casinojungle

Casino Licenses

CasinosJungle > Casino Licenses

At CasinosJungle.com we talk about casino licenses a lot. Each gambling licensing body has different rules and regulations each casino operator must adhere to. The type of license a casino has can tell you a lot about how strictly regulated that particular casino is. It’s important to know where your casino is licensed in the event that you have a dispute with the casino and need to appeal to a regulatory body. Here are the key gaming licensing jurisdictions you’re likely to encounter as an online casino player.

Affiliate Disclosure: Our content contains affiliate links that we may earn a commission from. We do not receive payment for publishing reviews and we only recommend online casinos we trust.

MGA – Malta

MGA logo

Malta Gaming Authority offers a variety of gaming licenses depending on the gambling type, and different licenses are required for sportsbetting, poker, casino and a B2B license enabling remote gaming.

A casino license from MGA is considered safe, trustworthy and highly regulated. Whilst the license offers companies and employees a reasonably low taxation rate.  MGA takes player safety very seriously, ensuring companies take every possible step to prevent criminal activity, money laundering, protect underage and vulnerable players. 

recommended-sites
Casino Together logo
Playojo
LeoVegas MGA licensed online casino

Curacao eGaming

Perhaps you only know it as a blue liqueur, but in the igaming industry Curacao is better known as an Island in the Caribbean, famous as a licensing body. Curacao is a Lesser Antilles island, part of the Dutch Caribbean region. Favorable taxation laws and low cost licensing make Cuaracao an attractive option for gambling companies. One license in Curacao covers any type of betting operation. 

There are many safe, professional and reputable igaming companies set up in Curacao, however a few rogue, scam casinos have tarnished the jurisdiction. Since Curacao does not intervene in player and operator disputes as happens with some other licensing bodies. In effect, the license does not hold nearly as much weight as a license from say MGA or UK. It is relatively inexpensive so pretty much any new casino can acquire a license from Curacao.  Our advice is to check reviews of Curacao licenses to ensure the casino has earned a reputation as a safe, trustworthy and reliable casino operation that pays out players on time.  

recommended-sites
BitStarz Logo

Kahnawake

Kahnawake is a First Nations reservation in Canada, just outside Montreal. Kahnawake has been licensing via The Gaming Commission since 1996. Many well known casino operations are licensed there, and the license has been given some weight due to it’s collaboration with eCogra. eCogra is an igaming industry watchdog that checks RTP percentages on sites within the network to ensure the house edges are as advertised to customers. 

Unlike some other licensing bodies, Kahnawake does get involved in player activity, particularly when it comes to responsible gambling. Players can exclude themselves temporarily or permanently from all sites licensed by Kahnawake. Interactive gambling law for any agents operating within Kahnawake Mohawk territory require that the gaming is fair and honest, players are paid out promptly, player data is protected, due steps are taken to ensure gaming operations are not involved in criminal activity, and to ensure vulnerable and underage people are protected from online gaming. All data in the region is managed by Continent 8, a technology company based in Isle of Man. Also, all Kahnawake licensed casinos must use Mohawk Internet technologies servers, so they also maintain control over and access to gambling operations. These elements give the Kahnawake license credibility. 

recommended-sites
Ruby Fortune Logo
Jackpot City Casino Logo

UKGC

The United Kingdom Gambling Commission offers remote gaming licenses for a range of betting activities, including casino, sportsbook, bingo and lotteries. The license is difficult to get, and involves close inspection of the business set up and it’s key employees. Senior managers will require a Personal Management License. It is a highly trusted regulatory and licensing body, placing strong emphasis on player data protection, player identification and verification, fairness, customer service and protecting players with responsible gambling measures.  The UKGC has whitelisted several offshore jurisdictions that it defines as acceptable to issue gambling licenses. These jursidictions are Alderney, Gibraltar, Isle of Man, Antigua and Barbuda and Tasmania.

