Top Licensed Online Casinos in 2021

A lot of players around the world argue that a license does nothing or that it is a safeguard against cheats. And the answer is close at hand and is purely logical. To understand the question, “What is an online casino license? Varieties, requirements for obtaining one, and the cost for each jurisdiction”, it’s worth getting a little insight into the process of obtaining one and some specific aspects of license conditions. All that remains is to learn the finer details so that the picture can begin to form in the players’ minds. Our portal, topaucasinos, was created with the sole purpose of answering all questions concerning online casinos. Therefore, our main focus is on the licenses and their benefits. This is going to be a very long article. Be patient and we will answer most of your questions.

Which jurisdictions issue licenses?

There are quite a few. They are Malta, Curacao, Costa Rica, Gibraltar, Panama, Kahnawake, and the mysterious Isle of Man, Antigua, and Barbuda, Alderney, and Belgium. Each of these jurisdictions has both pluses and minuses (the main disadvantage is considered the financial component). Let’s look at the main ones. For some, the most common ones we will give a lot of information, and for those that are not in demand, you will get only basic knowledge.

Malta Gambling Authority

Today, many entrepreneurs are eager to open their online casinos, as it is a profitable business. Against this backdrop, online users were distrustful of the transparency of this type of business. Therefore, companies started to introduce licensing procedures, which would guarantee players the use of original software, as well as reliability in terms of payments and personal data transactions. For this business to be successful, some documents need to be collected and submitted to the licensor of the state where the licensing decision was made. This type of business is essentially no different from a classic business in other areas. A license entitles a company to enter into lucrative partnership agreements and to gain a certain degree of trust from the players. Moreover, there are a few jurisdictions where it is possible to legally set up operations. One such jurisdiction is Malta, which is located between Sicily and North Africa. Malta has been issuing licenses since 2000. However, after Malta joined the European Union, it was necessary to revise some basic legislation (including the change of name to Malta Gaming Authority, MGA) regarding gambling and its licensing process.

What types of licenses does the Malta Gaming Authority provide?

Since the amendment of the bill, the government has been trying to control the industry as strictly as possible. For ease of categorization of online gambling businesses, several types of licenses have been introduced:

Online Gaming License. These are online casinos, gambling, and poker operators who pay a fee of 4,600 USD for the first six months, followed by a fee of 7,000 USD from the government agency
Remote Betting License. The license is issued to betting companies, but this is much simpler: you only have to pay a commission of 0.5% of the number of bets placed at a particular bookmaker's office
License To Promote and Abet Gaming. This type of license is granted to developers who charge a commission for participating in bingo, poker, and betting games. In addition, this type of license can also be obtained by venues where the game is meant between two players using the P2P model. The state commission is 5% of the actual number of bets
License To Host and Manage Online Gaming Operators Excluding Licensee. This license is eligible for those companies that develop software for online casinos and betting offices, where the fee for public services will be between 2,330 and 4,660 USD.

What are the requirements of the Maltese licensor?

Malta is undoubtedly one of the most expensive jurisdictions to run a gambling business, but it more than pays for itself thanks to a lot of perks. At the beginning of 2019, a new settlement model was introduced for the licenses obtained, whereas before it was a fixed amount, now it is a percentage of profits. Let’s take a look at how much it will cost to obtain and renew a license, as well as what taxes need to be paid to the state budget (the amount of taxes has been outlined above, so a list with basic figures on licensing costs will be provided):

Benefits of licensing Malta

For both players and companies associated with online gambling, an MGA license is the most advantageous option in terms of licensing. The main advantages of the Malta License for operators are:

The players, on the other hand, can file complaints, because the MGA takes complaints of this kind quite seriously. Thanks to players complaints, 14 licenses were identified and withdrawn in 2019 alone. Therefore, if you have caught the operator in fraud and after trying to negotiate you have not found a common denominator you can safely write to MGA support.

How much does it cost to get a license from the MGA?

The process of obtaining a license in Malta is time-consuming and somewhat exciting. To start the licensing process, you must first gather the following documents and prepare them for submission:

Start by registering a company in Malta (which will require additional time to find and collect the necessary information) and establish a telephone connection
It is necessary, in English, to submit all documents of the company to be opened
In addition, you must take care in advance to obtain the documentation of all employees who work for the organization (starting with passports and ending with certificates from local law enforcement agencies that there is no criminal record (if there are such persons in your company who have a record of wrongdoing, then be prepared for the fact that you will not be granted a license)
Prepare a very detailed business plan, with all marketing forecasts, for submission
Prepare information on the availability of software control systems, availability of original software checks, storage equipment.

But, there is no need to worry about how to collect all these documents and what to do with them next. You will get the full process of support from contacting the licensing authority to obtaining the MGA licensing document.

How to check the MGA license?

