What is a Gambling License

Online casinos have always been a source of good gambling entertainment for players and large profits for online casino owners. These factors have made them extremely popular and successful. Today you can find hundreds of online casinos in the space of World Wide Web.

With the fast emergence of online casino websites, fraud and dishonesty became a commonly recognized fact. A great number of precedents of crimes committed online made Internet casino players very suspicious of the services of online gambling websites. Hence online casino standardization became a crucial point and came to the fore. Standardization and legal regulations became badly needed.

Now online casino business function is regulated by online gambling licensing organizations. An online gambling license can be issued by different governments worldwide. It should be highlighted that a number of countries prohibit online casino gaming for that reason gambling licensing often has an offshore character.

Notwithstanding that gambling license obtaining presupposes a complex process of research and certification, the overwhelming majority of Internet casino businesses do have an online gambling license. The online gambling licensing process implies investigating and assuring the legitimacy of the online casino business as well as the ongoing regulations of the license. If an online gambling website claims to be a legal enterprise, it should have been licensed by one or more jurisdictions. Many governments worldwide issue actual licensing for operating an online gambling website, but the most recognized jurisdictions issuing gambling licenses are the Caribbean and Pacific Island Governments such as Antigua and Barbuda, Costa Rica, St Kitts and Nevis, Dominica, Curacau and Vanuatu.

The list of gambling licensing jurisdictions includes:

Gibraltar — The jurisdiction is located at the southernmost tip of Europe. Currently it licenses twenty operators under the Gambling Ordinance

Isle of Man — This jurisdiction is an acknowledged model country allowing online gambling due to the legislative framework set by the Electronic Transactions Act of 2000 and the On-Line Gambling Regulation Act of 2001, which legalized e-gaming operations in the country.

Malta — The jurisdiction started licensing companies delivering remote gambling services in 2000 under the Public Lotto Ordinance.

Alderney — The Alderney Gambling Commission (AGC) voted on February 28, 2005 to allow a «free market approach towards e-gambling. This decision allows the jurisdiction's licensees to accept bets from players in all other countries, including the United States.

Belize is a relatively new offshore jurisdiction allowing online gambling licensing. The legislation there is aimed at attracting investors to participate in online gambling sector expansion. Legal act that controls license issuing is Gaming Control act that was introduced in 2000. The Gaming Control act provides regulation and control over online casinos and poker rooms. Licenses issued by Belize are valid for 12 months and require $10,000 initial payment with $10,000 annual renewal fee.

Austrian gambling performed via remote channels (Internet, mobile phones, and interactive television channels) is regulated by the European commission. Licenses can be issued to both domestic and foreign-based companies. Anyway, online casino services can be used by Austrian residents only. Austria permits its licensed companies to advertise in the country but forbids foreign-licensed companies from doing so.

Kahnawake — Created in June 1996 the Kahnawake Gaming Commission (KGC) licenses remote gambling in the Mohawk Territory of Kahnawake.

Netherlands Antilles — In 2002 regulation and licensing of online gambling was decentralized from the Curacao Gaming Control Board having made Internet gaming a central industry for the island of Curacao.

Antigua and Barbuda — The process of licensing online gambling companies in this jurisdiction is handled by the Financial Services Regulatory Commission’s Division of Gaming. The FSRC Gaming Division certifies two types of licenses: interactive gaming (casino games and poker) and interactive wagering (sports betting)

Panama — The jurisdiction has accepted e-gambling regulations that govern licensing of electronic games of chance and wagering activities in late 2002.

Ireland — The Gaming industry in Ireland has grown significantly in recent years. The jurisdiction has been licensing online gambling since 2000.

Dominican Republic — In 2005 The Dominican Republic joined more than 400 worldwide jurisdictions which accept certifications from Gaming Laboratories International.

Costa Rica — More than 300 gambling websites are registered in Costa Rica for that reason it is considered one of the most popular gaming jurisdictions.

Australia — The jurisdiction was a pioneer in establishing a regulated internet betting environment and today regulates the provision and advertising of interactive gambling services at federal level through the Interactive Gambling Act of 2001.

United Kingdom — All online gambling activities in the United Kingdom of Great Britain are regulated by The Gambling Act 2005 elaborated by the UK Gambling Commission.

Italy — The Italian government's approach toward gambling follows that of many other countries in Europe and in the Western block. Gambling for real money is basically considered illegal.

Your choice of a gambling license jurisdiction should be based on several aspects, such as taxation approach and license costs. You should also keep in mind all the strengths and weaknesses of the jurisdiction's licensing law and technical standards.

Why Obtain A Gambling License

Online gambling licensing is targeted primarily at improving the quality of online casino services delivery. Having obtained an online gambling license an online casino certifies that it adheres to the common standards of online casino functioning. From the side of the licensing body online gamblers receive guarantees eradicating illegal operations of online casinos. Since the online gambling licensing bodies have worked out certain strict standard policies and imposed quality control over the online gambling business conduct, the stigma of dishonesty is removed from online casinos, brining more and more online gamblers to casino sites.

Online gambling licensing is a surefire way to separate trusted online casinos from those of the opposite. It is possible to conduct your online gambling business without obtaining a gambling license, of course. Nevertheless, a number of legal, reputation and bureaucratic barriers are certain to appear on your way. The main three reasons why it is highly advised to acquire a gambling license before launching your online gambling business are the following:

The main aim for Internet casinos seeking to apply for an online gambling license is to elimination of any suspicions from online casino players of being engaged into illegal activity. The quality standards to be met by an online gambling website prior to online gambling license issuing are rather high. If an online casino fails to meet a single requirement, it will need to introduce all the necessary improvements in order to be licensed.

Online gambling licensing has an unprecedented impact on the online gambling community. It restores the positive image and reputation of online gambling, returns users' trust and confidence. Moreover, the quality of the online gambling services delivered to players has grown enormously.