Licence logos are easy to copy. What protects you is the regulator behind the logo and the rules it enforces. This guide explains what a licence does, how the main regulators differ and how to check a licence yourself.
What a licence covers
A regulator can check an operator's owners, key staff, finances and systems before it grants a licence, and can require it to follow rules and report to it afterwards. Requirements can 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, sometimes with an independent dispute resolution service.
Live games can involve a second licence. The studio that runs the tables, such as Evolution or Pragmatic Play, holds supplier licences of its own.
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 overseen by state regulators.
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 | Licence required to serve players in Great Britain |
| Malta Gaming Authority | Malta | Publishes a licensee register you can search by name or URL |
| Gibraltar Regulatory Authority | Gibraltar | Regulator for Gibraltar |
| Isle of Man Gambling Supervision Commission | Isle of Man | Regulator for the Isle of Man |
| Curaçao Gaming Authority | Curaçao | Online gaming regulator under the National Ordinance on Games of Chance (LOK); publishes a licence register |
| Kahnawake Gaming Commission | Kahnawà:ke, Canada | Licenses interactive gaming within and from the Mohawk Territory of Kahnawà:ke |
Rules and enforcement differ between regulators, so read the terms to see which regulator handles complaints. A licence from the regulator of your own country means that regulator's local rules apply.
Curaçao's online gaming rules are now set by the LOK, and the Curaçao Gaming Authority is the regulator. Casinos that show only a "Curaçao eGaming" licence should be checked against the authority's licence 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.
