Licenses for online gambling activities are no longer segmented by type of gambling: a single governmental body registers casinos, sports betting, and bingo. However, licenses are still differentiated by geography:
- Offshore licenses — these licenses permit gambling business operations in all countries except the one where it is issued. This permission is unilateral, only legalizing the casino within the country that issued it and providing players the opportunity to resolve any disputes. These licenses do not override the legal restrictions of the player's own country.
- Domestic casino licenses — issued by the country itself. If there are such casinos in your country (most EU countries have them), they are the only establishments that should be used. They are safe, you won't be prosecuted for large winnings, and all money can be directly received to your bank account.
- Regional / State / Provincial license: for example, this was the case in Germany. Now such licenses are issued by Argentina, Canada, the USA - it's an online license that allows only residents of a specific region within the country to play. This often happens when the country's central government is against the gambling business, but the regions are in favor, leading to many inconveniences and restrictions.
Below is a list of all the licenses we just discussed, with a brief description and indication of their affiliation:
