Question Has regulation made you sign up with unlicensed operators?

Has regulation in your country made you play at unregulated operators?

  • Yes

    Votes: 10 27.8%
  • No

    Votes: 24 66.7%
  • No opinion: View results.

    Votes: 2 5.6%

  • Total voters
    36

Simmo!

Paleo Meister (means really, really old)
Joined
May 29, 2004
Location
England
Hi everyone,

I am taking part in a panel session at a conference this Thursday (23rd Jan) entitled 'Crime In Gambling', specifically about how regulation could force players to sign up with unlicensed operators. Not just casino but also sports or indeed, any form of gambling.

I have my views as a player obviously but I am interested to know whether this has affected other players, especially in the UK and Sweden where you are allowed to play but regulations have gotten strict so please take part in the poll above.

Feel free to also add a post with any thoughts on it but I'd prefer if you could keep it to your specific experiences rather than conjecture please :)

Cheers,

Simmo!
 
Hi everyone,

I am taking part in a panel session at a conference this Thursday (23rd Jan) entitled 'Crime In Gambling', specifically about how regulation could force players to sign up with unlicensed operators. Not just casino but also sports or indeed, any form of gambling.

I have my views as a player obviously but I am interested to know whether this has affected other players, especially in the UK and Sweden where you are allowed to play but regulations have gotten strict so please take part in the poll above.

Feel free to also add a post with any thoughts on it but I'd prefer if you could keep it to your specific experiences rather than conjecture please :)

Cheers,

Simmo!

I know that this is especially related to the UK and Sweden - But does Curacao technically count as 'unlicenced' ?

Their licences are not recognised as much as Malta, Sweden and the UK and we can see the trend of the 1668 JAZ outfits of late.

I would also be interested to know if recent Maltese regulations have also pushed players to Curacao casinos as they are not demanding ridiculous documentation from the average joe.

Nate
 
I know that this is especially related to the UK and Sweden - But does Curacao technically count as 'unlicenced' ?

Their licences are not recognised as much as Malta, Sweden and the UK and we can see the trend of the 1668 JAZ outfits of late.

I would also be interested to know if recent Maltese regulations have also pushed players to Curacao casinos as they are not demanding ridiculous documentation from the average joe.

Nate

Maybe it should say illegal
 
Sorry Simmo, but I think Nate has a very good point and that maybe your question is not correctly worded to what exactly you are trying to ask.

I suspect you mean, for example: "If you live in the UK, have you been tempted to sign-up with non UK licenced casinos due to excessive regulations?" (or something like that).

I would have (and did) vote No anyway, because where a casino is licenced or regulated has never been part of my personal reason for signing up (or not) anywhere. What I look at is their reputation for player fairness.
For some examples: Places like Slotland, Legend & Deckmedia groups have excellent reputations, but are not UK or EU licenced. If they accepted UK players, I would not hesitate to sign up to any of their brands if they were offering the games and bonuses that I like to play.

KK
 
I haven't, and from what I see there aren't that many people doing it either. It seems to be more self excluded people signing up at unlicensed casinos than anything else. Thats just going from various player forums I read rather than anything else. At the moment you get hit with a SoW you can just go to the next UKGC licenced casino.

When I think that will change will be if they enforce the £2 max stake thats rumored. I know if I played £10/£20 stakes and was forced to drop down to £2 I would look round for somewhere else to play, and if that meant going outside the UK then I would. I also think a lot of casinos will close, and that will severely limit the choice available to UK players, which might have an adverse effect on other areas, causing more people to sign up outside the UK.
 
I have, or more like, i played at some sites that did not have a Swedish license.
The sites in question were casinos i had an account with before the Swedish license kicked in, and they had sister-sites with a Swedish license.

Did it 50/50 because of bonuses&quickspin option.
I do not regret doing it, and given the option (those sites no longer accept swedish players) i would do it again.
I did not fear not getting paid any more playing there vs playing on the licensed sites.
Support was basically the same, if not exactly the same as on the sister-sites with a license.

