Online Gaming Regulators and Licensing Bodies

If a supermarket wants to have customers and make a profit, it will be necessary to get a permit to do that. Casinos must do the same. Nobody wants to entrust money to someone who is not ready to provide fair conditions. It concerns both web and on-land casinos. Gambling is not just simple giving it a shot. It is one’s way to earn and spend time with pleasure. None of the gamers want to deal with organizations that cannot protect their data or can cheat. One wants to have a chance to check the fairness and randomness of the results.

It is a challenge to detect frauds online. The best way is to look for seals of reliable testing companies on the chosen gambling website. Authorities do their best to protect human rights and are strict with organizations that cheat. Thus gambling sites are to prove their reliability. They pay for audits. A user can verify the seal. It is necessary to ask authorities who are in business with gambling areas to check it. Reputable audit companies risk losing business when providing seals without thorough testing.

So, you should look for licenses and documents that prove the safety of the chosen casino. It must be legal and in force in your region. One should better avoid iGaming on sites that have not passed audits and received permission to provide games. Otherwise, you might have problems with the law and lose money. Moreover, unprotected websites are an easy target for hackers. They can steal your data and use it for illegal affairs.

Below, you can learn the names of trustworthy audit organizations that operate on various continents. The list is incomplete, but you might learn what these companies guarantee when protecting your rights.

North America and Central America

These are the top 4 trustable testing companies in North America and Central America.

Organization	Years in business	Location	Service
KGC	22	Mohawk	It checks gambling organizations and offers more affordable service prices (including fees and taxes) compared to other testing companies. Thus lots of online casinos ask it to perform an audit and provide a license. This commission protects the rights of each person participating. Authorities often support their decisions concerning the solving of disputes.
NGCB	66	Nevada	It is a professional organization that has been controlling casinos since 1955 and web poker within the state borders since 2013. This Board is one of the most influential organizations in the gaming industry. Their testing method is effective, and users trust casinos that have got NGCB licenses. Other audit companies copy their testing methods trying to achieve the same success in iGaming control.
DGE	51	New Jersey	Since 1970 the organization has been controlling races and, since 1977 – gaming in New Jersey. The government made it responsible for that job because of the increased number of tourists who came to Atlantic City to gamble. This company is a model for other testing organizations. In 2013 Atlantic City got permission to provide iGaming under the supervision of DGE.
PGCB or JCJ	19	Panama	The control board of Panama offers low fees for its service. The affordable license is the goal of most betting organizations not only in Panama but in other countries of the world. Its audit is legal in most cities of the world. Nevertheless, it is not an easy task to get its license because JCJ is demanding and strict. Thus players feel safe when taking a chance on websites that PGCB supports.

Europe

ARJEL has been controlling Internet gambling in France for 11 years. If a French casino has its license, it becomes legal in the European web market. It is also one of the biggest leading audit companies in Europe. Many gambling organizations complain of high taxes that do not allow them to offer affordable pricing to their customers. It prevents sound competition among poker game providers within the country and abroad.

UKGC has been one of the most prestigious testing organizations in Europe for the last 16 years. It controls the greater part of British gambling organizations, both on-land and online ones. The British Government had introduced a Bill that forced outland betting websites to get a UKGC license in order to get bets from British citizens. As a result, many shady companies refused to accept changes and decided to leave the British market of games of chance. BGA of Gibraltar went to court to avoid the audit of UKGC.

AAMS service resembles ARJEL but in Italy. It controls the sphere of games of chance, taking into consideration the rules of the European Commission. It deals with online poker, bets in sports and racing, bingo, and casino. Remote and on-land gambling is possible only if the provider convinces the Administration in fairness, randomness, and security of the provided service. Moreover, it is essential to be located on the territory of the European Union and provide top-quality service.

Like in France, this Italian license works only within the country and prevents healthy competition among gamers abroad. Besides, taxes and fees are too high and may reach 20%.

GSC has been coordinating legal gambling organizations on the Isle of Man for 59 years. First, it provided licenses to on-land casinos, but now it deals with web games of chance playing as well. Its regulation resembles GLA due to low taxes and affordable long-term permits. Gambling companies like a friendly competitive atmosphere on the Isle of Man, though everything is to be legal and protect the personal accounts of all gamers. Thanks to that, clients are not to worry in case the website becomes blocked. Their money is saved on a separate account according to the local law.

The Commission welcomes healthy competition and lets gambling operators deal with foreign users. Moreover, it supervises each organization to prevent illegal and shady operations.

SGC or CNJ is the youngest European regulatory organization. It also does not support competition between Spanish users and foreign ones. It has been operating for 7 years and has a modest scale of clients because of strict regulations. It means that the country is not willing to develop a gambling business. It also imposes high taxes and fees on gambling providers. They say such strict rules might unite Spain, Italy, and France to let their members compete in poker.

GLA differs from regulation companies of Spain, Italy, and France. Its taxes are incredibly low and attract developers from different corners of the globe. Regarding the laws of the 2005 Gambling Act, its companies are to be located in Gibraltar. Lots of gambling organizations want to headquarter on its territory. This licensing authority supports and encourages healthy competition among casino fans throughout the world. One can find more than 30 games of chance companies there. They pay only 1% tax and are powerful enough to prohibit someone’s participation in the game to avoid problems with the law or prevent political conflicts.

