In 1996, the gambling industry was forever changed. This was the year when InterCasino, the first-ever online casino came to life. It invited people to wager with real money, and it offered interesting games with really bad graphics. But it was 1996, so the designed seemed amazing.
The first games were developed by NetEnt, a provider that still has a strong reputation in the industry. However, it also has great competition nowadays.
True enthusiasts were ready to embrace online casinos right away. Skeptics weren’t. They didn’t trust the online system, thinking it was programmed to make them lose. The need for a gambling authority that would regulate the online casino industry showed up right away. Countries started regulating this market. Today, online gambling is legal in some Canadian provinces, some states in the USA, few nations in the Caribbean, and most EU countries.
Even when a certain government does not license gambling sites, they can still legally operate by obtaining licenses from foreign authorities.
The casino license is a major factor of credibility. Gambling authorities won’t grant it to unreliable casinos. When someone is ready to make an online deposit, licensing is the first piece of info they check.
What Makes a Licensed Gambling Site Better?
When gamblers think about regulations, they are inclined not to like them. They don’t want the government interfering with the way they have fun.
However, governmental regulations are important, since they protect gamblers against scams. They provide a single regulatory framework that enables legitimate functioning and higher quality of services. When the UK Gambling Commission was formed in late 2007, it started regulating the industry and granting licenses to sites that could guarantee a player’s security.
In most European countries, the regulations are flexible. In Austria, for example, online gambling sites can obtain licenses and offer their services to Austrian residents. When someone wants to wager through a website, they just find a good option through Casinos Guide. When accessing a licensed website, the player feels safe. If anything goes wrong, the licensing authority takes responsibility.
In other countries, things are more complicated. Online casinos are either forbidden or strictly regulated. In Canada, for example, only a few provinces allow it, and there’s only one website that gets the license. There’s a way around this: online casinos obtain their licenses from foreign authorities, so they can legitimately offer their services to Canadian citizens.
What’s the Best International Casino?
This question is not easy to answer. There are dozens of licensed, safe casinos you can access. The license is not the only factor to consider. This is where reviews come useful. Gamblers can read LoopX Casino reviews to compare different websites in a few aspects:
- Software providers
- Welcome bonuses
- Currencies and payment methods accepted
- Variety of games
- Gambling community
- Customer support
There are many options in this industry. That’s a good thing since competition makes gambling sites better.
