There is no single legislation that players can refer to when it comes to online gambling due to the mass of global institutions and audiences. Many countries have their own local laws regarding the legality and regulation of online gambling. Gambling laws can vary significantly from one country to another and many of these countries regularly amend their laws.
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Intro to Crypto Casino Licences
Crypto casinos are fastly becoming more popular among online gamblers. The fact that cryptocurrencies are decentralised makes crypto casinos very accessible to online players. Many crypto casinos hold and abide by licences & jurisdictions to ensure the safety of their players and that they will only be met with fair gameplay practices.
Certain legislations that are in place in specific regions of the world allow crypto casinos to offer industry services and operate online gambling sites. These legislations are often implemented within an organisation that is responsible for the licensing and regulation of licence holders. These organisations are typically known as licensing authorities.
Worldwide Gambling Laws
In this section, we will explore the various licences & jurisdictions in some of the major regions of the world and see what all the legalities are around online gambling.
The legalities of online gambling in the US are considered a very grey area as there is no set law that specifically restricts players to play at online and crypto casinos.
The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act was passed in 2006, which made it illegal for financial institutions and banks to process transactions between online gambling sites and residents of the US.
Presently, the legal landscape has changed in the sense that numerous states have legislation in effect that make online gambling legal. Betting and gaming licences are also issued by some states to providers to offer their services with many more states willing to follow suit.
With a magnitude of land-based casinos available to tourists in Africa, many of which are available in South Africa legislation has been passed, in this tourist hot spot, to regulate online gambling.
In South Africa laws regarding gambling have remained the same since 1996. In 2004 the legislation was revised to address online gambling laws that distinguished between online gambling and online betting. Licensing was granted to online bookmakers.
From 2008 to the present, the National Gambling Amendment Act was passed but as of yet has not been enacted. This legislation was to include legality in other forms of betting such as table games and slot machines.
Online gambling laws in Canada are defined as unclear. The Canadian government does have legislation in place that makes it illegal for online gaming and betting establishments to provide their services to citizens without the appropriate licence. Canadian provinces within the country operate their own local online gaming and betting outlets and are able to regulate gambling within their local governments.
Each European country is responsible for its own legislation regarding online gambling. Countries that form part of the European Union are to some extent governed by the European Commission which impacts the legislation of these countries to some extent. In each country, online gambling laws vary from one another. Just as varied as the laws, so are the regulations that are imposed upon the service providers.
Asian countries are individually responsible for passing their own legislation regarding online gambling. As there is no one legislation that can be followed across this region, laws on gambling vary immensely. Some types of gambling might be considered taboo in a country where again it might be widely available in the next.
Certain gambling activities are considered illegal for Australian companies to offer to citizens. Services that are allowed include sports betting and lottery games. Laws concerning online gambling are played out by the Interactive Gambling Act of 2001.
While both local and central governments are able to carry out regulation, there is no law that prevents Australian citizens to use off-sure casinos and gambling sites.
Licensed VS Unlicensed Casinos
Trusted online casinos hold a licence from a regulatory body such as those listed in our previous section. These organisations ensure that games and services provided by online casinos are safe, secure and fair.
Unlicensed casinos are free from the constraints of any regulatory body and are free to offer players any games or services that they want worldwide.
Comparison Between Licensed And Unlicensed Casinos
Licensed | Unlicensed | |
---|---|---|
Privacy | ID verification required | More private |
Bonus Limits | Depending on the licences and jurisdiction, casinos may be restricted to a set amount | No bonus limits |
Safety | Safe and secure to play at | Might have risks, as casinos are not required to use encryption technology |
Self Exclusion | Yes, some licences & jurisdictions make it mandatory to include | Not always offered |
Fair Payouts | Yes, payouts are executed timely and in full | Players can be refused payout without explanation |
Conclusion
Although it might be tempting to try an unlicensed crypto casino, it’s our opinion that it’s in your best interest to only play at crypto casinos that have and follow the regulations that licences and jurisdictions enforce on them. This is to ensure your online safety when you play at a licensed casino, for playing at unlicensed casinos may have some serious implications such as payouts not being see through.
If you don’t know where to start with when it comes to finding licensed crypto casinos, you can simply head to any of our toplists and pick whichever one tickles your fancy. Moreover, you can read our casino reviews to learn more about an individual casino. You can rest assured that all online casinos you can find on our CryptoGamblers website are 100% legal and licensed, vetted by our amazing team.
FAQ
Yes. Licensed casinos are required to make use of encryption technology that protects the sensitive information of their players.
Playing at an unlicensed casino, although exciting, may have many drawbacks. You don’t have any security or safety regarding your personal information and winnings.
You can always see if any offshore casinos accept players from your country.
Licensed casinos are required to have their regulator’s logo displayed on their site. You will be able to find this in the footer of the homepage.
Casinos spend a lot of time and money to obtain a licence to ensure fair gameplay. They are extremely fair and unbiased.
This depends on where you live. Most countries require a person to be 18 years or older while other countries require you to be 21 years and up.
Licences are required by the jurisdiction of a specific region of an online casino that wishes to provide games and services to punters.