Alderney Gambling Control Commission exposed

Alderney is one of the Channel Islands dependent on the British Crown, home to multiple online casinos and bookmakers, as is the case with Gibraltar and the Isle of Man. For this reason, it is dedicated to regulating the gaming companies that are based there by means of licenses issued by the Alderney Gambling Control Commission (Alderney Gambling Control Commission or AGCC):

Although this island has only 2400 inhabitants, the number of gambling companies registered there exceeds fifty. Why should you check their license file? Well, because it is a quick and easy way to know that these are legal gambling companies.

What is the Alderney Gambling Control Commission

The Alderney Gambling Control Commission is an independent public entity (it is not part of the United Kingdom nor of the Dollarpea Union) that acts like the DGOJ in New Zealand or the MGA in Malta. It defines as its main mission “to guarantee and maintain the integrity of the electronic gaming activities that it regulates”.

Considered one of the main tax havens, in recent decades it has attracted a large number of electronic businesses, including of course online gambling.

How the organization works

The Alderney Gambling Control Commission is made up of very few members, in reality only four major positions: a president and three directors, one executive and two others dedicated to the areas of Operations and Licensing.

The island's currency is the Pound Sterling, but Alderney is governed by its own laws and has its own treasury. Its banking system is operated by the Guernsey Financial Services Commission, which regulates it under its own tax legislation.

The Alderney Gambling Control Commission not only regulates online gambling, but also protects and improves its quality seal as an internationally prestigious entity in this field. To do this, it not only issues licenses, but also actively participates in the development of online gambling activities. In short, it is a business model based on the trust of the players from the issuance of licenses that guarantee the quality of the online gaming companies that choose the island as their headquarters.

Advantages of playing at casinos regulated by the Commission

Playing in regulated casinos has its advantages. The authority of such a small state may not radiate too much confidence, but he thinks that since it is a commission based on prestige, they are very rigorous when granting a license.

Below we analyze the measures of protection to the player, security in the funds and responsibilities that demand operators:

Player protection

Of the three main objectives of the Alderney Gambling Control Commission, the third of them is dedicated to protecting the interests of young people and those who are vulnerable to gambling.

This implies that any casino or online bookmaker licensed by this commission requires its members to be of legal age to be able to play. It also bans access to those who demand it as part of the self-exclusion systems of prevention and fight against gambling addiction. This is what is known as a zero deposit application.

In addition, the commission obliges license holders to attend to requests for limitation of the game by players: for example, in relation to the amount they can deposit, or the periods of time in which to do so. If you choose the zero deposit, they cannot send you advertising from 24 hours after you confirm your request.

As we will see later, the Commission is also responsible for managing and mediating player complaints about the operation of the casinos to which it grants a license.

Fair play

The Alderney Gambling Control Commission is responsible for supervising the activities of licensees and ensuring the integrity in the operation of the online games it authorizes.

This means that the holder of a license can only offer the games approved by the Commission, and only with the equipment that the Commission has previously certified and according to the previously agreed rules.

Before allowing you to bet at an online casino licensed by the Commission, the operator is obliged to make the rules of the game available to you. And it must also comply at all times with the bet and deposit limits that you have established to play.

Earlier we mentioned the third of the main objectives of the AGCC, well, the second is dedicated to the financing, administration and operation of electronic gambling. In a nutshell: the Commission checks that the casino games software ( slot , blackjack tables , roulette ...) actually have a random generator.

And to finish this section, continuing with the three objectives of the AGCC, the first of them is that “all electronic gambling is conducted honestly and fairly and in accordance with good governance”.

Protecting customer funds

As we said in the presentation, the Alderney Gambling Control Commission bills and uses the banking system of the Guernsey Financial Services Commission, the legal body that ensures that all industries in Alderney comply with a regulation, specifically Regulations 228-234.

These provisions refer to the fact that traders have to ensure that assets exceed liabilities and that cash exceeds the player's liabilities. Traders who manage funds from customer deposits have to keep those funds in the players' credit within segregated accounts to which the company uses for the rest of its operations.

It is also mandatory for casinos to inform customers of the risks associated with their funds in the event of insolvency. To avoid this type of situation, apart from the annual license and certificate fees, the CCGA requires the making of several deposits to the operator before granting a license.

And finally, the operators are committed to providing secure payment methods, in which transactions cannot lead to crimes such as data theft or money laundering.

