Casino licences
A casino licence is one of the most important attributes an online casino should have. If an online casino has no licence at all, you genuinely can’t feel confident that your winnings will actually be paid out.
Because of this, you need not just to check whether a casino genuinely holds a licence, but also to understand the main guidelines of the licence it holds. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at casino licences – we’ll discuss why licences matter, explain their importance, and introduce the most popular licences.
What is a casino licence?
It is worth understanding what a casino licence is before you start using online casino services. The licence itself is proof that the casino operates lawfully and is accountable to the authority that issued it. Below we explain why casino licences matter and how to recognise a licensed casino.
Why are casino licences important?
A casino licence is a very important attribute, since it’s specifically the licence that can protect a player’s interests if an ambiguous or even conflict-like situation arises.
Casino licences essentially guarantee that an online casino operates lawfully and meets set standards. Licences protect players from unfair practices, ensure the transparency of online casino games, and guarantee a smooth deposit and withdrawal process.
Licensed online casinos are considerably safer, and unlike casinos that operate without a licence, they carry practically no risk for players.
How do you recognise a licensed casino?
It’s recommended to find out whether a casino is licensed, and which licence it holds, before registering at the online casino you’re interested in. Licensed casinos must state their licence number, as well as the body that issued it. Online casinos usually publish this information at the bottom of their website.
You can also check information about a casino’s licence in official gambling regulator registers. If you can’t find information about an online casino’s licence, you can contact the casino’s own customer support team and ask them to send the licence number.
Any licensed casino will genuinely respond positively to such a request, since online casinos always try to emphasise that they’re licensed, since this earns them greater user trust. If you have questions about whether a casino genuinely holds a licence, look for more information online or ask questions on internet forums, since services from unlicensed casinos can be unsafe.
The most popular casino licences
There are plenty of different casino licences, but some of them are better known and well recognised by gamblers around the world. A well-known licence is an extra safety guarantee, so it’s always recommended to choose casinos whose licence has global recognition.
Most countries, including South Africa, have their own national licence, and there are also international licences that serve plenty of different countries. We’ll take a closer look at a few of the most popular licences.
South African gambling licence
The South African gambling licence is trustworthy and safe, so if you play at an online casino with a South African licence, you can feel fairly at ease, since if a dispute or disagreement arises, you can always turn to the National Gambling Board (NGB).
It’s worth emphasising that only operators doing business in South Africa hold a South African licence, and the services themselves are restricted in South Africa. If you have absolutely no interest in the bonuses or loyalty programmes an online casino offers, this could be a great choice, but if you’d still like to take advantage of extra online casino perks, you should consider other alternatives.
Although a South African licence is completely safe, it can’t guarantee complete anonymity, since South African casinos are prohibited from accepting payments using crypto. The following online casinos hold a South African gambling licence – 7bet, Uniclub Casino, Cbet, Admiral Casino, Olybet, Optibet, Party Casino, TwinsBet, Betsafe and TopSport.
Curaçao casino licence
The Curaçao casino licence is an especially popular casino licence, valued by players around the world.
The process of issuing this licence is fairly straightforward, making it a great option not just for online casino giants, but also for small, newer casinos. Questions are sometimes raised about whether a Curaçao licence can genuinely guarantee complete safety, but it essentially has the reputation of a good, trustworthy licence, and the regulatory body is always ready to defend players’ interests.
Plenty of online casinos valued by South African players operate with a Curaçao licence – for example, Gizbo.Casino, Wazbee.Casino and Immerion all operate using specifically the Curaçao licence. Users like it not just for the protection it offers, but also for its flexibility – casinos holding this licence can offer a wide range of bonuses, and also let you pay using cryptocurrencies.
Malta Gaming Licence (MGA)
Malta is known as a country where plenty of gambling-related businesses are based. So it probably won’t surprise anyone that the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) is one of the most respected regulators in the online casino market. The Malta gambling licence guarantees that a casino operates safely and fairly.
An MGA licence protects the gaming process itself and guarantees completely safe financial transactions. When it comes to the MGA licensing process, it’s somewhat more complex than, say, the Curaçao licence, which is why it’s usually chosen by bigger online casinos that have been on the market for longer. Before receiving an MGA licence, online casino owners must submit a detailed financial report, prove that their game mechanics are completely fair, and commit to very carefully protecting players’ personal data.
