UK Gambling Commission

UK Gambling Commission is responsible for online gambling in the United Kingdom. All online casinos that want to operate in the UK need a licence from UKGC. Gambling Commission is responsible for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

There are probably few industries where regulation is as necessary, as in the gambling sector. There are innumerable providers, of which every reputable representative must have at least one official licence. Regulation is extremely important, as only then every player know that bet is in good hands and there is a real chance of winning. 

If you play online, you should always take a look at the license of your casino. When provider can present a permission from the Gambling Commission, this is proof of secured operation. Should license be not available, no safe game can be guaranteed. In this case, no account should be opened with this operator.

UK Gambling Commission is the licensing authority of the United Kingdom. It is responsible for all companies and people who provide gambling services in the United Kingdom. At the same time government body is also responsible for the well-known National Lottery.

In its activities, UKGC focuses primarily on the three major areas: public, gambling and licensing. In other words, every British gambling provider must be able to withstand the tests and examinations of Gambling Commission.

How the UKGC authority works?

Before an online casino is allowed to entertain British players, a major hurdle must be overcome with the UK Gambling Commission. Casino provider is not allowed to just start operations, but is subjected to a thorough examination by the regulatory authority in advance.

In plain language, this means, that the background of the operator is first looked at. If criminal structures are involved, such companies are immediately sorted out and are not eligible for a gambling licence. The same applies to the owners of the company.

Founder are first thoroughly checked to find out whether these people are serious and trustworthy enough. In addition to seriousness, finances also play an important role, of course. Every provider must be able to prove that he is financially well positioned and that the winnings can be paid out to the players with a guarantee.

The competence and player protection or the integrity of a provider also play an important role. The bottom line is that anyone holding a licence from the UK Gambling Commission has earned it honestly.

Advantages of casinos licensed by the UK Gambling Commission

The advantages of playing in a regulated online casino should be clear. Every player can rely on a reputable framework and on being treated fairly. We have looked at the specific benefits of UK Gambling Commission regulation. And we have listed these in detail below.

Players protection

Every online casino must adhere to strict guidelines when it comes to protecting players. UK Gambling Commission monitors these protection mechanisms. To be precise, online casinos have certain safeguards for handling player data. Where there is a lot of money in play, criminals are always looking for ways to get at players’ data.

To make sure that this doesn’t happen, UKGC regularly reviews the extent to which player data protection is implemented in an online casino. Of course, such requirements are not only checked in the day-to-day business, but also before a license is granted.

Every player can be sure that the data is processed with the utmost care. Operators with a license from the UK Gambling Commission promise first-class protection against cyber attacks and against possible looting by cyber criminals.

Fair play

Another essential part of the UK Gambling Commission’s work is to ensure fair play. Commission ensures that every player has an equal chance of winning and that every player can hope to win from their provider. It makes no difference whether it is roulette, blackjack or highest RTP slot machines. All games are checked, therefore absolutely fair.

This is guaranteed by the Random Number Generator. Algorithm ensures, for example, random cards in Blackjack or completely independent results in the slot with every spin of the reel.

Operation of RNGs is regularly checked, so that a good feeling in the game can be promised on a permanent basis. By the way: many UKGC licensed casinos offer double protection in this respect, as they check RNG and payout odds separately by independent companies.

Player money kept separate from company assets

If a casino wishes to obtain a license from the British authorities, provider must be able to guarantee the security of all players’ deposits. Not only from threats of cyber criminals, but also with regard to own misconduct.

In detail, if an online casino gets into financial difficulties, players’ funds must not be affected. The UKGC ensures this by only granting the license if the players’ funds are kept separate from the rest of the company’s assets.

Should the provider then be threatened with financial difficulties, the players’ money will not be affected and they can simply cash out their balance. Especially for players who play regularly and also store large sums of money in their player account over a longer period of time, this is an enormously important aspect.

Contact person in case of complaint

In the best case, everything goes according to plan in an online casino: the player pays in, places his bets and pays out winnings. In the past, however, there have been repeated disputes between players and casino websites.

Players often felt disadvantaged and in many cases helpless. In the end, apart from the casino itself, there was no other contact person to turn to. By the UKGC this circumstance has changed considerably. If players feel unfairly treated or even deceived by a casino, they can simply report this to the British authorities. This authority then carries out investigations and will sanction the provider if necessary.

This is huge advantage for all players, otherwise possible lawsuit against an operator would be almost impossible. In this sense, the UKGC is first-class contact point for problems with British online casinos.

How recognize UKGC licensed casinos?

In order to discover the reputable operators with a license from the UK Gambling Commission, simply use our website. At Casinomucho.com, UK online casino section lists only providers with a valid UKGC license. Here, every player is definitely on the right side and can’t do anything wrong. Alternatively, look directly on the website of the British gambling authority. 

Players should check the UKGC homepage, especially for the license number. It must match with licence number on the provider’s website. If this is the case, a regular licence and a secure offer can be assumed. If the two numbers do not match, something may not be quite right. So it would be wrong just to take a quick look at the website of the provider and search for the UKGC logo. It is no problem for fraudsters to put logo on their own pages without a valid license.

How does a complaint work?

If you really want to complain about online casino services, you will find on the website of the British authority a precise guideline that should be followed. As a first step, players must first check with the provider all terms and conditions that are relevant to individual own case.  

Alternatively, do it via the UGKC website, where contacts for all licensed casinos can be found. It is important that all relevant facts are mentioned in the conversation with the contact person. Provider will address the problem and contact the player again. If users are not satisfied with the process, the UKGC can be contacted again.

With the help of the so-called ADR program, further investigations will then be carried out to help clarify the case. Gambling Commission’s complaints office should be contacted for more detailed information.

History of the UK Gambling Commission

Gambling Commission was founded in theory in 2005, the year in which the Gambling Act passed in the UK, which provided creation of a separate gaming authority. Two years later, UGKC became active in practice and has since been responsible for controlling the gambling market in Great Britain. This includes not only sports betting and casinos, but also the National Lottery.

Over the years, the authority’s remit has expanded considerably. Since 2014, it has been responsible not only for land-based providers within the UK, but also for online casinos and off-shore casinos. Off-shore casinos are providers that are based in Malta, but still serve British players. These operators must also have a license from the British gambling authorities. By the way, UKGC is not only responsible for England, but also for players from Wales and Scotland. If a provider wants to offer its games in these countries, it must have a licence from the British authority.

Summary

Every player may feel that they are being treated unfairly or are not satisfied with the performance of an online casino. In a regulated market, it is easy to find suitable contact points, including the UK Gambling Commission. Body deals with all problems of players and ensures that providers comply with all legal requirements regarding player and data protection.

Hopefully, this guide could help a little bit to understand the way the British authority works. Also of interest are the alternative guides to the working methods of the Malta Gaming Authority and the Gibraltar Regulatory Authority, with whom the UKGC works closely due to the extensive number of online casinos.