Online casinos operate in a regulatory and legal environment. The issues involved with these are regularly highlighted at online casino forums. Many players tend to forget that they too are subject to some legal restrictions and are responsible for their actions. This article highlights some of the more important conditions.

The first thing a potential player should verify whether it is legal for him to gamble online from the place of his residence. Most online casinos provide a list of jurisdictions from where they do not accept players. But they make it clear that the list is not complete. The terms and conditions of the user agreement clearly state that it is the player’s responsibility to determine whether it is legal or not for him to gamble online. The player must also be aware of the repercussions of gambling online from a jurisdiction where the activity is illegal. He would obviously be open to prosecution in his jurisdiction. The more likely problem would be that the online casino may not be able to remit his winnings to him.

The second issue is whether the player is old enough to gamble. Most online casinos specify the minimum age, which is usually 18 years. But they also indicate that if the player’s jurisdiction specifies a higher age then the higher age will apply. This again puts the onus on the player to determine the permissible age in the state or country where he resides. The third issue is the choice of currency. In most cases the player has to opt for the currency of his residence if it is offered by the online casino. Such cases do not usually create a problem. In other cases the player may have to choose from the currencies offered. The player has to ensure that transactions in the chosen currency would be allowed in his place of residence. The US dollar is a universal currency and choosing it is the safest option.

There are several obligations placed on the player by the online casino that are not based on the laws of the land. However these are equally important. Players have to furnish proof of identity and proof of address to the online casinos. This can be done by scanning the documents and e-mailing them or faxing them. Many online casinos allow players to start wagering even if these documents are not sent but no online casino will permit withdrawals. Therefore it is in the players’ own interest that they comply.

There is a bigger issue associated with the identity and address documents. These have to be genuine and not belonging to someone else. Sending pilfered documents brings the player within the ambit of the law. There are two main reasons why players use bogus documents. They are not yet of permissible age and therefore use their parent’s documents to gain access to the online casino. Many online casinos offer attractive sign up benefits. Unscrupulous players try and cash in on this by registering under different fraudulent identities. Today there are dedicated agencies that have developed considerable expertise in verifying the authenticity of identity and address documents and also credit cards. Therefore getting aware with this fraud is considerably more difficult today than it was five years ago. Once a player is caught cheating, the online casino has the option of calling in the law. The minimum it will do is blacklist the player, forfeit his balance and circulate his name to other online casinos.