Licenses
Have you ever wondered how online casinos are regulated?
Usually, you might also find this information in the footer of a casino’s homepage.
But what does that say about the casino?
Why do Online Casinos Need Licences?
Players feel safer with a licensed online sportsbook or casino.
If you have a dispute with a licensed operator, you could turn to the regulatory body.
They should be able to solve your dispute, and legislation mostly favours players ahead of operators.
Another incentive for operators to obtain a licence is simply because it is illegal not to.
Your bingo rooms will be an added category on the website of the operator you team up with.
However, you’re able to still reap the profits.
Alternatively, it’s possible for you to use a white-label solution.
You will need to have a functioning website that you have designed to the last detail.
Then, you will team up with a company that already holds a licence.
They will manage the legal side for you whilst you will run your operation.
From the player’s perspective, you will look like a fully independent operation.
However, you may have a vision of targeting a specific audience, like say, the UK.
Your collection of games includes all the top slots, roulette games and scratchcards for the market.
You also provide extensive betting markets for football, horse racing, cricket and rugby.
Budget
This leans heavily into the last question about budgets.
Not everyone has the same financial means as the heavyweights in the industry.
Smaller operations or startups will have no option but to look for cheaper licences or operators to partner with.
utility for Licence
Applying for a licence is a lengthy and usually quite expensive procedure.
Some jurisdictions give one bang out of licence that covers all forms of online gambling.
Not all regulators have this requirement, and some even offer different types of licences to offshore companies.
Provide Proof of Fairness
All licensed games need to be provably fair to play.
Operators will need to supply certificates that their content has been tested by third-party auditors.
There may also be jurisdictions that conduct further investigations into an applicants portfolio.
This may lengthen the amount of time that it takes to obtain the licence.
However, the obligations to player safety do not stop there.
It can also be used for two-factor authentication further increasing the safety of your account.
All jurisdictions have laws about these tools, and licensed operators are obliged to provide them.
There should be numerous options, such as a week, a month or even longer.
In addition to self-exclusion, most jurisdictions also state that operators should offer deposit limits and timeout tools.
This is to ensure that they have the funds to pay out player winnings.
In some countries, all online gambling is illegal.
The gaming laws of the country you live in also relate to you.
You should not even think about using a VPN to enter the sportsbook.
Instead, you should look at your viable options.
It depends on the jurisdiction.
Some gambling authorities only issue one licence that covers all casino games, live games and sports betting.
There may be some that issue separate licences for different types of activity.
For example, the UK Gambling Commission can issue over 30 different types of licences.
Can I use a VPN to Join an Online Casino?
Even if you manage to create an account at the casino, you may have issues when requesting withdrawals.
A casino holds the right to deny withdrawals from players if they are suspected of fraudulent activity.
Furthermore, this activity may be punishable by law, depending on which country you are in.
What is an Offshore Online Casino?
Some jurisdictions allow operators to obtain licences without a physical presence in the country.
There are several reasons why this can happen.
Though the operator may be located in another country, there is nothing to worry about.
Licensed casinos or sportsbooks (either by white-listing or not) are completely safe and legitimate.
Simply put, this is when an operator borrows a license from a well-established company.
The licence holder then vouches for the operator, who launches a fully legitimate casino or sportsbook.
As a player, you will not notice the difference at first glance.
The operator runs their website with their own brands and portfolio.
Well-established businesses usually have their hands in multiple casinos and sportsbooks.
It is just as legitimate as an independent licence-holding establishment.
What is a White-Listed Jurisdiction?
When a territory is whitelisted this means that it is recognised by another territory.
There may be a relationship between the countries, or the regulatory bodies have signed an agreement.
For example, Gibraltar is a white-listed territory in the eyes of the UK Gambling Commission.
