Online Casinos Directory

In today’s market there are more and more online casinos opening their virtual doors. Operators know just how lucrative the games are and they are watching the market. All signs are pointing to legalization of online gambling in the near future for huge portions of the world. This means that companies that position themselves in the right way now, can benefit greatly tomorrow. With the added number of casinos entering the market, players have to be more cautious than ever about what companies to trust. Here are a few ways to check out a casino before you sign up:

• Certifications. There are a few good third-party certification companies out there. These are companies that make it their business to scrutinize online casino companies and give them the seal of approval if they pass. Normally the procedure is rigorous and includes an indepth look at the payout procedures, games, percentages of payout, customer service, etc. They look at every aspect of an online casino. If you see a company with a certification, then do some research but know that it was looked at thoroughly by a third party. Make sure you know who that third party is, but that could be a good indication that the company is on the up and up.
• Membership. As a general rule of thumb you want a casino that has 500,000+ members. The reason is that this is a good amount of players and assures that they trust the company. It would be difficult for an unscrupulous company to gain 500,000 members. They would close their doors well before reaching that number or get caught and be forced out of the market. It also means that the casino has had a lot of experience handling customers and most likely knows how to deal with them.
• Forums/Blogs. In today’s market you can find everything on the internet and that includes forums and blogs about casino websites. You most likely can find some feedback for every bigger casino you test out. They will talk about their personal experiences with the casino and if there were any glitches in their system. Read these and get an idea of what the casino is about and how it works.

You have to protect yourself in today’s market and doing some research on a new casino website can be the best way. Take your time and check out a company before you open a real money account. You can then have a great gaming session and not worry about your identity safety or gaming.

The UK recently came up with a plan on how to manage online casinos overseas. The plan is groundbreaking in that it is changing how the UK is dealing with gaming operations. In past years gaming operators believed that the UK was dealing with them unfairly. Part of the problem was that increases in taxation led many of the casinos to move to move cost-effective centers like Gibraltar and Malta. The British online casinos decided that their treatment was unfair and that was forcing them outside their chosen areas of operations and moving them to offshore locations. Since the rules for foreign casinos are more lenient with online British companies, most feel that they should look to outside licensing. Now that companies have left the market the UK is looking to change their rules.

When it comes to regulating online casinos, there are problems and issues. Many countries are dealing with issues regarding the problem and the UK is not alone. Some issues that need to be addressed are, if casinos have licenses from the UK, what type of information should be required to maintain it? How can the most vulnerable gamers be protected? How is sports betting going to be managed throughout the world of gambling? The problem is that the rules are no where in place for the UK; meaning that the UK will have to start fresh with all laws and regulations when it comes to online gambling. All of these things need to be sorted out and with no previous framework of rules that worked, countries are having to make the rules as they go and see if they work. The EU rules also show that any EU member nation has to follow the exact rules. It is this uniformity that the EU is seeking and hoping that it can bring some laws and regulations to the mix that work for all members. Hopefully the new rules will also allow for more online operators to remain in Britain. With better rules and regulations, it is hoped that operators won’t need to flee to offshore areas or remote locations to operate in a cost-effective way.

The EU is having problems with regulating gambling. The crux of the issue is that there are many member countries involved and some of them have already set their own laws into place regarding how they are managing the hobby. Many of those countries these days are trying to use gambling to their biggest advantage. For example, in Europe there are no universal laws yet that dictate how gambling will be implemented. Many countries have been left to their own devices in terms of writing laws and tax code that benefits them. It’s a lot like the US in that individual states are coming up with their own governing laws to deal with gambling.The problem with non-uniformity in gambling law is that some countries and states are looking to create monopolies in their jurisdiction. They aren’t opening the doors for other countries to cross-promote or advertise for their citizens.  The European Commission has noted this problem and tried to make it clear that online monopolies will not be tolerated by European Union member countries.

Both Ladbrokes and Betfair were discouraged late this past week after their efforts to break one of the gambling monopolies in Europe fell apart. A senior legal advisor at the European Court of Justice explained again that EU member states have the right to choose a single provider. De Lotto is one Dutch monopoly that is refusing to comply with rulings. The company has been in a long-standing legal battler with Betfair and Ladbrokes over territory. This has been the case with De Lotto, a Dutch state monopoly. Betfair and Ladbrokes had been battling to move into De Lotto’s territory, but again they were turned away. The gaming companies believed that the De Lotto monopoly went against the spirit of the EU agreements on the issue. Throughout this past year Italy, France and Spain have all made adjustments to their gaming laws to comply with the EU dictates. The EU is hoping that all states make similar moves, but some are holding to the millions of dollars gambling is bringing them by holding tight to their monopolies. The EU has yet to decide what repercussions countries will be under if they refuse to amend their rules and open the doors to fair competition.

The EU is working hard to handle th eoverall growth of gambling in member countries. Online gambling has suffered a minor setback in Europe. The advocate general, Paolo Mengozzi, whose opinion is widely followed by the EU Court, released his conclusions that EU member states were not obliged to allow foreign gambling firms to penetrate their home territory only because they were licensed in another EU state. Mengozzi released his conclusions regarding seven cases that focused on the compatibility of German gambling issues with EU legislation. Unfortunately, this comes as a blow for the online gambling industry in Malta and Gibraltar because the Advocate General has said that offshore licenses granted by these countries have distorted the mutual trust between EU member states when it comes to online gambling laws. Only time will tell how long it will take for the EU to adequately regulate the market of gambling. it is a big task for the member states to come together and enjoy the virtues of gambling. Though it will take time to regulate and find rules that are workable for ever member state. Now there are still a few glitches in the mix, but time and experience should help legislators to work those out quickly.

The European Union continues to drag its feet on the issue of online gambling. They need to put together some clear rules and regulations for member nations to adhere to. Europeans should be able to play at any of the online casinos licensed within any of the EU member states without the individual states being able to restrict access to protect their own gambling monopolies. This would enable the EU gambling industry to remain competitive and offer players the best incentives to play at their online casino establishments. It would be the best option for the players, but governments in Europe aren’t likely to open up their gambling markets to other countries unless the EU has some clear rules in place for cross-border gambling. The Advocate General’s opinion doesn’t decide the law, but the European Commission seldom decides against the opinion of the Advocate General. The judges have now started deliberating the gambling issue and their judgement will be handed down in the not too distant future.