Unfortunately, companies often face conflicts when dealing with other European countries. They usually have to leave their markets or get approved by UKGC and pay high taxes to remain competitive. These restrictions negatively impact their reputation because money issues always raise conflicts.

MGA had to change its prior name because of the Everleaf Gaming conflict. Previously, players knew it as LGA. Because of the incident, casino fans were afraid to deal with websites that carried its seal. Thus the Maltese government has improved its service to recover MGA’s reputation. Today, one associates Malta not only with an excellent resort place but also with reputable online gaming organizations supported by a trustworthy testing company. The service of Malta Gaming Authority is trendy in the republic and the world market. It guarantees a friendly gaming environment, low taxes, and a license that is in force in other countries globally. So, Maltese casino lovers are free to bet wherever they want, though following the law.

BGC is a trustable regulator with the strictest rules in Europe. It has banned over 100 gambling sites because of their inconsistency with juridical and quality demands. Despite high taxes, iGaming companies long for getting its license because the Belgian casino market is legal and profitable. The Commission carefully selects partnerships that can offer their products and services within the country and outside it. Moreover, those who are not approved by BGC must function on exclusive websites and get customers only in Belgium. Such boundaries do not promote business and often lead to bankruptcy.

AGCC is a gaming regulator on the British Isles that has been offering favorable terms for its clients in Alderney for 20 years. Each organization needs to provide the predetermined yearly fee but with zero taxation rate. Moreover, licenced companies are free to collaborate with any other market without limitations. The Commission has gained an impeccable reputation. It faced the Full Tilt Poker incident 10 years ago. Nevertheless, it managed to solve the problem and prevent others.

DGA is a licensing body in Denmark. It is only 9 years in the market and offers conditions that are not favorable for the development. First, it has a state-sponsored rival that held a monopoly in 2011. Second, it has clients that have no specific location but want to operate in the Danish iGaming market. Third, each client has to pay 20% taxation, but all users are to be only from Denmark. Thus its list of licensed operators is quite short.

Caribbean

Department of Casino Affairs in Aruba offers similar to CIGA service. Unlike Curacao, DCA deals with both Internet and on-land gaming. Curacao has 2 institutions, each one responsible for one type of gambling.

CIGA is a 19-year-old gaming regulator that oversees the business-related organizations in Curacao. Games of chance have been popular there since 1993, but the supervising organization appeared only in 9 years. This Association offers two types of licensing – master and sub license. At the beginning of its career, CIGA clients dealt only with master variants. Now, new firms take advantage of sublicensing.

The holders of master licenses allow new corporations to operate by sharing one license. Fees are low and can reach up to 2% only. Nevertheless, master holders decide how much to charge from the sublicensed companies. In total, all parties benefit.

ADG is almost a gold standard licensing body in the Caribbean. It has won the dispute with the US concerning the industrial gambling structuring. American corporations broke the law of the General Agreement on Trade Services. The WTO supported the claim of Antigua and Barbuda. ADG got $3.4 million due to that case. This licensing body promises affordable taxation and freedom in the selection of target audience to their operators.

Australia/Oceania

There are three major licensing organizations in Oceania. These are their primary services and offers.

License Body	Years on the Gambling Market	Location	Service
ACT Gambling and Racing Commission	22	Canberra	The Government gives Australians an opportunity to deal only with lotteries and racebooks. All corporations that provide their service to Australians are to have ACT license to operate on the territory. Besides, taxation and fees are high. Despite that, lots of world betting websites desire to get this license because Australians are fond of betting and spending huge sums on gaming. Consequently, the business there is quite profitable.
NTDGL(Northern Territory Director-General of Licensing)	6	Darwin Street, Australia	This iGaming regulator also has a modest scale of clients because of the law regulations of the country. It provides licenses mainly to corporations that offer iLotterries in the country and out. It lets the firms search for customers outland but never deal with those who prohibit Australian players from trying their luck in their countries.
Vanuatu Customs and Inland Revenue	28	Vanuatu	This audit organization is less popular compared to the 2 previous ones. The main reason for that is their remote location. Still, the licensing body has gained a brilliant undisputable reputation. It offers the lowest taxation that reaches only 0,1% and affordable fees. Besides, it guarantees the protection of the rights of each player and service provider. Just like other Australian licensing bodies, it has limited power and provides its seal only to sportsbooks.

Asia

It is hard to find reliable and trustworthy licensing organizations in Asia. PAGCOR and FCLRC are two of them. The Philippines have two organizations that control gambling and provide licenses. PAGCOR is responsible for brick-and-mortar gambling organizations while FCLRC controls iGambling.

They are headquartered in the Philippines and have a very favourable position in the market because few companies can compete with them. Everyone who wants to become influential in their region needs to get their license. Despite beneficial taxation and the right to attract target players worldwide, licensed partnerships are not to involve Filipinos and participate in bettings.

One should be careful when trying his luck online because real money is hard to trace in the virtual world. Thus you should read the Privacy Notice of the chosen website carefully and search for documents that prove its legality.