Online Gambling Regulators, Licensing Bodies, and iGaming Auditors Around the World

Regulatory bodies, licensing authorities, and auditing institutions sustain well-governed, worldwide online gambling markets. By enforcing standards of quality, fairness, and transparency in line with national regulations, these mandatory guardians keep the iGaming industry safe, enabling players to enjoy iGaming fun responsibly.

We take the utmost care and make sure to recommend only the online hubs vetted and certified by well-recognized and reputable online gambling regulators.

Bellow, you can learn more about the key organizations in charge of verifying worldwide interactive casinos. In doing so, they provide the necessary seal of quality, which is paramount to safeguarding all involved parties in ever-growing iGaming markets.

The Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau

Country: Macau | Region: Asia | State: Special Administrative Region of China

The Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau (DICJ) offers guidance and support to Macao SAR's Chief Executive regarding the designation and implementation of policies for casino operations, gambling activities, pari-mutuel betting, and all games of chance.

The DICJ defines regulatory frameworks, evaluates eligibility and authorizes licensees and concessionaires, certifies equipment and paraphernalia, monitors activities and promotions. Additionally, the DICJ investigates and penalizes administrative infractions under the legal, statutory, and contractual obligations and responsibilities deriving from applicable legislations.

The Casino Regulatory Authority

Country: Singapore | Region: Asia | State: Republic of Singapore

The CRA is a statutory board serving under the Ministry of Home Affairs and regulating Singapore’s casino industry. It oversees the entire gambling landscape as the Gambling Regulatory Authority, ensuring honest gaming while controlling potential harms to minors, vulnerable individuals, and society.

The CRA manages the licensing process for aspiring operators, issues certifications for devices, approve games’ rules, scrutinize activities that fail to comply with statutory obligations, and investigate violations of gambling regulations to eradicate criminal influence or exploitation.

Spillemyndigheden

Country: Denmark | Region: Europe | State: Denmark

The Danish Gambling Authority, operating as an executive branch under the Danish Ministry of Taxation, is responsible for enabling a fair and well-governed national gambling market. The DGA is in charge of the overall administration of gambling legislation, licensing process, operators’ supervision, control of gaming machines, general monitoring of the industry, and players’ protection.

As such, the regulator strives to ensure that the gambling framework works for players' and operators' benefits, instilling values of knowledge, collaboration, perspective, and responsibilities to all parties involved.

Gibraltar Regulatory Authority

Country: Gibraltar | Region: Europe | State: A British Overseas Territory

The GRA, established under the provisions of the 2005 Gambling Act, oversees the Gibraltar iGaming jurisdiction. As a principal regulatory body and licensing authority for one of the most prominent umbrellas of global online gambling operators, the GRA ensures that interactive hubs' operational practices align with current legislation and technical and operating standards.

The body also oversees advertising guidelines, audits financial requirements to service the ongoing operations, controls obligations regarding prize payouts, and supervises casinos' content certification. Additionally, it enforces the European Union principles on punters' privacy, overall protection, and anti-money laundering requirements.

Gambling Supervisory Authority

Country: Hungary | Region: Europe | State: Hungary

The GSA, instituted through the Hungarian Government decree in 2017, is a successor to the Gaming Board and serves as a national authority for supervising gambling activities. The organization is in charge of licensing process, devising gaming procedures and principles, and acts to prevent illegal land-based and iGaming operations, including responsible gambling activities and players’ protection.

The GSA also imposes sanctions on operators who don't comply with the regulations and regulates the national market according to the EU's restrictions. The body keeps all records on ensuing market developments to provide guarantees and security to all parties involved.

The Customs and Monopolies Agency

Country: Italy | Region: Europe | State: Italy

Officially known as Agenzia Delle Dogane e Dei Monopoli, the ADM (previously AAMS) is one of three tax agencies that conduct technical and operational activities formerly pertaining to Italy's Ministry of Finance. The AGM is in charge of regulating and controlling the entire iGaming sector, ensuring operations are in line with applicable laws.

Throughout its mandate, the AGM issues licenses to on-shore online gambling providers, handle off-shore operators, ensure an equitable distribution of prizes, prevent violations of gambling rules, defines gaming and sportsbetting rules, enforces penalties, implements responsible gambling policies, manages self-exclusion registries, and suppresses illegal activities.

Malta Gaming Authority

Country: Malta | Region: Europe | State: Malta

As one of the most reputable regulatory bodies in the iGaming world, the MGA supervises the Malta jurisdiction's entire gambling eco-system.

Operating in line with the existing legislative framework, the MGA ensures the integrity of games and gaming devices, promotes responsible and safe gambling, and safeguards players' rights while protecting minors and vulnerable persons.

Principal activities also include granting online licenses, monitoring operators' compliance, collecting taxes on behalf of the Government, conducting research on various gambling aspects, and ensuring that gambling activities, on the whole, contribute to the development of Malta.