The regulator keeps a single database of all its “wards” and if you have doubts about whether or not an institution holds a license. Find the MGA icon at the bottom of the page and click on it. This will open the Malta Licensor’s website and you will see all the information you need to know about the resource. However, there is another way to find out if a particular casino has documentation. Go to the official website of the Malta Gaming Authority https://www.mga.org.mt. Then select Regulatorily and click on Gaming License in the drop-down menu and immediately a menu will appear on the right side of the list where you need to click on Licensee Register. After that, in the Licensee Name field specify the domain address or the name of the casino.

Curacao eGaming

The main advantages offered by Curacao licensing are as follows:

The process of obtaining a Curaçao license

Obtaining a Curacao license is much more lenient than, for example, registering a gambling business in England, where you have to go through seven circles of hell. Therefore, let’s highlight the basic steps a company needs to take to obtain a license:

The first thing to do is to register the company in the licensor's territory
Collect all necessary papers and documents, which will be sent to the relevant authority for review
After that, you should apply to the Master License holder for a review of your business with all the necessary documents and only then pay the state fee and the fee of the holder of this license
In the final stage, you will only have to wait for the Master Licensee's response, which will inform you of the positive or negative outcome.

Registering a company for a Curacao license

Officially, a limited liability company in Curaçao has the name of the type N.V (in Dutch it looks like Naamloze Vennootschap). The regulator allows such companies to register in the e-zone and pay a 2% tax on profits. In addition, the company is registered is allowed to pay no tax on payments of dividends, the interest of all kinds, and other fees, irrespective of the recipient’s place of residence. The registration of an organization is only subject to the approval of the local authorities. However, to obtain it, it is necessary to prove that the company to be set up fully complies with the requirements of the economic zone. Namely, the services or trade must be provided for the benefit of customers located outside the island, and the processes must be able to be carried out using electronic communication.

If necessary, the company to be established can apply for authorization to cooperate with other organizations as well as clients located in Curaçao but outside the e-zone. To do so, the company must make a formal application to the local authorities. If granted, you can co-operate with any e-zone companies and customers without any restrictions. However, it is worth bearing in mind that income from such interactions must not exceed 25 percent of the company’s total income.

What types of Curaçao licenses are available?

At the moment, the main license you will be able to get is the Sub License. However, up to a certain time, it was also possible to get a Master License. Typically, Master licenses were issued to government bodies who could grant sub-licenses to businesses and receive fees and commissions for doing so. Over time, it became impossible to obtain a master license, and to get a gambling license you had to go to the companies that had obtained a master before. In this case, you will only be granted a sub-license like all registered businesses. But, there are subtleties, because the companies holding the master license can impose additional fees. For example, you as a business owner will need to pay the state fee, as well as various fees of the master license holder.

When a company obtains a sub-license, it can provide gambling services, run its online casino, engage in marketing, and solicit customers for its projects. This type of license allows you to accept players from all over the globe. However, being licensed in Curacao allows you to open and run a gambling business only in the online space. Should you ever need to open a real casino, you will have to contact the local authorities of the country where you plan to operate. The Curaçao license does not extend its powers to offline businesses in other countries.

Documents required to obtain a Curaçao license

As with every licensing jurisdiction, Curacao has a number of its documents that need to be submitted by business owners. These documents include:

A document confirming that the beneficiary is not currently in trouble with the law and that he or she has no criminal record
Scanned copies of an identity document (in this case, a copy of a valid passport of the country where the holder resides is required)
A supporting letter from the bank (a reference letter from the bank showing all transactions in your accounts and whether there is any suspicious activity will be sufficient)
Your contact details (residential address for sending the physical letter, e-mail, telephone number, and other possible means of communication)
A letter of recommendation from the employer, if the person opening the business has power of attorney and can act on behalf of the company
A detailed summary of the activities you have been involved in all your conscious life is not unreasonable.

All of the above documents must be in English. In addition to these documents, several additional documents aim to examine the owner’s activities in more depth:

Argumentation of the origin of the funds of all persons forming part of the company's shareholders, as well as of the owners
A detailed description of the business model
Proof of ownership of the domain(s) on which the company's website is located
Description of the game content to be launched
A scanned copy of the affiliate agreement with the online casino software developers
List of countries whose residents will be allowed to play on your portal
The location of the equipment on which the information is to be processed.

The application and licensing process for an online casino can take up to 60 days from the submission of all required documents. In addition, before obtaining this document, it is necessary to pay more than USD 40,000 for the registration of the company in Curacao and the registration of the license. In addition, one should bear in mind that the license needs to be renewed every year and the cost of renewal will be 15,000 USD per year.

What are the best online casinos with a Curacao license?

Since Curaçao is the most attractive jurisdiction for starting a business and obtaining a license there, many companies and online casinos seek to establish themselves on the island. Most of the gambling establishments do have this license, confirming the seriousness of a particular club’s intentions. In our top casinos with a Curacao license, you will be presented with a list of such establishments.

