How to Tell If a Casino Is Safe and Legal in the UK
Playing casino games online is fun, relaxing and potentially profitable, but it never has to be at the expense of your safety. This is why, in this article we’ll take a look at all the symbols that point out that online gambling site is trustworthy and that it’s legal for a player residing in the UK to play there.
The Licence
If you’re planning on playing at a real-money casino and you’re a British resident, then one thing is for sure – that casino should be licensed by the United Kingdom Gambling Commission. The Commission is, in fact, the only organisation that has the authority to issue licenses to remote gambling providers in the UK. If an online operator wants to offer their services to British residents, then they have to go through to the rigorous assessment process of the Commission in order to get their hands on that licence. And even after that, the Commission continues to monitor their activities, to collect their taxes and keep a watchful eye on whether the players are treated fairly. You can check whether an online casino is licensed by the United Kingdom Gambling Commission by using the license search tool on their official website, or simply by clicking on the UKGC logo in the footer of the site.
Technical Audits and Security
In order to issue a licence, the Gambling Commission requires the casino’s software to have been audited by a third-party testing agency they have in their list of approved testing houses. The testing agencies which logos you will most frequently see at online casinos are eCOGRA, GLI and iTech Labs. If you see one of their seals of approval at the footer of the site you’re considering playing at, then you can be sure that there all the games are fair and all the outcomes of the hands/spins are random. It’s also very nice to see the logo of a major anti-virus software, like McAfee for example, on the casino site so that you can be sure that the operator does everything possible to maintain the technical security of their platform.
Social Responsibility
It’s really nice to know that the casino you’re playing at is legal, fair and secure, but it’s also important to know that it’s socially responsible. What I mean by this is that it’s good to know that the website you’re playing at does everything in its power to educate their customers about problem gambling, restrict underage gambling as well as support one of the many gambling charities such as GamCare, Gamble Aware, Gamblers Anonymous and Responsible Gambling Trust. Also, all reputable websites provide their users with helpful tools using which they can restrict the amount that they can bet per day, week or month or even tools for self-exclusion if they feel like they have a serious problem.
