[dropcap]O[/dropcap]nline gambling is becoming more and more popular recent years, and we see new online casinos popping out from thin air almost every day. Trying to attract an array of customers with their generous online casino welcome offers. Most of them are modern and shiny, except for the ones, catering to the US and Australia, but that’s another story. Most of these new shiny ones aren’t reliable. You just can’t judge about casino’s decency on its look. The number of games and software providers won’t help too. The only thing that indicates the casino’s reliability is its license. Here we will explain you, what is a gambling license, which licensing institutions should be trusted and which shouldn’t.
First of all, you have to be sure that the casino you’re going to play at has at least some license. It means that the casino is regulated by the gambling laws of the country where its license is from. It’s not too much, as the gambling laws seriously vary from state to state, but still – it’s better than nothing. If you’ve looked the website through and found no licensing information – you shouldn’t play at this casino. And by the licensing information, we mean an active verification link or at least a license number, not just the statement that the casino is licensed. So, you’ve found the licensing info, what does it mean to you?
Is it safer to play in a licensed casino?
First of all, the gambling regulators (institutions which issue gambling licenses), provide the services on dispute resolution. If you’re new to online gambling, you might think that the disputes are a rare case, but believe us, they aren’t.
Another advantage of a casino with a proper license is that its games are tested for fairness, and the whole casino is regularly audited so that you can be sure that it won’t go broke with your money still on your account.
You can also expect some other advantages from a licensed casino, such as fully displayed information on each game’s return rate, security of your credentials and transactions, proper help offered to the players with gambling problems, protection of your funds from the moment you’ve deposited them on your casino account, etc.
Reliable licenses
Some gambling licenses are more reliable than the others, so here are the popular ones, in order from the best to the worst:
UKGC (United Kingdom Gambling Commission) is renowned as the fairest gambling regulator with the strictest rules. This license is mandatory for those casinos which use the equipment, based on the UK territory, or offer their services to the UK residents. If you see the UKGC’s badge on a casino’s website – you know that it passed all the tests and is among the most reliable gaming venues.
MGA (Malta Gaming Authority) is on the second place not because it’s worse in any way, but because its rules are less strict. Unlike the UKGC, which is mostly concerned about what’s happening inside the United Kingdom, the MGA is highly concerned about gamblers all-over Europe and became the most popular regulatory body in the world, known for fairness and transparency of their actions. If the casino is licensed under the laws of Malta – you can expect it to be responsive to all complaints, and ready for a dialogue.
Curacao eGaming license is not very reliable, and in most cases is used by new casinos, whose aim is to open as soon as possible, and then upgrade their standards to meet the requirements for another license. If you see a casino with a license, issued by Curacao, you shouldn’t run away in fear, but keep in mind that you probably won’t be able to contact them and receive help in any disputes.
Costa-Rica license is, well, a red flag for any player. Casinos, licensed in Costa-Rica are usually the worst. We can say that gambling there starts immediately after you deposit funds, as you have to take odds of not seeing any of them even if you won’t play at all.
Of course, there are many more gambling regulators, but these are the most popular, and you probably won’t see any other ones, ever. When you know more about gambling licenses, you’re able to decide whether the casino is reliable or not, but there are other parameters, besides the reliability. If you’re fond of online gambling, HolyMolyCasinos can help you to pick the best casino, based on your current location, preferences, favorite payment methods and many other factors that can’t be found anywhere else. Veteran experts in gambling industry are reviewing casinos and pointing out their advantages and drawbacks so that you could have a great time and play safely.