UK Gambling Commission

The UK Gambling Commission was established in 2007. The main activity of this body is to control gambling establishments and betting shops in the United Kingdom. Since 2014, the UK Gambling Commission has controlled online casinos located on the network, as well as those companies that advertise these sites. To obtain such a document an operator providing gambling services should have its physical equipment on the territory of the country. The UK is currently one of the strictest regulators because it has many technical requirements for service providers as well as for user protection and social responsibility. The UK market is the most promising market in Europe, which allows it to remain quite promising. And for the players, having such a license at online casinos allows them to bet according to the law, without having to worry about all sorts of tricks of the enterprising casino owners. To draw an analogy, Malta’s gambling commission and legislation could be considered soft and fluffy. In terms of strictness, the UK ranks first – an honorable place.

How was licensing shaped in the UK?

By the way, until 2005, no law in the UK could regulate the gambling market to any extent. In the 1990s, the responsible authorities established the GRB (Gambling Review Body) Commission, which investigated the market and growth rates in this area. As a result of these studies, the first bills were signed in 2005. As time passed and the government structures were modernized, there are now two agencies involved in this area – the Gambling Commission and the licensing committee. While the licensing committee may work at the licensing venue with representatives of the legal authorities, the commission works a little differently. The Gambling Commission deals with matters relating to gambling, except for financial betting. At the same time, its main areas of work are:

Process for obtaining a UK Gambling Commissions online casino licence

Gambling operators and casino representatives cannot simply buy a standard gambling license. Owners must apply for a separate license depending on the entertainment or services they wish to offer. Such entertainment includes:

In addition, organizations are required to apply for Personal Management Licences or PMLs for all their managers and senior staff. This means that the Gaming Commission will vigorously scrutinize anyone in a position to make operational decisions in an online casino. In addition to this, documents may be requested (in most cases they will be demanded by the commission and it is best to have them ready right away):

Provision of a full company structure, including all shareholders holding more than 3% of the organization's shares
Details of all persons involved in the license application (everything will be checked, up to and including existing credit and criminal records according to PML)
Projections and a clear plan of how the business to be launched will be financed
Predict and assume theoretically the development of the company for three years
If the business is active, financial statements for the last 3 years must be provided
Of course, the business plan
A list of all the rules and regulations for the most effective and honest delivery of services to clients
Technical compliance (all software and equipment must comply with UK standards)
Need to take care of opening a real office in the country and should be run by a local director
Pay a security deposit of 175,600 USD
Pay an application fee of between 650 USD and 75,000 USD, followed by an annual licensing fee of 177,000 USD.

How the UK Gambling Commission operates a licensed online casino?

The ranking of online casinos with a UK license includes establishments that have licensed their operations under the laws of that country. What advantages does the UK Gambling Commission offer to players? Firstly, it is the protection of your money. Secondly, it is the protection of your data from theft by third parties. This also includes responsible gaming, which implies that minors will be excluded from the process. Identity verification is meant to normalize this. Also, you can be assured of fair gaming conditions because the casino software is regularly checked and any fake software is out of the question (all games integrated at the UK-licensed site are only original and certified). In addition, the licensing authority offers an efficient method for registering complaints and solving problems in all fairness.

Less popular jurisdictions for online casino licensing

While the MGA, Curacao eGaming, and UK Gambling Commission licenses take pride of place at the top in terms of availability, some licensees are not too popular. However, online casinos with licenses from these jurisdictions appear all the time. Let’s take a look at what other licensing bodies there are.

Isle of Man Gambling Supervision Commission

If you compare this exotic piece of paradise on earth with the rest of the jurisdictions, the sum of 1,500 USD seems like a drop in the bucket. But there’s no hurry. After all, it is customary on the island to collect not only income tax but also an annual fee of 55,000 USD. This more than covers the protection of beneficiaries from the disclosure of identity and the possibility of sublicensing to other resources engaged in gambling activities. The only disadvantage of obtaining a license on the island is the annual payment of business taxes.

Costa Rica Gambling License

A few years ago, the process of opening a company in Costa Rica took a lot of time and resources to obtain a license. Today it is possible to open an organization and get a license in a month or two and still pay only 15,000 USD. But, it is worth it, if only because the stable legal acts do not take any taxes and allow people from any country to open a bank account. However, there is one major disadvantage. As you know, the Costa Rican Gaming Commission only grants a license to process data.

Panama Gambling License

Another attractive jurisdiction. Its main advantage is that, like Curacao, Panama has no business tax. However, obtaining a license will cost 40,000 USD and the annual renewal costs 20,000 USD each. The only disadvantages are that some types of betting may be prohibited and one has to check this information with the state authority separately.

