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The Best Licensed Online Casinos

Since the moment the first online casinos showed up on the internet there was a need for some kind of regulation. Over the past two decades the online gaming industry and the online gaming market have become closely regulated by independent and national auditors. Before you proceed, we’d like to recommend you to always play at licensed and regulated online casinos. Other security protocols and additional audits are also recommended, but not mandatory.

Most Popular Online Casino Operator Licenses

These are the most popular online gaming jurisdictions trusted by online casino players and favorites of online casino operators. We recommend joining a UK or a Malta licensed online casino. Ideally, a UK online casino is the best the market has to offer. Some of their alternatives are Alderney and Isle of Man, but they're nowhere near what the UKGC has done over the past decade.

License Casino Count
United Kingdom 117
Alderney 10
Isle of Man 4
Gibraltar 26
Kahnawake 5
Curacao 88
Malta 121
Schleswig-Holstein 10
Spain 5
New Jersey 2
Denmark 1
AAMS (ADM) 5
Sweden 4
Estonia 1
Antigua & Barbuda 1
Cyprus 2
Panama 1
First Cagayan 1

What’s the Objective of Online Casino Regulators?

The online casino regulator, the licensor is responsible to conduct regular checkups to ensure the operator is providing online gaming services in a responsible and fair manner. Besides this, online regulators have made the rules more thorough stressing the importance of responsible gaming.

Depending on your place of residence and the operator’s license you may or may not be able to play at a given casino. Usually, a casino provides a list of restricted countries or it has an IP blocking system in place, the latter being more reliable. Furthermore, the regulator has the right to grant and to revoke a license it has issued in case the operator has failed to comply with the terms and conditions.

The Difference between Licensed and Unlicensed Online Casinos

The key and most distinctive difference is that a licensed casino operator is responsible for its actions. In the past there were several casino operators that have gone rogue because they’ve falsely advertised they’re licensed by a given regulator. It’s best to play at online casinos we recommend and that we’ve firsthand reviewed.

Here are the essential differences between licensed and unlicensed online casinos.

The Operator is Held Accountable

Yes indeed! In case the operator behaves maliciously, starts to mistreat its players, the license holder is held accountable and can be tried in a court. It feels good to know that there’s someone who the operator fears. The regulator is there to watch out for your interest, to guarantee that you will have a fair chance at winning. The outcome of your play sessions depends on your skill, the understanding of the given game and in some cases of your luck.

Players can File Complaints If Treated Unfairly

Whenever a player feels that he/she is being treated unfairly, that they’ve had not followed the outlined terms and conditions, the player has the right to file a complaint to the respective licensor, the regulator who oversees the operations and the products of the online casino. If proven that the operator has indeed breached the rules, the operator can be fined, sentenced and have the license revoked. To file a complaint you should look for the regulator’s seal at the bottom of the page of casino’s website. From here on you can intuitively find your way around.

The Software is Audited and Games Checked

If not audited, then it has to be provided by a licensed casino software provider, licensed casino game producer. All of these incremental rules add up to provide a controlled environment in which the player will and can have a fair chance of winning. There are other independent RNG and game auditors that have nothing to do with the licensor. This is just another way to prove to the player base that casino’s software is fair, secure and reliable.

Always Play at a Licensed Online Casino

We cannot stress enough how important is to play only at licensed casinos. The casinos we have reviewed are licensed by at least one regulator, and others have gone the distance to apply and obtain 2, 3 or even more license certificates.

Note, certain jurisdictions like Denmark, the UK and Spain for instance require the operator to have a license issued by their very own regulator if they want to offer their services to the players of the aforementioned markets. In addition, it’s the casino’s responsibility to deny any players that are not allowed to play at the casino. However, we advise you to double check yourself before you make a deposit. It will save you from a lot of potential trouble.