Step 1 — find the licence number, not just the logo
Scroll to the site's footer. Legitimate operators display a specific licence number, not just a regulator's logo — logos can be copied onto any page regardless of whether the licence is real. If you can't find a number within a minute of looking, that's already informative.
Step 2 — look it up on the regulator's own register, not the casino's page
Never take the number at face value from the casino's own site. Cross-check it directly on the issuing regulator's public register:
- Malta (MGA): MGA licence verification tool
- UK (UKGC): UKGC public register
- Curaçao: Curaçao Gaming Control Board licence validator
- Ireland (GRAI): grai.ie — a public register is expected once remote gaming licensing opens; check our registry in the meantime for what we've already confirmed
Step 3 — check the operator name matches, not just the brand name
The brand you see (e.g. "Yep Casino") is often not the legal entity that holds the licence — that's usually named separately in the terms and conditions, footer, or "about" page (e.g. a B.V., N.V., or Ltd registered in the licensing jurisdiction). Confirm that exact legal name, not the marketing brand, appears on the regulator's register. Brand names get reused or copied across genuinely unrelated operators more often than you'd expect — we found this ourselves while researching this registry.
Red flags worth stopping at
- No licence number anywhere on the site, only a logo
- A number that returns no result, or a different operator, on the regulator's own register
- No account-level deposit limits, reality checks, or self-exclusion option at all
- Terms and conditions naming an operator entity you can't find any public record of
What this doesn't tell you
A verified, real licence confirms the operator is legally authorised to take bets in that jurisdiction — it doesn't by itself confirm game fairness, payout reliability, or customer service quality. Those require a different kind of review entirely, and this checklist isn't a substitute for it.
Related reading
See our registry for brands we've already checked, and GRAI vs MGA vs UKGC for how the underlying regulators differ.