Casino licences explained

What a licence actually does

A gambling licence is a permission from a public authority to operate under that authority's rules. In exchange the operator accepts obligations such as keeping player money separate from company money, verifying customer identity, testing game fairness, offering responsible gambling tools and handling complaints in a defined way. The regulator can fine the operator, suspend the licence or revoke it.

For you, the licence answers three questions: who can you complain to, what rules must the casino follow, and how likely is it that those rules are enforced. The answers differ considerably between regulators.

Malta Gaming Authority (MGA)

Malta has issued online gambling licences since 2004 and the MGA is the regulator most often cited by European operators. Requirements include segregation of player funds, published RTP, a mandatory complaints procedure and access to an alternative dispute resolution (ADR) body, and detailed anti-money-laundering controls. The MGA's Player Support Unit accepts complaints directly from players once the operator's own procedure has been exhausted.

Verify a licence at the MGA's public register (https://www.mga.org.mt/) by searching the operating company name. The register shows the licence status and the domains covered.

Note that many casinos under MGA licence do not accept players from Iceland, or accept them only through a separate Curaçao-licensed entity. Check which company you are actually contracting with in the footer of the site you are using.

Curaçao (Gaming Control Board, 2024 regime)

For roughly two decades Curaçao operated a system of four master licence holders that issued "sub-licences" to operators with little direct oversight. This is the licence most casinos accepting Icelandic players have historically held.

In 2024 Curaçao replaced that system with a new gambling act (the Landsverordening op de kansspelen, LOK) and made the Curaçao Gaming Control Board (GCB) the direct licensing authority. Operators must now apply to the GCB directly, and the old sub-licences are being phased out. The new regime introduces requirements on company substance in Curaçao, player fund protection, responsible gambling measures and a complaints route through the GCB.

The transition is still under way. Some operators hold a full GCB licence, some hold a provisional licence during transition, and some still cite an old master-licence number. Check which applies. The GCB publishes a register of licensees at https://www.gamingcontrolcuracao.org/. Until the new system has a track record, treat a Curaçao licence as a minimum standard rather than a strong guarantee, and weigh the operator's own reputation heavily.

Kahnawake Gaming Commission

The Kahnawake Gaming Commission is the regulator of the Mohawk Territory of Kahnawake in Quebec, Canada, and has licensed online gambling since 1999. It requires operators to host with an approved data centre, submit to game testing and follow a written dispute procedure. Players can file complaints with the Commission directly. The register of permit holders is at https://www.gamingcommission.ca/. Fewer casinos serving Iceland hold this licence than Malta or Curaçao.

Gibraltar

Gibraltar licenses a relatively small number of large operators, mostly well-known sportsbook and casino brands, under the Gibraltar Gambling Commissioner. Requirements are close to the British standard: segregated player funds, strong anti-money-laundering controls, and a complaints route through the Commissioner. Gibraltar-licensed casinos rarely accept players from Iceland, but where they do, the licence is among the more reliable. Licensees are listed on the Government of Gibraltar website at https://www.gibraltar.gov.gi/.

Isle of Man

The Isle of Man Gambling Supervision Commission is known for requiring that player funds be held in protected accounts that cannot be used by the operator, so that deposits are safe even if the company fails. Licensing is expensive and the number of licensees is small. The register is at https://www.gov.im/gambling. As with Gibraltar, few Isle of Man casinos accept Icelandic players.

Estonia

The Estonian Tax and Customs Board (Maksu- ja Tolliamet) licenses online gambling in Estonia under a two-stage system: an activity licence for the company and an operating permit for each site. Requirements include an Estonian registered company, technical certification and deposit limits for players. Estonia-licensed casinos are usually aimed at the Estonian market, and the licence covers only play from Estonia, but a handful of operators serving the Nordic region hold one alongside another licence. The register is at https://www.emta.ee/.

Newer and lesser-known licences

Alongside the established regulators, several small jurisdictions have started appearing in casino footers. Some have grown quickly since 2023, when the Curaçao reform made that licence slower and more expensive to obtain and operators looked for alternatives. Two casinos in our table hold such licences, so it is worth knowing what they do and do not offer.

The general rule: a small offshore licence shows that the operator has registered somewhere and paid a fee. It rarely means that an independent body will take your side in a dispute. Where you see one of these licences, the operator's complaint history and payout record carry most of the weight.

Anjouan (Comoros)

Issued by the Anjouan Offshore Finance Authority on Anjouan, one of the islands of the Comoros. Licences are inexpensive, approved within weeks and require no local staff or servers. The licence became common among new online casinos during 2023–2025, largely as a replacement for the old Curaçao sub-licences. Player protection on paper is minimal: there is no published requirement to segregate player funds, no appointed ADR body and no public record of enforcement against operators. Complaints go to the operator, and the authority accepts correspondence but does not run a formal adjudication service with a known track record. Verification: the licence number should link to a validation page on the authority's domain; check that the company name matches the one in the terms. In our table, Nova Jackpot holds an Anjouan licence and Spinight is reported to hold one alongside a Tobique licence.

