Licence logos are easy to copy. What protects you is the regulator behind the logo: its checks on the operator, its rules on games, player funds and responsible gambling, and its power to fine or close a casino. This guide explains what a licence does, how the main regulators differ and how to check a licence yourself.
What a licence covers
To get a licence, an operator goes through checks on its owners and key staff, its finances and its systems. To keep it, the operator must follow the regulator's rules and report to it. Typical requirements include:
- Games and equipment tested by an accredited lab against the published rules.
- Identity and age checks on customers, and anti-money-laundering controls.
- Responsible gambling tools such as deposit limits, time-outs and self-exclusion.
- Rules on how customer balances are held, which vary by regulator.
- A complaints process, often with an independent dispute resolution service.
Live games carry a second licence. The studio that runs the tables, such as Evolution or Pragmatic Play, holds supplier licences in the markets it serves, and its studio equipment and procedures are checked there.
A licence is not valid everywhere
A licence allows an operator to serve the markets its regulator covers, under that regulator's rules. Many countries run their own licensing system and require a local licence: the United Kingdom, Sweden, Denmark, Spain, Italy and the Netherlands among them. In Canada, Ontario has its own regulated online market through iGaming Ontario, and players there should use operators registered for Ontario. In the United States, online casino play is regulated state by state.
So a casino can hold a valid licence and still not be legal where you live. Check our country pages for the rules in your market.
The main regulators
| Regulator | Where | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| UK Gambling Commission | Great Britain | Required to serve players in Great Britain; strict rules on identity checks, affordability and advertising; public register |
| Malta Gaming Authority | Malta | Common licence for operators serving several markets; public licence register |
| Gibraltar Gambling Commissioner | Gibraltar | Small number of established operators |
| Isle of Man Gambling Supervision Commission | Isle of Man | Licences online operators and suppliers |
| Curaçao Gaming Authority | Curaçao | Regulator under the National Ordinance on Games of Chance (LOK); publishes a licence register |
| Kahnawake Gaming Commission | Kahnawà:ke, Canada | Licenses online operators from the Mohawk territory |
Protection levels differ between these regulators in practice, for example in how actively they enforce rules and whether they require an independent dispute service. A licence from a national regulator in your own country gives you the most protection, because that regulator applies your local rules.
Curaçao replaced its old sub-licence system with a single regulator, the Curaçao Gaming Authority, under the LOK. Casinos that still show only an old "Curaçao eGaming" sub-licence should be checked against the new authority's register.
How to verify a licence in five steps
- Find the licence holder, licence number and regulator in the casino's footer or terms.
- Open the regulator's website yourself (not through a link on the casino site) and search its public register.
- Check that the entry is active and that the company name and the website domain match the casino you are on.
- Check that the licence covers players in your country.
- Note the complaints route: the regulator or the dispute resolution service named in the terms.
A logo without a number, a number that isn't on the register, or a register entry for a different domain are reasons not to deposit.
Warning signs at a licensed-looking casino
- The licence is held by a different company from the one in the terms.
- Withdrawals stall with repeated document requests and no clear reason.
- Terms that let the casino void winnings at its discretion.
- No way to reach the complaints process named by the regulator.
More checks for choosing a casino are in how to find a good live casino.
