Even inexperienced gambling users understand perfectly well that one of the most important factors that must be taken into account when choosing an online casino is the presence of a license. Unfortunately, today in the Russian-speaking segment of the Internet there is a huge number of unlicensed sites with slot machines. The consequence of visiting such resources is almost a hundred percent drain of the deposit in a very short time, since in the best case the percentage of return in such establishments is at a very low level, and in the worst case it is absent altogether. The presence of a license allows us to hope that the player will not be deceived. Although cases of fraud in clubs with official permission to provide gambling services are known, nevertheless, this is quite rare. Surely, many are interested in what licenses exist and who issues them. Below we will try to tell you about this as clearly as possible.
Online Casino Licensing
If offline casinos are issued licenses by tax authorities, the Ministry of Finance or a special organization created specifically for these purposes, then a slightly different procedure is provided for online clubs. Most often, such documents are authorized to be issued by gambling commissions or organizations that are either state-owned or work in close cooperation with the relevant authorities of the country. Licenses for the provision of gambling services on the Internet are a document that assumes that the entrepreneur is obliged to provide honest services that have high financial risks for consumers.
By receiving the relevant document, the entrepreneur becomes a legal participant in the gambling market. At the same time, the permit specifies a list of countries in which such activities are permitted for this particular operator. The list of countries where the entrepreneur is allowed to open an online casino depends on the state in which the license is issued. Most often, one document allows services to be provided in different countries.
If a casino has a license, then this club is considered much more reliable than any, even the most famous site without the appropriate permission. For example, in the event of a dispute between the user and the casino operator, the former has the opportunity to contact the regulator, who will help resolve the issue. In this case, the decision made will be mandatory for both parties to the conflict. It should be taken into account that not all licenses imply that the gambling commission that issued the document will take part in resolving disputes. We will talk about this further.
Countries where licenses are issued
Today, quite a few countries license online casinos. However, among the most well-known and frequently used licenses, you can see documents obtained in Curacao, Malta or the UK.
Curaçao
The Netherlands Antilles (and Curacao in particular) are an offshore zone where it is very profitable to open and run a business. Here, the Ministry of Justice issues so-called master licenses to companies that receive the right to issue permits (licenses) for casinos operating in different parts of the world. Thus, the license number for completely different clubs can be the same. The document obtained in Curacao is the most common in RuNet, as it is the cheapest and does not obligate you to do anything. For example, if a dispute arises between a player and a casino, it is unlikely that anyone will conduct an audit and protect one side or the other. Naturally, this devalues the license, but this does not mean that you should not play in casinos that have such a document. You should focus on the experience of other users who have already spent time in the chosen club.
Malta
This island state issues a very authoritative license, which is expensive and not so easy to obtain. The commission that issues permits requires compliance with a very impressive list of rules. The license is issued only after an independent audit of the site. Players can always count on help in case of disputes with the casino operator. This type of license is very common in European casinos, but it is also found in clubs that are focused on Russian-speaking users.
United Kingdom
A license issued by the UK Gambling Commission is also a reputable and quite expensive document. The country has strict legislation regulating gambling. The presence of this license indicates the high responsibility of the operator. Players will always be able to find the results of inspections of machines and all other gambling games on the website of a casino with a UK license. The interests of users are very reliably protected. Even the slightest violation by the operator leads to serious penalties, up to and including revocation of the license.
