Wales is a small country in the UK that is well known for having a passion for gambling. Residents of this country have enjoyed visiting land casinos and now have the ability to legally play at top-rated online casino sites. Casino sites that are available to residents of Wales are licensed and regulated by the UK Gambling Commission. All players from Wales can legally access these sites and engage in real money play.
For players who love to gamble Wales is perhaps one of the best countries to live in All forms of gambling are legal and no taxes are paid on any wings that are generated. This means that players from this location can enjoy the best games at leading online casinos and not have to worry about losing any of their profits to taxes!
Gambling Rules
As part of the UK, Wales has lenient laws pertaining to gambling and residents are able to wager on casino games and sports betting at land and online venues. While gambling is legal, there are some rules in place that all players from Wales must follow.
First, all players that are engaging in real money wagering will have to be at least 18 years old. Online casinos will perform an identity and age verification before an account can be opened. This ensures that all members are legally able to wager and prevents minors from accessing any real money games.
The second rule in place is that all online casinos operating in the UK will have to be licensed by the UK Gambling Commission. The Commission has been designed to oversee the operation of any online casino and ensure it is operating in accordance with local gambling laws. Sites must meet strict criteria to be licensed and must also take steps to ensure the safety and protection of all registered members.
Gambling Act of 2005
In Wales, all residents and casinos must adhere to the rules and regulations set forth by the Gambling Act of 2005. This was an act passed by the British parliament that was designed to address online gambling concerns. The act also created the UK Gambling Commission as an agency to oversee gambling licenses. The main goals of the Gambling Act are as follows:
- The prevention of gambling from being a disorder or a crime
- Making sure that all gambling is fair and offers players equal chances at winning
- Protection of minors and other vulnerable people from being exploited or harmed by engaging in gambling activities
In 2014, an amendment was added to the act and this made it illegal for any operator to advertise to British residents without obtaining a license from the UKGC.
Changes to Regulations
Residents of Wales are required to follow all laws and the country adheres to all regulations set forth by the Gambling Act of 2005 and any future changes. In 2019, the UK amended laws to alter the maximum bet to prevent players from losing large amounts of money. That same year, the Gambling Commission implemented strict rules for age verifications. Online casinos are now required to perform Know Your Customer checks before any account can be opened.
Early in 2020, the Gambling Commission also made an announcement that deposits to online casinos using any credit card will be illegal. This also applies to PayPal payments if users have any linked credit cards to their PayPal accounts.
Another change is in regards to VIP programs found at online casinos. Members are required to be at least 25 years of age to partake in any VIP program and the casino must check the source of player funds. There has also been a change for players who play slot games online. There is a minimum sin time of 2.5 seconds between each sin on slot games.
Further changes to current laws and regulations are expected throughout 2021 and into 2022. The Commission has already made proposals to remove some functions of slot games including turbo spin, auto play, and multiple screens. There is also talk about prohibiting any reverse withdrawals and implementing play and speed limits.
Any and all changes that have been enforced by the UK Gambling Commission will be followed in Wales. While this is good news for the UK, there are a lot of countries where this isn’t working out. According to onlinecasino-australia.com Australia is having a complete closure of all online gambling activities. The reason is the high amounts of Australian dollars being deposited into overseas gambling accounts. Statistics report that in the UK the amount of players that play offshore/illegal online casino’s has dropped to only 10%.
Mobile Sector Continues to Grow
While online casinos have been popular for players from Wales, many players now use mobile devices to connect to their favorite sites. Mobile casinos are required to abide by the same gambling laws as an online site and must be licensed by the UK Gambling Commission. More players are using a smartphone or tablet to gamble and with the growth of the industry continuing, mobile gambling is expected to be the future.
All gaming regulations and laws that are currently in place or will be enacted will be enforced by every licensed mobile site, providing residents of Wales with a secure and legal environment in which to play real money games.
