This site
Frequently Asked Questions
Questions that arrive often enough to be worth answering once, about the site itself and about the parts of the industry most frequently misunderstood.
Last reviewed 27 October 2026
About the site
The questions below cover how this reference works. Questions about the industry itself follow underneath.
Questions and answers
Is this a gambling site?
No. It publishes reference material about the gambling industry. No games are offered, no stakes are accepted, no operator is promoted and no affiliate links are published.
Who writes it?
An editorial desk working to the published editorial standards. Entries are written against regulators' own materials and the public record, and each page shows when its data was last reviewed.
How often is it updated?
Continuously rather than on a schedule. Because entries record structural facts rather than news, most change infrequently; when one does change, the review date on every page drawing on it changes with it.
Can my company be added to the directory?
Entries are recorded by position in the industry, not by application, and cannot be purchased. Factual corrections to an existing entry are welcome through the contact page.
Is a gambling licence valid across the European Union?
No. There is no EU-wide licence and no mutual recognition. Each member state licenses its own market, which is why one operator holds a dozen licences. See what a licence covers.
Why do tax rates vary so much between countries?
The rate matters less than the base. A tax on stakes and a tax on gross gaming revenue can carry similar headline numbers and produce entirely different businesses, which is why the profiles record the base. See how gambling is taxed.
Why is online casino legal in some countries but not others, even where betting is allowed?
Because licensing is granted product by product. France licenses betting and poker but not casino; Germany licenses slots and poker but not live table games; Australia licenses wagering but prohibits online casino entirely.
What does grey market mean?
A market where no local licence is available for the product but supply is not clearly prohibited or is not enforced against, as distinct from a market where supply is explicitly unlawful. See the distinction.
Does a higher RTP mean a game is better?
Over a very large number of rounds it means less is lost on average. Over a session, how the return is distributed matters far more than its average. See RTP and volatility.
Why do online casinos ask for identity documents?
Because licensed operators carry anti-money-laundering obligations comparable to a bank's, and because age and identity must be established before play in most markets. See how the checks work.