A gambling licence means a regulator has given an operator permission to offer gambling, on conditions. How strict those conditions are, and what help you get if something goes wrong, varies a great deal between regulators.
What a licence gives you
Rules the operator has to follow on fairness, player funds and anti-money-laundering checks. A named company that can be held to account. In stricter regimes, a complaints route and required safer gambling tools.
What it does not give you
A licence in one country does not make a casino legal in yours. And an offshore licence gives you far less recourse than a licence from your own regulator.
Licences you will commonly see
UK Gambling Commission. Required to serve players in Great Britain. Strict rules on verification, advertising and safer gambling.
Malta Gaming Authority. An established EU regulator used by many international operators.
Curaçao. Long the most common licence among crypto casinos. The island has been moving operators onto a reformed regime under the Curaçao Gaming Authority.
Anjouan. A newer offshore option that some crypto casinos have adopted.
How to check a licence
Find the licence number and the company name in the footer or terms. Look them up on the regulator's own public register, reached from the regulator's website and not from a link the casino gives you. Check that the domain you are on is listed.
Local licensing
Several countries only allow operators that hold their own national licence. In those places we link only to casinos that hold it. See the eligibility table.
