Users may wonder how legal a particular online casino is. All legal gaming establishments have licenses confirming the right to operate a casino business and providing regulatory oversight of the casino. Oversight is essential to ensure that the games are played with integrity and the legal protection of the players is guaranteed. In this article, we will cover the best methods for analyzing the online gaming platforms to find out the legit online casinos where you can earn real cash.
Leading jurisdictions for online casino licenses
The legislation of many countries prohibits online casinos as part of the gambling business. The most common jurisdictions that provide licensing for operators are Curacao, Costa Rica, Gibraltar, Malta, and the United Kingdom.
The level of trust of licensors is different. It varies depending on the control over the licensees (license users). The UK, Malta, and Gibraltar are the most trusted, while Curacao and Costa Rica are the least. The last two jurisdictions have low requirements for legit online casinos and quick issuance of licenses, leading to many licensees lacking control over the business.
The essence of the control is the initial assessment of the online casino and the subsequent regular reporting of the gambling institution to the licensor.
Online casino license verification methods
1. License
Licensed legit online casinos that have a good reputation and strive to gain the players’ trust leave links at the bottom of the start pages indicating the jurisdiction that issued the right to conduct the gambling business. To check it, follow the link and see the license itself. But everything is not so simple, scammers often fake this verification method, and the player follows the link not to the real but a fake page. In the absence of a link or logo of the licensor, the player has the right to request this information from the legit online casinos’ support service.
2. Licensor website
Almost every licensor has a website with a list of valid licenses. Such a site can act as the second method of verification. It is enough to go to the licensor’s web page through a search engine and find specific legit online casinos that pay real money in the list. It would help if you were careful here because licenses are not always issued directly in the name of the online casino, they can be issued in the general name of the company. You can also find confirmation on the web address of the online casino.
3. Jurisdiction
The third option for verification is a direct request to the jurisdiction. This method is highly reliable, but it has a significant time cost: the response time of the licensor is not regulated.
Which countries issue the most prestigious licenses for legit online casinos?
Curacao licenses
The most common is the Curacao license. Compared to other jurisdictions, it is the cheapest, with minimal initial requirements for a licensee, zero income tax, and virtually no subsequent control over business conduct. Unfortunately, because of this, many unreliable operators are trying to get it. There are four licensor companies in Curacao: three have a website listing the licensees. However, it is possible to verify the authenticity of the licensing of the 4th company only by a direct request to the jurisdiction. This licensor does not have a website with a list of licensees.
Costa Rica Licenses
Costa Rica’s gambling license is practically the same in terms of the level of trust of Curacao. However, it isn’t easy to check online. A direct request is required. Supervision of the licensee’s gambling business is weak. The jurisdiction practically does not require reports, including on a random number generator. And the initial requirements, although slightly higher than Curacao, remain insufficient to weed out unreliable operators.
Gibraltar licenses
The jurisdiction of Gibraltar differs from Costa Rica and Curacao for the better. The supervisor that controls the gambling business has a long history and a clean reputation. Legit virtual casinos licensed by Gibraltar had no precedent to cheat players.
The requirements for operators are pretty strict: it is necessary to have a business plan to prove the consistency of processing players’ winnings and financial capital for these purposes.
You can check the Gibraltar permit on the licensor’s website.
UK licenses
The most prestigious online casino license is considered to be issued by the UK. The country’s government in the field of gambling strictly monitors compliance with the law by all licensees. In case of violation of player’s rights, it is enough to write to the jurisdiction for the Gambling Commission to initiate an investigation against the online casino.
Checking for a UK permit is simple: go to the supervisor’s website and type in the name or web address of the double-down casino. Additionally, the site also provides information about all violations of players’ rights or proceedings against the operator that have taken place.
In addition to the listed four jurisdictions, Denmark, the Principality of Monaco, Belgium, the Isle of Man, and others are issuing licenses for legit online casinos. But in percentage terms, their participation is small compared to the leading licensors. Their verification methods are similar: go to the site or send a request to the jurisdiction.
The permission is essential for legit online casinos. It allows you to pay less tax, get the software for the site and gain the players’ trust. But in the case of licenses from
- Curacao
- and Costa Rica
you should be careful because even with the permission of these jurisdictions, an online casino can violate the rights of players and play unfairly, for example, interfere with the random number generator. So it is best to avoid casinos licensed by these jurisdictions and look to secure and controlled operators accountable to the UK or Malta.
How to find the best legit online casinos for real money
If you choose a reliable gambling platform to make good money, you should not pay attention only to licenses. There are several other parameters that you should focus on:
1. Choose legit online casinos with the highest payouts;
2. Pay attention to bonuses and wagering requirements;
3. Casino games must be from well-known software companies like Netent, FlamingoSeven, RiverMonster, and Microgaming;
4. The gambling platform should be distinguished by a variety of internet casino games selection;
5. Pay attention to payment methods in legit online casinos.
