Did you know that behind the scenes there’s a large group of people working hard to ensure you’re always treated honestly and fairly when you play online bingo? These people don’t work for the bingo sites, but they instead work for the many different licencing and regulatory bodies found throughout the online gambling world – bodies such as the UK Gambling Commission and the Malta Gaming Authority. They do a massively important job, as without them there would be no protection for online gamblers, however most players don’t know anything about these organisations keeping them safe.
On this page, we’re going to let you know about the different regulatory and licencing bodies from throughout the world, taking you on a journey from the Irish Sea to the Caribbean. Once you’ve finished reading, you should feel safer than ever when you play bingo at your favourite online bingo website.
So, keep reading to find out about the major licencing bodies from throughout the world…
UK Gambling Commission
The most prestigious licence in the world is one from the UK Gambling Commission. This is because the UKGC is known to provide an incredibly effective service, monitoring gambling websites extremely closely. It is now even more prestigious as a site must hold this licence if they’re going to offer gambling to UK citizens. This has led a few companies to abandon the UK, however the vast majority have decided to comply.
The UK Gambling Commission has been around since 2007 and you will find details of all companies they regulate at the UKGC website. You can also see if a site is regulated by the UKGC by looking for their logo at the bottom of the site’s homepage. What’s more, you can be sure that we’ll only ever recommend online bingo sites that have the UKGC licence, which ensures you’re always kept safe when you play.
Isle of Man Gambling Supervision Commission
The Isle of Man is a small island in the middle of the Irish Sea, best known for the Isle of Man TT. They also have a big reputation in the online gambling world though, as they have been issuing licences for a long time. Companies are attracted to the Isle of Man thanks to the low taxes – a common theme you’ll find throughout this page.
The Isle of Man Gambling Supervision Commission doesn’t just give out licences left, right and centre though. Instead, it operates a tough vetting process, which gambling companies have to pass before they’re granted their licence. The organisation also checks the finances of the site in question extremely thoroughly, to minimise the chance of the company going insolvent and players losing their money. Why not learn more by visiting their website today?
Malta Gaming Authority
Next, we head over to the Mediterranean, where we’ll find the small island of Malta. This country is massively linked to the online gambling industry and many gambling companies are headquartered there. Guess why? Yep, you guessed it – for tax reasons. A licence from the MGA also means that sites are allowed to operate their services in the vast majority of countries throughout the world.
There were concerns about the MGA regarding the way it handed the Everleaf Network, however the MGA is now regarded as one of the best regulatory bodies around. As a side note, you might have also heard of the Lotteries and Gaming Authority. This was the precursor to the Malta Gaming Authority and has now been entirely replaced by the MGA. You can learn more about the MGA by visiting their website here.
Alderney Gambling Control Commission
Some people reading this page might not have even heard of Alderney. It’s one of the Channel Islands and it is only 3 miles long and 1 ½ miles wide. Despite being so small, it has still managed to carve out a place for itself in the online gambling industry and provides licences to some surprisingly big names. Once again, this is all down to the low taxes offered by the island.
The Alderney Gambling Control Commission’s biggest claim to fame is the Full Tilt Poker scandal. While they were initially criticised for their role, they redeemed themselves by withdrawing Full Tilt Poker’s licence and exposing their underhand and dishonest practices. So, don’t be under any illusions – this is a regulatory body that does its job properly! Visit the Alderney Gambling Control Commission website today to find out more about them.
Government of Gibraltar
Gibraltar is another tiny territory of the United Kingdom, as well as another place that offers low taxes and fees to entice companies to set up shop there. Some of the biggest brands in the world call Gibraltar home, making Gibraltar a vital hub in the online gambling community. Gibraltar is also popular as they allow sites to offer their services to players in pretty much every country throughout the world.
Like the other smaller territories on this page, Gibraltar manages to punch well above its weight. A licence from this organisation is well-respected in the online gambling world – yet another reason why companies are keen to be affiliated with them. If you’d like to learn more about how Gibraltar regulates gambling companies, click here.
Curacao Internet Gambling Association
So far, we’ve been pretty positive about the regulators and licencing bodies we’ve mentioned, but that unfortunately isn’t possible when it comes to the Curacao Internet Gambling Association. This is because this organisation doesn’t really do anything to protect online gamblers and is instead happy to simply receive the fees they charge for granting a licence.
If you stumble across a site that boasts a licence from the Curacao Internet Gambling Association, we’d generally recommend steering clear. This is because there’s no guarantee that the site is being monitored properly. We would direct you to their website for more information, however it seems that it no longer has an internet presence – another reason to treat them with suspicion.
Antigua Division of Gaming
The Antigua Division of Gaming is a slightly more reputable organisation than the Curacao Internet Gambling Association. What’s more, they’re also respected by many in the online gambling industry for their fight against the USA when online gambling was mostly banned in the States. Once again, low taxes attract sites to base themselves there, along with other operator-friendly policies.
Despite having some standing in the online gambling industry, we would still be slightly careful about playing at a site that is only regulated by the Antigua Division of Gaming. Therefore, unless another organisation has also granted a licence to the site in question, we’d avoid sites regulated in Antigua. Find out more about them by visiting their rather rudimentary site here.
Kahnawake Gaming Commission
You probably haven’t ever heard of the Kahnawake Gaming Commission. They’ve been around since 1999 though and are based in the Mohawk Territory near Quebec, in Canada. They used to be the largest licencing body in the world, however this is no longer the case, thanks to changes in the law regarding online gambling in both Canada and the USA.
You will find that some sites are still regulated by the Kahnawake Gaming Commission though, and you should also find that the organisation is responsive if you ever have a concern or complaint about one of the sites it licences. Find out more about the Kahnawake Gaming Commission by visiting their website.