Tobique Gaming Commission (Canada)

The Tobique Gaming Commission is the regulator of the Tobique First Nation in New Brunswick, Canada. It began issuing online gambling licences more recently than Kahnawake and gained operators from 2023 onwards, again partly because of the Curaçao transition. Requirements include a written dispute procedure and the Commission accepts player complaints by email. Whether it has compelled an operator to pay a player is not well documented, and the register is still small. Verification: the Commission publishes a list of licensees; check that the operator's company and domain appear on it. Spinight is reported to hold a Tobique licence, though one review site lists it as unlicensed, which is a reason for caution in itself.

Vanuatu

Vanuatu issues interactive gaming licences through its government, under a law that dates from the early 2000s. The licence has existed for years but is uncommon among casinos serving Europe. Oversight is limited, there is no published complaints procedure for players and no fund segregation requirement that we have been able to confirm. Verification is by contacting the Vanuatu authorities or checking the validation seal; the public register is not easily accessible. None of the casinos in our table holds this licence.

Dominica

Dominica, in the Caribbean, licenses online gaming companies through its financial services regulator. The regime is small, inexpensive and aimed at attracting registrations rather than supervising operators. Player protection in practice is close to that of Anjouan: the licence is real and can be checked, but there is no established dispute route. None of our listed casinos holds it.

Bougainville (Papua New Guinea)

The Autonomous Region of Bougainville has issued online gaming licences through a local body since around 2021. It is one of the least documented licences on the market: little information about requirements, no known enforcement record and no player complaints process that we could identify. Treat a casino citing only this licence as effectively unregulated. None of our casinos holds it.

Montenegro

Montenegro licenses online gambling through its Games of Chance Administration. It is a European state licence with real local requirements, including a registered company and tax obligations, and has been used by some operators serving the Balkans and wider Europe. Player complaints go to the Administration, but it has no ADR body and limited experience with foreign players. It is a step above the island licences, but not comparable to Malta. None of our listed casinos uses it.

Kahnawake

Covered in its own section above. The Kahnawake Gaming Commission is the oldest and best documented of the North American First Nation regulators, with a published complaints procedure and a public register. 20Bet is reported to hold a Kahnawake licence in addition to its Curaçao licence; check which company you contract with in the terms, because the protection follows that company's licence.

Comparison

Licence	Oversight	Complaint route	Trust level
Anjouan	Minimal; no substance requirement	Operator only; authority accepts correspondence	Low
Tobique	Developing; small register	Email to Commission; outcomes not well documented	Low to moderate
Vanuatu	Limited; rarely seen	None published	Low
Dominica	Limited	None established	Low
Bougainville	Very little documented	None identified	Very low
Montenegro	State regulator, local requirements	Games of Chance Administration	Moderate
Kahnawake	Established since 1999; public register	Commission accepts complaints directly	Moderate

When a casino holds only one of the licences marked low or very low, treat it as you would an unlicensed site: deposit small amounts, verify early, withdraw regularly and read recent player reports before relying on it for larger sums.

How to verify a licence yourself

1. Scroll to the footer of the casino site and find the operating company name and licence number.
2. Note whether the licence seal is a live link. Click it. A genuine seal usually opens a validation page on the regulator's domain, not on the casino's own domain.
3. Regardless of the seal, go directly to the regulator's website (use the addresses above, not links from the casino) and search the register for the company name.
4. Confirm that the licence is active and that the domain you are using is listed, where the register shows domains.
5. If the company in the footer differs from the company in the register, or the register shows the licence as suspended or expired, do not deposit.

Some casinos display several licences. The one that matters is the one held by the company you contract with under the terms and conditions, which is usually stated in the first section of the terms.

Why Iceland issues no licence

Icelandic gambling law (principally Act No. 38/2005 on lotteries, together with the acts governing Íslensk getspá, Íslenskar getraunir, Happdrætti Háskóla Íslands, Íslandsspil and Happdrætti DAS) permits gambling only through those named organisations, with proceeds directed to public and charitable purposes. There is no provision for licensing commercial online casinos, and no authority with the power to do so. Foreign online casinos therefore operate without any Icelandic licence and outside Icelandic regulatory supervision.

This has practical consequences. If a foreign casino refuses to pay you, no Icelandic authority can intervene. Your only routes are the casino's own complaints procedure, its foreign regulator and any ADR body the regulator appoints. That is why the quality of the foreign licence matters more to an Icelandic player than it might to someone in a country with its own regulator.

For the full legal position, including taxation of winnings, see Gambling law in Iceland.

Comparing the licences at a glance

Regulator	Player fund protection	Direct player complaints	Common among casinos serving Iceland
Malta (MGA)	Required	Yes, via Player Support Unit and ADR	Some
Curaçao (GCB, 2024)	Required under new act; enforcement developing	Yes, via GCB	Most
Kahnawake	Required	Yes	Few
Gibraltar	Required	Yes, via Commissioner	Very few
Isle of Man	Required, ring-fenced accounts	Yes	Very few
Estonia	Required	Yes, via Tax and Customs Board	Few

The table reflects the rules on paper. How quickly a regulator acts on a complaint, and whether it can compel payment, varies and is not always well documented. Where possible, read recent reports from other players about the specific regulator before relying on it.