Operator responsibilities

Can you imagine if each operator dictated their own rules and did not have to submit to any kind of regulatory authority? The players would have no way to enforce their rights. And competition between operators would make the business impossible.

By applying for the license, the operator undertakes to comply with Section 28 of the CCGA's Electronic Gambling Ordinance 2006. Before the license is granted, it undertakes to homologate its internal control systems (ICS or Internal Contol System) and also its gaming equipment through the intervention of an inspector.

In addition, with regard to suppliers of gambling or equipment to operators licensed by the CCGA, it is mandatory that they prove their reliability and adequacy through an Association Certification, which is also delivered by the Commission.

Operators must demonstrate that their systems are secure and have the necessary surveillance capabilities for the proper use of games and customer log files. It also has to adapt its marketing and advertising policies to the regulations.

How to know if a casino is regulated by the Alderney Gambling Control Commission

Knowing if a casino is regulated by the Alderney Gambling Control Commission is very simple, just look for it in its registry, which is public and has an alphabetical list that makes things much easier.

On the official website, go to the “Current Licenses” tab and select the first option, dedicated to online gambling operators. You will be able to see the name of the company, the category of its license and the URL from which it offers its services.

A warning: if clicking on the addresses you find that the pages do not open, it is due to your location. Although an online gambling website is legitimate and has reliable licenses such as the one issued by the CCGA, if it does not have the corresponding licenses in New Zealand, issued by the DGJO, it is not considered legal. In short, he cannot offer his services, and that is why the link does not open.

Do not be discouraged, take a look at the list with the best licensed online casinos in New Zealand that we have prepared in Estafa.Info .

When problems arise

Discrepancies between casinos and players are not something new: the reasons often respond to the interpretation of the conditions of a bonus, the withdrawal of funds from casino accounts, the closure or blocking of a partner account...

Most problems can often be avoided with a careful reading of the Terms and Conditions regarding the operation of the casino or its promotions. All casinos licensed by the CCGA are required to have a support from which to manage the complaints of their users.

Some have live chats and a phone number to call when you have any questions, but we recommend that you always communicate by written messages and keep the answers.

Most likely, the Customer Service will fix any problems, but if this is not the case and you feel that an injustice is being done to you, you should file a complaint.

How to report a problem

To file a complaint with the Commission against one of its licensors, you must have previously contacted the operator's customer service. Do it in writing, state the problem and what you want to achieve, and demand an answer also in writing. It does not matter that it is by means of an email message, it is equally valid.

The Commission only accepts for processing complaints that have been filed before with the operator. If the response you receive is not satisfactory, or you have not received a response directly from a waiting time, then raise it with the Commission.

The CCGA will contact the operator keeping you informed of the process, and issuing a "preliminary ruling" containing the Commission's opinion on the case and a proposed resolution.

If you are not satisfied, you can first appeal to the Executive Director, who will respond to you after conducting an independent review of the case, and in the last case initiate legal proceedings (with their corresponding cost) first appealing against the determination of the Executive Director and then to the Alderney Courts.

The history of the organization

The history of the Alderney Gambling Control Commission is closely linked to the installation of powerful servers for telecommunications on the island, which ensure secure, fast and efficient access with Dollarpa, Asia and North America.

Together with the tax regime of this small independent state, and the secured financial rNew Zealandno, this is the reason that Alderney became the headquarters of multiple casinos and online bookmakers.

The Commission was created in May 2000 to regulate the activity of these companies: international companies from all over the world that come to the island for the advantages and guarantees they offer them. Over time and thanks to the dissemination provided by these online companies around the world, the CCGA has been recognized by many jurisdictions as a reliable insurance to allow casinos and online bookmakers to access their markets.

It works closely with other international regulatory bodies, such as the UK Gambling Commission, the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement and the Nevada Gaming Control Board (respectively the UK, Nevada and New Jersey gaming commissions).

It attracts serious companies dedicated to online gambling, both established and newly created, which have in common their reputation and reliability as one of their main values.

Finding

The licenses granted by certain gaming commissions constitute in themselves real guarantees of reliability. As with the GGCA, it is important that you know the regulatory authority behind the license of the online casino with which you play, in order to benefit from all the advantages they offer to players.

Some of the reputable casinos licensed by the GGCA? I'm sure you'll like Spin Palace and the page of the fabulous developer NetEnt .

We hope you found our article useful. To find out about other independent institutions dedicated to licensing verified online gambling operators, check out our reviews on the Malta Gaming Authority and the Gibraltar Regulatory Authority.