Norwegian Gaming and Foundation Authority

Country: Norway | Region: Europe | State: Norway

This regulatory body consists of two distinct entities, and the Norwegian Gaming Authority acts as the principal regulator to provide well-governed gambling operations in Norway. The NGA supervises all private and state-operated lotteries and monopolized gambling, including horse racing operations.

As a public authority reporting to the Ministry of Culture, the NGA ensures satisfactory gaming schemes in line with national laws, prevents negative gambling consequences, and monitors profits' allocation to good causes and socially relevant projects.

The NGA also oversees the national iGaming market, monopolized by two state-owned companies (Norsk Tipping and Norsk Rikstoto), and governs online gambling, sports betting, and other interactive verticals.

The Gambling Inspection and Regulation Service

Country: Portugal | Region: Europe | State: Portugal

The GIRS, endowed with public authority to control, inspect, and regulate all gambling activities in Portugal, operates under the Tourism Secretary of State's umbrella. The national purview covers casinos, bingo halls, sports and horse race betting, including online gambling activities in all land-based and interactive venues.

The GIRS is in charge of licensing process, regulation and inspection of games and operating procedures, envisioning and managing responsible gambling policies, conducting research projects and studies, and sustaining the well-regulated market and healthy development of Portugal's gambling industry.

The Office for Gaming Supervision

Country: Slovenia | Region: Europe | State: Slovenia

The OGS is responsible for governing all standard and non-standard gambling operations and activities in Slovenia conducted through land-based casinos, lotteries, gaming machines, sports betting, and bingo games.

The national regulator supervises licensing process and concessions, monitors facilities and operators, and ensures compliance with federal and EU regulations.

The OGS is also the leading body to implement significant general changes to responsible gambling, honest and fair practices, players' protection, sustainable growth of the industry, and proper balance between the positive and negative effects of gambling on the population.

The Swedish Gambling Authority

Country: Sweden | Region: Europe | State: Sweden

The SGA, also known as Spelinspektionen, is the national regulatory authority in charge of the legality, safety, and reliability of Sweden's gambling market.

As such, the SGA is controlled by the Ministry of Finance and is in charge of issuing permits to all operators, providing tools for transparent and balanced market growth, and reducing potentially harmful social effects gambling may cause.

The SGA is responsible for ensuring compliance of all parties involved through supervision, training, and procedural approvals needed for fair gaming but does not provide legal advice or engage in consumer complaints mediation.

The Gambling Commission

Country: The United Kingdom | Region: Europe | State: The United Kingdom

The Gambling Commission regulates all commercial gambling operations in one of the most regulated markets in the world. The sole purpose of the UKGC is to safeguard players and the general public while ensuring that gambling activities remain fair and safe.

As an independent, non-departmental public agency sponsored by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport of the UK Government, the UKGC is in charge of licensing process for all land-based and iGaming verticals, including devising codes of conduct.

The Commission also ensures that market operations remain devoid of crime, disorder, harmful effects, and exploitation, warranting all parties' interests remain protected and well-governed.

The Alderney Gambling Control Commission

Country: The United Kingdom | Region: Europe | State: Alderney

The AGCS is in charge of overall iGaming regulations in the State of Alderney, assuring that jurisdictional practices meet the highest international standards of online gambling and maintain integrity of operations.

The Commission's primary objective is to protect and enhance first-tier jurisdiction's reputation by conducting a thorough licensing process, supervising all licensees' operational frameworks, and ensuring that gaming devices provide an open and fair environment for players.

All monitoring activities protect the interests of vulnerable categories, keeping gambling free from any criminal influence.

Isle of Man Gambling Supervision Commission

Country: The United Kingdom | Region: Europe | State: Isle of Man

The GSC is an independent statutory board established to regulate all iGaming activities, including licensing and regulation of land-based operations.

The Commission’s services in the online gambling vertical include issuing permits, devising guidance to operational standards for license holders, conducting audits, and testing gaming software, ensuring anti-money laundering protocols and players' protection practices are in place.

The GSC upholds the core principles to secure all services remain fair, enable punters to receive their winnings, keep the industry crime-free, and protect those at risk.

The National Gaming Authority

Country: France | Region: Europe | State: France

Officially known as Autorité Nationale des Jeux, the ANJ is an independent body that regulates the online gambling market in France.

Reporting directly to the French Parliament and operating in close cooperation with the EU counterparts, the authority is in charge of licensing process of online casinos, games, and sportsbetting parlors, including racecourses, and monitors all operations to ensure legality, fairness, and responsible approach to gambling.

The ANJ supervises iGaming operators' integrity, prevents fraudulent activities and excessive gaming habits, protects the minors, balances various gambling verticals, and implements measures to protect players. The agency also offers free mediation services in case of dispute and suppresses illegal off-shore operators.

