Missouri – Online Casinos & Gambling Regulations
Online Casinos in Missouri (US)
Find the Best American Casino Online
Due to the lack of regulations when it comes to online gambling, residents wishing to play are sadly left in a somewhat contradictory position. Establishing an online operation in the state remains illegal, however, there is currently nothing stopping players from accessing overseas sites. These sites are for the most part licensed within their own jurisdictions, which does make them legitimate operations within those jurisdictions. The issue is that there is no legal recourse or designated authority that can support people playing online from Missouri. A gray-market can also be an attractive space for black-market operations to set up in, which does up the stakes. Therefore you will not only need to keep in mind whether it is possible to access a site but if you should.
- Does the casino carry a license?
- Is the licensing body well regarded?
- Can players from Missouri register?
- Will you be able to use your preferred payment methods?
- Will you be eligible for any promotions or loyalty programs?
Due to the increased risk of playing in an unregulated market, it is important for those adamant about still playing to take extra precautions. Above are some good questions to ask yourself to help figure out Missouri casinos holds reliability and value. So, before signing up at a site, why not stop by us here at GoodLuckMate where you can get all of your gambling-related questions answers.
Gambling Regulation
Missouri residents can legally participate in the state-run lottery, pari-mutuel wagering, riverboat casinos and Daily Fantasy Sports. The Missouri Lottery Commission and the Missouri Gaming Commission are both regulatory bodies that supervise the market, however, there is currently no clear authority to stand for internet-based activities. This is actually a larger problem than one might first suspect, as deciding on which commission should take reign is actually a major roadblock to progressing the legislation. All the while, residents can access overseas sights without fear of prosecution. The government’s main focus is on blocking the operators from providing their services instead of penalizing locals.
The regulation of Daily Fantasy Sports has been a big step for a lot of states, which creates a lot of hope for additional activities being opened up. For instance, Missouri has since had a couple of bills that had the potential for creating a regulated sports betting market. Unfortunately, not much progress has been made and all eyes are on 2021 to usher in the changes.
Localized Online Casinos
An unregulated market typically doesn’t attract a lot of incentive for casinos to invest heavily in the region. Being part of the United States certainly has its advantages though. This became even more prevalent when a number of states created their own regulated market. You can therefore expect to find plenty of casinos that have a lot of design and features that are well localized for US audiences. The issue you will have is when trying to look for an establishment that has specific localization options for Missouri, at least until a regulated market is formed. English language options are also considered a standard within the industry, meaning you will have no problem finding countless of establishments with full English support.
Gambling with US Dollars
The exchange of US dollars is so common on the internet that it has been a mainstay of the online casino industry since the beginning. In fact, very little changed in this regard after several states legalized online gambling, simply because the majority of sites were already offering dollars regardless. The main reason for this was that the currency provided a good default that players could use, should their local currency not be available. For those of you looking for an alternative though, cryptocurrencies have recently exploded onto the scene. These have become popular with players, as they circumnavigate the bank from being involved and allow players to distinguish their playable balance from their regular funds. E-wallets can also fill this role, so it’s best to do some research as to what payment method suits you best.
Casinos in Missouri
Missouri’s gambling scene takes real advantage of its beautiful surroundings, especially the numerous riverways that play host to the 13 riverboat casinos currently in operation. These establishments offer most of what you can expect from a regular terrestrial casino with the added advantage of being on a boat. Unfortunately, the gambling attractions ends with these riverboats, as there are no racetracks or betting shops around. The lack of any physical establishments makes one think that Missouri is in a prime position to set up an online scene. Residents will have to wait and hope that the upcoming years bring further developments to the sports betting market, which then has the potential to make lawmakers consider legalized online casinos. Until proper legislative changes are made, players from the Show-Me State will constantly be coming up bust when compared to their fellow countrymen living in regulated states.
Dispute resolution – can I get help from a third party?
