Today, most countries have developed a clear position on gambling. In some of them, land-based casinos or online gambling is strictly prohibited; in others – the boundaries of such activities are more blurred. And in certain countries, the regulation of the best online casinos sites adheres to particular rules.
What Organization Conducts the Regulation of the Online Casino Industry?
Special gambling commissions are engaged in the regulation of any gambling in those countries where it is legalized. So what is the formal definition of a gambling commission? It is the official gambling regulator, which fully controls the activities of the industry in the territory of a state.
Such organizations are traditionally empowered to solve the issues of licensing and control. Depending on the gambling legislation, they are charged with various duties, such as:
- to monitor and regulate gambling resources and other casino market participants;
- to provide security;
- to control the compliance with the necessary rules and requirements;
- to cooperate with the law representatives;
- to compile various registries;
- to identify the unlicensed virtual gaming operators;
- to offer assistance to the players, etc.
Well-Known Authorities Providing the Regulation of the Online Casino Industry
Here is a list of the most prominent representatives of the gambling commissions issuing gambling licenses and regulating casinos in various regions.
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Curaçao eGaming (Netherlands Antilles)
This gambling commission, which has been successfully operating since 1996, can certainly be listed among the most reliable regulators of the gambling field around the globe in terms of legislative norms.
Besides providing fair regulation of virtual gambling resources, Curaçao eGaming offers virtual space services on dedicated and private servers, as well as in the cloud-based systems.
The license issued by Curaçao regulator is one of the most authoritative, as it also applies to all types of gambling services, including bookmaking activity, casinos, lotteries, exchanges, betting, etc.
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Malta Gaming Authority (Malta)
According to the Lottery and Online Gambling Act, which was introduced and passed almost 20 years ago, the Malta Gaming Authority or MGA is the primary gambling authority of Malta. This virtual gaming commission is considered to be the global remote regulator of online casino activities and controls the sweepstakes business, gambling portals, lotteries, etc.
Ensuring the proper regulation of the online casino industry, MGA’s area of responsibility includes a variety of functions, from licensing and tax collection to software oversight and player rights protection.
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Gambling Supervision Commission (The Isle of Man)
The authority conducting the regulation of the online casino industry on the Isle of Man is an independent supervisor established in 1962 by the local government. The Gambling Supervision Commission or GSC consists of a chairperson and four members. Besides issuing gambling licenses, this organization is engaged in the control of all types of gambling entertainment on its territory.
GSC actually began giving out licenses for web-based casinos in 2001, and interestingly, the prevailing number of them was obtained by virtual gambling portals of the United States. Today, the gaming license of the Gambling Supervision Commission’s jurisdiction is highly popular among casino operators working throughout the world.
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Gibraltar Regulatory Authority (Gibraltar)
The last but not the least gambling commission in our list is the supervisory authority of Gibraltar – the Gibraltar Regulatory Authority or GRA. It was founded around twenty years ago after the Gibraltar Gambling Regulation Act was passed in the fall of 2000. The commission represents the statutory body, which ensures the high-quality supervision of all electronic means and controls their correct operation.
Initially, the GRA jurisdiction dealt only with the licensing of online casinos. However, as soon as it gained weight and reputation, becoming one of the leading regulators in the world, the organization expanded its activities.
Today, the competence of this authority offering the regulation of the online casino industry includes licensing, control of software and gambling content of licensees, checking the integrity of gaming companies, etc.
As Satta King points out, the issue of integrity of virtual casinos and compliance with the rules concerning the players is particularly acute today. Studies show that the level of trust of the gamers to the gambling platform, which has a prestigious license, is much higher than to other resources.