Casino licences explained: what each regulator claim actually means
Curaçao, Malta, Gibraltar, the UK and Anjouan — the practical differences between licence claims, and how to verify one yourself.
2026-10-20
A licence is a claim until you check it
Every operator page states a licence. What matters is not the name but whether it is current, real, and what protections it actually carries. Treat the licence as a claim to verify, not a fact to assume.
The common regulators, in practical terms
- Malta (MGA): a well-established regulator with formal complaint routes and detailed published rules.
- United Kingdom (UKGC): the strictest consumer-protection framework among the common claims; operators must hold a UK-specific licence to legally serve UK residents.
- Gibraltar: a long-standing regulator with a small, selective licensee base.
- Curaçao: the most common claim among offshore operators; historically lighter-touch, with reforms ongoing — the practical protections depend more on the operator's own terms.
- Anjouan: an offshore jurisdiction that has become more common recently; treat published protections as thinner and verify terms extra carefully.
How to verify a licence yourself
- Find the licence number and regulator name — usually in the site footer.
- Open the regulator's official public register and search the number or entity name.
- Confirm the licence covers the exact domain you are visiting.
- If any step fails, treat the licence claim as unverified and reconsider the platform.
What a licence does not do
A licence does not make online casino play legal in every country where the site is reachable. Local law always governs you, the player. Our casino pages relay each operator's licence as an operator claim — with a pointer to verify it — and our methodology explains how that feeds the editorial score.