Casino Licensing
There are a couple of noteworthy jurisdictions that provide assistance to the provinces in regulating and maintaining the current state of the online and mobile casinos in Canada. There’s Gibraltar, a self-governing British Crown Dependency that has high and strict requirements for the casinos they provide licensing to. In addition, there’s Malta and Kahnawake. These are all high quality, well-known and strict companies that ensure the casinos they license follow the rules to the t. They don’t have an issue removing licenses or banning casinos from operation, and it’s their requirements that many providences expect their casinos to live up to. Read on to learn about each of these three jurisdictions and how they affect casinos.
Gibraltar
This self-governing British Crown Democracy is a member of the European Union with complete independence from the UK when it comes to taxing. The jurisdiction has been known as an online gambling center for some time. In 2013, they had 25 online gaming firms under them before becoming one of the largest employers to provide gaming companies everything they needed. In 1998, the company began providing licenses to online gaming sites. They can give companies bookmaker’s licenses, gaming operator licenses, lottery promote licenses, remote gambling licenses, gaming machine license and more. These licenses are only rewarded to those casinos that have demonstrated a reputable capability within their jurisdiction with a solid business plan and good finances. Before the casino can be given their license, Gibraltar requires the company undergo software testing for fairness.
2014, Gibraltar Betting and Gaming Association, representative of operations based in Gibraltar, went up against the Gambling Licensing and Advertising Act of 2014. This act required that operators apply for a license through the UK Gambling Commission. However, the GBGA argued that operators who are licensed in Gibraltar need not be licenses as they already have a license. In addition, they argued that those licensed under them should not be subjected to the 15% consumption tax in the UK.
Malta
Malta has been licensing gambling sites through the Public Lotto Ordinance since 2000. Member of the British Commonwealth, Malta has quickly become one of the largest, most respectable and reputable gaming jurisdictions around. In fact, they were the first European state to regulate remote gaming. Malta offers licensing for operators offering online games, operators working online spots, promotional companies and those that manage remote gaming operations. In order to acquire licensing from Malta, the prospective licensee must have a corporate entity, register for limited liability and pass the various requirements in place.
Kahnawake
The Kahnawake Gaming Commission has been in action since 1996 with the ability to license and regulate online casinos since 1999. This ability has given them a major name in the world of online gaming. Kahnawake requires applicants commit to suitability, software testing and auditing annually through the major names in the industry. In addition, they share information with other jurisdictions to improve inter-jurisdiction licensing.
Casinos that are licensed in a specific jurisdiction are the responsibility of the jurisdiction that provided the licensing and registration. In addition, they must meet and uphold the requirements in place by the jurisdiction that provided them with the necessary applications, rules and more.