Kahnawake Gaming Commission

Kahnawake is one of the first online gambling licensees. The regulatory process is carried out according to three types of licensing: online gambling license (implies placing the resource on the licensee’s servers), authorized supplier (can organize online gambling activities on the servers of the license holder (in other words, White Label or sublicense), and the third Key Person License (this is the so-called license for the key person, who holds a senior position in the companies engaged in gambling activities with the permission of the authorized supplier). The cost of the license starts at 40,000 USD, and 5,000 USD for each Key Person License. The pluses, in this case, may not be so many, but they are truly beneficial. Thus, there are no taxes on gambling activities, and the amount for applying for a license can be refunded. The only disadvantage is that the first license is only valid for six months.

Gibraltar Regulatory Authority

Gibraltar’s licensing organization was established 20 years ago and provides an annual license fee of £100,000. In addition, there is a mandatory payment of 1% income tax. It is worth noting that the requirements for companies here are much stricter than the peers: a stable financial position of the company and a detailed business plan. Of the pluses, I must say only the high status and free application for a license. The main disadvantage is that only large companies with extensive experience in this kind of business can obtain a license.

Antigua and Barbuda Gambling License

The island family of Antigua and Barbuda offers its own offshore space for licensing and online gambling. It’s worth the 15,000 USD application fee and the 75,000 USD annual license fee alone. However, everything here is very serious, and to get a license you need to get permission from the Financial Operations Commission. On the plus side, there is only prestige and a serious approach to controlling financial operations. The disadvantages are the high cost, experience in running such companies (because reports need to be submitted to several authorities), the purchase of servers, and 3% profit tax.

Alderney Gambling Control Commission

This jurisdiction is not locally restricted, which allows for worldwide operations (namely accepting bets from players regardless of their place of residence). There are two types of B2B and B2C licenses for companies (b2b implies management of gaming servers and interaction with third party companies, while b2c aims at registering players and managing their data and funds). The regulator also obliges the installation of server facilities in the territory of the state. In addition, a 15,000 USD software development certificate must be purchased to run online gambling. And here we come to the numbers. There are two things to be aware of when choosing an Alderney license: the 15,000 USD application fee and the 100,000 USD annual license fee. Looking ahead, only the most reliable and trusted casinos are capable of obtaining such a license. On the downside, of course, is the enormous capital and the many subtle nuances of doing business. And the pluses would be the status in the eyes of the players, the ability to provide services to outside companies, and to manage operations.

This article does not list all the jurisdictions, but only the main ones that take place in modern online gambling. As you can see, getting an online casino license is such an easy thing to do and it requires not only months of waiting but also a lot of expense. For players, this means not only a guarantee of payouts and their timely implementation but also a guarantee that the online casino will not risk the investment in getting a license for the sake of cheating the player. Otherwise, when a player notices that a licensed casino is cheating, they can easily take legal action and not only get their money back but also provide some inconvenience to the license holder, up to and including revocation of the license.

As well as being under the scrutiny of the commissions, game developers also impose their requirements to ensure that their software is only in a licensed casino.

What is the purpose of certification of games in a licensed online casino?

Every company that wants to operate in the field of gambling services should be certified. If only because by having a certificate for the products promoted, the developer will earn trust in the eyes of the players, besides, it makes it safe enough to operate on the territory of other countries. Certified games, a priori, confirm the integrity of online games and casinos. It is also a guarantee that users will receive their winnings in full. What player doesn’t dream of playing games that are proven to be fair?

Every licensed online casino must install original and certified games. However, how does the process of gaming content certification work? Let’s take a closer look!

Benefits of certificates and the process for obtaining them

As mentioned above, it is first and foremost reliability and proven honesty. To find out whether an online casino has certified games, just look at the technical documentation or find the logo on the institution’s website. By clicking on it, you can see the test results. In addition, a gambling house with certified games can easily operate in many countries. And the test results help to avoid a lot of inspections by state authorities.

To be certified as reliable and strictly compliant with the stated performance of the games, it is necessary to go through a process of document collection and application referrals. As a rule, the requirements of the testing companies are mostly similar. Therefore, the process will look identical for almost every lab. Initially, before certification, it is necessary to gather all necessary documents and get advice from a lawyer, who will supplement the list of required documents if necessary, thus increasing the likelihood of a positive result. Then, the application process is completed by the individual, namely the business owner. Regardless of the length of time, the business has been owned, both young establishments and those that have been in existence for quite some time can apply. Once an application has been submitted, the verification process begins by the standards of the country in which the business has been registered. The staff of the certifying body necessarily check all the documents collected, test the random number generator, check the payout intervals, and whether there is strict compliance with the stated characteristics in the rules and regulations of the establishment. If no irregularities are detected and all points of verification are true, the laboratory gives a positive result and publishes a report on the work done and the results of the tests in the public domain. Naturally, a certificate is issued, which the company owner may use at his or her discretion on the software being tested.

