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Every online casino is required to be licensed within the jurisdiction from which they operate. Whenever you are choosing an online casino to play at, one of the most important points you must check is that they have casino licensing. Common Countries that Offer Casino Regulation Online gambling is illegal in a number of countries and therefore many online casinos are licensed in offshore jurisdictions. The majority of online casinos operate from small island principalities. More than fifty countries offer online casino licensing these days as they generate a lot of revenue for the countries that issue them. Some are more obscure than others. The most common countries that offer online casino regulation are Antigua and Barbuda, Costa Rica, Curacao in Netherlands Antilles, Gibraltar, Isle of Man, Kahnawake and Malta. These countries provide varying levels of strictness and when player complaints occur, they deal with them in varying degrees of harshness. Antigua and Barbuda were the first countries to offer casino licensing, beginning in 1994. This jurisdiction remains one of the most popular authorities to issue casino licensing and they currently license approximately 100 online casino sites. Gibraltar is also a common licensing jurisdiction, although they have a reputation of strictness and so casinos with licensing from Gibraltar are seen to be serious about fairness and security. The Kahnawake Gaming Commission provides licensing from the jurisdiction of Kahnawake, an Indian reserve in Canada. Why Casino Licensing is Important The casinos are bound by the law of the jurisdiction in which they are licensed - not by the law in the location of the player. Many players feel more secure knowing that an online casino is fully licensed - there is a higher degree of security for the player at a casino with a license. It is much easier to concentrate on the game at hand when you feel that your funds are secure. Licensing is a sign of how dedicated the online casino is to their business and their customers. It is also a way to gain some understanding of the standards of that particular casino. It is therefore important not to play at an online casino that does not provide licensing information. Online casino licensing is seen as a sort of marketing tool for casinos that are licensed in jurisdictions that have a reputation of strictness. This information will generally be publicized on the casino's site for players to view. Probity checks are done on all casinos that apply for a license. These include information regarding the random number generator, whether games offer fair payout percentages, transparency of casino bonuses and casino payments methods, how security concerns have been addressed and the administrative set-up for casino controls. All of these are tested by a third party. Finally, the licensing jurisdiction provides an address for complaints. There are online casinos that do not obtain licensing. Players should be wary of these. Certain aspects of fairness may be lacking at casinos that have not made the effort to become licensed and these may include random number generators which will affect the fairness of the casino games.
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