Crypto Casino Licences Explained — What They Mean for Your Money

Why Licences Matter

A gambling license is a formal approval by a country's governing body or regulatory agencies. When you get a casino license, you are agreeing to abide by the standard terms of conduct for gaming. This often includes fairness of games, safeguarding player accounts, implementing various responsible gambling measures and dispute resolution policies. Be wary, as if the casino doesn't have a gambling license and you start complaining about non-paid winnings, there's almost nothing you can do legally.

For crypto and LTC casinos in particular, licensing is more important, due to the irreversible and largely anonymous nature of crypto transactions. A valid license is the only real accountability mechanism in place.

Licence Comparison by Jurisdiction

Curaçao eGaming — The Most Common Crypto Casino Licence

Curaçao is the most popular licence for crypto casinos because:

• It explicitly permits cryptocurrency as a payment method
• The application process is faster and cheaper than MGA
• It doesn't restrict crypto gambling from most countries

The downside is weaker player protection. Historically, dispute resolution was poor and player fund segregation was not mandatory. Curaçao is actively reforming its framework (2023–2025), moving to a new "National Gambling Licences" (NGL) model with stricter requirements. Expect standards to improve over time.

Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) — The Gold Standard

The MGA licence is considered to be the most balanced in terms of player protection and market access. MGA regulated casinos are required to:

• Keep player funds in segregated accounts, separate from operating funds
• Offer a formal, binding dispute resolution process
• Implement responsible gambling tools (deposit limits, self-exclusion, reality checks)
• Publish certified game RTP data
• Pass rigorous AML (anti-money laundering) compliance audits

MGA casinos that accept cryptocurrencies are very few and far between. The beauty of them is that they offer the best of both worlds. With the MGA you get the benefit of knowing you are protected by a serious and trustworthy governing body and on top of that, you get to enjoy the freedom of using cryptocurrencies. Unfortunately, having MGA approval and accepting cryptocurrencies are mutually exclusive at the moment.

UKGC — The Strictest Licence

The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) sets the global standard for protecting players. UKGC compliance requires enhanced KYC, advertising restrictions, affordability checks and source-of-funds verification. Non-compliance can result in the imposition of very large fines, often in excess of $10m.

At this moment in time, it appears that none of the UKGC licensed casinos accept direct cryptocurrency payments, although we're seeing changes in this regard. For all UK players, UKGC or MGA licensed casinos are a priority.

Anjouan (AOFA)

The Anjouan Offshore Finance Authority has introduced a newer offshore license that we have seen now being used by some new crypto casinos launched from 2022 onwards. The new Anjouan license is cheaper and easier to obtain than a Curaçao license. Player protection standards are held at a basic level – just like in the early days of the Curaçao license.

We view an Anjouan license as a baseline or a bare minimum standard. It is something we score lower than a Curaçao license (and substantially lower than an MGA). Generally we would view a casino that has only an Anjouan license as needing to be somewhat better in other areas to make up for this.

Our Reviewed Casinos — Licence Overview

All five casinos currently hold active and valid casino licences. Our Casino Licensing assessment is factored into the Trust & Licensing dimension (20% of overall score).

What a Licence Doesn't Guarantee

We also consider each site's payment history, payout speeds, how they handle complaints, as well as their bonus terms in our overall scoring. We assigned the same weight to these factors as we did to the licence.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I verify a casino's licence is real?

All regulatory bodies have a public register of licensed operators. For a complete listing for Curaçao, you can access the GMC (Gaming Master Control) register. For MGA, see the Malta Gaming Authority licence check tool on mga.org.mt and for UKGC, the Gambling Commission public register is on gamblingcommission.gov.uk Check the licence number listed on the site of the casino in question and match it against the details in the relevant register.

Is a Curaçao licence safe enough for LTC gambling?

This depends greatly on the casino itself. A decent casino on the island of Curaçao that has paid winners for years, does not have unresolved complaints and uses reasonable terms and conditions is a far safer choice than for example a brand new MGA casino with little to no experience. Remember to use the licence as a first indicator, but not the sole decision making factor.

Can a casino operate without any licence?

Yes, occasionally. Unauthorised casinos are not bound by any official rules. Unfortunately, if the casino refuses to pay out any winnings, there is no regulatory body you can complain to. We don't endorse unlicensed casinos either. You can always check any licence number we include, as it should always be displayed correctly on the licensing authority site.

Does the licence affect my bonus terms?

Indirectly Yes, all casinos licenced by MGA (Maltese Gaming Authority) have to ensure that their bonuses have proper, easily accessible Terms and Conditions, and that their wagering requirements are fair. There is no such rule in place for casinos with Curaçao or Anjouan licences, but even then it's generally the case that better casinos will display their T&Cs properly, regardless of the license.