Game certification companies

Actually, as with licenses, some companies are more reliable in terms of testing the game. And then some do not perform their duties properly. We will not look at the labs that do sham research but focus on those that are trustworthy and fully test not only the games but also the process of paying out winnings to players. Such organizations include:

eCOGRA. Probably one of the most famous gambling testing companies. The British auditor is considered to be the most reputable and prestigious among the rest and is trusted by gamblers. The main areas of eCOGRA certification have been sports betting, lotteries, and slot machines
iTechLabs. Another auditor that deserves attention. It has been on the service market for more than 10 years and has become a trusted partner of many gambling sites
BMM Testlabs. Probably among the first to offer game testing for strict compliance. Have many branches around the world, and are licensed in more than 400 countries
GLI. Another one of the "old-timers" on the gambling market. They started their activity about 25 years ago, but surprisingly do not give up their positions. The quality of their services is at a consistently high level, as evidenced by their credibility in the eyes of partners from over 500 jurisdictions
NMi. A very old company that started in the 70s and provided services to land-based casinos. And since 2007, it has been involved in testing online casino games. NMi's main draw is to help promote certified games.

Which developers have the games certified?

Since many online casino software companies understand that certified games are a guarantee of longevity, attention, and trust of the players, they try to test all of their content. It’s a big plus when a company goes through with this kind of certification just to show their customers that they aren’t running any hidden agenda and are willing to play fair. It is because of credibility and reliability that there are more and more companies that certify their games year after year. Let’s take a look at those involved in slot machine development:

Quickspin. Founded in 2011 in Sweden, the company has gained the trust of many players. Thanks to the experience of the founders, who once worked for NetEnt games are very popular. The developer is one of the top IT companies in Sweden. That's why it was bought by the notorious Playtech in 2016. All of the vendor's games are certified by the trusted eCOGRA lab
Tom Horn. More than 70 games in the young Slovak developer's portfolio are iTechLabs and NMi certified. In addition, they have their poker playground with the ability to see their opponent in real-time thanks to a connected webcam
Playson. More than 150 slot machines from the operator, whose office is located in Malta, show that the content is quite popular and players are happy to run these games. The software is independently certified by Quinel M. Just look at the product to see which slots will be highly sought after and which will not. This is purely a matter of taste
Platipus. Another representative of British developers, with more than 100 games in their portfolio. And that's just in the few years since 2014. All the games of this operator have been tested and certified by iTechLabs. And of the games, it is difficult to determine the most popular ones because they are all made with sufficient quality and evoke the same feelings of excitement
Habanero. The company, which has been producing online casino games since 2010, has some advantages over other developers. Its portfolio includes about 80 games, all of which are certified by two independent organizations - iTechLabs and BMM Techlabs.

How does an online casino license affect bonuses?

It is no secret that the easy bonus wagering requirements and huge deposit percentages have disappeared, just as unlicensed online casinos have disappeared. Therefore, many online casinos have started to offer more modest bonuses, but there are many more. Let’s take a look at what bonuses are now available at a licensed online casino.

First Deposit Bonus or Welcome Bonus

In today’s world, online casinos are not something fantastic, prohibitive, or inaccessible. Not at all, anyone from the age of 18 can play at a licensed online casino for money today. Such accessibility has provoked high competition in the gambling industry for every new customer. Therefore, all classic methods of attraction are quickly becoming outdated and administrators of casinos need to look for new tools to promote their brand. Most often, the average user pays attention only to the size of such bonuses. This is not surprising, because the establishment that offers the highest amount will always attract significantly more attention.

What are the most common first deposit bonuses offered at online casinos?

At a licensed online casino Aussies are usually offered bonuses on their first deposit and subsequent deposits. At times, these offers can be so numerous that the player does not have time to take advantage of them all. Therefore, it is worth paying attention to:

First deposit bonuses. These are additional funds that will be added to the player's account when the first deposit is made. As a rule, the real cash balance and the bonus balance are summed up and on this amount is set the wagering amount for the withdrawal of winnings. But, sometimes the game is first played on the real balance with partial wagering of the bonus account. After the amount of real money will be put down, which corresponds to what is specified in the wager, the bonus will migrate to the real balance, and wagering it is not necessary. Today, popular types of first deposit bonuses at online casinos are bonus amount + additional free spins. That is, the player receives, for example, 100% as a bonus when you deposit funds, as well as no deposit free spins (which also need wagering).
Welcome bonus packages. It can be described as a set of different bonuses that are available to the player after registration. For the most part, these are bonuses on the first and subsequent deposits to be made by the customer. Also, such offers are most often accompanied by free spins on almost every subsequent deposit. That is, in addition to getting a deposit bonus, you will also get available spins that can be used for a particular slot machine.

Welcome Bonus Package at a licensed online casino

If we’ve already figured out what welcome bonuses and first deposit bonuses offer, it’s worth finding out what these concepts mean. So, welcome bonus, “welcome bonus” or “welcome package” mean the same thing – it is a kind of marketing tool that is offered to players by licensed online casinos as a welcome and thank you for registering an account. And they allow you to multiply your deposit, which you can use in all games within a specific casino.

