Are you familiar with your gambling laws and rights? Do you know which regulators and licensers keep your online casino in check? Are you familiar with your local laws and regulations? Do you know how to apply for a gambling license? Are you familiar with your local tax laws? Have you researched gambling auditors and their impact on the industry? Do you know how to gamble safely and responsibly? We will explore all of this and more in this in-depth section.
The world of gambling was forever changed in 1996 when Cryptologic launched InterCasino, the very first online casino. While most countries were slow to draft gambling legislation, some farseeing governments, such as Antigua and Barbuda, passed laws allowing licenses for online casinos as early as 1994.
The next few years saw an explosion in the popularity of online casinos, with the industry quickly surpassing its first billion-dollar evaluation. As the number of online casinos swelled, so did the appetites of governments and jurisdictions. They started implementing longer and longer laws, especially new taxes. Regulators and auditors were introduced, often funded and operated by private agencies. The rise of these institutions and titles caused a great deal of mystique and confusion among punters.
The confusion was not helped by the hundreds of different licenses, ranging from sub-licensing to vectored licenses that grant access to just one or a handful of gambling options. Some countries even decided to ban online gambling while retaining land-based casinos and vice versa.
Most of the gambling laws in Europe are derived from EU directives and legislation, with Central and Western European countries having stricter laws than Southern and Eastern ones. A good rule of thumb is that the more conservative a country is, the stricter its gambling laws are. Hungary, for example, has a monopoly on lotteries, hard-to-obtain online gambling licenses, and a ban on fantasy sports. Poland is similarly strict, Norway bans offshore gambling sites, Belgium and Moldova prohibit advertising, and Albania has had a ban on gambling since 2018. Some countries go in the opposite direction with Romania’s uncapped license count, Russia’s lax gambling laws, and Belarus’s hosting of foreign gamblers. While the UK, France, and Italy allow gambling of all sorts, winnings are often taxed heavily. A similar approach is taken in the Nordic countries and Germany.
Gambling in Canada and the US is quite odd because of the split between federal and state laws. Recent years have seen nationwide legalization of sports bets in the US, with Canada retaining its ban on sports betting. On the other hand, Canada is no stranger to online gambling, while most US states keep it banned. We expect to see both countries loosen up their gambling laws in order to prevent a loss of taxes to one another.
Operators should keep an eye out for the Latin American market, as it is said to dominate the iGaming world in 2023. Latin American states are, therefore, scrambling to put together thorough legislation before money launderers and other unscrupulous individuals take advantage of the licensing vacuum. A breakdown of legislation by country looks a little like this:
The African gambling market is either closed or unregulated. North African states often ban gambling outright, with Morocco, Tunisia, and Egypt banning gambling for citizens but allowing it in hotels and other tourist centers. Tunisia and Morocco do, however, run state-owned sports betting companies called Promosport and MDJS. Note that online gambling in Egypt and Morocco remains unregulated and, therefore, accessible even without a license.
Things are even more unregulated in Sub-Saharan Africa, with no formal regulations or licensing processes for online gambling. The latter allows foreign operators free access to these punters. Licensing and regulations in the following countries break the mold and should be looked into:
Asia, with its traditional and religious views, is generally an unpleasant place for gambling. Countries such as Thailand, Laos, Nepal, Pakistan, Brunei, and Indonesia have blanket bans on gambling. Other approaches include:
Casinos in New Zealand are split into classes, with the major difference being the prize size. Operators also cannot promote online gambling on social media.
Australia is a hub for gambling, with 80% of its populace partaking. However, promoting gambling is highly penalized. Online poker is, despite online gambling being legal, even banned.
You can think of third-party and government-funded auditors as policemen that keep online casinos and operators in check. They consistently conduct audits, which test whether a gaming venue is following the rules, regulations, and guidelines imposed by the local laws.
What auditors actually do is test random number generators, which are essentially just algorithms that generate random strings, for fairness. A fair RNG produces completely random numbers, cards, dice rolls, and more. Another important point of any audit is its payment method overview, which focuses on the protection of personal information, its encryption, a site’s payout policy and liquidity in the event of bankruptcy, and so on.
We cannot forget about the vigorous tests that casino software providers get exposed to. These have their RTP (return to player) or payout percentages checked. Moreover, yearly evaluations make sure that required protocols are being respected by suppliers and enforced by casinos.
Some states decide to take auditing into their own hands, while others leave it up to third-party agencies. Canada, for example, has an Auditor General. The State of Massachusetts has an Office of State Auditor. New Zealand boasts a gambling auditor within its Department of Internal Affairs, which conducts class 4 audits. India has a National Indian Gaming Commission, whose audits keep Indian iGaming above board. EGBA, or The European Gaming and Betting Association, audits operators within the EU and so on.
