Gambling License

Publication date: 27 Apr 2023

A gambling license is a document issued by a special gambling committee, which is evidence that the business is legitimate and the payment of winnings is guaranteed. The gambling license is required for those who offer online casinos, poker rooms, bingo, lotteries, and sweepstakes. Online bookmakers are also licensed.

Why is a gambling license required?

A gambling license allows you to:

• buy software from leading manufacturers;
• set up reliable payment systems on the website of the casino or bookmaker;
• run a business legally;
• build trust with the audience.

Find out more, What gives a gambling license?

Who controls gambling?

Every jurisdiction has a regulatory body that controls the gambling industry in each particular country and issues/denies licenses. The legal names may vary from country to country. For instance, gambling commission, gambling association, gambling board, etc.

What rules and regulations have to be followed in order to obtain a license?

To keep the gambling industry transparent, each jurisdiction has a set of rules that are regulated by law. In order to obtain a gambling license, an operator must comply with both the law and the terms of the license.

To obtain a permission, one must apply to the local gambling commission of the chosen jurisdiction and submit an application for a license. Each individual jurisdiction has its own conditions, requirements, fees and regular taxes which the operator must adhere to.

For example, for Curaçao it is the National Gambling Act. Curaçao is famous for its lax gambling laws and an inexpensive and simple licensing procedure.  You can operate with this license in all countries except the USA, France, Holland and Curaçao itself. The Curaçao licence enables you to operate all available gambling activities with just one license. The estimated cost for 2023 is €20,000-25,000. Look for information on this in the 3SNET Article.

Another popular jurisdiction for gambling among site operators is Malta. Online casinos with a Maltese gambling license can offer services to players from over 180 countries.

The list of countries where the Maltese gambling license cannot be used is:

• USA, Australia, China, Hong Kong, Macau, Turkey, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Indonesia and Malaysia.
• European jurisdictions: France, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Slovenia, Lithuania, Estonia and Denmark.

Obtaining a license from the Malta Gambling Authority (MGA) is a time consuming and expensive procedure due to Malta’s strict gambling regulations. In 2023, the minimum total amount of all fees (initial application fee, licensing fee, system audit and compliance audit fees) is €36,000. Read more in the 3SNET Review.

The most common regulations require gambling sites to have responsible gaming policies that prevent gambling addiction, visibly display licenses and provide an RNG certificate which guarantees regular and fair gaming results.

Gambling license holders who fail to comply with the legislation are usually subject to administrative fines. However, various sanctions, including imprisonment, can be imposed.

A license is a guarantee of quality and a sign that a company can be trusted by players, as all rules are followed and winnings are paid out. 3SNET features all the legal bookmakers in the CIS and the foreign market as well as online casinos all over the world. Get Started!