The Importance of Casino Gambling Jurisdictions
Date Added: December 4, 2008
Casino gambling jurisdictions issue licenses to online gambling operators located in their jurisdictions. The licenses enable the operators to carry out various types of gambling activities including online gambling. Certain jurisdictions are considered more reliable because of the detailed probity checks they carry out.
When top tier online casino software providers, such as Microgaming, Cryptologic, Playtech and Wizard Gaming, tie-up with operators for the use of their software they are concerned about the operator's credibility. Even if the operators default on areas like payments and bonuses that are not related to the software, in public perception some of the blame rubs off on the software providers. This is the reason why these software providers insist that the operators obtain licenses from one of the superior jurisdictions. That way they are assured that independent checks have been performed on all aspects of the operators' functioning.
Some of the best gambling jurisdictions are Kahnawake, Curacao, Antigua and Malta. The jurisdiction of Antigua & Barbuda was the first to issues licenses to online gaming operators through its Division of Gaming, which operates under the Financial Services Regulatory Commission. The gambling operators that operate from Antigua are subject to strict laws like the Anti-Money Laundering and Caribbean Financial Action Task Force laws. Other requirements that the jurisdiction imposes on its licensees are establishing procedures such as “Know Your Customer” and having external auditors certify their solvency and compliance with the regulations of the jurisdiction.
Kahnawake - The Kahnawake Gaming Commission was established a few years after Antigua but today has the largest number of licensees. Despite the ongoing legal dispute between the Mohawk territory of Kahnawake and Canada, Kahnawake has been able to attract the best of operators because of the infrastructure it offers. The online players too are extremely comfortable with Kahnawake and the Kahnawake logo at the operator's site is a welcome sign. The reason for this is that Kahnawake has one of the most stringent probity tests that evaluate the background of the licensee, the fairness of the software and the ability of the licensee to pay the winners.
Malta - Though the jurisdiction of Malta began issuing licenses in 2000, it has undertaken a thorough revamp of its system in 2004. The licensing body now is the Lotteries and Gaming Authority. One of the attractive features of the Malta jurisdiction is that it involves the licensees in the decision-making through the Malta Remote Gaming Council, which has elected representatives of the licensees. The jurisdiction was put on the United Kingdom's "white list" in 2007. This allows its licensees to advertise in the United Kingdom thereby increasing the competitive advantage it enjoys.
Curacao - The Curacao Internet Gaming Association (CIGA) issues licenses to gambling operators in the Netherlands Antilles, who are registered with the Netherlands Antilles Chamber of Commerce. The CIGA operates under the Department of Justice. Once an application is made the investigation process takes about 6 weeks, which is followed by the issuance of a preliminary license.
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