you enjoy betting or gaming online. We also briefly cover the subject of localized gambling legislation, and provide details on various jurisdictions around the world where gambling sites are licensed to provide their services. Finally, we look at some of the key requirements for obtaining an online gambling license.
Why online gambling regulaion is important
Online betting and gaming involves entrusting money to what are effectively “faceless” third parties in most cases. Millions of people all over the world deposit funds at gambling sites, but very few of them actually know much about the companies or people behind those sites. This is ultimately the point of regulation in the industry. People should be able to know that they can deposit their money, safe in the knowledge that they are dealing with reputable organizations.
Online gambling regulation effectively serves three main purposes, as follows.
- To ensure gambling sitesare operated lawfully
- To ensure gambling sites are operated ethically
- To ensure online gamblers are safe and treated fairly
All gambling sites should be compliant with any laws that they are subject to, which should go without saying. They should all be engaged in practices that are ethical. There should also be measures against money laundering and underage gambling, for example, and their advertising should be honest and not misleading.
Sites should also be required, among other things, to protect customer deposits and have transparent terms and conditions. Customers should have a fair chance of winning, and should be entitled to receive any winnings they make within a reasonable timeframe.
If every single gambling site met this criteria, then the internet would be a much safer environment for those wishing to bet and play games for real money. Sadly, they don’t. That’s precisely why regulation is so important. Sites should be FORCED to meet this criteria (and many are), and if they don’t then they shouldn’t be allowed to operate.
Unfortunately, it’s hard to stop rogue sites acting as they please. There is no global legal or regulatory body that oversees online gambling in every single country, so sites can base themselves where they are not subject to strict laws or regulation and be able to operate with relative ease.
Thankfully, rogue sites are certainly in the minority. The vast majority of sites are based in regions where they are subject to relevant laws and regulations, and so they are safe to use. The fact that even just a few rogue sites exist is still a concern though, and it makes it necessary for people to be careful about where they sign up.
This is the key point really. Regulation might serve more than one purpose, but the one that really interests us is the one that benefits us most. As customers of gambling sites, we don’t really care about the legal and regulatory aspects that don’t affect us. We only care about those aspects that protect us and enable us to enjoy our online betting and gaming without any concerns.
We can only benefit from regulation in the industry if we use the right sites. It’s therefore absolutely vital, in our opinion at least, that people check what regulation a site is subject to before joining.
Regulation is just one thing to consider when choosing where to do your online betting and gaming.
Please read our article on picking the right gambling site for advice on some of the other factors you
should take into account.
Local gambling legislation
We mentioned earlier how there is no global body that governs the online gambling industry. There’s never likely to be either, as there are too many separate interested parties for this to happen. It’s really too bad, but it’s just the way it is. The biggest downside to this fact is that it means the laws relating to online gambling can vary wildly depending on where you live. The activity is strictly prohibited in some parts of the world, and fully legalized in others.
Even worse, there are some parts of the world where the laws are somewhat confusing.
In the united states there is online gambling legislation at two levels; federal and state. The legislation at federal level affects the whole country, and the legislation at state level affects only the relevant state. Certain aspects of the federal legislation are somewhat open to interpretation, which makes it difficult to know exactly what’s legal and what’s not. The legislation at state level is clearer, but only a few states currently have specific online gambling legislation in place.
It’s worth noting that, in most regions at least, local laws tend to be focused on those who operate gambling sites rather than those who use them. It’s very rare for a country to have any laws which explicitly make it illegal for an individual to make a bet on the internet, or play poker for real money. Nonetheless, confusing laws such as those in the US often cause a certain amount of hesitancy. Some people just don’t want to run the risk of doing something they shouldn’t, even when it’s not at all clear that they shouldn’t be doing it.
We’re neither legal experts nor lawyers, so we’re not exactly qualified to speak with too much authority on the subject. However, we have carried out extensive research into a lot of relevant legislation. It’s our belief that most people are free to gamble online without fear of breaking any laws.
This is something you should check out for yourself with the appropriate sources if you’re concerned though. You might also want to take a look at the following section of our website, which provides details of gambling legislation in several different countries.
Online gambling jurisdictions
To fully understand how regulation in this industry works, you should understand the concept of online gambling jurisdictions. These are regions where the relevant governments have passed specific laws that make it legal for companies based there to provide online betting and gaming services. These companies can therefore operate gambling sites with full legal backing.