recommended-sites
Mr play logo

Alderney

The United Kingdom Gambling Commission offers remote gaming licenses for a range of betting activities, including casino, sportsbook, bingo and lotteries. The license is difficult to get, and involves close inspection of the business set up and its key employees. Senior managers will require a Personal Management License. It is a highly trusted regulatory and licensing body, placing strong emphasis on player data protection, player identification and verification, fairness, customer service and protecting players with responsible gambling measures.  The UKGC has whitelisted several offshore jurisdictions that it defines as acceptable to issue gambling licenses. These jursidictions are Alderney, Gibraltar, Isle of Man, Antigua and Barbuda and Tasmania.

recommended-sites
Betway Casino Logo

Gibraltar

The GRA (Gibraltar Regulatory Authority) offers gambling operators a low tax rate of 1% in a UK territory that has been whitelisted by the UKGC. This has made it an appealing centre of operations for many large sportsbetting and casino operators. Acquiring a license means gaining approval after a very strict review process.  Operators licensed by Gibraltar are heavily regulated and monitored to ensure game play fairness, player data protection and vulnerable player protection.

Many software providers are licensed in Gibraltar. Brands include IGT, Yggdrasil, Realistic Games, Inspired, High 5 Games and Greentube.

Well known casino brands licensed by Gibraltar include the Rank Group, Mansion, 888.com, Entain brands and many more.

recommended-sites

Costa Rica

Costa Rica has been a popular destination for gambling companies to set up a business. Virtually zero tax rates (overseas income revenue isn’t taxed in Costa Rica) and no gambling specific laws preventing business development are in operation, making it an attractive offering. It’s also very cheap to set up a company and can be done in a week. One big red flag for users is that there is no official license for online gambling in Costa Rica, instead it is a “data processing” license from San Jose, which basically means anyone can get a gaming “license”.

This does not automatically mean the casino operator is not legitimate, many poker, casino and sportsbetting sites have built up a good reputation there. It does mean that you should exercise caution, and look for a reputable online casino via site reviews that has been around for a while. This will help to ensure that it is a genuine casino operation. You will likely find a lot of new crypto casinos setting up in Costa Rica since banks there do not allow gambling businesses to open bank accounts there, and crypto avoids that entire obstacle as an anonymous transaction for players. The big advantage here of course is that if you are located in an area with some restrictions on gambling, it’s likely you’ll still be able to play at a Costa Rica based casino company. Just be sure to play at a recommended one!

recommended-sites

Panama

As of 2002, when Panama passed their Online Gaming Act, Panama has offered a gaming license. Licenses are issued from the Gaming Control Board; Junta de Control de Juegos. Much like Costa Rica, the license itself it quite easy to acquire and both great and suspect online casinos can operate out of the country. We strongly advise reading casino reviews about sites licensed in Panama to understand if this is a genuine operation that puts players first with fast and reliable withdrawals, clear wagering and promotional terms and conditions and 24/7 customer support.

recommended-sites
Wild Casino Logo

NJDGE – New Jersey

New Jersey has made online sportsbetting and gaming legal in the state of New Jersey. This means landbased casinos can operate here with a license, plus online igaming operators can receive a license from the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement. However players must be physically located in the state of New Jersey to be able to play online.  Websites promoting gambling services, such as advertising casinos must also have a special vendors licence.

The NJ state constitution requires that casino gambling is confined to Atlantic city, so as a result; all online casino servers must be located at licensed Atlantic City casinos. This is why you’ll see online casinos in partnership with landbased casinos. You’ll find operators such as Betfair and Pokerstars have partnerships with NJ based casinos in order to offer an online casino site.

Casinos Jungle does not promote NJ based casinos, but we can recommend these social casinos

recommended-sites
Caesars Slots Social Casino Logo
Gambino Slots logo

PGCB – Pennsylvania

Since late 2017, the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board has been able to issue online casinos licenses. Sites must be checked and approved and overseen by the PGCB. Taxes are high for this license so only a few operators has entered the market so far, but already revenues have reportedly doubled between March 2020 and July 2020. If you are based in the state and playing at a licensed Pennsylvania casino, you can be assured your personal data is safe, your gaming is fair and your banking secure. The PGCB is available to step in in the event of player operator disputes.

Casinos Jungle does not promote PA based casinos, but we can recommend these social casinos

recommended-sites
My Jackpot
Heart of Vegas Slots Logo