Bingo Legislation
Did you know that when you play online bingo in the UK, it is licensed and regulated by government bodies? Many players are still hesitant to play bingo online. However, there is no need to be as long as you are playing at a licensed and regulated site by the official UK authority, the UK Gambling Commission. Around the globe, many reputable gambling regulators ensure online bingo is 100% safe and secure for players to enjoy.
Find out more before about the world’s most reputable gambling regulators, the UK authority for online gambling and where in the world you can legally enjoy playing online bingo.
Who are the Main Gambling Regulators?
There are a plethora of gambling regulators located around the world who are responsible for different jurisdictions. Some regulators have a higher reputation than others and are known for their commitment to enforcing online bingo legislation, including:
- UK Gambling Commission
- Malta Gaming Authority
- Gibraltar Gambling Commission
- Isle of Man Gambling Supervision Commission
- Alderney Gambling Control Commission
- Curacao Gaming Control Board
These are the top gaming commissioners around the globe, and while there are others available, they are not held in the same high regard as each of these. It is also worth noting that the USA has high gambling commission standards, but these are controlled on a state by state-level rather than at a national level.
The UK Gambling Commission Role in Creating Bingo Regulations
The UK Gambling Commission is the regulatory authority body for the United Kingdom, and to operate in this country a bingo site must hold a license from this commission. If they do not, they either cannot operate legally in the UK or operate illegally. This applies to all forms of online gambling and not just bingo. If you are looking to play slots, live casinos, sports betting, lotteries or poker, it will have to be regulated by this body too.
This commission was created to protect UK players from online gambling scams and bad practices from legal sites. They work with the gambling industry to ensure that all UK gambling legislation is appropriately enforced and will help in the creation of new regulations to make players experience playing bingo online as safe and secure as it possibly can be. Ways in which they can enforce these laws are:
- Regularly performing checks on gambling sites
- Authority to issue fines
- Authority to remove licenses
- Providing gambling sites with advice to ensure they are complying with regulations
These rules are heavily enforced to ensure players can enjoy online bingo in a safe and secure environment.
Legislation and Regulation of UK Bingo Sites
Both online and land-based bingo has to abide by the strict regulations put in place by the UK Gambling Commission. If they do not, they will have their license removed. Over the years, the rules surrounding bingo have become much more stringent, particularly as part of the 2005 Gambling Act and the 2014 Gambling Act.
2005 Gambling Act
In 1968, the British parliament introduced the first gambling act and this was later updated in 2005 to ensure it was in line with modern gambling. This revised act also contained more regulations around online bingo and it created the UK Gambling Commission. Some of the most important developments with this law were that you had to be aged 18 or over to gamble and gambling advertisements were allowed on the television.
2014 Gambling Act
The Gambling Act was further updated in 2014 and made it law for any bingo site operating in the UK and targeting UK players to have a valid license from the UK Gambling Commission. Without this, they would not be operating legally in the United Kingdom. As part of this overhaul, no online bingo companies are allowed to operate from overseas and they must follow codes of conduct, tax laws and advertising laws to keep their license. Another major part of this new act was that bingo sites were now required to verify a player’s identity, including their age and location.
Bingo Legislation Around the Globe
While bingo is legal in the UK under the UK Gambling Commission, this is not the case in the rest of the world. Online bingo is legal in many jurisdictions but outright banned in others.
| Online Bingo Legal | Land-Based Bingo Legal | No Legal Framework | |
| Argentina | Yes | Yes | – |
| Australia | Yes | Yes | – |
| Austria | Yes | Yes | – |
| Bahamas | No | Yes | – |
| Bahrain | No | No | – |
| Belarus | Yes | Yes | – |
| Belgium | Yes | Yes | – |
| Brazil | Yes | No | – |
| Canada | Yes | Yes | – |
| China | No | No | – |
| Cuba | No | No | – |
| Denmark | Yes | Yes | – |
| Finland | Yes | Yes | – |
| France | Yes | Yes | – |
| Germany | Yes | Yes | – |
| Greece | Yes | Yes | – |
| Iceland | Yes – limited | No | – |
| India | No | No | – |
| Ireland | Yes | Yes | – |
| Italy | Yes | Yes | – |
| Japan | No | No | – |
| Mexico | Yes | ||
| Netherlands | Yes | Yes | – |
| New Zealand | Yes | Yes | – |
| Norway | Yes – limited | Yes- limited | – |
| Pakistan | No | No | – |
| Portugal | Yes | Yes | – |
| Russia | Yes – limited | Yes – limited | – |
| Sweden | Yes | Yes | – |
| United Arab Emirates | No | No | – |
| United Kingdom | Yes | Yes | – |