Gambling laws vary greatly across different regions around the world and the online betting market is heavily influenced by the specific laws applicable in each country or region. In recent years, many gambling laws have been relaxed to allow players to enjoy the thrill of online betting, with authorities seeing the potential for revenue generation through the growing demand for iGaming.
Historically, there have been grey areas across online betting legislation, with countries including South Africa prohibiting interactive gambling but not actively enforcing the laws. It can be an area of confusion, with some players choosing to go down the route of anonymity provided by crypto casinos to avoid potential legal issues.
However, huge strides have been made to legalize gambling across many regions, with recent notable changes in Canada, for example, where new gambling laws have lifted restrictions for online casino playing in Ontario.
Regulated Gambling: Opening the Door of Opportunity
In countries where regulatory bodies have been set up to issue gambling licenses, players can enjoy the freedom to play casino games from the comfort of their own home or while on the go, through their mobile. In South Africa, the National Gambling Board governs gambling activity in the country. Over the years, developments such as the legalization of sports betting in the 1990s opened up the opportunity for South Africans to place wagers on their favorite sporting events.
With such a huge following of sports in South Africa, the government has been able to generate a high revenue from sports betting by requiring licensed operators to pay taxes. Sports such rugby, football, cricket and golf have large viewing audiences in South Africa and there is a growing demand for placing bets on these sports. The legalization of online sports betting has been fundamental to market growth and helps to prevent South African players from using offshore betting sites where taxes go directly to the country of origin.
Interactive gaming is still technically illegal in South Africa but there are plans to introduce new legislation that will allow players to legally play online casinos provided by licensed operators in South Africa. However, it is interesting that no players have ever been prosecuted for illegally playing online casino games in South Africa, highlighting that the law is not enforced when it comes to players but is more focused on operators.
In other countries, where online gambling is completely prohibited, for example, in China, some players take a risk and play through the anonymity of VPNs and crypto casinos but heavy penalties are often enforced.
Anyone interested in playing online casino games or placing online sports bets should review the rules and laws in their region to ensure that they do not face penalties. However, in many regions, there have been major developments in terms of lifting bans.
How to Find Legal Online Casinos to Play
Using legal online casinos not only avoids penalties, it ensures that players can benefit from the higher levels of security and the regulations in place to monitor fair play. When you are choosing a legal online casino, the key details to check include:
Valid gambling license
The site should indicate whether it has a gambling license and which regulator it has been issued from. For example, in Malta, the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) is the regulator.
Security features
Online casinos should also provide details of the different security measures that they have in place to keep players safe from the risks of hacking.
Check reputable review sites
The iGaming community is renowned for helping other players to identify the best online casinos by leaving honest, authentic reviews on review sites. You can check some of these Silver Oak casino reviews to see the type of information that players are leaving regarding the online casino sites that they have tried.
In addition to the player reviews, these sites offer an overview of the key features, pros and cons of each site. They highlight the welcome bonus package, security features, licensing details and many other important details that will help you to determine which site is going to be the best one for you to choose.
Fair gaming
One of the other most important indicators of a legitimate online casino is evidence that they are certified as providing fair gaming. Certifications from agencies such as iTech Labs and eCOGRA will show you that they have been audited and proven to provide RNG (Random Number Generation) as advertised.
You can also check RTP (Return to Player) reports which are published by auditing agencies.
The rules and laws around online betting are constantly changing, so it is important to keep up to date with the latest news or to check your government’s website to read the current laws that apply to players in your region. In countries with a high standard of regulation, players can enjoy a safer and fairer gaming experience.