Due to the variety of casino operators in the gambling market, players may find it difficult to decide which is best for them. Let’s discuss some of the most relevant aspects you should consider before registering.
Are UK live casinos rigged?
If they operate legally, no.
A live casino that is licenced and regulated by the UK’s gambling authority, the UK Gambling Commission, is constantly subject to exhaustive evaluations and audits that ensure a fair gaming experience.
The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) works permanently on maintaining a safe gambling environment, where players only have access to transparent information.
While this guarantee is sufficient, additional security can be ensured through:
- Additional licenses
- The marks of approval offered by independent licensors such as eCOGRA or iTech Labs
- Casino games provided by renowned and established Live casino providers such as Evolution, Playtech, or Microgaming.
These are the highest credentials that can be earned within the gambling industry, so all live casino sites that feature them are most likely to operate legitimately.
The UKGC license: the mark of fair live casinos
To better understand why a live casino UKGC license is the highest proof of fairness and security, we gathered some of the authority’s regulations in the list below:
- Casinos must designate trained staff to monitor how well all machines employed in live casino games function. This must happen regularly, to ensure constant high-functionality of Roulette wheels, card-game tables, gameshow devices, etc.;
- Staff that participates in live casino games must be properly trained, and not just once. Refresher sessions need to happen often and proof of the staff’s professionalism must be provided;
- All live casino events must be recorded and supervised to ensure fairness as well as to collect useful statistics;
- Dealers and equipment are held to high standards of conduct and integrity;
- Any written information that accompanies live casino games must provide relevant warnings and safety advice;
- Live casino operators must present the relevant promotional rules on any bonus advertisement;
- All platforms have to provide gamblers with details on responsible gambling, as well as any necessary tools and resources to maintain a safe gambling environment;
- Among these tools, all live casinos must provide gamblers with the option to self-exclude.
How can you recognise safe UKGC-licensed live casinos?
One option is to study a collection of live casinos that have been tested for a UKGC license. You can also check for a Gambling Commission license on your own.
Just go to the site’s homepage and look for:
- Their UKGC account number;
- A statement according to which they are licensed and regulated by UKGC;
- A link that redirects players to their present licensed status.
This information must be visible on every screen that is accessible to customers.
The eCOGRA accreditation: An indispensable sign of fairness
The main factor that generates distrust among live casino players is the risk of depositing on rigged games.
Due to the extensive verifications and audits conducted by the UK Gambling Commission, this could not occur on a platform that operates legally in the United Kingdom.
However, there is more to this: numerous UKGC-licensed live casinos are also accredited by eCOGRA, an independent testing agency that is highly acclaimed within the gambling industry.
Here are some of the aspects thoroughly verified by eCOGRA:
- Random Number Generators
- Fraudulent behaviour
- Customer privacy protection and information safeguarding
- Live dealer game fairness and quality
- Return to Player (RTP)
- Underage gambling prevention
Renowned licenses and their credibility
Numerous live casinos operating in the UK are licenced by more than one authority. However, they are not equally reliable, and knowing which ones are better can help you get a realistic idea regarding the platform’s credibility.
Before getting started, it’s worth noting that a live casino operating without a UKGC license is legally prohibited from providing services in the United Kingdom, irrespective of any other licences it may have. This includes online casinos, secure bookmakers’ sites, and any other form of legal gambling.
Malta Gaming Authority
The Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) license is generally regarded as the second most reliable authorization on the market.
While this jurisdiction is not as strict as the UK Gambling Commission, its requirements are strict enough to guarantee a safe gaming environment for all live casino players.
Thus, operators who have both MGA and UKGC licences have been evaluated by the most rigorous gambling authorities, and should provide error-free, secure gameplay experiences.
Alderney Gambling Control Commission
A reliable and rather popular licensing jurisdiction, Alderney is sometimes featured on the websites of live casinos that provide high-quality services.
Despite not being as rigorous as MGA or UKGC, the Alderney Gambling Control Commission still conducts appropriate verifications to ensure that software and games function accordingly, and that live casinos impose reasonable terms and conditions.
Gibraltar Betting & Gaming Association
Similar to the Alderney one, the Gibraltar government is also well-reputed for regularizing gambling.
However, since other jurisdictions provide more reliable authorizations, it’s best not to take it for granted.
This is mainly because Gibraltar verifications aren’t as thorough as those conducted by Malta Gaming Authority, for instance. Even so, live casinos with UKGC and Gibraltar licences should be secure.
Curaçao eGaming
The Curaçao jurisdiction isn’t ideal for live casinos, as its requirements are rather lax.
While we wouldn’t regard it as unreliable, readers should know that a Curaçao licence is easy to obtain.
Even so, it can be regarded as a plus if the live casino is also authorized by the UKGC.
