How to check who owns an online casino and whether it is licensed: 6 checks
Check six things before you sign up: who owns the casino, which licence it holds, whether the regulator's register lists it, whether its owner has been fined, which self-exclusion scheme covers it, and where you can complain. Each check takes a few minutes. Use the regulator's own register for the final answer, not a review site.
1. Who owns the casino?
The owner is the group behind the brand. The company named in the terms is often a subsidiary that holds the licence; the group above it is the owner.
Search the brand on UltimateOwner. The brand page names the licensed company and the owner group, with sources.
2. Which licence does it hold?
Find the licence in the footer of the site or in its terms. A licence from the country where you live gives you that country's protection. An offshore licence gives much less.
3. Is it on the regulator's register?
A logo in the footer is not proof. Search the regulator's public register for the company name or licence number. The website's domain should be listed under that licence.
| Regulator | Our page | Official register |
|---|---|---|
| Gambling Commission | UKGC | register |
| Spelinspektionen (Swedish Gambling Authority) | Spelinspektionen | register |
| Spillemyndigheden (Danish Gambling Authority) | Spillemyndigheden | register |
| Malta Gaming Authority | MGA | register |
| Gemeinsame Glücksspielbehörde der Länder | GGL | register |
| Kansspelautoriteit (Netherlands Gambling Authority) | KSA | register |
| Dirección General de Ordenación del Juego | DGOJ | register |
| Agenzia delle Dogane e dei Monopoli | ADM | register |
| Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario and iGaming Ontario | Ontario | register |
| New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement | New Jersey | register |
| Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board | Pennsylvania | register |
| Michigan Gaming Control Board | Michigan | register |
| Northern Territory Racing and Wagering Commission | Northern Territory | register |
| Curaçao Gaming Authority | Curaçao | register |
| Anjouan Offshore Finance Authority | Anjouan | register |
| Kahnawake Gaming Commission | Kahnawake | register |
4. Has the owner been fined?
Regulators publish their fines and warnings. Our fines pages list them by regulator and by owner group, each with the regulator's own notice as the source.
5. Which self-exclusion scheme covers it?
A national self-exclusion scheme covers every site licensed in its country. If the site has no licence from your country, your national scheme does not cover it.
6. Where can you complain?
Complain to the site first. If that does not solve it, a national licence comes with a complaints route: a regulator, an alternative dispute resolution (ADR) body or a consumer board. An offshore licence often has no such route for you.
Complaint bodies
- Gambling Commission: approved ADR providersComplain to the gambling business first. If it is not solved after 8 weeks, take it to the free, independent ADR provider that the business names.
- Malta Gaming Authority: player supportFor an MGA-licensed site: contact the operator first, then use the formal complaint form of the MGA.
- Allmänna reklamationsnämnden (ARN)ARN handles disputes between consumers and companies in Sweden and gives a recommendation. Fee: 150 SEK.
- KuluttajariitalautakuntaThe Finnish Consumer Disputes Board is an independent body that gives recommendations in disputes between consumers and companies.
- Universalschlichtungsstelle des BundesA neutral body that settles disputes between consumers and companies in Germany out of court, after a first attempt to agree directly.
Questions and answers
How can I check who owns an online casino?
Search the brand on UltimateOwner. The brand page names the licensed company and the owner group, with sources. You can also read the company name in the site's terms and look it up in the regulator's register.
How do I know if an online casino is licensed?
Find the licence in the site's footer or terms, then search the regulator's public register. The register should list the company and the website's domain.
Is a casino with a licence from another country legal where I live?
Not always. Many countries require a licence from their own regulator. An offshore licence does not replace it.
Does UltimateOwner say which casinos are safe?
No. We give no verdicts. We show the owner, the licences, the fines and the sources, so you can check the facts yourself.
Where can I complain about an online casino?
Complain to the site first. Then use the complaints route of the regulator that licensed it, such as an ADR body in Great Britain or the player support of the Malta Gaming Authority.
How we count
This guide gives no verdict on any brand. It shows where to find the facts. Every brand and owner page on UltimateOwner lists its sources, and the regulator links go to the official registers.
Related: Does self-exclusion cover sister sites? · what a casino licence means · all guides · Suomeksi.
Last checked 26 Oct 2026. How we check facts.