A gambling license is intended to protect players, and one of its main functions is to provide a mechanism for resolving disputes when they come up. If you have a dispute with a casino, and the casino is being unreasonable, the gambling authority will help you. For many licenses, this means you can contact the gambling authority to get help processing your withdrawals, claiming money the casino has debited from your account, or resolving other disputes that might arise. The likelihood that the gambling authority will help you in ways that are effective, however, depends on the procedures they have in place for this. This is yet another reason why choosing to play at a casino that has a safe license is important.
Getting help directly from the gambling authority is not always necessary, or even an option. A lot of regulators have now enforced third-party dispute resolution. This means casinos must have an agreement with an arbitrator who will look into disputes on the behalf of players from a particular casino. This ensures your dispute will be reviewed by an objective third party. All trusted online casinos have information about arbitration on their websites if they use this option, or they’ll have the contact information for the gambling authority you should consult. However, you should always try to resolve your issues with the casino first, and a lot of casinos have separate email addresses specifically for handling complaints.
Secure payments – can I trust a casino with my money?
If you’re worried about the security of the transactions you’re making at a casino, you should look for a logo with the acronym PCI DSS. This stands for Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard, and this is something the payment industry has created. If you see this logo, it means the casino can be trusted for safe money transactions since they follow all of the rules set by the payment industry. Information about this can also be found in an FAQ section on the casino’s website.
Another thing to look out for in terms of payments is where your money is kept while you play. Some gambling authorities, all of the best ones actually, regulate what the casino can do with your money while they are holding it. Your money shouldn’t go into a general bank account held by the casino; it should go into an account that is strictly for holding player funds. This means that as long as you have the money in your player account, it can’t be spent by the casino. Your deposit will be kept separate from the operating funds of the casino until your player account is empty, which will happen if you make a funds withdrawal or if you lose the money while playing.Fair gaming – do the games give me a fair chance to win?
The best known system tool for ensuring that a casino offers fair games is eCogra; however, there are other providers that also offer these kinds of systems. You want to make sure that the casino is using a certified third-party control system to ensure that the games of chance you’re playing are actually based on chance and not on other types of metrics. Rigged games are ones that have been set up to pay out less than they claim to or ones that give some players a greater chance of winning than others.
The eCogra logo can often be found in the footer of the casino’s website, but not all casinos choose to display it. If you can’t see this logo, go to the FAQs and see if you can find information about random number generators. If there are no FAQs on the site, check out their terms and conditions or contact the casino’s support and ask how they ensure their games are safe.
Encrypted website – how is my information kept safe?
An SSL-encrypted website should be mandatory for any casino, and very few casinos operate without this or similar safe encryption features. Always keep in mind that you are giving the casino quite a bit of sensitive information, including your payment details. When you’re uploading and sending documents to verify your identity, you want to make sure that no unauthorized third-party has access to them. Site security, therefore, doesn’t only include the website itself but also what the casino does on the backend. You should always look into a casino’s data security. You’ll normally find information about this in their terms and conditions and their privacy policy. If in doubt, contact their support and ask for more detailed information.
Most trustworthy casinos have information about site security in the website footer, so simply scroll down and look for the logo of a well-known security system.
Gambling license – can I play at a casino from my country?
The gambling license a casino operates under will have a big impact on your security. Not all licenses are equally safe for players for the simple reason that they are issued by different gambling authorities that work in different ways and have different rules. The rules and regulations may be quite similar, but the way they are enforced is a different story entirely. For example, if a casino doesn’t comply with the regulations, some gambling authorities may just issue a fine while others may revoke the casino’s license outright. How often gambling authorities show up for an unscheduled inspection or control will also vary.
The biggest differences between a safe, high quality gambling license and one that isn’t as good will usually show up in the areas of fair gaming, dispute resolution and the rules and systems for identifying and handling problem gamblers (responsible gambling). If your country of residence has its own gambling authority, playing at casinos that are licensed by them will be the safest option for you. Other international licenses that can be trusted are issued by the Malta Gambling Authority and the Gibraltar Regulatory Authority. Curacao eGaming is getting better at protecting players whereas licenses from Panama and Costa Rica, for instance, are considered less safe. The worst option is obviously a casino with no license whatsoever.
Our casino experts have tried and tested all aspects of each and every casino, so you can feel confident when signing up.
