5 Most Common Online Gaming Legal Issues
The first online casinos opened in the late 90s. 30 years later, we still don't know what is legal and what isn't. Some countries outright ban all gambling, while others don’t have any casino law in place. Michelle Thomas, a Canadian iGaming expert, helped us to tackle this task.
There is no uniform legislation regarding gambling in large countries like the USA, Canada or India. In some countries, gambling is the monopoly of the state while others allow foreign operators as long as they have a valid license.
The legal age to gamble is usually 18 or 21 in the world. In Canada, the age limit is 18 in some provinces and 19 in others. Online casinos require players to send a photo of their ID card.
Land-based casinos have been used for money laundering for decades. Online casinos operate teams that are there to pick up on suspicious betting patterns and stop these types of money launders.
When a casino is licensed they will pay taxes to the jurisdiction they are licensed in. In some countries, players are supposed to pay tax on the winnings as well.
Licensing is one of the most common gambling legal issues. Malta, UK and Gibraltar are the best authorities for online casinos. Other issues to consider when choosing an online casino are: location, regulations and the quality of services.
There are many legal issues about online gambling. Money laundering and underage gambling are serious issues.