Understanding your gambling jurisdiction
Each country or jurisdiction is run by a Commission or Authority which has been granted the authority to make decisions around which games are allowed to play as part of their online gambling regulation. Whether or not operators and players who contravene these decisions will be prosecuted, at what rate taxation will be applied to either player winnings or operator revenues and even how gambling can or cannot be marketed in their sphere of influence.
The UKGC is a perfect example of this where they determined that imagery that was considered “kid-friendly” was banned from advertising, this has expanded to cover just about any cartoon or animated character, especially those with faces. This has had a massive impact on brand identities, existing advertisements and more.
To offer you a clear and concise understanding of the stance your local gambling authority has taken on these matters, we have included the following 8 areas of interest in each review:
- An overview of the jurisdictional authority;
- A brief history of the current gambling regulations;
- What it takes to be licensed locally;
- An overview of the taxes applied to gambling;
- What benefit there is to the operator;
- How licensing benefits you as a player;
- A selection of trustworthy licensed casinos for you try;
- Closing thoughts on the regulations.
By discussing each of the items above, we hope to give you a broader understanding of where and how you can safely and securely enjoy online gambling. It is also important to understand the intention of the gambling authorities, as in most cases, the primary goal is to protect the consumer from abuse by unapproved suppliers.
Having a local gambling authority in place ensures that you have a legal platform where you can seek advice, input and even seek assistance with the recovery of funds should it be needed.
All of this will also take place in your local languages, be processed by local banking, so you avoid unnecessary costs and mediation can take place in your local court system and not overseas which is often near impossible given the time and cost of travel.
Responsible Gambling
One of the biggest benefits of any regulated online gambling market is the attention and funding given to programs to support people who find themselves struggling with compulsive gambling behaviour. Safe gambling groups like BeGambleAware.org, GamblersAnonymous.com, StopSpillet.dk and many others provide a necessary, safe haven for people who are struggling with problem gambling.
Most online and land-based gambling authorities have a charter by which they assign revenues gathered from licensed operators and even a percentage of their own profits as an organization. In programs aimed at protecting minors from being exposed to underage gambling, they ensure the training and development of support staff needed to counsel those in need and even the creation of intervention programs.
Denmark’s ROFUS program is a fantastic example of a long-term intervention as it allows individuals to self-exclude from all online gambling activities for life.
For more information on the warning signs that online gambling might be straying from being a hobby to being a compulsion, or for more on organisations you can speak to for clarity on problem gambling, we encourage you to visit our Responsible Gambling section.