Regulated or Unregulated Online Casino Gambling

Read any serious online casino guide, and you’ll be convinced that licensing is the most vital thing in a gambling site. While there is some truth there, some instances may force you to throw caution in the air.

For example, your area might have strict gambling laws locking out the best live casinos. Or, you may simply want to play incognito. So, between a legal live casino and an unregulated casino, which is best for the player?

What is a legal live casino?

As said, any live casino worth its salt must be licensed and regulated by a renowned watchdog or government. In other words, licensed casinos operate in legal markets with laid down terms and conditions of operation.

Usually, it’s advisable to play on licensed casinos because of your own personal information and financial safety. In addition, most licensing bodies offer dispute resolution channels between the player and the online casino.

What is an unlicensed casino?

On the other hand, an unlicensed casino is just that – a casino operating without a license. Typically, these casinos operate in grey markets or areas where online gambling regulations are shallow or strict.

Many a time, grey markets have laws governing or preventing real money gambling. However, these jurisdictions haven’t outlawed real money online casino gambling either. Therefore, some unregulated casinos are licensed.

What about offshore casinos?

Sometimes you may struggle to differentiate unlicensed casinos from offshore casinos. That’s because most offshore casinos also operate in jurisdictions without any clear online gambling laws. The thing is that these casinos just get operating licenses in these areas to prevent any lawsuits.

For example, most gambling sites operating in the USA have headquarters in Belize, Curacao, Costa Rica, and Antigua. In short, these casinos are licensed in the countries mentioned earlier. So technically, US players use these sites to place bets without violating the local laws.

Why some gamers choose unregulated casinos?

The truth of the matter is that regulated casinos are always safer than their unregulated counterparts. But as they say, you don’t judge the pudding until you try it yourself.

Usually, unregulated or offshore casinos hold licenses from their local regulatory bodies or governments. This might be the UKGC, MGA, Kahnawake Gaming Commission, etc. So, offshore casinos might offer better services than local gambling sites, depending on your locality.

Apart from holding valid licenses, most unregulated casinos offer massive bonus promotions. Most of these casinos offer deals that can hit thousands of dollars. But the bait here is the high playthrough requirements. For instance, some casinos require players to wager the bonus money up to 50x to claim it. So, read their bonus terms and conditions carefully.

Lastly, offshore casinos are not fussy when it comes to accepting new players. These casinos usually offer services in any country or state that doesn’t come with legal threats. In the US, Georgia is a great example. So, if you want to enjoy yourself unconditionally, play on unregulated casinos.

Final advice: Unregulated vs. regulated casinos

All said and done, it’s vital to know the difference between unregulated or offshore casinos and “unreliable” casinos. Remember, unregulated casinos are licensed by renowned bodies making your gaming experience as safe as it comes. Also, these casinos have a reputation to protect.

On the other hand, unreliable casinos have no proof of any licensing information whatsoever. Often, they operate in unregulated markets and offer tantalizingly high welcome rewards.

So, to ascertain that you’re safe, only play live casino games offered in regulated gambling sites. But if you can’t get one in your jurisdiction, then don’t scratch your hair off because some unregulated casinos will do even a better job. The trick is to do some thorough research and enjoy yourself anywhere, anytime.