Last updated: 16 October 2026
We are an information desk. We do not operate games, hold a gambling licence, or process payments, and nothing on this page should be read as legal advice. When a report on this site names a platform, we state the jurisdiction that platform discloses and the licence it claims to hold. We do not audit that claim, we do not verify it with the regulator, and we do not treat a licence number as proof of anything beyond the fact that a number was published.
How We Handle A Licence Claim
Our working method is narrow and repeatable. We read the platform’s own terms and footer, note the regulator named, and record whether the disclosure is specific enough to identify a licence and its scope. Where a platform says only that it is “licensed” or “regulated” without naming a jurisdiction, we mark the disclosure as unclear and say so in the report. Where a platform names a jurisdiction but the terms contradict the footer, we flag the contradiction and leave it unresolved. We do not contact regulators, we do not request certificates, and we do not upgrade a claim because a platform’s marketing repeats it loudly.
Jurisdictions In Our Reports
The following entries describe the regimes that appear most often in the material we read. They are neutral summaries of how each model is generally structured, and they make no claim about any specific operator.
- Malta MGA
- A licensing regime administered in Malta, covering several categories of gaming service. Licence conditions address player funds, complaints and reporting duties.
- UK UKGC
- The licensing regime for Great Britain. It sets conditions on advertising, bonus terms, complaints handling and how customer funds are protected.
- Curacao
- A jurisdiction whose licensing structure has changed in recent years. Older and newer licence forms can appear side by side, which makes the disclosed wording worth reading closely.
- Sweepstakes-model promotional law
- A United States model in which entry is framed as a promotion with no purchase required. The legal analysis turns on state promotional and consumer law, and it varies by state.
- State-level US regimes
- Individual states license and regulate gambling separately. A platform may be permitted in one state and not in a neighbouring one, and the rules on payments and bonuses differ between them.
Licensing And Payout Speed
A licence tells you which rulebook applies and where a complaint can go. It does not tell you how long a withdrawal takes. Payout speed depends on identity verification, internal review, processor batching and the payment rail used, and a well-licensed platform can still be slow at any of those stages. We break a speed claim into those stages in How We Wring A Claim, and we explain our funding model in How This Desk Is Funded.
Your Own Checklist
- Confirm gambling is legal where you live before you deposit.
- Read the platform’s licence disclosure and note whether a jurisdiction is named.
- Read the withdrawal terms and the bonus wagering conditions together.
- Check whether the platform’s complaints route leads anywhere outside its own support desk.
- Set your own limits before you play, and know how to self-exclude.
If gambling stops being a cost you control, stop and get support. ConnexOntario (1-866-531-2600, connexontario.ca), the Responsible Gambling Council Canada (responsiblegambling.org) and Gambling Therapy (gamblingtherapy.org) all offer help. Our Staying In Control page covers limits and self-exclusion tools in more detail.