While the first deposit bonus implies a single promotional offer only for the first deposit. The purpose of such bonuses is obvious – to offer the player a lucrative increase in their initial balance to play all the entertainment available on the casino’s website. At the same time, it attracts and motivates new players to make deposits to their accounts after registration.

Play at a licensed online casino with a bonus on your first deposit can all players, without exception, who have not yet deposited money in the institution. To get the bonus must first register because it is impossible to get a bonus without having an account at the casino. After registration, you must make your first deposit of real money using the proposed payment services. Many casinos often offer just 100% on account, which gives the player maximum opportunity to play.

However, some casinos can offer not just a doubling of the deposit, but a 10-fold increase. Such large values are extremely rare, but they do exist. Based on the above, we can understand that there are bonuses that have a fixed value, as an example, on a deposit of 1000 USD, you will be charged another 1000 USD. This is not an example of a 100% bonus, but a clear condition that by depositing only the specified amount you will receive a certain amount on top. And there are also percentage bonuses on your first deposit. For example, you will get 100% if you deposit between 500 and 2000 USD. In other words, when you deposit 500 USD or more, you will get a bonus equal to the deposit amount. But no more than 2000 USD. If you decide to deposit 2100 USD under this promotion, you will not get the bonus.

Therefore, many bonus offers have a certain threshold for the maximum amount to which they apply. Also, first deposit bonuses can vary significantly in terms of wagering conditions, as well as maximum winnings. Please read the wagering rules and conditions carefully so you do not get a pain in the neck from your newly activated bonus.

Rules for wagering deposit bonuses at a licensed online casino

The bonus wager itself has already become a constant attribute at every online casino. It’s impossible to find an online casino online that offers a first deposit bonus without any wagering conditions. Therefore, you should pay close attention to issues such as the wager. It is the one that determines how many bets and the total amount you need to place in a particular game before you can wager the bonus. Once these requirements are met, you can withdraw the bonus you have received and wagered.

Therefore, it is the amount of the wager that determines how beneficial the first deposit bonus is to the player. The higher the wager, the more unclaimed the bonus will be. According to the unspoken rules, the limits range from x3 to x50. Again, it all depends on the particular establishment. A low wager is a goal for all players, as well as for bonus hunters. As mentioned above, the first deposit bonus can be credited to your account regardless of the principal amount you have deposited, or the bonus and deposit amount are added together. As an example, the bonus and real money accounts would be separated as follows: the bonus account has 1000 USD and the real account has 2000 USD. This results in a 50% deposit bonus where the bonus is wagered separately from the funds deposited. Therefore, the conditional wager of x40 will only be applied to the bonus account. That is, you need to wager $40,000 in real money, and only then will the bonus be transferred to the real account. And when the accounts are combined, the wager applies to both the bonus and the deposited funds. That is, you received a bonus of 100% on a deposit of 1,000 USD. Now you have 2000 USD in your account with a wager of x40. Consequently, you need to wager 80,000 USD. Only after wagering these funds in full will you be able to withdraw the account balance.

Free Spins at a licensed casino – what are they?

Free Spins – this launches a particular slot machine in the licensed online casino without making real money in the gaming account or deposit. In more detail, this definition can be interpreted as: free spins player receives without making their funds to an account in the casino, and with the deposit. To begin with, it’s worth sorting out how to get free spins for a deposit. Usually, this type of bonus is credited along with bonuses from the welcome package. For example, when a player makes their first deposit, they will receive a bonus of 100% up to 300 USD and 50 Free Spins on the Fat Santa slot machine. It is these 50 Free Spins that will be the spins that the player receives as a gift. However, do not hold out the hope that the winnings resulting from these scrolls do not have wagering. Most marketers and thus lure visitors to online casinos. Meaning that having won with Free Spins players most often need to wager it by fulfilling the conditions for betting. It is worth noting that there are establishments that credit the funds received to the real account without requirements.

The second kind is no deposit Free Spins. Such bonuses are 99% likely to be wagered, just like a regular bonus. Free Spins in the licensed online casino can be obtained for registration and confirmation of account information. And you can as a result of the introduction of promotional – codes that are published on various sites. Also, this can be a “tailored offer” that everyone sends (the essence of it is that the letter is very nice to describe how you are unspeakably lucky to get no deposit Free Spins but to get it, you need to make a minimum amount of your own money to the account). This doesn’t change the essence of wagering. Should you decide to register, or enter a code in your existing account, Free Spins will still need to be wagered. Free Spins are awarded to a particular slot, which is “squeezed” and will bring you nothing but frustration and disappointment. But, there are also “giving” slots, where you can get a decent amount from the spins, which will eventually need to be wagered. The wager on this kind of bonus, as a rule, but not less than x30. Therefore, if an offer with spins seems relevant and “tasty”, it does not mean that it will be won back. Either way, it’s worth a try!