There are several of these online gambling jurisdictions around the world. Some of them are very respected, and a lot of the biggest and best known brands in the industry are based in those places, while others are less so. Here are some of the most prominent.
Within these jurisdictions there is usually an appointed organization which is responsible for regulating the gambling companies based there. These are typically referred to as licensing authorities, as they issue licenses to the companies that they approve for operation. Companies wishing to obtain a license, and then remain licensed, must meet certain requirements.
Licensing requirements
The exact licensing requirements for a gambling site will depend on which jurisdiction they are based in and what services they offer. The following requirements are typical though.
- Suitability of owners & executives
- Accounting procedures
- Fairness of games
- Dealing with problem gamblers
- Preventing underage gambling
- Handling complaints
Most of these requirements are in place to ensure that regulation serves the three main purposes we highlighted earlier. We explain each one of them below, and in doing so should hopefully make it clear to you just how beneficial it is to only use sites that are properly licensed and regulated.
Suitability of owners & executives
The online gambling industry is worth a lot of money. As with anything where there are large sums of money involved, it attracts plenty of the wrong people. Most licensing authorities are therefore very strict about who they allow to operate gambling sites. They assess the owners, and senior staff in some cases, to ensure that they are “fit and proper” and of good standing.
People that may not be considered suitable can include those with criminal records, particularly if their crimes were finance related. The basic idea here is to ensure that the people running a site are the kind of people that can be trusted to run an honest operation.
Accounting procedures
This is one of the most important aspects of regulation in terms of making it safe to deposit at gambling sites. A licensing authority might impose a wide range of rules relating to account procedures, but an especially common one is that sites must separate customer deposits from all other funds. Those deposits must be protected somehow, so that if a site went out of business for any reason the customers would still be able to get their money back.
Fairness of games
This point relates to sites which offer casino games, poker, or other interactive gambling games. They have to be able to demonstrate that the games they offer are fair, and that customers have the correct chance of winning. This usually means having their software fully tested by an appropriate third party. Such tests will be run on a regular basis.
Dealing with problem gamblers
One of the criticisms made about online gambling is that it makes addiction more likely. There have been studies to show that this is not the case, but problem gambling is nevertheless an issue that the industry should, and does, take seriously. Licensed sites are typically obliged to have certain measures in place to help prevent problem gambling. These measures include providing the option to set deposit or limits or self-exclude.
Preventing underage gambling
Another common criticism is that it’s easy for people underage to gamble online. There is little basis to this either, although again it’s something that needs to be considered. Regulated sites are generally required to carry out identity checks on their customers, and part of the reason for this is to ensure that they are old enough to use their services.
Handling complaints
Most licensing authorities stipulate that their licensees must have a defined complaints procedure in place. This procedure should be made available to any customer who has a complaint of any kind. Some licensing authorities also provide arbitration services where they will investigate complaints that cannot be resolved and offer a suitable solution.
It’s very difficult to predict how the regulation of online gambling will develop in the future.
A perfect solution would be for a new organization to be formed that would be
responsible for governing the industry on a global basis. This would remove a great deal of the
difficulty in determining which sites meet the necessary requirements to be considered
trustworthy. If every site had to adhere to the same set of strict requirements then things
would be a lot easier. This is almost certainly a pipe dream though, and there are simply too
many reasons why this won’t happen.
What we do expect to see is more countries refining their existing legislation, or passing new
legislation, that deals specifically with online gambling and its regulation. There are still
far too many countries relying on outdated and confusing laws that are simply not relevant
to the way we do our betting and gaming these days. We’re all for progression on this front.
Our biggest hope is that all regulation of the industry is primarily focused on protecting those
who wish to gamble online. It obviously needs to be commercially viable for operators to
provide their services, but there’s no harm in stricter regulation to ensure that they behave
with integrity and transparency.
We also hope that regulation in ALL parts of the world allows people to do as they choose with
their money. It’s understandable that there are concerns that online gambling can lead
to addiction and other issues, but simple making it illegal does nothing to address this. If
anything, it makes things worse. People that want to gamble online are always going to find a
way to do so, and if it’s illegal where they live then they’ll potentially be forced to use
unregulated sites. And that has the potential to cause far more problems.
Regulated online casinos versus unregulated markets
REGULATED and unregulated gaming markets have two different approaches to online casino gambling. Regulated casino markets attempt to legalise, license, regulate, and tax online casinos.