Directorate-General for the Regulation of Gambling

Country: Spain | Region: Europe | State: Spain

Known as La Dirección General de Ordenación del Juego, the DGRG is a national body responsible for regulation, authorization, supervision, coordination, control, and sanctioning of the state-wide gambling activities in Spain.

Exercising the Ministry of Consumer Affairs’ authority, the DGRG is mainly focused on licensing and authorization of additional gaming activities, analysis of existing regulations and evaluation of new legal initiatives, the inspection of venues and technical systems in place. Its authority includes the implementation of penalties and building institutional relations with other national and EU entities.

These core areas serve to enable the economic management of the iGaming industry and allow resources for sustainable growth while enabling responsible gambling policies.

The National Police Board

Country: Finland | Region: Europe | State: Finland

The NPB is responsible for the national monitoring of gambling services in Finland conducted through a state monopoly. As three leading gambling operators merged into one in 2017 to reduce the negative economic, social, and health effects and to support public interest in gambling at the highest level, the NPB became charged with policing the whole eco-system.

A somewhat unique setup of online gambling regulations is to justify the monopoly and secure players' trust in on-shore iGaming operators, thus avoiding the more considerable impact of off-shore interactive venues.

The NPB focuses on combating systematic misuse, enabling punters' protection, securing winnings are paid in an orderly fashion, and controlling gaming devices and hubs' business processes.

Belgium Gaming Commission

Country: Belgium | Region: Europe | State: Belgium

Officially known as Kansspelcommissie, the BGC serves as the primary national regulatory body for gambling in Belgium, including iGaming.

Reporting to the Federal Public Service for Justice, the BGC activities include advising the Government concerning games of chance and drafting decrees, overseeing the licensing process, supervision of licensees, enforcing administrative sanctions (including suspensions of operators), conducting field inspections, and devising responsible gambling policies.

The BGC strives to balance coherent development policies and proportional restrictions to secure the gambling industry's proper economic and social impacts, with a particular focus on players' wellbeing.

The Danish Gambling Authority

Country: Denmark | Region: Europe | State: Denmark

The DGA is an executive regulatory authority operating under the Danish Ministry of Taxation umbrella, responsible for sustaining a well-governed gambling market in this country.

The main areas of the DGA's activities include administering applicable legislation, overseeing the licensing process, supervision of online and land-based operators, and monitoring industry trends. Additional tasks revolve around international cooperation with other regulatory bodies, advisory services to the Government, and general initiatives oriented toward building responsible gambling operations.

As the DGA strives to enable fair gambling practices through guidance offered to players and operators, the authority enforces compliance to national regulations, providing general information to sustain reputable operations.

The Gaming Authority

Country: The Netherlands | Region: Europe | State: The Netherlands

The Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) is an independent regulatory body in charge of regulating, governing, and supervising games of chance in the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

The KSA has three distinct tasks: To protect and inform players, to prevent illegal and criminal practices, and to prevent gambling addiction.

Although the current operations include only land-based vertical, once the Remote Gambling Act enters the force, the KSA shall be in charge of licensing operators interested in offering online gambling products and services.

Considering all aspects of the new iGaming legislation, the KSA will expand its mandate to supervise all responsible gambling practices and enforce best-practices to sustain a well-regulated online gambling market.

The Gaming Policy and Enforcement Branch

Country: Canada | Region: North America| State: British Columbia

The GPEB governs and regulates all gambling activities in British Columbia, ensures the gambling integrity of operations (companies, employees, equipment), investigates all malpractice and misconduct allegations under the provisions of the provincial Gaming Control Act, the Gaming Control Regulations, and Canada's Criminal Code.

The GPEB envelope includes the British Columbia Lottery Corporation, all gambling service providers and workers in the state, the horse racing vertical, and each licensed gambling event.

The agency is also in charge of provincial responsible gambling programs, advertising standards, independent review of money laundering, and monitoring gaming devices and online control systems.

Kahnawake Gaming Commission

Country: Canada | Region: North America| State: Kahnawake

The KGC is the principal regulatory authority for gambling activities "within and from" the Mohawk Territory of Kahnawake.

Governing one of the oldest online jurisdictions globally, the KGC is in charge of drafting iGaming regulations, the overall licensing process, and control of interactive gaming activities. The Commission secure responsible, fair, and honest operations, preventing all involved parties from being associated with crimes, including protecting underage and other vulnerable persons.

The KGC also ensures that online casinos, sportsbooks, and poker rooms treat players fairly and that the winners get the funds promptly, as all information regarding patrons' accounts remain confidential.

The Alcohol, Gaming, Fuel and Tobacco Division

Country: Canada | Region: North America| State: Nova Scotia

The AGFT Division of Service Nova Scotia is the provincial body responsible for regulating and licensing gambling activities, making sure they remain conducted with integrity and honesty and in the best public interest.