An MGA licence guarantees players the highest level of safety, since it thoroughly analyses user complaints. Online casinos that don’t follow the licence’s rules can not only face financial penalties, but also risk losing their licence altogether. One downside of the MGA licence is that not every online casino using it can offer crypto payments. A few well-known casinos that use an MGA licence are Betsson, Unibet and LeoVegas.
Other popular casino licences
Besides the international licences already mentioned, we can also mention a few local casino licences. We can single out the UK casino licence, issued by the UK Gambling Commission. It’s considered one of the strictest in the world, guaranteeing the highest level of player protection. The Swedish gambling licence, which operates specifically in the Swedish market, is also often cited as a very good example of a gambling licence.
Both licences mentioned are very strict, but offer exceptional safety. We can also single out licences such as Gibraltar’s, the Isle of Man’s and even Estonia’s. These also protect players’ interests fairly strictly and are considered safe and trustworthy.
How does a casino get a licence?
A casino licence is a guarantee of security that a casino essentially has to earn. An online casino cannot obtain one without meeting a range of requirements. Below we set out the criteria an online casino must satisfy to be licensed, and how the licensing process works.
What requirements must a casino meet?
An online casino that wants to obtain a casino licence must meet fairly strict requirements set by regulatory bodies.
A casino licence is issued if the online casino applying for it can prove its financial stability, ensure fair gameplay, a responsible gambling process, strict data protection, and compliance with anti-money-laundering rules. We’ll take a closer look at these key criteria.
Finansinis stabilumas
To obtain a casino licence, an online casino must prove its financial stability. Every licensing body sets out specific capital amounts that a gambling operator must hold.
Only by holding a certain amount of money and financial stability can an online casino guarantee it will be able to provide quality services, including the payout of winnings.
Fair gameplay
To obtain a casino licence, an online casino must prove that all its games are certified by independent game testing laboratories. These laboratories confirm that a casino’s random number generator, also known as an RNG, works correctly and transparently.
Responsible gambling
Licensed casinos must have clear responsible gambling guidelines. To obtain a licence, an online casino will need to prove to the licensing body that it can guarantee responsible gambling measures – setting deposit and betting limits, letting players self-exclude from gambling, and cooperating with responsible gambling regulators.
data protection
To obtain a casino licence, an online casino must guarantee strict data protection. Online casinos must use modern, up-to-date data encryption technology, such as SSL certificates. In short, an online casino seeking a licence must guarantee that users’ personal and payment data is completely safe and won’t be accessible to third parties.
money plovimo prevencija
Casinos seeking a licence must guarantee they’ll carry out responsible identity verification for players. This is meant to protect against fraud, money laundering and potential underage gambling. This means licensed casinos may ask players for certain personal information, proving they’re genuinely using their own identity.
Licencijos suteikimo procesas
The online casino licensing process varies depending on which licence is being sought. Usually the licensing process has a few key stages. First, the online casino seeking a licence must submit an application, stating information about the company running the casino, its shareholders and more.
The licensing body then carries out a thorough review of documents and financial reports, to confirm the accuracy of the information submitted.
This is followed by testing of the games and systems, and an assessment of responsible gambling and safety measures. After these checks, the licensing body makes a decision on whether to issue the licence. If the answer is yes and the online casino meets the criteria, the online casino then has to pay the licensing fee.
What should I do if I find an unlicensed casino?
A casino licence is an extra safety guarantee that should matter to every player. Before you start playing at an online casino, you should always check whether the casino is licensed and which specific licence it uses. Casinos usually publish licence information at the bottom of their website.
You can also find this information in various registers. That said, there are still plenty of casinos that operate without any licence at all. Such online casinos aren’t considered especially trustworthy. It’s unclear whether their games are properly certified, and there’s no guarantee that winnings will be paid out if you succeed.
If you come across a casino that has no licence, you should think carefully about whether it’s genuinely the best choice. The best move would be to look for another casino, where you can play safely and be adequately protected.
Summary
Casino licences are a very important attribute of an online casino. Every player, before starting to play at a casino, should make sure they know which licence is used and whether the casino they’re interested in is licensed at all.
Casino licences matter because they protect players’ interests in the event of a dispute, and provide an extra guarantee that the gaming process will run fairly, and that winnings will be paid out if you succeed. There are both local and international licences. Different types of licence have different advantages.
For example, a South African licence guarantees complete protection, but online casinos holding this licence can’t offer any bonuses. To obtain a licence, a casino must meet plenty of strict requirements, so a company seeking a licence proves its trustworthiness in a way that casinos without a casino licence simply can’t.