What Is Independent Gambling & Is It Legal?
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All forms of gambling carry some degree of risk, and independent gambling is certainly no different. But in recent years, many players have started to turn the odds in their favour by eliminating the parts of major online casinos that they don’t like: limited payment options, smaller bonuses and taxed winnings.
independent casino sites in the UK, because not all casino sites are created equal. But with the right plan, players can take advantage of more lenient operations and benefit in seemingly countless ways.
What Is Independent Gambling?
Gambling sites that aren’t associated with any major casino or sportsbook, typically operating from an overseas location. Running a casino in this way ensures that it can avoid limitations and restrictions imposed from local governing bodies, creating and facilitating a freer gambling platform for members.
Why Choose An Independent Gambling Site?
In addition to being smaller and often more specialised, independent gambling sites offer members a huge range of benefits:
- Bonuses are more bountiful – Without dues owed to regulatory bodies, independent gambling sites save more money and can pass that on to their members. You’ll often come across casinos offering huge match bonuses that can turn your initial deposit into as much as eight times the amount.
- Far fewer limitations in place – Independent gambling sites rarely restrict the types of bets you can make, nor will they prevent you from placing large, high-roller wagers. The right and risk are entirely yours.
- Effortless verification and registration – Anyone from a supported country can register for and play at an independent gambling site. That’s true even if you happen to be self-excluded from a local casino site, which are required to enforce the bans. Such programs only apply within a specific government’s jurisdiction.
- Use convenient payment methods – Whilst many local online casinos have banned credit cards and cryptocurrency for transactions, many of the best independent gambling sites allow both of these and far more. The precise options available will depend on the particular site, but you can generally expect Visa, Mastercard, and Bitcoin support.
Are Independent Gambling Sites Legal?
Legality actually depends on where you’re gambling from and the terms and conditions of the casino in question, but it’s generally allowed.
For example, people in Quebec can legally gamble at an independent casino site, but not all of these casinos accept players from Canada. Compare that to British folks who are allowed to gamble wherever they please, as long as the independent site accepts players from the UK. Finally, American players have their own local state laws to worry about.
Bear in mind that wherever you gamble, casino sites contain content intended for players over the age of 18. Failure to comply with this one requirement can result in the loss of winnings and wagered funds.
Staying Safe While Gambling Independently
Remember, not all casino sites are alike, nor are they all worth your time. Others still have malicious intent, which makes it imperative to know how to stay safe if you decide to deviate from the realm of traditional, local casino sites.
- Look for a licence – In the best case, find a casino that has a licence from a trusted regulatory body, such as Curacao or Malta. Not all independent casino sites have acquired an alternative licence, though, but that shouldn’t be an immediate disqualifier.
- Read expert reviews – Look through reviews from experts in the field and see if they had a positive experience while gambling on a given site. You could also check forums and social media for player stories, but be sure to lead with specialists.
- Verify security features – At a minimum, an independent site should use a secure HTTPS connection to protect personal and financial information. Check for the padlock in the address bar of the browser.
- Check for fair play – The top independent gambling sites use certified random number generators to guarantee fair play. An expert review will inform you about this, as can the About Us page of the casino site.
- Confirm responsible gambling resources – Independent gambling sites that care about their players will include a wealth of resources to help curb problematic behaviour and nip it in the bud.
- Skip red flags – Strictly avoid any casino site with common red flags, like bad customer service, a history of security breaches, or failure to pay out.
Simply put, independent gambling sites provide a unique experience that can’t be captured from a traditional big-brand casino. Aside from exclusive bonuses and greater access to conveniences, they have streamlined experiences that put players directly into the game with little wait.
It’s important to remember, though, that gambling can be an addictive activity, and players should not seek independent sites as a way to bypass necessary personal limitations. Always play responsibly!