Operating on behalf of the Minister, the Division monitors all casinos and games of chance they host, excluding harness racing.

Core functions of this body include issuing licenses, investigative and enforcement activities to ensure operators comply with applicable regulations, and reviewing all rules, machines' installations and modifications, permitted games, including casino surveillance and security systems.

Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario

Country: Canada | Region: North America| State: Ontario

The AGCO is a principal regulatory gambling agency for Ontario's province, reporting to the Ministry of the Attorney General. It is responsible for regulating gaming and horse racing verticals per applicable laws, nurturing principles of honesty and integrity.

The AGCO administers regulatory frameworks on licensing, registers gaming operators and suppliers in gambling sectors, licenses games of chance, approves rules of play, manages self-exclusion records, and promotes safety and consistency in casinos and horse racing tracks.

The agency is also in charge of inspection, monitoring, and conducting compliance activities, including testing gaming devices and systems.

Québec Régie des Alcools des Courses et des Jeux

Country: Canada | Region: North America| State: Quebec

The Alcohol, Racing, and Gaming Authority is a provincial regulator in Quebec, reporting to the Minister of Public Security. Its mandate is to guide, manage, and supervise gambling activities in line with the regulations, and advise on the social impact such operations may have on the public.

The Authority's activities include issuing appropriate licenses and authorizations, monitoring activities to ensure safe, honest, and fair operations, sanctioning licensees who don't comply with the regulatory framework, and informing players and customers of their rights and obligations.

The Authority's personnel strive to reflect competence, impartiality, integrity, loyalty, and respect, as proclaimed by the Quebec Government.

Liquor & Gaming NSW

Country: Australia | Region: Oceania| State: New South Wales

Liquor and Gaming NSW is the regulatory authority for the casinos, gaming machines, and wagering sectors in New South Wales.

The agency also supports the Independent Liquor & Gaming Authority, an independent decision-maker dealing with more contentious gambling decisions, merits reviews, and disciplinary functions.

Liquor and Gaming NSW defines the regulation and priorities to ensure safe and responsible gaming operations, establishes and executes initiatives that benefit the broader NSW community, funds programs and services to reduce problem gambling harm, and conducts investigations and compliance operations.

Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulation

Country: Australia| Region: Oceania| State: Queensland

The OLGR serves under the Department of Justice and Attorney General, providing a regulative framework for the gambling industry of Queensland. The core areas of activities include maintaining integrity and probity across all gaming verticals and ensuring that the state and community benefit from gambling operations.

The OLGR is responsible for governing the licensing process, provisional gaming guidelines and publications, technical requirements of electronic machines, gambling-related exclusions, and certification/verification of operators and employees in land-based casinos, iGaming, wagering, and charitable gambling activities.

The agency also distributes funds through benefit grants programs.

Victorian Commission for Gambling & Liquor Regulation

Country: Australia | Region: Oceania| State: Victoria

The VCGLR is the statutory authority regulating the gambling industry in Victoria, ensuring the operators' compliance with applicable laws while upholding a culture of integrity and harm minimization.

The Commission operates within State and Federal legislative frameworks, providing investigative and auditing services to enforce mandatory license requirements. The authority publishes directions and guidelines, codes of conduct, responsible gambling standards, and oversees all licensing process aspects.

The core areas of the VCGLR activities include casinos, lotteries, sportsbooks, bingo/keno facilities, and all manufacturers and suppliers, including charitable gaming.

The Independent Gambling Authority

Country: Australia| Region: Oceania| State: South Australia

The IGA is the principal organization in charge of governing gambling in South Australia and a key enforcer of the new 2020 Gambling Administration Guidelines.

The IGA governs licensing process for casinos, bookmakers, sportsbetting parlors, and real money online operators, supervises gaming devices, verifies equipment certificates, and monitors licensees’ processes.

The IGA also devises codes of practice and guidelines, conducts training courses for employees, approves the technological platforms, assesses gambling's impact on the community, and provides help with problem gambling behavior that may affect players.

The Auditors’ Section

Technical System Testing

A TST subsidiary with six offices around the world offers testing services and quality assurance to land-based casinos and online gambling hubs. Services to ensure compliance with iGaming regulatory standards include RNG evaluations, payout verifications, live dealer and sportsbetting exchange assessments, poker system audits, and security inspection.

Provably Fair

The system consists of a mathematical method to ensure neither punters nor online casinos can anticipate the outcomes. As such, it prohibits interactive hubs from tampering with the randomness of gaming operations. By using several different methods currently available, players can themselves verify the results in real-time.

Dejan Gavrilovic profile image Dejan Gavrilovic LCB Reviewer - last updated 2022-12-05
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