When it comes to the online gambling space, there are many different types of regulators that you will likely come across. Different regions will have their own types of regulators in place, with some being stricter than others.
Crypto casinos are more of a unique case as they tend to not really have to deal with major types of regulation.
However, they often do interact with certain bodies, so it is good having some knowledge about these types of entities before you dive head-first into the world of crypto casinos, our team of experts has carefully researched all the leading types of regulators and outlined their main characteristics.
You can find the best crypto casinos here regardless of which license they hold.
Malta Gaming Authority
The Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) has a good track record of finding a nice middle ground between having some sort of oversight on licensees, and not being overly restrictive.
You will find that a lot of the online casinos that operate in the European market will carry MGA licenses. There is a self-exclusion process that the MGA requires of all of its licensees.
There is not a mass self-exclusion program in existence yet for all MGA licensees. It is something that reportedly is in the works. The MGA will make sure that operators have an offering that promotes responsible gambling without being too restrictive.
You will find certain limitations on bet sizes, spin times, and deposit sizes. Generally, many of the leading online casinos in the space today will have an MGA license. This goes for crypto and non-crypto online gambling sites.
Curacao
The most-seen gambling license with crypto casinos will be those from Curaçao. The government in Curaçao issues licenses without really doing any sort of oversight on the operator. Therefore, it is more so a license in name rather than in action.
You will usually need to do some extra due diligence if you are considering signing up for a license with a Curacao licensee before proceeding.
It will not really require much of licenses in terms of responsible gambling tools or limits on game features. It will cover platforms that are operating across the world and there can be varying levels of quality from casino to a casino that is licensed by the Curaçao authorities.
Kahnawake Gaming Commission
The Kahnawake Gaming Commission is a regulator that will often be seen with platforms that are targeting people across North America. It licenses everything from sportsbooks to online casinos and poker sites.
It has been around since 1996 and currently has issued about 250 active licenses for different platforms.
The Kahnawake Gaming Commission has a lot of similarities to what you would see if you are dealing with a Curaçao-licensed platform, just with some additional responsible gambling requirements being in place.
UKGC
The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) is one of the best-respected gambling regulators around today.
It has a track record of being quite strict when it comes to dealing with an errant operator. It is constantly putting structures in place with its ultimate aim being to create the safest gambling environment it possibly can.
Some of the more recent restrictions that the UKGC has brought into place include a ban on the use of credit cards for gambling purposes, banning certain slot machine features, and curtailing bet sizes on certain types of gambling products.
It works closely with numerous responsible gambling organizations to help achieve its aims.
One of its main partners is GamStop. This is a not-for-profit group that allows a person to quickly self-exclude from every single UKGC-licensed gambling site. The period can range from months to years.
Once the self-exclusion period is enacted, it will remain in place permanently from there on out until the time has elapsed. It is a powerful way that the UKGC protects gamblers, as every UKGC-licensed site needs to be a part of GamStop.
SGA
The Swedish Gaming Authority (SGA) is a regulator that mainly focuses on the Swedish market. It is a very strict regulator. The Swedish gambling market used to be a monopoly up until a few years ago when the regulated market was introduced.
Since then, there has been a strict regime in place across Sweden.
The SGA has taken operators to task numerous times for misinterpreting rules and regulations. It takes a thoughtful approach as to the type of sports betting markets that can be offered to help ensure the integrity of sports.
It also took measures during the course of the COVID-19 pandemic to try to protect online casino players. Very strict deposit limits were put in place for people using these types of platforms.
While these strict limits have been removed, there are other policies that the SGA implements that have similar results of curtailing the total amount of money that people spend when they are gambling on regulated platforms in Sweden.
Germany Gambling License GlüStV
The German online gambling sector in a regulated sense has only launched very recently.
Therefore, there is still somewhat of a learning curve for the region’s gambling regulator. As time goes on, the GlüStV will likely observe what is working well and see what changes can be made in other areas.
There are some very good responsible gambling tools in place for online gambling sites licensed by the GlüStV. This allows people to have access to account restriction tools that fit their needs.
Powerful self-exclusion databases are also in effect, which can be very hard to bypass if you are in Germany. That means that a lot of the concerns are dealt with when it comes to dealing with these types of gambling platforms in the German market.