UKGC Licensed Online Casinos The United Kingdom Gambling Commission, or the UKGC in short, is the world’s leading licensing body that regulates gambling not only throughout the United Kingdom but also on a global scale. The UKGC was established under the Gambling Act 2005 with the aim of regulating both gambling and the National Lottery. Online casinos and sportsbooks licensed in Canada are legal. Sport Select is the national sports betting program, allowing for parlays in retailers and some provinces to provide online access. It’s illegal to operate an online casino in Canada without a license, but nothing is spelled out regarding players using outside online betting services.

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The gambling business in Canada is legalized. The industry’s gross revenue is USD 31 billion annually. Compared to 1995, the market volume has increased 3 times.

The gambling business employs over 128,000 employees. Revenues to the government budget and various social programs – up to 9 billion USD annually.

Canadian provinces spend about USD 110 million to protect players from addiction – this includes research, preventive measures and treatment. The percentage of gamblers depending on the province ranges from 0.7 to 1.4 percent of all players.

Gambling legislation

Gambling is legally prohibited in Canada. The Federal Criminal Code of Canada prohibits land and online gambling.

However, Canadian provinces can organize and operate a gambling business. This becomes possible due to “lottery schemes”, which are interpreted very broadly: any games and devices can belong to them. They can be represented by both games of chance and games that require skills. Each province makes its own laws in this industry.

Gaming Regulators

Due to the existing legislative framework, the authorities of the Canadian provinces are both operators and regulators of the gambling business. Legislative acts have a number of similar aspects, which they focus on. These include:

• protecting society from the unwanted consequences of gambling;
• responsible game;
• location and size of gambling establishments;
• the types and number of games offered;
• financial control;
• investigation, security and surveillance of gambling sites.

Horse racing is controlled jointly with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture. The ministry has a special department for horse racing – the Canadian Pari-Mutuel Agency (CPMA). This agency creates the proper legal framework and regulates horse racing throughout the country.

Usually, lottery commissions are created in the provinces – for example, The Western Canada Lottery Corporation, British Columbia Lottery Corporation. In others, the Alcohol and Gambling Commissions become regulators – for example, Manitoba Liquor and Lottery Corporation.

Some provinces outsource some of their regulatory issues to the Gaming Policy and Enforcement Branch in British Columbia.

Conditions for obtaining a license

There is no concept of a license in Canada. Gambling is usually offered by the authorities through Crown corporations. The state works through the Commissions and Corporations mentioned above.

In many provinces, lottery corporations sign agreements with private operators to provide the required services. This contractual framework removes the concept of licenses.

Service providers work with private businesses and government regulators. They supply services, equipment, goods and products. Service providers are required to be registered with provincial regulators.

Each province forms its own conditions and requirements for the issuance of permits and contracts. For example, British Columbia offers four types of permits, which differ in the amount of gambling revenue they offer. The permit is valid for up to 12 months.

Permitted types of gambling

Lottery schemes include a variety of games and gambling products:

• poker;
• rates;
• sports betting;
• casino games;
• slot machines;
• terminals with games;
• bingo;
• lottery.

Apart from the provinces themselves, only charitable or religious organizations can offer bingo and lotteries. Charities do not offer slot machines or casino games.

Ontario Legislation

The largest gambling income comes from Ontario – 35% of the total revenue structure of all provinces. The article goes on to look at Ontario law as an illustrative example of how Canadian gambling is regulated.

There are three regulators in the province of Ontario, all of them state-owned:

• Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (regulator);
• provincial authorities;
• Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (operator).

The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario is a provincial royal institution founded in 1998. The organization regulates alcohol, gambling and horse racing in the province. She also issues licenses for charity lotteries. Previously, there were two regulators: the Liquor License Board of Ontario and the Gaming Control Commission.

The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation is a government agency that operates land-based gambling sites and websites in the province. Previously, there were two gambling operators: The Ontario Casino Corporation (OCC) and the Ontario Lottery Corporation (OLC). The companies merged in 2000.

Gambling in the provinces is governed by laws:

• Alcohol and Gaming Regulation and Public Protection Act of 1996;
• Gaming Control Act 1992;
• Horse Racing License Act 2015.

All laws have additional provisions on certain aspects of the gambling business.

