Gambling Licenses Canada

A gambling license is a certificate of authority which any legal casino, whether it’s an online casino or land-based casino, needs to have in its possession.

“If you offer games of chance, or games that involve betting or wagering real money, you need to have a gambling license.”-

How to get a gambling license

Gambling licenses are issued by various independent licensing authorities. These are federal governments that have enacted legislation that gives them the right to regulate and license online gambling operations. Trusted independent regulatory authorities include the Malta Gaming Authority, UK Gambling Commission, the Gibraltar Gaming Commission and Curacao eGaming.

The Malta Gaming Authority is an independent regulatory body responsible for the governance of all gaming activity in sectors including remote gambling, casinos, lottery, sweepstakes, bingo, sports betting and games of skill in Malta, including both land-based and online.

How to get a gambling license from the Malta Gaming Authority

Applicants looking to get a gambling license from the Malta Gaming Authority can apply for a gaming service license or a critical gaming supply license. A gaming service license is a business-to-consumer license to offer or carry out a gaming service. A critical gaming supply licence is a business-to-business license to provide or carry out a critical gaming supply.

Applications for licences can be submitted to the MGA via the Licensee Relationship Management System (LRMS).

How does the MGA regulate online casinos?

The Malta Gaming Authority’s code of ethics and professional conducts include responsibility, respect, communication, transparency, professional competence, and honesty. The Malta Gaming Authority protects gamblers by safeguarding vulnerable people and minors from the impacts of gambling, verifying the integrity of games, ensuring fair gaming and safeguarding the rights of players.

The UK Gambling Commission licenses and regulates businesses and those employed by casinos that provide gambling services in Great Britain. The gambling commission operates under the Gambling Act 2005. This was set up to regulate commercial gambling such as the National Lottery in Britain, and its main focus is to ensure gambling businesses are compliant with the Act’s standards. Prior to the UK Gambling Commission awarding a gambling license, the following elements are considered; identity and ownership, integrity, competence, and criminality.

How to get a casino license from the UKGC

The UKGC offers three types of gambling licenses, and some casinos may need all three. These are an operating license, a personal management license and a personal functional license. If you provide facilities for remote gambling (online or through other means), and advertise to consumers in Britain, you will need a license from the Gambling Commission.

How does the UKGC regulate online casinos?

Player fund protection stipulates that player funds are to be kept in a separate bank account to ensure players will receive money should problems such as bankruptcy occurs. All online gambling sites are required to provide players with updated policies and procedures to prevent underage gambling. They are required to clearly identify that underage gambling is illegal while stipulating legal gambling ages.

Curacao eGaming is recognized as one of the longest standing and politically stable gaming license providers. Its mission is to ensure legal conduct and the integrity of operators since 1996. A single license covers all forms of interactive eGaming including games of skill, lottery, sports betting and casinos.

How to get an online gambling license from Curacao eGaming

Curaçao offers only one license type which provides eGaming licensing authority to operators of services, software and services providers. Forms and applications are provided upon request by the Curacao eGaming authority. The entire setup process takes between 2 and 4 weeks, depending on the operator.

How does Curacao eGaming regulate online casinos?

Sites regulated and licensed by gambling authorities also protect players from privacy and security violations. Several online gambling sites also receive the seal of approval from watchdog organizations such as the Gambling Commission. Sites displaying the eCOGRA seal of approval confirm that the site complies with the methodology for testing, which incorporates a combination of comprehensive compliance reviews performed annually.

All gambling operations in Gibraltar need to be licensed under the 2005 Gambling Act. Remote Gambling licences, including for telephone and Internet betting, are issued by the Licensing Authority. The Gambling Commissioner ensures that licensees conduct their operations in accordance with their licenses, maintaining Gibraltar’s good reputation as an iGaming jurisdiction.

How to get a gambling license in Gibraltar

Gibraltar offers six different kinds of gambling licenses, including three for remote betting and gamling operators. A license must be obtained for each class of online gambling offered on the website. Prospective licensees need to start by presenting an outline proposal of the company in question to the Gibraltar Gaming Commission. Applications can take several months to process, since Gibraltar carries out an extensive amount of due diligence.

How does the Gibraltar Gaming Commission regulate online casinos?

The Licensing Authority will only consider licensing blue chip companies with a proven track record in gambling, licensed in a reputable jurisdiction, of good financial standing and which have a realistic business plan. Remote gambling companies which are licensed in Gibraltar have to ensure that their gambling products and services have been tested and certified as compliant with Gibraltar’s regulatory model and standards. Licences from Gibraltar are generally difficult to obtain, further proving the trustworthiness of casinos licensed in Gibraltar.

With the vast range of online casinos available to Canadian players, recognising which ones are legitimate, trustworthy and reliable, and which ones should be strenuously avoided because of their track record can be difficult. As we discussed further up on this page, checking if a casino is licensed is one of the easiest ways to verify if a casino can be trusted – but there are other ways too. Here are a few points which can help you identify if you are playing at an honest and trustworthy casino.

Audits

Online gambling is designed to be fun and entertaining. The best online casinos should offer their customers peace of mind by providing them with licensed and regulated play via fair games created by legitimate, trustworthy software developers. Respectable online websites pride themselves in displaying their licenses and policies. Clear terms and conditions should also be provided.

Reviews

Word of mouth is just as important online as it is ‘offline’, and that’s the reason why CasinoTrust provides hundreds of casino reviews. Casino reviews from trusted and reliable sources help players find out as much information as they can about an online casino before even visiting it. By reading a review of casino players can check if the casino is recommended, and even weigh the negatives against the positives. You can avoid rogue casinos by always searching for reviews – and our list of trusted and recommended casinos is always a safe bet!

Make small deposits

Casino banking is one of the best ways to test and interact with a new casino, and figure out whether it’s worth your while. However, when playing at a new casino try and avoid depositing large amounts. This way should anything go wrong loses will hopefully be limited. Yes, this strategy is likely to incur transaction fees, but it is always better to be safe than sorry.

Customer support

As the old saying goes, the customer is always right. Customer support should be at the heart of any decent casino – after all, their job is to look after customers and solve any issues that they may encounter. Before signing up at a new casino, why not test their support out? Check for availability and the length of time it takes to get a response. Any good casino should be capable of providing timely and professional answers to your questions.