Do this, in order
- Find the licence number. It's usually in the site footer, sometimes on an About or Licence Information page. If you can't find one anywhere, that's already your answer.
- Match it to a real regulator. Common ones you'll see: Malta Gaming Authority, UK Gambling Commission, Gibraltar, Curacao, Anjouan, Tobique. Each has its own public register.
- Search the regulator's register directly. Don't trust a badge image on the casino's site - badges can be copied. Go to the regulator's own website and search the licence number there.
- Confirm the operating name matches. The name on the register should match the casino's actual operating entity, not just the brand name on the homepage. These are sometimes different - the brand might be Playboom24 while the licensed entity is a completely different company. Check both.
- Check the licence is active, not expired or suspended. Registers usually show status.
What each licence actually gets you
MGA (Malta) or UKGC. Stronger player protection, real dispute resolution processes, stricter operational rules. If something goes wrong, you have somewhere real to escalate.
Curacao. Legal to operate, but historically thinner player protections and slower or less consistent dispute resolution. Not automatically a red flag - plenty of legitimate casinos hold Curacao licences - but worth knowing going in.
No licence findable at all. Don't deposit. This isn't a grey area.
The two-minute version
If you only do one thing before depositing anywhere new: pull the licence number, search it on the regulator's site, confirm it's active and the name matches. Everything else on this list is detail. That's the check.