Humans have enjoyed gambling for a seriously long time, with some recent archaeological discoveries pointing to the fact that very simple gambling style games were being played as far back as 2000 BC. That’s pretty crazy to think about, isn’t it? And moving forwards throughout history we get more and more clear examples of gambling, from the Ancient Roman games, all the way through to the game of “Ventiuna” (or “21” ie. blackjack) mentioned by Miguel de Cervantes in the 1500s.
Oh yes, we humans are big gamblers, and have been for thousands of years, which makes the fact that the world’s first state regulated casino was only opened in the 18th century quite surprising. Since then casinos have popped up with increasing frequency, and nowadays the world of online casino has resulted in several thousand casinos being around. But here’s the thing: are all casinos regulated through the UKGC? Keep reading to find out or visit Cozino right away.
Why do casinos need to be regulated?
But first let’s grapple with a question that some people are probably wondering by now – why do casinos even need to be regulated in the first place? For some people the thought of casinos being hit with all kinds of different rules and regulations does have the potential to sound a bit naff, however the truth is that these things actually keep us all safe as gamblers.
You see, casino gambling is unfortunately a hotbed for organised crime, as was proven during the 60s in Las Vegas where various gangsters took control of the largest casinos. These people don’t often have the customers’ best interests at heart, and so government rules and regulations are needed to keep everyone as safe as possible.
A history of casino regulation
And when did casino regulation begin? Well, casino regulation really began with the building of the world’s first genuine casino establishment back in 18th century Venice. To cope with the demand for gambling over the harvest season the Venetian authorities decided to step in and offer their own gambling parlour, which was of course licenced and regulated by the state.
Over the course of the next couple of hundred years more and more casinos would pop up over Europe, however they were eventually outlawed due to the amount of money they were making. After WWII global authorities saw an opportunity to profit from casino world, allowing casinos to open, but only if they followed a strict set of rules. In the 21st century online casino has intensified the need for regulations, and this is where the UKGC comes in.
What is the UKGC?
What is the UKGC? Well, UKGC stands for UK Gambling Commission, and it is the UK organisation tasked with licensing and regulating casinos. It was established after the The Gambling Act 2005 in the UK, and has been responsible for safeguarding the gambling exploits of many people over the years.
Are all casinos regulated through the UKGC?
Although there are countless casinos regulated by the UKGC, it isn’t quite all of them, because there are other regulatory bodies such as the Malta Gambling Authority.
