Many people in India enjoy gambling online, playing with their chosen betting site or casino and hoping to win funds. The key to enjoying yourself as an online gambler is to find somewhere that makes you feel safe and secure.
Get this right and you can enjoy yourself and your betting. One of the ways to do that is to look at gambling licenses and choose your site based on these. Licenses show that an online casino has proven they can offer safe gaming, different licenses have different levels of this, and on top of that some are actually regulated, which makes them even stronger.
What is a Gambling License?
A gambling license is what allows an operator to offer their products to players. These are used across the entire gambling industry, so a bookmaker needs one just as much as a casino needs one.
There is an application process where the company has to fill out their details and their reason for applying. This also involves a payment too, which is good because this ensures that only those serious will apply.
The country handing out the license then goes through the process of checking out their information and ensuring they are happy for them to offer gambling to people.
This will include how they plan to manage payments, where the games are sourced from to check they are safe, fair and open bonuses and most importantly, a strong approach to responsible gambling and not allowing money laundering to take place.
When a country hands over a gambling license to a company and allows them to operate, they do so because the provider has demonstrated all of the above to them. Some licenses are tougher to get than others, which we will talk about later, but every license has some kind of checks placed on it, so you can feel better about the casino you are playing in.
The Importance of Gambling Licenses for Online Casinos
Gambling licenses are hugely important for both sides of the coin, these are not just good for players.
From a player’s point of view, when you are looking around for a place to play, a license shows that you have found a serious company, one that is happy to go through the process of applying for and paying for a license.
A license being given shows that the casino has impressed the country handing out the license too. They have clearly shown something to impress someone and make them feel happy about giving them the chance to offer gambling to players.
When it comes to casinos and bookmakers, the license given to them from anywhere is seen as a seal of approval. The company can proudly show off its license and gain customers by having that in place, it will make a real change to their fortunes moving forward from the day that license is awarded, regardless of which one it is and where it comes from.
It is incredibly difficult for a casino or bookmaker to gain enough custom to be a serious business without some kind of license in place. A license costs money to gain, so anyone getting a license is already demonstrating they are serious simply just by applying to have one, which many players will take notice of.
The key to remember here is that gambling licenses are there to protect players and give them a safe place to play. However, these licenses are incredibly important for both sides, bookmakers and casinos would not be able to thrive without gaining them, so they need them just as much as we want to see them.
The Types of License
There are two types of gambling license out there, and while you may think that a license is a license, it is important to note the differences between the two.
The licenses are effectively either international or local. The difference is that an international license is a license that allows the company to offer their services anywhere. A local license, also known as a regulated license, allows the company to operate in that country only.
The regulated local license gives a lot more protection to players, so if you are in an area where these licenses are given out, you should look out for these if you can.
International Gambling License
From the perspective of a casino or bookmaker, if they get an international gambling license they have the all important license in their hands, but also keep plenty of freedom to offer their services across many different countries.
Here are some of the main international gambling license providers, ones that have a strong history with gambling.
– Malta
– Curacao
– Panama
– Antigua & Barbuda
– Kahnawake
– Gibraltar
Local Regulated License
A local regulated license is where a country regulates a casino or bookmaker to work inside their borders and they regulate the market themselves, to ensure strict and fair play. This allows the government in charge of the country or a body to put in place the ability to shape gambling how they want it to be.
Operators don’t have to be located in the country, but they do pay tax there, and players who want to play have to be located in the country to play under the license too.
Here are some of the main local regulated license providers, offering strong protection to players.
– Sweden
– Denmark
– Italy
– United Kingdom
Which Licenses to Trust
The simple fact is that you can trust all licenses out there, though some have more trust than others. Just like you look out for a well-established casino or bookmaker to play with, go with a well-established license too, which gives you both hand in hand.
Those that have been handing out international licenses for many years have great knowledge in the gambling industry, and they know what they are looking for when comparing providers and handing out licenses.
With a strong license and a good reputation for the provider, you can relax and enjoy yourself while playing and can rest assured that you will receive any winnings from your favourite casino games.
Many online casino sites will have more than one gambling license, another sign that they can be trusted. For example, although not necessary for India, a casino may also hold a gambling license in the UK, one of the most strict gambling commissions.
Below we have ranked the top 5 online gambling licenses as we see them and what they might mean to Indian people.
- Malta – A popular but very trustworthy license – handed out by the Malta Gaming Authority.
- UK – Handed out by the UKGC, possibly the most well-respected license in the world.
- Curacao – A license which is easy to get by a casino site, improving all the time. Provided by Curacao eGaming.
- Sweden – Similar to the UK, this is a strict license which is hard to get approved by the Swedish Gambling Authority.
- Gibraltar – A popular license which has been around for years and ensures legal remote gambling for many companies.
