Regulated Casino
Online gambling and the online casinos that support the aforementioned activity have become incredibly popular for citizens of the United States. What first began to take shape in the early 2000s has now boomed into an industry all its own.
While individual states are slow to catch on and license online casinos, there are regulatory bodies out there that exist in order to protect you, the consumer, from any sort of unscrupulous activity by an online casino or any related entity. In addition to this, there are also a handful of companies that exist with the sole purpose of proving that the games offered by a particular casino are fair and not going to cheat you out of money. This is not something many people are aware of, and is also something that will ease the mind of a new gambler who is worried about being cheated out of money. In addition to the online casino industry generally being safer now than it ever has been before, these fairness and regulatory companies exist in greater numbers than ever to ensure that you have a positive experience playing at online casinos in the United States.
How we regulate the gambling industry We regulate in a transparent, accountable, proportionate, and consistent way. Using a risk-based approach, we focus our resources on those issues and gambling. Latest News on Gambling Regulation - Licensed and regulated gaming news in the US, Asia, UK, and EU. In-depth coverage here on Casino.org. Regulated casinos for real money players Any online operator can sell their Internet gaming establishment as trustworthy, but a truly reputable real money online casino is. Despite regulation being a developing political process and not being as strong as it should be at the moment, where a casino is regulated (holds its license) can make a difference to how safe your money is. Below you’ll find a list of the regulatory authorities that license all of the casinos you will find on this site.
North American Regulatory Bodies
Kahnawake Gaming Commission
Perhaps the most popular regulatory body in North America, Kahnawake Gaming Commission has set the tone for how companies should conduct themselves in this space. Having been in the industry since before the turn of the 21st century, Kahnawake has a head start on many other companies. Based out of Quebec Province, Canada, this regulatory body licenses most of the big-name operators in the US online casino industry. Online casinos love Kahnawake because they boast some of the smallest fees in the industry, so you will see that a majority of sites are licensed by the KGC. We anticipate that their presence in the US market is something that will only grow larger in the coming years.
Nevada Gaming Control Board
The NGCB was founded in the mid-1950s with the sole purpose of regulating and looking over the booming brick and mortar casino industry created in Las Vegas. More recently, however, the NGCB has been tasked with also looking over and regulating the newly created intrastate online casino network that exists in the state.
New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement
New Jersey, like Nevada, has its own intrastate network of online casino operators. This body regulates this growing network and does well to ensure what many call the best online gaming experience in the nation. New Jersey is leading the way as far as intrastate online casino networks are concerned, and their Division of Gaming Enforcement is a large part of why this is so.
What They Do
Regulatory bodies exist in order to keep an eye on the business practices of an online casino. Not only are they making sure that players are receiving the money they deposited and are able to play with it, they also do well to ensure that the financial standing of the online casino in question is up to par. After all, if an online casino was not held to a certain standard, they would not likely be able to facilitate cashouts and other normal day-to-day aspects of online casino operations.
Regulatory bodies also exist in order to settle disputes that online casino patrons may have. In the past, if a player had an issue with an online casino, they had to deal with the site directly. While this may sound good in theory, the reality that played out more often than not was that the casino was none too helpful, especially if the issue was one centering around the deposit or withdrawal of funds. Now, companies that license and regulate casinos will hold them to their word and make sure that any legitimate dispute is solved in the best manner available.
While regulatory bodies may seem like nothing more than companies that accept a fee from an online casino and put their stamp of approval on said site, they are so much more than that. In the early days, regulatory commissions were few and far between. This void in the industry resulted in a scenario where many customers were being duped out of money by unscrupulous characters. As licensing companies became more prominent, it became apparent that the industry and the companies that comprised it were easier to trust. Nowadays, you will rarely find a popular online casino that is not licensed and regulated. The reason for this is due to the fact that consumers have reached a point where they will absolutely not stand for any sort of shady dealings. Knowing that regulatory companies are their key to being protected from poor business practices, online casino players demand the best and strictest regulations to be placed on the site at which they are playing casino games for real money.
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Any online operator can sell their Internet gaming establishment as trustworthy, but a truly reputable real money online casino is one which is officially regulated.
Since online casinos are located in multiple jurisdictions that can’t be governed by one legislature framework, regulation has to occur by independent organisations such as external gambling industry watchdog agencies to ensure players are entering an online casino which is safe and fair.
While these regulations are in place for the casino operator’s benefit in terms of garnering business, it does help players to see that they are reviewed regularly as it ensures they are playing at a trustworthy Internet venue. Our team at Regulated Casinos aim to make it easier for you to figure out if an Web casino is monitored regularly and have provided some of our favourite regulated Internet casinos.
Regulated Online Casino
What is casino regulation?
Online casinos are regulated by two major authorities; a jurisdiction license which is issued after intense testing, and by testing agencies which regularly monitor the Internet casino. Independent testing organisations enforce a standard set of rules for online operators to adhere to and they regularly monitor that the procedures in place are up to scratch. This ensures players are getting the best possible gaming experience available online so when we play our favourite titles, such as blackjack, video poker, roulette and more we are playing games that have been approved by a higher authority.