Finally, in the third case, the player will be awarded a Free Spins Bonus when winning a tournament or casino draw. The number of ‘Free Spins’ depends on the player’s place in the standings. It may happen, that even those, who didn’t take a prize place, but simply took part – get Free Spins. In most cases, spins are awarded to the most popular slot machine, and the winnings are worth wagering with x30 or more.

How to find Free Spins?

First, you need to decide what kind of Free Spins the player needs. Usually, the search for Free Spins, both with and without a deposit, looks identical. It is necessary to enter the phrase “online casino free spins” into the browser’s search box. After that, select your favorite resource, which offers a lot of bonuses. The second way to find spins will be gambling sites. The process is the same. In the address bar of your browser should type “free spins bonuses” and go to your favorite resource. The problem is that nowadays search engines have not learned how to separate the information on Free Spins, which are given for deposit and no deposit Free Spins. Therefore, you will have to spend some time to find the right information. Otherwise, you will end up with a senseless online casino registration where you will only be able to get Free Spins by making a deposit. Finally, it’s worth remembering that it’s better to play with your own money because sometimes, hunting for Free Spins only brings pain and disappointment of wasted time.

The conclusion we can draw from the above is that Free Spins are a great marketing tool used by licensed online casinos to attract more players. But, some of the users have managed to discover their ways of wagering and finding such offers.

Cashback at a licensed online casino

Those players who spend a lot of time at online casinos already know the specifics of loyalty programs and bonus offers. Therefore, they can easily determine which bonuses are most beneficial to them. However, in addition to bonuses, many casino customers also prefer to use so-called “partial refunds” or cashback. Yes, they may not be the amounts you’d expect, but the popularity of cashback is obvious. Undoubtedly, their main purpose is to attract and retain users. Perhaps the cashback option will in some cases be much more interesting than traditional bonuses. Let’s take a look at the most popular cashback options and learn about their types, as well as their charging options.

What is cashback?

Generally speaking, the concept of cashback has come to the world of online gambling from the financial sector. For example, shops constantly conduct such promotions to return a certain percentage of money spent on purchases to the user’s card. Therefore, the issue of introducing this option at online casinos was only temporary. In addition, this type of bonus is widely used in offline establishments, where such bonuses are not uncommon for VIP players. But, the upside is that at online casinos cashback can be received by all users without exception. The power of online gaming in action! Psychologically, rebates are very good in the sense that a player who loses a decent amount at an individual establishment gets a chance or opportunity to win back.

Cashback is a partial refund of money lost at a licensed online casino. The refund is charged on the total amount of money lost at the institution, but there are some rules. The percentage of funds lost is stipulated in advance as part of an allotted promotion. This may depend on the player’s status, the amount lost, or some other action. These rules in each gambling club are set by the administration. Calculating the refund amount is quite simple. To find out how much 10% weekly cashback you can get, you can do the math. You deposited 500 USD at Casino N. During the week making bets in the various games has been spent 200 USD. Accordingly, you need to multiply 200 USD by 10% and get the amount equal to 20 USD. This will be the size of the cashback, which you can count on.

How cashback works?

The fact that no additional bonuses in the form of offers on first and subsequent deposits, repeated offers, etc. have been used is taken into consideration to credit the user with a cashback. The basic parameters of cashback crediting depend on the administration, but some basic features can be highlighted. For example, the financial department of a casino may set and charge a refund from 5% to 15%, bigger cashback will have completely different conditions for wagering than classic cashback. Therefore, depending on the online casino, the size of this bonus may vary independently, as well as wagering conditions may change. It happens that some licensed online casino’s cashback is not charged to the bonus account and the real. That is, the client does not have to wager it. You can either withdraw it or continue playing. However, the period of accrual of bonuses casino administration sets its own, and sometimes you need to wait a while to get the coveted cashback. An important point to note is that the administration may restrict games for wagering bonuses-refunds or set the rules for wagering on a particular slot machine to maintain artificial interest in the game or developer. And lastly, a minimum threshold for the amount of the bonus can also be set. In other words, you will not be able to get a refund higher than the amount that is specified in the bonus rules.

Classification of cashback

Just as deposit bonuses have different meanings and rules, the case for cashback is virtually identical. There are basic types of refunds that can be categorized:

The time over which the cashback is generated. It can be a week or a month, or even after losing the first deposit, for example, the player will receive cashback
By value, where the figure can depend on the amount lost or other conditions. Refunds start at 5% and can go up to 20% (I have seen places where the refund can be up to 50% of the amount lost, but this is the exception to the rule rather than the rule)
By the amount of the refund. That is, not only can the cashback be 15% and it can also be limited to a maximum amount. For example, in the terms and conditions of the promotion, it is written "Every Thursday the player will receive 15% of a portion of the funds lost, but no more than 1,000 USD". This means that 15% is not a final figure and if you lose more than the set threshold, you will only get a refund of USD 1000
By type of game. Yes, it does happen that you can only win cashback for certain games and this is often a disadvantage because the player will only get negative emotions by playing something they don't really like
By wagering option. The definition stems from the previous type by game. Because, in the case of a rebate that has a wager, the player can only be asked to play the specified games. But when a cashback is paid in cash without a wager, you can play all games, because you are not bound by the terms and conditions and regardless of the outcome, the money is yours and you have the right to dispose of it as you see fit, up to and including withdrawal.

