The UK is a hotbed for online gaming and betting.
Here, we have our very own UKGC (also known as the United Kingdom Gambling Commission) that grants licenses to gambling companies that want to operate within our borders. This includes all kinds of online casinos as well as sports betting sites.
Recently, the UKGC and the Malta Gaming Authority MGA announced that they would strengthen their cooperation in a bid to ensure better safety for all gambling-minded Brits.
As a result, the MGA has released another batch of unauthorized domains targeting UK gamblers. In this article, we tell you exactly what is going on with this initiative.
Favourite for Finns, MGA also caters to Markets like the UKGC
As you may know, most Britons tend to favour casinos operating specifically under the watchful eye of the UKGC. However, in addition to this, some Britons also like to play outside of the conventional UK market.
Gambling sites hailing from places such as Malta have grown quite popular over the past few years. For the longest time, Malta casinos listed at mgacasino.fi for example have been the casinos of choice for those living in markets like Finland.
In the UK, more and more players are turning to MGA casinos for their relatively high-quality bonuses and massive game selections.
Having a valid Gambling License is of Utmost Importance
Whenever a person wants to play at an online casino, they should first check whether the casino they would be using has a proper gambling license. Typically, this information can be found in the so-called website footer, which is located at the bottom of the website homepage.
In the footer, you should find a seal of approval from one of the international licensing authorities. This could, for instance, be either the UKGC or the MGA. In addition to one of their logos, there should also be written information about when the license has been issued, what its serial number is, and more.
According to the Malta Gaming Authority, there have recently been cases where a foreign online casino has displayed the MGA’s seal of approval on their website without actually having an MGA license to their name. Obviously, this has been done to mislead customers into thinking that the casinos in question are safe when this has clearly not been the case.
In order to combat licencing fraud, the MGA often shares these unauthorized domains on its website. This way, it will be easier for Britons as well as players from other countries to verify the validity of their potential doubts. Naturally, players should do their best to avoid playing at casinos operating under such fake licenses and pretences.
Players should make it a Habit to thoroughly check the License
Above, we discussed how some online casinos display fake seals of approvals on their websites. Fortunately, there are multiple ways to find out whether these seals of approval actually have merit to them.
Below, we list what you can do to verify the situation:
See if there is a Link to the License.
Typically, legit online casinos will post a link to the approval page of their alleged license. Potential new customers should try to see if the license logo or any part of the written licensing information is clickable. It is unlikely that a casino would go so far as to forge information like this.
Check the Licensing Authority’s Register.
The UKGC and the MGA both list all of their licensed online gambling websites on their very own website. With the Malta Gaming Authority, you can find the list of all licensed brands here.
Once you have verified the validity of the license, you can continue to play without doubts.
Conclusion
Players everywhere around the globe should be happy about the fact that the online gambling market is such a big deal worldwide. Because of this, the authorities are keeping a close eye on it and trying to make sure that law-abiding citizens do not get burned.
Without authorities like the MGA and the UKGC being so active, gambling online would be way more hazardous than it is now.
