The Gibraltar Regulatory Authority: Uncovered

Despite its minute size – measuring just 2.6 square miles – the British Territory of Gibraltar, which sits at the southern tip of Spain, is one of the most important places in the world with regards to online gambling.

As well as existing gambling companies make the move into the online world, the past couple of decades has seen a whole new crop of online gambling operators appearing, and the Gibraltar Regulatory Authority is one of the key institutions to ensure that they are not only responsible, but accountable.

Having been established as the online gambling industry began to really emerge, the Gibraltar Regulatory Authority – in conjunction with the Gibraltar Gambling Commission – monitors all online gambling companies that are based on the Rock and provides gambling licences to those that meet its strict requirements.

Indeed, gambling licences provided by the Gibraltar Gambling Commission are one of the hardest to acquire in the world, with around 30 companies holding them.

What is the Gibraltar Regulatory Authority?

The Gibraltar Regulatory Authority is responsible for setting legislation for online gambling companies that wish to gain a gambling licence in Gibraltar. This is done for the purpose of protecting players and their money from being unfairly treated.

By setting these standards in online gaming, the not-for-profit Gibraltar Regulatory Authority is one of the most highly respected institutions in the world when it comes to setting the standards online casinos and other remote gambling brands. Many countries also have their own regulatory bodies for online gambling companies, but the GRA along with the Malta Gaming Authority have help to created an international standard in gaming.

How the Organisation Works

The high standards pushed forward by the Gibraltar Regulatory Authority ensure that only respectable and gaming companies can set up base and offer their services from Gibraltar. Obtaining a licence from the Gibraltar Regulatory Authority is extremely challenging, due to the high standards set out by the commission itself.

The most important considerations made by the Gibraltar Regulatory Authority when looking at an application for a licence include: does the company have a clear ownership structure? Is the company financially secure enough to offers its services and back up its claims? Does the company have any criminal connections? Does the company work with integrity? And does the company have the competency to provide the services they offer? Importantly, though, is that while the GRA has the power to award gambling licences, it also has the power to take them away should they discover an operator is breaking the terms of its licence.

The Advantages of Playing at a GRA Regulated Casino

Undoubtedly one of the greatest benefits of playing at a GRA-regulated casino for players is that they can be assured of receiving a fair and safe gaming experience, with the risk of dealing with a scam casino being considerably reduced. Indeed, the Gibraltar Regulatory Authority factors in player protection, a fair gaming experience, operator accountability and also the separating of player funds from operational costs when looking at the merits of an online casino.

Player Protection

One of the biggest considerations the Gibraltar Regulatory Authority makes when looking at licence applications is whether the online operator can guarantee the safety of player data and funds. Gaming companies in Gibraltar must comply with the data protection act and use player data responsibly. But as well as this, the company must show that is competent in defending itself from the threat of cyber attacks that may seek to obtain sensitive player data from online casinos.

Fair Gaming

Another key area that the GRA looks at when awarding licences, is whether the gaming operator affords players with a fair and transparent gaming experience. Whether gambling operators offer video slots, roulette or online blackjack, they must run their games using random number generators (RNGs) in order to give players a gaming experience that can not be influenced in any way by software providers or the online casino themselves. Indeed, RNGs create truly random outcomes for games and provide a fair gaming experience for players.

Indeed, respectable online casinos make their money in the same way that land-based casinos have for generations: by using the house edge. The house edge is effectively a small percentage statistical advantage the casino has over players, ensuring that they make money in the long term, and don’t need to worry whether certain players win or lose on games. The house edge is often shown to players on online games via the RTP (return to player) rate, which it must display in the game description. Say a game has an RTP of 95%, this means that 95% of the money staked on this game title will then return to the pool of winnings for players, with the 5% difference being where the best online roulette casino, for example, makes its money.

Player Funds Separated

Crucially, in order to gain a licence from the Gibraltar Regulatory Authority, an operator must prove that it keeps its operating costs separate from players funds. This is vitally important, as if the casino in question was to go bankrupt, it would still have enough funds available for the players to be able to take out their money.

Operator Accountability

The Gibraltar Regulatory Authority was set up with the aim of providing players with a safe and transparent arena in which they can play at online casinos. With the rules that the Gibraltar Regulatory Authority sets out to its licensees, this ensures that the online casinos are legally accountable for their actions – providing a lot of power to any players that are mistreated.

Should organisations like the GRA now exist, or a player decides to play at an unlicensed online casino, there is little the player could do in the event of being poorly mistreated by an online gambling company – however that is not a worry with Gibraltar Regulatory Authority licensed companies.

How to Find out if a Casino is Regulated by the GRA

If you want to check if an online casino or brand really does have a licence from the Gibraltar Regulatory Authority, you can do so by either checking out the vast range of Scams.info casino reviews or by doing the research yourself.

A full list of approved licensees from the Gibraltar Regulatory Authority can be found on the Gibraltar Government website. There is a relatively small number of operators and brands that boast the coveted Gibraltar Regulatory Authority licence, so you can simply check through the 30 or so licensees to see it the brand you’re interested in playing with does indeed have a licence.

Issues You Can Raise

Should an issue arise when playing at an online casino that has been licenced by the Gibraltar Regulatory Authority, you have several options to proceed with a dispute. Typical problems that may arise when playing online can include ID verifications issues, problems with bonus offers, issues with payment terms or methods, prize disputes, dispute over whether a player has won or not, IT issues, customer service problems and, often, the void bets made by operators.

The Gibraltar Regulatory Authority website has lots of advice surrounding such issues, and you should always take up the issue directly with the casino in question before proceeding to make a formal complaint with the Gibraltar Regulatory Authority.

How to Complain

A great deal of informative advice regarding how to deal with a complaint at an online casino can be found on the Gibraltar Government website, with information available to players across the world – including UK players. Indeed, if you have failed to resolve the issue directly with the casino in question, you can complete the Complaint Resolution Request Form available from the GRA. However, this process can be lengthy, so do try and fix your solution directly with the operator where possible.

The History of the Gibraltar Regulatory Authority

The Gibraltar Regulatory Authority was established in October 2000, with the statutory body covering not just gambling issues in the British territory, but all regulating all electronic communications. The Gibraltar Regulatory Authority looks after telecommunication, radio and broadcasting transmissions on Gibraltar, as well as including the Gibraltar Gambling Commissioner under its scope.

The Gibraltar Gambling Commission was set out to ensure players using online gambling sites could be guaranteed a fair gaming experience, and one that was free from corruption and crime, and would that ensure vulnerable and young people would be protected.

Conclusion

This guide covering the Gibraltar Regulatory Authority and Gibraltar Gambling Commission shows how the two bodies look to protect players’ interests and give them a safe environment in which they can gamble responsibly. Licences issued by the Gibraltar Gambling Commission meet the highest level of guidelines and regulations set out for online casinos and provide players with a great deal of safety.

If you’re looking for GRA approved casino sites, please, check out our reviews of 888Sport, Unibet and Roxy Palace. What’s more, you can also learn more about other regulatory bodies in the world of online gaming, including the Malta Gaming Authority and the UK Gambling Commission.