The best operators in the world also seek the approval of industry-leading auditors, such as Price Waterhouse Coopers, eCOGRA, GLI, iTech Labs, and TestLabs.
The taxes imposed on gambling operators and punters differ from state to state and even between jurisdictions within states. We can generally split tax policies into two camps, tax-free winning countries, and countries with taxes for winnings. Note that the burden of paying this tax can fall on either the operator or the player.
Operators often incur a tax on GGR or gross gaming revenue. This is based on a percentage of the net profits, with the highest ones being in France, Germany, Luxembourg, Denmark, Australia, the USA, the UK, Austria, Macau, and Greece. Note that countries often organize tax amounts into tiers, such as the UK, or set different tax rates for different games, such as Australia with its 65% tax on lotteries, 25% tax on gaming machines, and 20% tax on racing and table games. The lowest gambling taxes, on the other hand, can be found in Russia, Singapore, Kenya, Argentina, and Italy.
Some countries turn your expectations on their head by taxing winnings but imposing said taxes on operators instead of punters. Prime examples include Ireland, Austria, Australia, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Finland, Denmark, Germany, the Czech Republic, South Africa, Russia, Spain, and Macau (the Chinese Las Vegas of Asia).
Germany is particularly interesting as it has a 5% fee on all online wagers and an additional 5% tax on winnings. Both are paid by the operator and not the punter. France has gone down a similar route by having operators pay 12% on all winnings over €1,500.
We also have to mention the clever way that some countries distribute funds acquired from taxing gambling. Some decide to grant the taxes to the local municipality, which is the case with lottery wins in Slovenia. Others decide to funnel these funds into addiction treatment facilities or other public institutions. Either way, gambling taxes are a vital part of any country’s annual balance.
Modern punters are very lucky to have a worldwide web of organizations and institutions that are there to help them with their problematic gambling. When these are combined with self-exclusion programs, helplines, counseling services, therapy, and awareness campaigns, it is simply a matter of time before a gambler is capable of curtailing his bad habit.
The biggest hurdle that punters have to overcome when dealing with gambling addiction is stigma, especially in countries such as the United Arab Emirates, Brunei, Cambodia, and Qatar. These states impose strict laws and drastic punishments, which leave punters scared to seek the support of social workers. This is where organizations such as Gamblers Anonymous (GA), Gam-Anon, National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG), Gambling Therapy, GamCare, BeGambleAware, Responsible Gambling Council (RGC), Gambling Help Online, National Center for Responsible Gaming (NCRG), SMART Recovery, and the International Association of Gaming Regulators (IAGR) come in. They offer free help, multiple tools, and supportive 24/7 hotlines that get you through crisis.
Another vital aspect of safe and responsible gambling is being able to spot and avoid problematic behavior or shady sites. We highly recommend that you only ever play at verified, licensed, and regulated venues. Moreover, you should only ever deposit what you can afford to lose and avoid chasing losses or wins. Should you at any point start feeling anxious or annoyed, quit your gaming session immediately. What is more, if you have consistent feelings of anxiety regarding gambling, contact your casino’s customer support, use self-exclusion tools, and reach out to supportive organizations.
The purpose of gambling regulators and regulatory bodies is to ensure compliance with the laws of local jurisdictions. Their licenses are signs of quality and guarantee enjoyable gambling experiences. A license from one of the most respected regulatory bodies can allow an online casino to operate globally.
You will often encounter them as part of ministries of finance or the governments of autonomous regions, with the best ones being respected worldwide. The following breakdown of regulatory bodies, their focuses, and applicable regions, should help you become more familiar with these vital overseers.
The process of obtaining a gambling license depends on the jurisdiction that you are targeting. The fees and nuances differ greatly, but the general requirements include:
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You can either contact the listed regulatory authority or look for a licensing section on the casino’s site. Note that the latter is often in the footer of a site, with the license often being depicted by a badge. There are also online databases and directories that you can consult.
Simply click on the license’s logo or link, which will take you to the licensing authority’s website or verification page. Another solution is contacting the regulatory authority directly.
The best way to check is to research your country’s tax enforcement agency’s site, such as that of the IRS. Note that these laws are often found attached to other entertainment taxes and levies.
You should find logos of auditing companies or badges from successful audits in the footer of your chosen site. Moreover, auditing firms such as eCOGRA, iTech Labs, or GLI should have the audits in their databases and listings.
We recommend that you consult our licenses section or contact your local law enforcement. Online gambling is often unregulated or legal despite regular gambling being illegal.
That depends entirely on the nature of your business plan. Some countries do not allow any gambling; some limit gambling to the online sphere, while others limit it to brick-and-mortar venues. You should also take into account fees and license processing times.
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