All You Need to Know About Casino Player Rights and Obligations

When you gamble at any online casino, you’re a client. And as a client, you have both rights and obligations. Alternatively, the casino itself has its own set of liberties and obligations that they have to impose. 

In this article, we’ll be taking a more in-depth look at what your rights are as a casino player and what obligations you’re under. 

Read on to find out more!

Main Regulatory Bodies

Gambling laws and regulations are determined by certain regulatory parties. If the casino doesn’t hold such a license, you should avoid it - it means it didn’t go through the tests and evaluations needed to obtain an operating license. And if it doesn’t have a license, it means the casino is operating illegally. 

But until we take a closer look at these regulations, let’s see who are exactly the most well-known issuers.

Malta Gaming Authority

Malta Gaming Authority was founded in 2001 and has since become one of the most respected and well-known regulatory bodies in Europe. This institution has been among the first ones to regulate online gambling. Some of MGA’s main responsibilities include:

• Licensing online casino operators;

• Ensuring fairness across games and casinos;

• Protecting minors from gambling;

• Keeping player money safe and secure.

UK Gambling Commission 

Established in 2007, the UK Gambling Commission is taking care of most types of gambling in the United Kingdom. Their responsibilities exclude sports betting, as that sector is regulated separately. The UK Gambling Commission has the following duties:

• Regulating remote betting;

• Licensing gambling websites.

Kahnawake Gaming Commission

The Kahnawake Gaming Commission is the biggest regulatory body in North America. So far, they have offered licenses to more than 50 operators with more than 250 websites in Canada. This institution was founded in 1996 and its responsibilities include:

• Regulating online casinos;

• Regulating online poker rooms;

• Regulating online sportsbooks.

Curacao eGaming

Curacao eGaming was founded in 2002 and is directly running the gambling and casino industry. Initially, they offered master licenses to providers who wanted to bring their business to Curacao. This institution offers the following services to casino businesses:

• Administrative and legal services;

• Support for back office;

• Consulting;

• Online gambling licensing;

• Complex DNS hosting;

• Private and public cloud services;

• Banking assistance;

• Dedicated servers on lease.

The Current Casino Laws 

While every licensing body offers different services and types of licenses, there are common threads between all of them. Some rules are the same for every casino, along with the same casino player rights and obligations. Let’s see what rules both casinos and gamblers should abide by. 

Underage Betting and Gambling

Underage gambling is one of the common threads among the online gambling industry. Usually, the minimum age required for gambling is 18 but that might vary from country to country. The main regulatory act that enforces this rule is the Gambling Act of 2005. This document decided the following:

• Advertising gambling activities and casino games to minors is prohibited;

• Any minor who engages in any form of gambling (online and offline) commits an offence;

• Every gambling site must make sure their players are 18 and over. 

Software and Machine Regulations

Every casino, gambling software and machine provider must ensure that their software and games are fair and truly random. On top of that, providers are also obligated to constantly be transparent and share any relevant information about their games. This information includes but is not limited to:

• Return to player percentage;

• The real prizes;

• The stakes;

• The rollover;

• The volatility of the game or machine.

However, you have to keep in mind that it’s not illegal for providers to offer a machine that doesn’t give you a chance to win. It might sound unfair but this is basically how you’re allowed to play free demo versions of games.

Casino and Provider Operating Licenses

Every online casino requires a license from one of the regulatory bodies to operate. Some casinos only have one, while others operate using multiple licenses from many other institutions. You will want to choose the casinos with more than one license, as they have to go through extra rigorous testing before getting that license.

Every casino gambling license must contain information regarding:

• The availability period;

• Any special conditions imposed by the regulatory body;

• The person to whom it’s issued;

• Whether the rights and obligations apply to remote gambling as well.

Regulations on Casino Advertising and Marketing

The license issuers usually impose rules that refer to advertising and marketing. These rules are meant to protect both the casino and the potential users. These rules are also set in place to limit any advertising done to problem gamblers or minors. We have touched upon responsible gambling in more detail in this article, so if you want to give it a look, feel free to do so.

Financial Responsibility 

One of the most important rules included in any gambling laws addresses both customer and casino financial responsibility. What does this mean exactly? Well, it means that you cannot gamble on credit. This has happened in the past and it showed how damaging it was for problem gamblers. It is now illegal for casinos to accept credit card money.

How Do You Know if a Casino Respects Your Rights?

While most of the online casinos abide by the rules imposed to them, it’s always good to double check. In the following section, we’ll be giving you some tips on how to recognize if a casino is respecting your rights. If a casino ticks more or all of these points, it should be a good place to gamble at.

• Bonus policy transparency. Every casino has a set of terms and conditions that come with their bonuses. Whether fair or unfair, the important thing is that these should be available to you. If a casino doesn’t show that, it’s likely they’re shady and you shouldn’t give them your business.

• Funds and time limits. A casino that respects their players and their rights will always give them the option to self-impose money and time limits on their accounts. Sometimes, if a casino notices weird action on your account, they will impose these limits themselves.

• Protection for your funds. Because you’re essentially spending real money on a casino, you have to make sure that your funds are protected. To find out more information on that, you should always look at the appropriate section in the general terms and conditions of the website. The UKCG for example, has defined three levels of financial protection:

  • No protection. Everything you have in your casino account will be considered profit in case of insolvency.

  • Medium protection. The player funds are kept separate from the casino funds themselves.

  • High protection. Your funds are being handled by external parties, completely separate from the casino.

• Marketing freedom of choice. An online casino is obligated to allow their players to choose what marketing materials they interact with. When you create your account, you will see some checkboxes that you can select (or not) regarding what promotional materials you can receive.

What Are the Casino Player Obligations?

We haven’t touched upon player obligations just yet. So if you want to know these, feel free to check out the table below for a more detailed explanation. 

Final Thoughts

Keep in mind that at the end of the day, gambling is a contract between yourself and the casino. And just like with any other contract, there are rules and regulations both parties must respect.

Of course, both parties have their respective rights as well.

For more information on casino player rights and obligations, make sure to read the terms and conditions of each gambling website you visit.

Casino Player Rights and Obligations FAQs

1. Can a casino withhold winnings?

Yes, a casino reserves its right to withhold some winnings. Usually, this comes in cases where they cannot afford to pay the whole amount of a huge jackpot. And depending on the country, the casino might be legally required to hold a percentage of your winnings as taxes.

2. What is gaming compliance?

Every casino and iGaming provider must be subjected to gaming compliance. This is usually carried out by a third party who makes sure the games and bonuses are fair and transparent to all players.

3. Do gambling websites have a duty of care?

Yes, every gambling company has a duty of care towards their customers. They have to ensure their games are fair and truly random and that they offer all the tools necessary for problem gamblers to deal with their issue.

4. How old do I have to be to start gambling?

In most countries, you have to be 18 or older to gamble. Make sure to read your country’s policy on that, however.