How to Check a Casino Licence (and Spot a Fake One)

By The editorial team · Updated 7 October 2026

The short answer

To check whether a casino is licensed, find the licence number and operating company name in the site’s footer or terms, then look both up on the licensing regulator’s own website, typed in by you rather than reached through a link on the casino. Confirm that the company, the licence status and the web address on the register match the site you are using.

A footer logo proves nothing by itself, because anyone can copy an image. And even a genuine licence is not a promise to pay you: it tells you a regulator has a record of the operator, nothing more. This is general information, not legal advice.

Step 1: read the footer and the terms

Scroll to the bottom of the site and open the terms and conditions. You are looking for:

• The operating company’s full legal name and its registered address.
• A licence number (not only the words “licensed and regulated”).
• The regulator’s name.
• The licence type, if given, for example a B2C licence for operators dealing with players.

If the footer has a seal but no company name or number, treat that as a warning. A licence belongs to a company, so you need the company name to look it up. If you cannot find these details after two minutes, the operator is not being open with you.

Step 2: find the regulator’s own register

Go to the regulator’s site by typing its address or searching for its name, and look for a register, verification tool or list of licensees. These are the main ones seen at crypto casinos:

For how the Curacao system works after its 2024 reform, see Curacao licence explained. It also covers what the register does and does not show.

Step 3: look up the number and the company

Search the register for the licence number first, then for the company name. Compare what you find against the casino’s terms:

1. Does the licence exist? If the register has no record, the licence claim is false or the register is the wrong one.
2. Is the status active? Expired, suspended or revoked entries mean the casino is not licensed today.
3. Does the company name match? Small differences can be innocent (a trading name), but a licence for a different company is not the casino’s licence.
4. Is the licence type right? A supplier or B2B licence, for example, covers a company that provides services to operators, not necessarily one that takes bets from players.
5. Is there an enforcement entry? The CGA publishes an enforcement register, and the MGA publishes public warnings about specific domains.

Keep in mind that the registers carry disclaimers. The CGA says its overviews “do not guarantee the current validity of the licenses” and that “no rights can be derived from these overviews”. Anjouan’s tool says registry data updates periodically and verification “does not constitute an endorsement of the licence holder’s services, products, or business practices”.

Step 4: check the domain matches

This is the step most people skip, and it is where cloned sites get caught. Scammers can copy a real company’s name and number, so you also need to confirm that the website you are on belongs to that company:

• Anjouan: search the register by operating domain as well as by name.
• Kahnawake: compare your address with the certified URLs list.
• Malta: use the URL Checker, and check the unauthorised URLs page. The MGA says that any reference to its licence on those domains is “false and misleading”.
• Curacao: the register lists companies, not necessarily every domain. If the domain is not obvious, ask the casino to confirm in writing which licensed company operates it, and check that the name in the terms matches.

Also check the address character by character: extra letters, swapped characters, a different ending such as .net instead of .com, or a subdomain that hides the real address. Type the regulator’s own address yourself; do not click from an ad, a social post or a message.

You can also look at how old the domain is. ICANN Lookup (lookup.icann.org) is a free public tool that can show when a domain name was registered and which registrar holds it. A domain registered a few weeks ago that claims a long licensed history deserves doubt.

Fake seal tricks

Fraudulent sites commonly try a few moves:

• An image seal that does nothing when clicked. A working seal should lead to the regulator’s register. Anjouan’s seal policy says its interactive seal “must link directly to the official licence verification page in the public registry”. Do not stop at the seal: open the regulator’s site yourself.
• A real licence number with a different company name or a different domain.
• A licence from a regulator that does not exist, or one with a name close to a real one.
• A registered address in a country presented as if it were a gaming licence. A company address is not a licence.
• Vague “licensed in Canada” claims. Whichever regulator is named, check it against that regulator’s own list. A Canadian address or a Canadian sounding name is not a licence, and no provincial regulator handles complaints about offshore operators.

What a licence does and does not mean

It can mean the company went through some checks, has rules to follow (complaints handling, responsible gambling and anti-money-laundering duties) and can be reported to an authority. It does not mean:

• That you will be paid. The CGA says it does not handle individual complaints against gaming providers, and Anjouan’s regulator says it does not handle, mediate or adjudicate player complaints. Your route to money is the operator’s complaint process and its dispute service. See casino withdrawal pending or not paid.
• That the games are fair. For game integrity see house edge and RTP explained and provably fair explained.
• That it is legal where you live. A licence from one place does not make gambling lawful in another. Our Canada page explains the position.
• That the bonus terms are fair. Licensed casinos can still have harsh terms. See wagering requirements explained.

A licence is one input. If the register check fails, walk away. If it passes, continue with the rest of how to choose a crypto casino, and for the signs of fraud, read crypto casino scam red flags.

A two minute routine

1. Copy the company name and licence number from the terms.
2. Open the regulator’s site in a new tab by typing its address.
3. Search the number, then the company, then the domain where the tool allows it.
4. Confirm status, name and address match.
5. Screenshot the register entry with the date. If the casino later changes its terms or disappears, you have a record.

A note on responsible play

Gambling is for adults only: 19+ in most provinces (18+ in Quebec, Manitoba and Alberta). Decide your limits before you deposit, and use our responsible gambling page if you need support. Once your checks are done, the casinos we compare are on our best crypto casinos page.

Sources

• Curacao Gaming Authority, licence register overview: https://www.cga.cw/en/133i348441001
• Curacao Gaming Authority, online gaming and complaints: https://www.cga.cw/regulation/online-gaming
• Anjouan Gaming, verify a licence: https://anjouangaming.com/public-register/verify-a-licence/
• Anjouan Gaming, interactive licence seal policy: https://anjouangaming.com/regulatory-framework/interactive-licence-seal-policy/
• Anjouan Gaming, player complaint process: https://anjouangaming.com/regulatory-framework/third-party-complaint-policy/
• Kahnawake Gaming Commission, permit holders: https://www.gamingcommission.ca/interactive-gaming/permit-holders/
• Malta Gaming Authority, licensee register: https://www.mga.org.mt/licensee-register/
• Malta Gaming Authority, unauthorised URLs: https://www.mga.org.mt/player-hub/unauthorised-urls/
• ICANN Lookup, registration data FAQ: https://lookup.icann.org/en/faq