Alderney isn’t just home to a beautiful island holiday destination, but also to one of the world’s best gaming licensers, the Alderney Gambling Control Commission (AGCC).
For those who have never heard of the island, it is the third largest out of the British Channel Islands. This group of islands is also considered to be the best finance centres located offshore. Since they aren’t a part of the UK they are self-governed, and the third largest of them all is considered to be one of the best jurisdictions to obtain an online casino license from.
You can figure out if an Internet casino or online gaming establishment is licensed by Alderney by scrolling to the bottom of the homepage. Here, it will have their logo or it will be written in fine print.
About the Alderney Gambling Control Commission
The AGCC was created in 2000 in order to oversee Alderney’s online gambling operations and in turn license operators and supervise ongoing gambling activities. They have since been recognised as one of the best due to their high standards when it comes to the iGaming industry.
According to their website, AGCC’s mission is: “To ensure and maintain the integrity of electronic gambling activities regulated by the Commission.”
Overall, their main aim is to operate as a high class regulator and only grant licenses to those who adhere to their high standards. Since the AGCC is recognised by the UK Gambling Commission, any online operator licensed by the AGCC is ‘white-listed’, which means any operator with an AGCC license can advertise and offer its services to UK players.
Along with the UK Gambling Commission, the AGCC also liaise with the Nevada Gaming Control Board and the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement in order to carry out investigations and ensure international standards are met in the iGaming industry.
What does the AGCC do?
The AGCC, as a top leading licenser, operates by both protecting and enhancing Alderney’s reputation. Besides conducting thorough investigations to grant licenses to approved online operators, the regulatory body ensures that:
- All online gambling operations are honest and fair, and overall responsible
- All online gambling operations are free of criminal activity especially in terms of funding and management
- All young and vulnerable people are protected from online gambling
- All online gambling operations support the development of the industry while adhering to high standards imposed by the AGCC
AGCC legislation
The AGCC mainly relies on three types of legislation:
- The Gambling (Alderney) Law 1999
- The Alderney eGambling Ordinance 2009
- The Alderney eGambling Regulations, 2009
Relying on this framework means there is quite a strict criteria that is required to be met in order to receive a license from the AGCC.
AGCC licences
The AGCC offers two main types of licenses.
A Category 1 License: This license is for online operators and allows them to operate with the AGCC license provided they have proven to offer verified players an above average service, and they have proven a sound management of financial transactions.
A Category 2 License: This allows games to operate on an approved hosting centre and mainly software providers apply for this license.
How does an operator obtain an Alderney license?
Obtaining a license is a long process, so if you find an online gaming establishment with the AGCC logo then you will know it has been through a vigorous investigation and that it is a top leading online operator.
This generally includes:
Step one: Applicants complete a form and submit this to the AGCC along with supporting documentation and a deposit of £10,000.
Step two: A meeting is a arranged between the Director of Regulatory Operations and the applicant to understand the online operators business plan, targets, software providers, who may need individual certificate, etc.
Step three: The AGCC will decide if the application is successful and the applicant will be required to pay a license fee if so.
This investigation also includes looking into the reputation, the financial position and background, whether or not they will be able to operate successfully under the license, and whether an associate of an applicant meets the same criteria.
The licensee is also accessed on their internal control system, the gambling equipment, and their financial status. If this application is successful, they then will receive a license from the AGCC.
The AGCC and Nevada Gaming Control Board agreement
In 2011, the AGCC signed on with the Nevada Gaming Control Board in order to combine their skills and knowledge regarding authoritative bodies. This has removed the borders around online gaming and by joining forces they paved the way for international cooperation by major regulatory bodies everywhere, meaning only the best online operators will be licensed by the best.
AGCC’s player protection
One of the main aims of the AGCC is to ensure that players are not subjected to criminal influence. In doing so, they monitor online operators in terms of their players and take any complaints seriously. If players find they are having a problem, they can contact the AGCC (provided the online gaming establishment they are playing at is licensed by the AGCC) and an officer will go over the evidence and aim to resolve the issue.
Aways do your research
While an online operator that wears the AGCC logo is considered to be top of its class, some can falsify these credentials, leaving players open to being scammed.
Always do your research on the online gaming establishment you are playing at by doing a simple Google search with the name and the search terms ‘rogue’ or ‘blacklisted’ and you will be able to determine from other player’s experiences whether you should play there or not.
Online casinos licensed by AGCC
If you don’t have time to do the research, BGO online casino is licensed by the AGCC and has been tried and tested by our team. It offers a substantial gaming catalogue and has a proven track record of providing a high quality service, as per the AGCC license.