I watched Mike Tyson grow old. I watched the Atlantic City casinos fail and be rebuilt. I watched men make fortunes and lose them in a single hand. One thing I have not watched is a player get rich by gambling at an unlicensed casino. I have watched many players go broke.
A licensed casino is the baseline. Not the promise, not the guarantee. The baseline. It means someone government-like is watching. It means there is a phone number to call if you do not get paid.
An unlicensed casino is freedom for the casino and prison for the player. The casino can take your money and keep it. You have no recourse. The only defense is to know which casinos are licensed before you deposit.
The Major Licensing Jurisdictions
The UK Gambling Commission licenses casinos to operate in the UK. The license is searchable on their website. Go to www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk. Search for the casino name. If it appears, the casino is licensed. If it does not appear, the casino is not licensed. Do not gamble there.
Malta's Gaming Authority licenses casinos for operation in Malta and European markets. The license is searchable. Curacao's eGaming license is famous and widely used, though it is less reliable than Malta or the UK. Many casinos hold a Curacao license because the licensing process is fast and inexpensive.
Canada has provincial gaming authorities in Ontario, British Columbia, and Alberta. Each province licenses casinos within its jurisdiction.
A casino may hold licenses from multiple jurisdictions. The casino might be licensed by the UKGC and also by Malta. This means more oversight, which is better for the player.
The license is not a guarantee that you will win. It is a guarantee that if you lose, you lost to an honest game, not a rigged one.
The Research Process
Before you deposit anything, spend 10 minutes researching. Go to the casino's website. Look for the licenses section. Major casinos display their licenses prominently. An unlicensed casino may claim to be licensed but the license number will be fake or unverifiable.
Find the license number. Go to the licensing authority's website. Search for that number. If it appears, the license is real. If it does not appear, the license is fake.
Check the license expiration date. A valid license should not be expired. An expired license means the casino is operating without current authorization.
Read the terms of the license. Some licenses restrict the casino to certain regions or game types. A casino licensed only for poker should not be offering slots. A casino licensed only for European players should not be accepting US players.
The Red Flags
A casino claiming to be licensed but not displaying the license on their website is a red flag. A casino claiming a fake license number is a red flag. A casino refusing to provide documentation of licensing is a major red flag.
A casino offering odds or payouts that are unusually generous compared to competitors is a red flag. If every casino pays 3:2 on blackjack but this casino pays 4:1, something is wrong. The unusually good deal is bait.
A casino that makes it difficult to withdraw your winnings is operating without a license in practice, even if they claim to be licensed. A legitimate casino wants you to be able to withdraw because your withdrawal is proof of their legitimacy.