Online testing agencies test for accurate payments, safe deposits, responsible marketing, properly functioning RNGs (random number generators) and ensures that fraudulent behaviour and underage gambling does not occur.
If an online casino does not have a jurisdiction license then that is an indication that it isn’t a reputable online casino. If it does, where it has gained its license from is incredibly important as some licenses are indeed better than others. We will discuss that below.
With two or more authorities backing the online casino online casino players – no matter where they are located in the world – can play with real money and won’t have to worry about anxiously wondering where their winnings have gone if they get lucky.
Casino regulation exists to ensure players have a reliable, safe, and fun online gaming experience and therefore it is imperative you check to see if it is regulated by a recognised testing agency. We detail how to find out whether or not an online casino is regulated below.
What are the best online casino licenses and testing agencies?
The best regulated online casinos operate under licenses in jurisdictions with the most advanced and unrestricted gaming legislative framework. These include the Isle of Man which uses the Gambling Supervision Commission; Malta with the Lotteries and Gaming Authority of Malta; the Alderney island with the Alderney Gambling Control Commission, the UK and their UK Gambling Commission; Curaçao and the Curaçao Internet Gaming Association; Gibraltar with their Gibraltar Regulatory Authority; and Kahnawake Mohawk Territory with the Kahnawake Gaming Commission.
The Internet gaming establishments which operate under the above jurisdictions have gone through intense testing that ensures only the best sites get gambling licences because these licensing authorities want to uphold their standard of trustworthy accreditation. Each jurisdiction have their own laws including age restrictions, with the majority enforcing the age of 21. Read the terms and conditions to find out more.
Additionally, the testing agencies regulate the fairness of the games offered by the online casinos which adds to the online casino’s reputation. By combining a reputable jurisdiction license and a trustworthy testing agency, players are ensured they are getting a genuine casino experience. The most common online casino testing agency which you will find at many of our recommended Internet casinos is eCOGRA. This testing agency was established in 2003 in the UK and has become Internationally recognised. The testing agency only works with the following jurisdictions, however, including Alderney, Bulgaria, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, First Cagayan, Gibraltar, Isle of Man, Italy, Kahnawake, Latvia, Malta, Spain, and the UK.
The reason for its limitation to certain regions is is because eCOGRA’s testing processes adhere to the regulatory requirements of each aforementioned jurisdiction. Therefore, if you come across an online casino in another jurisdiction you won’t find it approved by eCOGRA and it could be worth looking in to to ensure it is reputable.
What are the best regulated online casinos?
Regulated Casino
Online casinos which have a license in the jurisdictions mentioned above have gone through vigorous tests to get approval and additionally use testing organisations which give authority and back the casinos. We recommend the following online regulated casinos.
- Roxy Palace operates under the Malta Gaming Authority and is tested by eCOGRA.
- Leo Vegas has a gaming license from Malta Gaming Authority and the UK Gambling Commission and is regularly reviewed by eCOGRA.
- BGO is regulated by the Alderney Gaming Gambling Control Commission and the UK Gambling Commission.
- Thrills operates under the Malta Gaming Authority.
- G’day is regulated by the Curaçao Internet Gaming Association.
- Casino-Mate is tested regularly by eCOGRA and operates under a Malta Gaming Authority license.
- 32 Red is licensed by the Gibraltar Regulatory Authority and audited by eCOGRA.
- Guts operates under the Malta Gaming Authority and is RNG certified by iTech Labs.
- Royal Vegas is regulated by the Malta Gaming Authority and tested by eCOGRA.
By playing at these online casinos, you are protecting yourself from fraudulent behaviour, the possibility of your money going missing, as well as all your personal and financial information being accessed by third parties.
How to tell if an online casino is regulated?
In order to tell if a Web casino is regulated, all you have to do is scroll to the bottom of the page and in small fine print there will be information regarding which license the online casino operates under and what testing agency reviews them, which is usually represented by a small logo of the testing agency.
For example, at Roxy Palace all you have to do is scroll down to the bottom of the homepage and locate the fine print. Here it states that Roxy Palace is “Authorised by the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA)”. Above the fine print are a series of icons, one being eCOGRA, detailing that the online casino is tested regularly by the independent testing company and has been awarded their Seal of Approval for fair and responsible gambling.
If you want to double check that these aren’t just there for the sake of it. you can click on the logo’s of both the license and the testing agency and you will be taken to an external website where you can view the certificate issued by the independent company or licensing jurisdiction for the specific online casino.
Are regulated online casinos secure?
Although reputable casino websites are regulated by licensing jurisdictions and independent testing agencies to back their credibility, online casinos take it upon themselves to offer an extra layer of protection via their data encryption technology. When players make a deposit at the above online casinos they are protected by 128-bit to 256-bit data encryption technology which is what all major banks use around the world. These data encryption protocols mean your transactions, whether they be deposits or withdrawals, are secure.
You can easily make a deposit at a regulated online casino by going to the banking page and picking the preferred payment method from the options available. All of the Internet casinos we have suggested above offer popular payment methods such as e-wallets, credit and debit options, pre-paid services and bank transfers.
About us
We are a team of dedicated gambling journalists and editors who only play at the best regulated online casinos. If you have any questions simply email us at [email protected] and we will get back to you as quickly as possible.