Everything to Know about Non-UK Licensed Casinos

The number of overseas casinos in the UK is increasing annually, and their popularity is rapidly growing. The main reasons for that seem to be GamStop’s excessive interference, the UKGC’s increasingly restrictive legislative and financial policies, the rise of non GamStop casinos, and the consequent deterioration of the services provided by local operators.

Since we’ve already discussed the basic advantages of non-UK online casinos in other articles, we will focus on the questions people most frequently ask about foreign casinos, including the potential drawbacks, and provide you with some quick tips on selecting a profitable and reliable overseas operator.

Is it legal to play in non-UK online casinos in this country?

Yes, it is. It’s illegal for them to promote their services on the UK market bypassing the UKGC restrictions, but nowhere is it stipulated that betting on them is illegal too. In other words, it is against the casinos that UKGC might press their charges, although it hasn’t actually happened yet. And it’s perfectly legal for you to register with them and use their services anyway.

Isn’t the overseas online gambling in the UK all fraudulent spam?

No, it isn’t. Not having a UKGC license doesn’t mean they aren’t decent and legal providers. There’re lots of dubious sites, of course, but many of them are serious and highly reputable companies that hold multiple licenses from respectable international gaming authorities, like the MGA, for example, which they’re accountable to.

What they do seek is an opportunity to provide their highly professional services on the UK market, which is made easier for them by the fact that they don’t have to comply with the local jurisdiction. It doesn’t mean they have no business integrity though, or that there’s no law for them. But since they’re foreign operators located outside the UK, they’re simply not subject to the Crown. Not the British one, at least.

Do they not actually cause harm by letting gambling addicts bypass GamStop?

No, they don’t. In actual fact, they are aware of compulsive gambling as a psychological and social problem, and it would be possible to negotiate some self-exclusion scheme with them if you felt you couldn’t do without it. All you’d have to do is contact their support, and they would help you by blocking you from their sites temporarily. Unlike the case with GamStop, however, it would really be your project entirely, and they wouldn’t impose any restrictions upon you without your explicit prior consent.

What are the sign-up restrictions and requirements?

In the 99% of cases, there are two sign-up restrictions only:

1. You must be at least 18 years old.
2. You may not have more than one account on one site. Should you be discovered to have violated this term, your accounts will be blocked, and you’ll forfeit your deposits in all of them.

And there will only be two additional requirements for your withdrawal transactions:

1. They will expect some identity verification from you. Generally, it’s an extremely simple procedure that only takes a few minutes to complete. Nor will you have to worry about the know-your-client hassle as there won’t be any. Your ID verification isn’t required right away though, but it will have to be completed before the first withdrawal request may be made.
2. You must be a formal holder of the account or the wallet you intend to withdraw the money to.

What are the drawbacks?

Basically, there are two potential disadvantages.

1. Since they don’t have a UK license, you can’t file a complaint with the UKGC. You may still apply to the Commission they do have a license from, but the latter’s overseas location will obviously complicate the procedure. On the other hand, many of them have licenses from several international authorities, and should you have a reason to complain while travelling or residing in the Caribbean, for instance, their Curaçao license might be of more use to you than a UK one.
2. These are global operators with an extremely large international clientele, and even more so if they are reputable too. So, even though their customer support is a lot more responsive than the one in the UK, they may at times be simply overloaded with requests to be able to respond to you at once.

How shall I find a good site?

There’re several indications that you may be at the right place. From our experience, the best non-UK online casinos:

• have at least one authoritative license and hold at least a few significant awards;
• guarantee maximum protection of all your sensitive data with high-level SSL encryption;
• offer many generous promos and bonuses as well as many lucrative bets and high-level payouts;
• include live-streaming and mobile betting;
• provide simple and diverse payment methods as well as prompt and uncomplicated withdrawals.

To sum up

We’d like to refer you to our other articles to learn more about overseas casinos, and if you decide to give them a try, we hope this article will help you find an excellent operator to give you the best gambling experience in your life.