Law makers in these countries realise online gambling takes place whether the law it or not. They want to make the activity safer for their citizens, while collecting taxes, fees, and fines to help pay the cost of regulation and fund public education.
An unregulated casino market takes the opposite approach. Some ban online gambling, believing a law will keep citizens from gambling online. Officials in some nations try to block citizens from accessing offshore online casinos.
Still others try to prosecute online casino operators, though they seldom prosecute the gamblers who register accounts at online casinos.
Around the globe, unregulated online casino markets lead to an underground gambling economy.
When governments try to ban a popular activity, it leads to inevitable black market or grey market activities.
How regulated casino markets work
Ironically, countries which take the opposite approach protect their citizens better. When a government legalizes online gambling, it sets the agenda for acceptable behaviour. Regulated markets include consumer protections, helplines and hotlines for those at risk, and tools to help gamblers control their impulses. Unregulated markets fail to institute such pragmatic policies to keep their citizens safe.
Spain: an example of a regulated gaming market
Now spanish online casinos operate in a full regulatory framework with transparency and accountability, but also safety and security for spanish online gamblers. Spanish online card sites have shared poker liquidity with france, italy, and portugal, creating a shared online poker playing community of 190 million players. Spain’s internet gaming market is ready to become a stable, lucrative source of taxes in a socially responsible framework.
It was not always so. A few years ago, spain banned online gambling. That created a black market with no transparency and no protections for everyday spanish residents. No one inside or outside of government had any clue who collected revenues on unregulated gambling or what kind of activities those revenues funded. Luckily, spanish lawmakers saw the light.
Timeline of spanish online gambling laws
- 2006: legalised sports betting for licensed online and brick-and-mortar bookmaker sites.
- 2008: the first betting shops opened, with william hill opening businesses in spain.
- 2008: catalan began licenses regional betting shops. The national ban on online poker, slots, and blackjack remained.
- 2010: the spanish gaming act was passed, legalizing online gambling and creating a national gaming regulator (DGOJ).
- 2011: the gaming act went into effect on may 29, 2011. Regional institutions were given limited authority to license or ban games, including online games.
- 2014: royal decree 304/2014 added to the 2010-11 regulations by giving anti-money laundering authority over online gambling to the financial action task force(FATF).
- 2017: on july 7, spain, france, italy, and portugal signed the shared poker liquidity agreement, bringing much of western europe into a single online poker community. Prizes and player pools would increase, as would tax revenues.
- 2018: on january 28, france and spain celebrated the poker liquidity agreement with the france espana hold’em series (FRESH), which had a €5,000,000 guaranteed prize pool by pokerstars. FRESH exceeded expectations, as €6,149,751 in prizes eventually were handed out.
Why regulated online gambling markets are better
As you can see, the shared poker liquidity leads to bigger player pools and therefore bigger prizes. That means more fun for the players and bigger tax revenues for governments. The argument for regulated online casinos goes well beyond monetary figures, though. A well-regulated online casino is a matter of public safety and consumer protection.
When someone plays in a regulated online casino, that person plays in a legitimate business which protects its customers. The casino operation is accountable to government regulators, so it acts responsibly. If it doesn’t, punishment is swift and costly. Regulated online casinos are both profitable and socially responsible.
To get an idea of how regulated online gambling works, below is a list of common features in regulated casino markets.
Features of regulated casinos
- Responsible gambling laws: consumer protections and problem gambling counselling. Bans on underage gambling and predatory behaviour.
- Age verification software: regulated markets require online casinos to use software to prevent underage children from accessing the site.
- Geolocation software: GPS software which assures a player in another country cannot access the online casino.
- Self-exclusion lists: A national list which allows a better to remove themselves from all regulated online gambling sites for 6 months, 1 year, 5 years, or a lifetime.
- Panic buttons: A bettor can exclude themselves from a single online casino for 24 hours, 48 hours, 1 week, or 6 weeks.
- Licensing process: casino operators must apply for a license and undergo a vetting process. Financial background, investors, and business associates are investigated and approved.
- National helpline: those concerned about problem gambling can call a hotline to receive advice counselling. Regulated markets mandate online casinos display these numbers prominently.
- National hotline: for those dealing with pathological gambling or suicidal thoughts, regulated markets require a hotline with access to toll-free numbers with counsellors and other staff.
- Regulatory audits: regulated casinos must undergo a periodic audit by their government regulators and/or third-party auditors to assure compliance. Failure means fines or license forfeiture.
All these are common measures of a regulated online casino. Unregulated offshore online casinos are under no obligation to institute such policies. Some do voluntarily, to assure customers they are legitimate.
As you’ll read below, some are licensed by international regulators, so they comply anyway. But readers must understand: others simply don’t. Rogue and blacklisted online casinos exist which prey on customers because politicians do not have the courage or will to protect their own citizens.
National gambling laws: spain vs. United states
While 2006 was a key year for spain to create modern online gambling laws, the same year saw the united states regress. 2006 was the year the unlawful internet gambling enforcement act (UIGEA) made it illegal to process payments at online casinos, poker sites, and sportsbooks in the united states. In 2011, the US justice department reversed its interpretation of the UIGEA, allowing individual states to promote online casinos and poker sites (while banning sportsbooks).
Despite the 2011 reversal, the U.S. Online gambling market remains largely unregulated. Only 46 states have legal US online casinos and card sites. In many ways, gambling laws in the united states are the worst of both worlds.
Few individual states protect their citizens with common sense gambling laws. That means US citizens who gamble online do not have responsible gaming protections, unlike spanish players. Nor does america have a developed gaming market with the full range of online casino choices. In 46 US states, players have to go to offshore sites to find online casino games. Like the prohibition era ban on liquor sales, unwise bans on a popular activity led to a huge underground economy.
What is an unregulated online casino?
When the term ‘unregulated’ is used to describe an online casino, it is usually a subjective term.
Brand name online casinos tend to be licensed and regulated by a government agency somewhere in the world; unregulated is used by state and national authorities to mean websites not regulated by their specific agencies.
Licensed but unregulated
It is natural to assume that unregulated means unlicensed, but that usually is not the case. Even when an online casino is not regulated by U.S. State and federal agencies, that site usually seeks a license from an international licensing agency. There are plenty of online casinos that accept US players that are licensed and regulated in other countries.
The most trusted gambling regulators in the world are agencies like the UK gambling commission, the gibraltar gaming authority, the malta gaming authority, the kahnawake gaming commission, and the isle of man gaming authority. For many years, bovada was regulated by the kahnawake gaming commission, a tribal gaming authority across the saint lawrence river from montreal.
Are online casinos banned in the united states?
Many unlicensed USA online casinos are safe to play, thanks to the gray area america is still in. The united states federal government bans interstate online sportsbooks, but thanks to a 2011 U.S. Department of justice opinion by U.S. Assistant attorney general virginia seitz, online casinos, and poker sites are not banned by the federal government under the UIGEA. Individual US states have the right to license, regulate, and tax online casinos and card rooms. They can even legalize intrastate (single-state) online sportsbooks.
Some U.S. States go in the opposite direction. They ban online casinos, sportsbooks, and poker sites outright. For many, online gambling exists in a gray area, where they state has neither banned igaming or legalized it. Internationally license offshore online casinos accept US players. Government authorities do not try to stop or prosecute offshore operators, because they could not do so if they tried. US real money gamblers play at offshore sites by the millions.
Why US online casino laws are complicated
US online gambling laws are complicated because the united states is a federal republic. The framers of the U.S. Constitution wanted “equal sovereignty” between the individual states and the federal government. Having lived under a british system which taxed them without giving them representation in parliament, the founding fathers distrusted a central government and wanted to diffuse power between many competing interests. The states were regarded as equally sovereign to the federal government.
When a member of the US congress wants to create a federal online gambling law, that receives pushback from defenders of states’ rights. They argue such laws should be decided at the state level of government. Such arguments transcend gambling laws. If the states allow the federal government to dictate online casino regulations, it suggests the central government in washington D.C. Could do the same on dozens of other key issues.
US unregulated casinos vs. Spanish regulated casinos
For that reason, US online gambling laws remain the purview of state governments. US online casino law is, therefore, a confusing patchwork of regulations, bans, and gray areas in between. America’s legal framework is designed to be that way, so no one person or faction can decide the law for everyone else. For a country the size of a continent, that system might work best.
Legal online casinos 2019
No matter where in the world you live, there are legal online casinos to play at. Whether you want to play slots, poker, table games, or bing for real money then you need to make sure the site you choose is licensed and regulated. Here on our site, you will find a list of online sites that have been vetted by our expert to ensure that they meet the highest industry standards. Every site we list has been certified for fair gaming and we take the time to make sure you won't run into any problems. You'll find all the deposit methods you require as well as fast payouts on your winnings and you get to wager in your own currency too.
