Live Dealer Casinos offer players the chance to try their luck in an online casino with a live dealer who acts according to their actions. The signal is broadcast via a live streaming video link. The bets are made via a special console on the players’ computer screens, and they are also provided with the opportunity to communicate with the dealer by using a text chat function.
Licensing Requirements
The licensing requirements start with the demand for the software providers to be granted a license within the country they want to operate. Such licenses are issued by certain gambling commissions and special authorities that are responsible for monitoring and control of the casino and gaming industry in each country.
Then, a second “licensing” procedure follows, because the casinos situated in the territory of a certain country are not only required to obtain an operating license from the local authorities, but they also need to get a “license” from the software provider itself. The latter need to give their explicit consent to a certain online casino in order to provide them with the opportunity to use its platform and add its games to their offerings.
Top Rated Live Dealer Online Casinos for the Ohio
U.K. Gambling Commission
The Gambling Commission of the U.K. is the regulatory body that is responsible for controlling most forms of gambling on the territory of Great Britain. The Commission was officially established in 2007 under the rules of the Gambling Act of 2005 and is an exclusive non-departmental public body, which is sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
It came as a successor to the Gaming Board of the U.K. and currently regulates betting, casinos, arcades, bingo, gambling machine and software providers, remote gambling operations, as well as lottery operators and external lottery managers. Still, not all forms of gambling are controlled by the U.K. Gambling Commission. For example, spread betting is currently regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.
The main responsibilities of the Commission are related to preventing crime within the gambling industry. It is entitled with the authority of issuing licenses to the casino gaming operators, including the ones that have their remote gambling equipment situated in the territory of the U.K. The operators that want to advertise their services in the country but are not based there also need to be granted a license from the Commission.
The Commission can also levy fines and revoke licenses as part of its responsibilities related to monitoring and regulation of the industry.
Italy AAMS
Gambling is currently proclaimed illegal by Italian Criminal law, no matter if the activities are organized in a public place or a private club. However, Italian law has set a difference between the games of skill and games of luck. This is the reason why some gaming activities such as lotteries and sports-betting are currently legal and regulated by the country’s competent authorities.
The State is the only one that has the right to legalize certain gambling operations. It is represented by AAMS (Autonomous Administration of the State Monopolies), a state-run authority that is granted with the right to issue special licenses. It regulates a variety of issues related to gambling.
The gaming, betting, lotteries and other operations of this kind are entrusted to AAMS, which not only issues the gambling licenses to providers and companies but also enforces all administrative legal aspects of gambling. All operations are managed by the Administration in compliance with specific laws and regulations.
Gibraltar Regulatory Authority
The Gibraltar Regulatory Authority was established in 2000 under the rules of the Gibraltar Regulatory Act. The Authority is the statutory body that is entitled with the responsibilities of monitoring and control of electronic communications, which include broadcasting transmissions, as well as telecommunications and radio communications.
The Gibraltar Regulatory Authority has responsibilities of both national supervising and regulation in the gaming industry. The authority operates in correspondence with the EU casino and gaming legislation, which has been implemented in the country’s national law.
The Gambling Act of 2005 came into force in October 2006 and the Authority was officially appointed as the Gambling Commissioner of the country. It issues licenses and controls the operations of the license holders according to the terms of their licenses. All activities that are specific for the authority comply with the provisions of the Gambling Act.
Malta Gaming Authority
The Malta Gaming Authority is the regulatory body that is responsible for the process of governing the land-based and online gaming activities in Malta. It is an independent authority but is entitled to the obligations and powers that combine a top-notch regulatory environment as well as purely technical capabilities, which provide it with the opportunity to offer excellent service.
The responsibilities of the Malta Gaming Authority are included in the Lotteries and Other Games Act of the country of 2001. It is required to impose competent regulation on the different gaming industry sectors in order to ensure that gaming in Malta is fair and transparent to players. The Gaming Authority of the country also needs to prevent crime, corruption, and money laundering practices in order for the most vulnerable players to be protected.
The activities of the Malta Gaming Commission cover casinos, cruise ship casinos and remote gaming, various kinds of amusement machines, advertising lotteries, commercial bingo halls, the national lottery, and non-profit games.
Gambling Supervision Commission
Currently, the Gambling Supervision Commission is the Gaming Control Board of the Isle of Man. The Commission, which was established back in 1962, is the national regulator of most forms of gambling, including casino, amusement, and slot machines, as well as lotteries and betting offices, and web-based gambling services.
The main reason for the Commission to be created is to protect the interest of players and ensure the fairness of the gambling sector in the country.
The main functions of the Commission are related to issuing licenses to gaming operators and regulating them. It is also required to guide and work in cooperation with the casino and gaming operators at all stages at the license application process, and to monitor all activities of the already licensed operators, including controlling their marketing activities.
Directorate of Offshore Gambling
The relatively small number of gaming sites that are now located and operate on the territory of Antigua is currently licensed and controlled by the country’s Directorate of Offshore Gambling. The gambling websites that are legal in Antigua are the ones that are licensed by the Directorate.
The latter is the authority entitled with the responsibility to demand casino game fairness from the gambling sites and providers that offer casino games, poker, bingo, etc.
Kahnawake Gaming Commission
The Kahnawake Gaming Commission is the regulatory body that acts in the area of casinos and gaming within the Mohawk Territory of Kahnawake. The regulator currently controls, monitors, and regulates three land-based poker rooms, a large number of online casinos, poker rooks, and sportsbook websites.
The Commission was established under the Kahnawake Gaming Law in 1996. It’s regulations that concern interactive gaming were enacted three years later.
eCOGRA
eCOGRA is the abbreviation that stands for the eCommerce Online Gaming Regulation and Assurance. It is a globally approved testing agency based in London. The company, which was established and introduced its first formal self-regulation program in 2003, also takes care of player protection and standards organization.
The company not only regulates online gambling in several jurisdictions. It has also moved its focus to provide regulatory compliance services to markets that are already regulated. Its regime is primarily concentrated on fair and responsible gambling and enforcement of eGAP requirements, as well as continuous monitoring and control.
Interactive Gaming Council
The Interactive Gaming Council is a non-profit organization that currently acts on the territory of Canada. It was established in 1996 in the U.S., but four years later relocated to Canada. The Council was founded in order to provide parties that are interested in addressing issues and common interests matters with the opportunity to seek fair and responsible trade guidelines and practices when it comes to gaming products and services.
All members of the Interactive Gaming Council are licensed and regulated in an ever-increasing number of European jurisdictions that include the U.K., Italy, Spain, Malta, France, Gibraltar, Denmark, etc.
Remote Gambling Association
The Remote Gambling Association became fully operational in August 2014. It was established with the merger between the Interactive Gaming, Gambling and Betting Association and the Association of Remote Gambling Operators also known as ARGO.
The Association is aimed at providing organization for the benefits and service of remote gambling operators. It is also supposed to encourage the high standards in the betting and gaming industry, as well as the social responsibility in order to protect the most vulnerable players.