Online casinos can be a fantastic source of entertainment and fun, but you should only play on casinos that are properly licensed. The risks that come with using an unlicensed online casino are high. Online gaming is a hobby that should be done responsibly, and using a licensed site or app is the only way to play safely.
What is an online casino license?
An online casino gambling license is acquired when a new gambling site operator proves that it follows all of the rules and regulations necessary to operate an online casino that is fair and balanced.
These licenses are granted by gambling commissions and committees that are operated by professionals who know how to grade casinos on a variety of categories, including safety and privacy. A licensed casino accepts the responsibility of handling the logistics and legal matters of their business.
Anyone who is searching for the best Canadian casino sites always needs to make sure that the site they choose is licensed. The best way to find strictly licensed online casinos is by finding the right reference resource and sticking to it. That way, you’ll be able to pick and choose from the options that are verified to be legit.
Who has to hold a casino license?
Legally speaking, online casino operators don’t need to get a casino license. Though there are some exceptions in certain parts of the world, it is usually not strictly illegal to launch an online casino site that is unlicensed, especially if the site is upfront and honest about their lack of licensure.
Regardless, the general consensus among casino reviewers and players is that all online casinos should be licensed, for both practical and legal reasons. As mentioned above, the expectation is that any online casino worth someone’s time will be properly licensed and regulated.
What are the downsides of registering with an unlicensed online casino?
Though it’s risky and there will be no guarantees, using an unlicensed online casino can be a very poor decision for several reasons.
Unlicensed casinos are far more likely to be hotspots for various scams and other suspicious online activities. We’re not saying that all unlicensed online casinos are engaging in criminal activity, but almost all online casinos that are found guilty of something illegal are not licensed.
If an unlicensed casino gets investigated by the authorities, the site will likely be taken down, perhaps permanently. When this happens, it is unlikely that you will be able to access any funds you had in the wallet of the online casino, as everything will be seized if the authorities have reason to believe the platform is involved in criminal activity.
As bad as losing access to the money you either already spent or just recently won can be, having your valuable information stolen can be worse. Some unlicensed casinos are owned just by people who don’t know any better, but others are deliberately set up to steal the personal info of their customers.
Anyone who signs up for these places may be unintentionally giving away their name, address, email address and credit card number, Bitcoin wallet or anything else that can leave them vulnerable to identity theft or fraud.
Another great reason to avoid unlicensed online casinos is that they simply aren’t as much fun. Unlicensed casinos don’t acquire partnerships or sponsorships from the most reputable software providers in the business, such as NetEnt or Pragmatic Play. This means unlicensed sites will not have access to the most popular, cutting-edge titles on the market.
How to spot online casinos that are licensed
It’s usually very easy to check and see if an online casino is licensed: simply head on over to their official site and check their FAQ page for information on their licensing and regulation policies.
Some online casinos will also display the name or logo of the gambling commission they acquired their license from, at the bottom of their home page.
When in doubt, you can always look up a trusted review of the online casino or email the support team themselves and ask them for details about their licenses and how many they hold.
Licenses are better for the industry as a whole
Overall, licenses and licensing agencies make the world of online gambling better for everyone. For many people, online casinos are less of a hobby and more of a lifestyle, making it very important to improve the quality and the reputation of this activity for everyone involved.
With licenses, online casinos can properly engage in taxation, making them a legitimate and honest business in the eyes of the government. This will eventually make it easier for casino operators to build trust with lawmakers and help provide safer channels for online gambling development.
Licenses also make it easier to keep criminals out of the industry, making it safer for everyone involved. As more licensing agencies pop up across North America, the standards for what is considered fair, safe and balanced keep going up, making it harder for scammers to try and sneak their way into people’s wallets.
Published by HOLR Magazine.