Conditions and rules for cashback at online casinos

So, we come to the main point – the accrual of the cashback. The only rule that comes to mind will have the same conditions in all establishments – the player needs to lose, as strange as that may sound. The bottom line is that if you lose, a customer of a licensed online casino can insure some of your money. This is more of a plus, as there is also hope. However, the amount one loses sometimes makes a difference too. As an example, I had to come across such proposals, where, depending on the amount of the player receives a certain percentage of cashback, and the amount of lost funds for the allotted period is summed up. In other words, after losing 100 USD player will get 5% cashback, after losing 1000 USD player will get 15% cashback, and after keeping the amount higher than 10 000 USD in the online casino you may claim for 20-25% cashback.

But then again, depending on whether the refund is given in real money or bonus money, the player’s success depends on it. While there is no question in the case of real money, what is the situation with the cashback paid out in bonus funds? The amount of money a player loses will have a condition with the wager. Luckily, the wager is not so high as to make you nervous. It varies from x1 to x5 of the bonus amount. As you can see, it’s not all that scary and it’s a doable task to win back such a bonus. But, there are pitfalls everywhere and in the case of a cashback with a wager, it’s a gamble. You can be wagering only in slot machines, where the 100% committed bets are in the offset, but with other games, the percentage may vary from one licensed online casino to another. Simply put, a cashback bonus is subject to the wagering conditions of regular bonuses.

And another important clarification: For Australian VIP players, the licensed online casino offers quite loyal terms and conditions. Examples of this are daily cashback with a timer on wagering, as well as real money refunds. Such players are offered a high percentage of their winnings back, up to 50-70%.

Options for additional bonuses at a licensed online casino

Speaking of bonuses, let’s take a look at the ancillary promotions offered by online casinos for new and returning players from Australia:

Loyalty points. These are so-called comp points, which are awarded for bets placed in various casino games. Usually, 1 coin is given out for a certain amount of bets. After accumulating a sufficient number of points you can exchange them for no deposit bonuses, free spins, or simply for real money. These benefits vary from casino to casino, but the principle is the same everywhere
No deposit bonuses. Sometimes the administrations of licensed online casinos run so-called promotions, which are available to new players. For opening an account at a gaming club, you can receive such a bonus in the form of cash or free spins in a designated slot. It also happens that no deposit bonuses can be activated by a special promo code. Such giveaways online casino administration makes at various sites to maintain interest. This code can take advantage of both new players, and already have an account in the institution
Arcade entertainment. A kind of passive game (for example, the player's chip will move along the drawn map and the client will receive some thanks when he reaches the end), which is rather difficult to perform, because countless bets need to be placed before he reaches the finish line. The good thing about this arcade is that reaching the finish line earns you a hefty prize. Simply play your favorite games in the casino and the software will count your bets. You can keep track of your progress without taking your eyes off the main game. This is just one option, of which there are many
Rank upgrade bonuses. When wagering in casino games, a special account will show the amount wagered, and once it reaches the required value for a rank upgrade, the player will receive a higher status. Additionally, there is another way to increase your casino rank, which is the size of the deposit. The more deposits or their amount, the higher the status becomes
Tournaments. A separate story that allows you to come up with many interesting competitions. The principle is identical in all casinos. To take part in a competition, you simply have to make bets on the specified games. For this, you will be awarded points. The one who has a higher value will win. Usually, there are lots of prizes in tournaments, and everyone can find their own. But prizes come in the form of cash, free spins, or no deposit bonuses, as well as tangible items such as tablets, mobile phones, premium alcoholic beverages, and cars.
Slot Race. The only difference between a race and a tournament is that a tournament can run for a week, a month, or several months. A race involves a short-term competition of a day or 12 hours, as an example. Prizes may be cash rewards, in the case of paid entry with purchases. Or just bonuses and Free Spins
Reload Bonuses. These are usually variations of the bonus offers that imply reuse. For example, on Monday a player took a 100% bonus when making a deposit, and on Thursday he can reuse that bonus.

Now you know what a licensed online casino is. You know about which jurisdictions issue licenses, how to get a license, which developers certify their games, and what bonuses are offered to Australian online casino players. Based on this information are the top licensed online casinos for Aussies. You can pick any portal from our top and it will be a first-class resource with a ton of entertainment.