Online Casino Licenses

Ever since its inception back in the mid ‘90s, the online gambling biz has been providing some of the most cutting-edge entertainment man has ever known. This is due, obviously, to the advances made in technology in general and the Internet in particular. Unfortunately, with new advances in any realm, come new challenges and suspicions. The online gambling world has certainly exploded in the number of companies providing gaming services. The $64 thousand dollar question, however, is who can you trust?

The History of Online Casino Licenses
Although the online Gambling industry has only been around for less than two decades, in the absence of any proper international regulations, the need for some sort of licensing arose in order to better secure player confidence. Antigua and Barbuda began issuing licenses as far back as 1994. Kahnawake, another heavyweight in the licensing service, was established in 1999, followed by the British territories - the Isle of Man and Gibraltar - granting online sports betting licenses in 2000.

Literally hundreds upon hundreds of online casinos and other gambling venues like poker rooms, bingo halls, sports betting sites etc. have cropped up at every corner of the globe and targeting online gamblers all over the globe as well, and in increasingly more languages and currencies. From the English to Cantonese, in euros, pounds or dollars, if you're hell-bent on playing online casino games from the comfort of your own home, you'll find a website or two hundred more than happy to let you wager you money on their games.

But as always, buyer, or perhaps more apropos - bettor - beware; that online gaming company you're about to deposit your hard-earned currency with may be based offshore, way offshore like Malta, Antigua and Barbuda, Gibraltar, Kahnawake (a Canadian Indian reservation), or Costa Rica, to name just some of the more popular countries licensing online gaming operators.

Offshore Online Casino Licenses
As odd as it may seem, because a gaming outfit is licensed in one of these countries, there's no reason why you shouldn't sign up with them and feel secure for having done so. If fact, some of the biggest names in the cyber gambling game are traded publicly on the London Stock Exchange, yet are often licensed in the jurisdictions mentioned above. The reason for this was the laws governing online gambling in various countries and regions varied, as it does today, but to a lesser extent. For instance, The United Kingdom permits wagering online, and as such, recognises various licensing jurisdictions.

The fully licensed online casinos generally advertise this fact on their website(s), given that doing so instills that much more confidence in prospective real-money players. A quick glance at the bottom of a website is all it should take to determine where, if at all, that operator is licensed.

Online Casino Licenses = Security
For many players, the issue concerning licensing is first and foremost on their minds. After all, the online gambling business, like its land-casino predecessor, does not exactly enjoy the cleanest of reputations. Though the Vegas and Atlantic City casinos of today are totally on the up and up, their former alleged association with the underworld has not dissipated completely. Thus the online casinos, poker rooms and similar gambling sites are first approached with suspicion, and perhaps rightfully so.

But it should also come as a relief for you to know that the overwhelming majority of gaming operators who have been on the scene for at least two years are certainly trustworthy. If not, they would not be capitalising on this highly lucrative industry today. Word travels like wildfire on the Internet and even a rumour of foul play will flash across millions of computer screens faster than you can say bingo! The truth is, this very, very rarely happens. There's just too much at stake, and besides, why would any company risk losing it all when they can profit very nicely from offering legitimate gambling games? True, plenty of operators are slow to pay players their winnings, but they do pay. You just have to push some more than others, that's all.

Print Send to friend