The situation with the gambling business in Ontario

Government companies have been providing gambling services to residents of the province since 1975. An important part of their mission is to divert revenues towards community goals. Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation is actively changing its structure and business model, trying to follow the trends.

Ontario players spend 400 million USD annually on unregulated online sites. Most of the revenue comes from slot machines – 88%. Profits decline over time as new casinos open in Michigan, Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland, etc. near the US border.

Respectively, the provincial government is focusing heavily on modernizing its lottery scheme. Online casinos are being opened, a responsible gambling program is being created specifically for the Internet space. A private gambling service provider will be selected and will be contracted.

Online gambling in the country

Canadian legislation does not make significant distinctions between land-based and online gambling businesses. Provinces offer online games as a variation of their lottery schemes.

Often so-called “legal representatives” are involved in online gambling. Typically, this role is played by the Royal Corporation. Thus, online gambling in Canada is a state monopoly.

At the end of 2014, the Quebec government published a report justifying the need to change the Criminal Code regarding online games. An amendment to the Code should allow provinces to grant online gaming licenses to individuals. In 2016, Quebec banned access to illegal websites.

Most Popular Online Casinos

The provinces receive the most income from the gambling business: Ontario, Quebec, British Columbia, Alberta. Some of the largest and most popular gambling websites in Canada are owned by these provinces. It:

• LotoQuebec – online platform for the Quebec lottery scheme;
• BCLC – British Columbia online casino;
• WCLC is a casino in Western Canada that operates in the provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. Additional contributors are Yukon, Northern Territories and Nunavut.

All sites offer a large selection of lotteries and other gambling games: casinos, sports betting, poker, slot machines.

Popular slot machines in the country

The most popular slot machines in Canada:

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• Nordic Heroes;
• Cleopatra;
• Power Hits;
• Wheel of Fortune;
• Triple Diamonds.

Nordic Heroes is a 5-reel, 30-payline slot from IGT. The slot has a chance to get free spins, bonus games and a progressive jackpot. As the game progresses, the user advances through the levels.

Cleopatra is a 5 reel IGT slot with 20 pay lines. The device has the opportunity to get free spins with win multipliers.

Power Hits is a 5-reel slot machine from IGT. There is a chance to hit the progressive jackpot by opening one of three bonus games.

Wheel of Fortune is IGT’s 5-reel progressive slot with 720 ways to collect winning combinations. The bonus game gives you the opportunity to get the jackpot.

Triple Diamonds is an IGT slot with 3 reels and 9 pay lines. A jackpot of up to x1199 line bets is available.

Outcome

Canada’s gambling business has been successfully developing since the 1990s, the market volume is gradually increasing. However, Canadians spend a lot of money on overseas online sites and casinos in the neighboring United States. Therefore, the Canadian authorities are trying to modernize their gambling systems in order to be competitive.

At the same time, Canada has one of the best programs to protect society from the harmful effects of gambling. Therefore, the percentage of addicted players is minimal here.

The United Kingdom Gambling Commission, or the UKGC in short, is the world’s leading licensing body that regulates gambling not only throughout the United Kingdom but also on a global scale. The UKGC was established under the Gambling Act 2005 with the aim of regulating both gambling and the National Lottery (under the 1993 National Lottery Act).

The main objective of the UKGC is to prevent gambling from being a source of crime, criminal activity, or any illegal action. Also, the UKGC is there to ensure all gambling is conducted fairly and openly, with the players’ best interest at heart. Moreover, the practices and actions of the UKGC are directed towards protecting the minors and other vulnerable persons from experiencing any harm from gambling.

To meet their objectives, the UKGC scrutinizes all gambling operators down to the very last detail, which has earned them quite a reputation not only across Europe but also in Canada and the US.

Canadian players who play in the UKGC-licensed casinos presented here can rest assured knowing that they are playing in a fair and safe environment.

Brief History of the United Kingdom Gambling Commission and Its Acts

Before the UKGC took centre stage, gambling in Britain was regulated by the Gaming Board. Then, in 2005, the UKGC was founded to keep online gambling in check and ensure rules and regulations are upheld at all times. It wasn’t before 2007 that the UKGC began regulating the market. When in 2013 the UKGC merged with the National Lottery Commission, it took over the National Lottery licensing and became a true licensing powerhouse.