Legal online gambling environments around the world
Here on our site you can choose legal casino sites for your country of residence. We provide up to date information on the betting environments for each of these countries as well as information on what you need to look at and how to make the most out of your real money gaming.
Canada - legal canadian online casinos
As a real money player at CA casinos, you get to choose from a number of top quality casino sites. There are lots of online and mobile casinos to play at and our legal casinos online for canadian players include only the best picks. You can make deposit and withdrawals in CAD and all the sites we list provide a range of banking options for canada based players. To find the best site for your gaming needs be sure to check out legal canadian online casinos.
UK licensed casinos online
If you are based in the UK there are hundreds of different sites that you can choose from for real money games. We have our own UK betting guide that will help you find the sites that will work for you. You get to play in pounds sterling and there are banking options to suit your country specific needs with no additional fees or charges. Find the very best regulated UK online casinos today. All the website we recommend are UK gambling commission approved.
Regulated USA casinos - NJ, NV and other states
Finding licensed USA casinos can be difficult but here on our site, we list the best legal sites for your real money gaming. Every site we list will allow you to play in US dollars and offer 24/7 customer support. Our experts have checked out all the sites so you can enjoy real money poker, slots, and table games with no fuss or hassle.
Finding the best NJ casinos can be a challenge if you don't know what to look for. New jersey is becoming one of the most competitive markets and we have all the information you need to find the best NJ online casinos. All the websites we list allow you to deposit and withdraw in US dollars and are fully regulated so all your real money wagers are legal.
Australia game sites
We have a range of real money AUS casinos here on our site. These are the best of the best and are fully licensed and regulated. They offer the types of casinos games players want including pokies, online bingo, and more. You can play on mobile and desktop as well as making deposits and withdrawals in australian dollars. This means you don't have currency exchange fees either.
New zealand betting sites
Kiwi players will find the best legal NZ online casinos on our site. You can play all your favourite games including slots, blackjack, roulette, poker, and more. You can make deposits and withdrawals using NZ dollars and all the sites we listed are certified safe and secure and offer new zealand friendly deposits and withdrawal methods.
South africa internet casino sites
South african real money gamblers will find a great range of legal online casinos that are licensed and regulated and offer all the casino games they want to play. We list the best sites for mobile and PC players and all allow you to use rand for deposits and withdrawals and for your game wagers. They also offer some of the best SA online casino bonuses including free spins, no deposit deals, and more.
Top online gaming regulators
All legal online casinos must be licensed by a regulatory body to ensure that real money players are protected and that the games are fair. Both brick and mortar and land-based casinos should hold a licensing agreement from one of the regulatory bodies we have listed below. There are numerous benefits that these regulators provide including fair gaming and the safeguarding of funds. Paragraph about the online gaming regulators, their role, and how they shape the online gambling industry. Below you will find a brief overview of the main online gambling regulators.
- Malta gaming authority: A lot of online casino companies choose this regulator. It is a renowned commission that is often considered to be the preferred remote gaming regulator around the world. A lot of quality casinos are licensed by this gaming authority that offers four different options. This includes remote gaming, remote betting, abet remote gaming, and host and manages remote gaming operators. They have strict rules that must be adhered to and their rules include ensuring customers enjoy the services in a fun, safe, and fair environment.
- UK gambling commission: all UK online casinos must be licensed by the UKGC. The UKGC has very strict rules and regulations and companies must pay for licensing and taxes if they wish to operate in the UK. Players at these sites are guaranteed fair gaming and safety and security.
- Kahnawake gaming commission: this licensing body was created in 1996 and has certified many online and land-based betting sites in canada. It offers four types which include interactive gaming licenses, client provider authorization, inter-jurisdictional authorization, and key person permits. The commission regulates a huge number of online games such as online poker, casino games, and online sports betting sites.
- Gibraltar betting and gaming association: this authority has very strict rules and a serious code of conduct that online gambling sites must adhere to. It is the largest authority with many sites holding a remote gambling license from gibraltar. This includes online casinos, sportsbooks, and online poker sites. One of the main advantages to casino sites in gibraltar is that fair gaming is guaranteed.
So, let's see, what we have: the best regulated online casinos by various local and international gaming commissions to make things safer for players. At are online casinos regulated
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