Why Fake Licences Exist
An online casino without a licence can appear as professional as any licensed operator. Creating a website does not cost a lot of money. However, creating a licence or directing the visitors to a fake licence website costs even less money. Rogue online casinos use these fake licences to gain the trust of online gamblers who would not deposit money with these unlicensed operators - see our full list of unlicensed casino warning signs for the other red flags these operators display.
7 Red Flags That Reveal a Fake Licence
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1
The licence logo links to a fake regulator website
Click on the licence logo on the casino website's footer. It will either take you to a fake licence website or the operator's own website as a pretend licence. Legitimate regulators use government and official organisation domains only such as .gov.uk, .gov.gi, .gov.im and .org.mt. Any other domain is fraudulent and needs to be verified against the legitimate licence websites.
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2
The licence number does not appear on the register
Use the licence number featured on the casino to search for the licence on the regulator's website. Any results that return no results mean that the licence is fake. Furthermore, if the licence returns another company name that does not match the casino operator, this is a red flag signalling fraudulent activity.
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3
The licence status shows as revoked or suspended
Many rogue online casinos continue to feature the licence even after the regulator has revoked the rights. The licence register will show the status of the licence. If it is revoked, surrendered, suspended or inactive the operator is not licensed to operate.
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4
The regulator name is unfamiliar or vague
There are five main online gaming regulator licenses that offer players protection - see our full casino licence comparison for how they rank. Many rogue online casinos feature licences from invented or obscure countries that do not offer regulatory oversight or player protection standards.
- Anjouan (Comoros): The smallest island nation in the world, Anjouan belongs to the Comoros islands. It began issuing online gambling licenses around 2005 but offers no regulatory oversight, no player protection or an ADR requirement for disputes between gamblers and online casinos.
- Kahnawake (Canada): A Mohawk reserve in Quebec that issues online gambling permits. Not a government regulator - provides limited player protection compared to European regulators. Has been used by legitimate operators but also by rogue sites.
- "International Gaming Council" / "Interactive Gaming Council": These are trade associations, not regulators. They do not license casinos and cannot enforce compliance.
- Curaçao sub-licences (pre-2023): The old model for Curaçao used a few master licence holders to sub-license their rights to online casinos. The sub-licence holders were given significantly less oversight than the master licence holders. The Gaming Control Board of Curaçao began phasing out all sub-licence holders in 2023 so any casino featuring a Curaçao sub-licence is operating on expired rights.
- Vanuatu, Marshall Islands, or other Pacific Island licences: No meaningful player protection framework. Rarely used by any legitimate operator.
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5
The licence belongs to a different casino brand
Some operators have a licence but feature the logo on a sister website that does not have the licence. Each domain requires its licence or to be named in the licence permit for the licensed operator. Make sure the URL for the website you are using is featured in the licence register.
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6
No licence information in the footer at all
All legitimate and licensed online casinos are required by most licensing regulators to feature the licence information in the footer of their website. If there is no license or licence number listed on their website, it is a warning sign of fraudulent activity. In some instances, the license may be listed within the terms and conditions of the website.
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7
The casino blocks or delays access to the verification link
Some rogue online casinos make the licence logo non-clickable and link it to a broken page or the homepage of the website. Any legitimate casino operator will have nothing to hide so the link will take you to the regulator's website.
What to Do If You Find a Fake Licence
Do not deposit money with these rogue online casinos. If you have already deposited money with the online casino operator, do not make further deposits. Try to withdraw your balance from the website. If they refuse to allow you to withdraw your funds, you can request a chargeback from your financial institution as the online casino will be the one to be charged. The chargeback success rates vary among financial institutions but most impose a time limit of 120 days from the date of your original transaction. For the full escalation process, see what to do if a casino won't pay.
Report the fake online casino licence to the online gambling regulator that features the licence. The UKGC has a dedicated form to report rogue online gambling operations. The UKGC investigates all illegal gambling operations and can apply for injunctions in the courts to shut down websites targeting UK players. The public reports on these illegal websites are part of how the regulator identify these websites.
You can also report to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) if the casino is advertising in the UK without a UKGC licence, and to Action Fraud (actionfraud.police.uk) if you believe you have been defrauded.
Use Pre-Verified Lists
The best way to avoid falling into the trap of fraudulent licence claims is to start with a list of licensed online casinos that have been verified by us: