This page is quite old and it is now a requirement to have a UK Licence if you wish to accept players from the UK. Prior to this, the UK Gambling Commission had a list of countries that were considered to be safe and playing by the rules. We have kept the information here because it may help you make a decision on wether you think a bingo or casino site is trustworthy. Personally I would recommend that you check that a site is licensed in the UK if you want to depart with any real money.
It is always important to check the footer of a website before playing to find out where it has obtained its license. The official term for a country / county or state that offers a license is called a jurisdiction. Sometimes the license can cover several states and counties. If it is one of the jurisdictions below then we can say that it has been approved by the UK Gambling Commission, however this does not always mean the site is going to be fair and safe. Sometimes a company may be facing financial difficulties and they have only become apparent recently. If a site doesn't make any attempt to divulge their licensed jurisdiction we would recommend you avoid the site altogether, for most licenses this is a requirement by law and the fact they aren't telling you where they are licensed should ring alarm bells!
Jurisdictions That Were Considered Safe To Play Online Bingo By The UK Gambling Commision
- Alderney
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Austria
- Belgium
- Bulgaria
- Cyprus
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Finland
- Estonia
- France
- Germany
- Gibraltar
- Greece
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Ireland
- Isle of Man
- Italy
- Latvia
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malta
- Netherlands
- Norway
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Sweden
- Tasmania
- United Kingdom
Most Common Jurisdictions Licensing Online Bingo Sites
Despite the fact there are many countries in which a license could be obtained, most online bingo websites are licensed in the countries listed below, this is mainly because of the low taxation these companies have to pay in these countries. The UK miss out on a huge amount of tax income because of this but there are currently discussions in parliament to start a Point Of Sale Tax. This means despite where the website is located they will be taxed at a rate set by the UK treasury. Most online bingo operators would be happy to pay this tax as long as it remained competitive with what they are currently paying. It is argued by some that taxing high isn't good for business as it means the company will not be able to expand and take on more employees and with unemployment so high in the UK this would have a negative effect on the economy as a whole.
- Alderney
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Cyprus
- Gibraltar
- Isle of Man
- Malta
- United Kingdom
Advertising Bingo In The UK
You may have noticed the torrent of Bingo adverts appearing on TV, especially during the day. These adverts also have to abide by rules set out by the UK Gambling Commission. Reading the rules and advertising codes reads like a stream of abbreviations and isn't exactly easy to understand in layman's terms but here is an explanation we think that is much easier to understand. There are five codes of conduct managed by five different organisations. They are:
| Organisation | Website | What they do |
|---|---|---|
| Gambling Commission | www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk | The Gambling Commission was set up to regulate gambling in the UK and part of that role is to ensure that bingo sites comply with the Gambling Act 2005 |
| CAP (Committee of Advertising Practice) | www.asa.org.uk/ | The CAP write the rules that have to be followed by all advertisers and can provide authoritative advice to anyone wishing to advertise. |
| Clearcast | www.clearcast.co.uk/clearcast | Clearcast ensure that TV advertising complies with the CAP codes and works using an approval process for advertising. |
| ASA (Advertising Standards Authority) | www.asa.org.uk | The ASA is an independent regulator for all advertising and deals with complaints and advertisers who do not follow the codes of practice. If you see an advert that you feel is misleading then you can visit this site and complain. Be aware that bingo sites do not always have control over adverts being shown on other websites and and it is always worth contacting the website you feel that has the misleading advertising first. You never know you might get a refund or a freebie! |
| Radiocentre (Previously known as the Radio Advertising Clearance Centre) | www.radiocentre.org | Radiocentre are responsible for compliance with regulations when advertising on the radio. |