Only thing speaking against it for me is that i was "sponsoring" casinos without a license.
But then again, it is/was license and regulation that drove me there with the player unfriendly rules.

Edit: Oh, i also had a quick go over at 3-dice.
Only ever did one deposit to claim the welcome bonus, but support was nice&helpful and the slots are fun.
Ill probably revisit there soon enough.
 
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I haven't, and from what I see there aren't that many people doing it either. It seems to be more self excluded people signing up at unlicensed casinos than anything else. Thats just going from various player forums I read rather than anything else. At the moment you get hit with a SoW you can just go to the next UKGC licenced casino.

When I think that will change will be if they enforce the £2 max stake thats rumored. I know if I played £10/£20 stakes and was forced to drop down to £2 I would look round for somewhere else to play, and if that meant going outside the UK then I would. I also think a lot of casinos will close, and that will severely limit the choice available to UK players, which might have an adverse effect on other areas, causing more people to sign up outside the UK.

Agree here. Have said all along there needs to be mandatory deposit limits and removal of daily limits making it at least weekly but cannot be changed for any month period. That would prevent a lot of issues moreso than any restriction of stakes would.
 
I haven't, and from what I see there aren't that many people doing it either. It seems to be more self excluded people signing up at unlicensed casinos than anything else. Thats just going from various player forums I read rather than anything else. At the moment you get hit with a SoW you can just go to the next UKGC licenced casino.

Would guess that Gamstop self-excluded problem gamblers who can't sign to any UK licensed casinos (assume most are already in Gamstop but in April there shouldn't be any left who are not) are main group. Probably quite a big challenge to totally stop that, many shady operators can be quite creative with new ways to be able provide gambling for all people around the world with some license or even without it with fake games etc..
 
I live in Italy and i played (and still playing sometime) in some casinos without a AAMS license just for 1 reason, cause in Italy some providers i like are unavailable (like push,relax or elk)
Of course these casinos could not allow us Italians to register, and they also have an MGA license, naturally close to their ''beautiful'' 8048 / jaz: D
 
Some really interesting comments here, thank you. Keep them coming if you have any more thoughts. The £2 max bet thing is interesting as that would be a total fun killer for me.
 
If I could get the same service at an unlicensed casino then I probably would play outside of the UK jurisdiction for sure.

Unfortunately the unlicensed product is massively inferior, even if you can find a paying site there's no decent slots, just awful Betsoft and RTG / Rival crap. E.g. 24VIP Casino, which does pay out (slowly), but the games are appalling quality.

Can't see this ever changing, as the reputable software providers insist on a UK licence to serve UK customers...
 
Some really interesting comments here, thank you. Keep them coming if you have any more thoughts. The £2 max bet thing is interesting as that would be a total fun killer for me.
I do really think it will kill the industry. Look at whats happened to the bookies. I said before it was introduced on FOTB's it would cause massive job losses and it has, with shops closing down everywhere. I believe it will do the same online. I've seen a lot of reports that high rollers/VIP's make the majority of profit for a casinos, and dropping the stake limit will kill the industry. I know some people will say you don't need higher stakes, but if I had £5 million in the bank, playing at £2 a spin would bore me silly. Its the same as telling someone who currently plays at £2 a spin, the max they can bet from now on is 10p/20p, they won't want to as it wouldn't be the same excitement.
 
Some really interesting comments here, thank you. Keep them coming if you have any more thoughts. The £2 max bet thing is interesting as that would be a total fun killer for me.

I think the £2 max bet rule would really push players to unlicensed operators, I really agree it would be a fun killer for many.

I know that this is especially related to the UK and Sweden - But does Curacao technically count as 'unlicenced' ?

Their licences are not recognised as much as Malta, Sweden and the UK and we can see the trend of the 1668 JAZ outfits of late.

I would also be interested to know if recent Maltese regulations have also pushed players to Curacao casinos as they are not demanding ridiculous documentation from the average joe.

Nate

I don't think the Curacao license is worth anything really, it's the same as unlicensed in my mind.
 

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