Monumental changes to online gambling have been brought under the watchful eye of the UKGC. Namely, in 2014, a new gambling Licensing and Advertising Act was introduced. It put more focus on the advertising aspect of online gambling and pointed out the companies that can offer gambling services to the people in the UK. This legislation changed the gambling landscape because it obliged operators that had provided remote gambling services in the UK to obtain a license from the UKGC and follow strict advertising rules for promoting gambling on TV, sports matches, and similar.

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New advertising rules were introduced from the joint effort of the UKGC and the Advertising Standards Agency in 2017, and they required gambling operators to refrain from using cartoonish ads, images of comic books, or any other children-oriented promotional strategies, as these might pose a threat to juveniles and lead to under-age gambling problems.

The UKGC continues to develop, together with the current trends in online gambling and the security thereof. The latest improvements and legislation chaired by the UKGC require UKGC-licensed operators to verify names, addresses, and ages of all players to prove their identities before they can play for real money.

Throughout its history, the UKGC has imposed various financial restrictions on specific payment methods, like the use of credit cards for depositing funds, as a way of combating undesirable effects of compulsive gambling.

Taking into consideration their focus on the security measures, protection of players, and fairness, Canadians can have peace of mind when playing in the UKGC-licensed casinos.

The UKGC Licenses

Before an operator obtains a license from the United Kingdom Gambling Commission, they must go through a detailed process and scrutiny patented by the UKGC. The process is complex and consists of the verification of the gambling activity an operator wishes to conduct, the finances of the operator, its ownership, competence, capability, the absence of any prior legal persecution, and much more.

To comply with the requirements, operators have to abide by strict rules of conduct that involve protecting people from gambling-related harm and full commitment to fair and open gambling, performing regular checks to prevent money laundering and organized crime, as well as full compliance to the technical standards of the gaming software, and complaints handling and alternate dispute resolution (ADR).

In essence, the UKGC offers three types of licenses: an operating licence, a personal management licence, and a personal functional licence. The personal functional license is designed for those who wish to operate as dealers/croupiers, cashiers, inspectors, or pit boss/gaming supervisors in land-based casinos. The personal management license is for bosses of gambling businesses.

The operating license is the key, and it lets online casino operators legalize their gaming businesses, such as:

• Arcades
• Betting
• Bingo
• Casino
• Gambling Software
• Gaming Machines
• Lotteries

The UKGC Gambling Standards

The stringent gambling standards imposed by the UKGC are what separates them from most other gambling jurisdictions. These gambling standards and requirements for gambling operators are described in the UKGC’s Licence conditions and codes of practice (LCCP).

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For example, in the LCCP, you can find details about the verification of online casino software that must generate entirely random outcomes of games to ensure fair gaming. The UKGC requires regular checks by independent quality testing agencies such as eCOGRA in order to ensure that operators comply with the appropriate gaming policies.

Also, all operators must ensure the absolute safety and security of players’ data and transactions. The latest SSL encryption methods are the key to preventing any unwanted transmission of personal data and banking details to any third party.

Even though the UKGC does not intercede for players in order to resolve any possible complaints about casinos, it demands operators to cooperate with the independent third-party companies that will act as mediators in the process.

The UKGC License Register

All Canadian players who suspect that some online casinos or software are not licensed by the UKGC or they simply want to see what licences operators and software producers own can do so by browsing the UKGC license register. Bear in mind that all licensed operators and software providers will display the UKGC mark transparently on their sites to proudly indicate affiliation with the UKGC. It gives them great merit and helps players feel more comfortable playing their games.

The United Kingdom Gambling Commission vs. Kahnawake Gambling Commission

The situation in Canada is not so clear cut when it comes to gambling licensing bodies and jurisdictions, as each of the provinces has its own authority. However, the Kahnawake Gambling Commission has emerged as one of the leading authorities for gaming activity within the Mohawk Territory of Kahnawake which is open to offshore casinos that use this licence to offer gambling services to Canadians.

The Kahnawake Gambling Commission does not belong to the whitelist gambling jurisdictions like the UKGC, the Malta Gaming Authority, The Alderney Gambling Control Commission and others. Still, they are slowly stepping up their game, especially given the fact that there is a preliminary licence period before operators can get a permanent licence.

The bottom line is that the UKGC licensed casino is a safe bet for Canadian players, as it will provide the necessary guarantees of safety and fairness of their games.