Jersey Island (JGC) Licensed Casinos

(JGC) The Licensing Authority in Jersey

JGC or the Jersey Gambling Commission is a licensing authority that regulates all kinds of commercial gambling activities including charitable gambling. The only exception is the Channel Islands Lottery which is regulated by the government of Jersey. The mission of JGC is to function in line with the core principles of the Gambling Commission’s law. The government of Jersey enforced the Gambling Commission Law on 3rd September 2010.

The main objective of JGC is to prevent money laundering, fraud, and crimes associated with gambling. The commission closely follows the international standards prevalent in the gambling industry while ensuring the fairness of various gambling products and services. JGC is solely responsible for ensuring that the licensees implement necessary measures to safeguard vulnerable gamers and the young from the ill effects of gambling.

Thus the main aim of JGC is to ensure proper compliance with the gambling legislation. Also, JGC makes necessary amendments to ensure that the regulations are utilized in the right manner to protect the players in all possible manner. The responsibility of advising the government and Ministers on various aspects relating to the gambling laws also lies with JGC. Ultimately the Commission ensures that all its functions are in line with the economic policies of the government of Jersey.

JGC Activities 

JGC issues gambling licenses to various types of service providers such as bookmakers, remote gambling operators, machine operators, platform providers, and thrift clubs. There are several formalities and verification procedures that are required to complete the JGC licensing process. The applicant has to comply with all the gambling regulations and submit the required documents to fulfill all the provisions of JGC.

• When applying you must submit all the details of his current business and assets. This includes the details of business partners. The applicant must also disclose the assets owned by his spouse and children (if any).
• Also, the applicant has to submit an instrument approving the provision as to whether he has been charged with any kind of offense under the law of Jersey or any other country.
• The applicant has to submit a JFSC certification to prove that there are no financial crimes charged against him.
• A remote gambling operator is issued with a preserved facility license which is valid for 1 year. The licensee must renew it every year to continue the gambling activities. All the gaming software belonging to the gambling website should be approved by eCOGRA. Gambling sites in Jersey offer various slot machines, lottos, Dream Catcher, and Instant Win games.
• For platform providers, JGC issues a special permit that is valid for 5 years. The providers have to follow all the requisite codes of practice to receive the license.
• JGC requires gambling service providers to comply with the standards of multiple testing authorities such as eCOGRA, Gaming Associates, GLI Europe, Global Lab Limited, Quinel SA, and SiQ. The applicant has to provide certifications authorizing the approval of all these organizations based on the nature of the gambling service provided.

JGC Licenses

JGC provides gambling licenses for various types of activities. This includes a race track license to offer pari-mutuel or pool betting. Further, the Commission offers licenses to land-based commercial gambling services. This includes Bookmakers License, Gambling Machine Operators License (bars and clubs that provide gambling machines), and Thrift Club License (gambling services offered to non-members). JGC also issues a Machine Suppliers Permit to dealers and service providers who supply or maintain any gambling machine or equipment.

Player Protection and Privacy

The main aim of JGC is to protect the players from the ill effects of gambling activities. To this end, the Commission has imposed various regulations on licensees. The Gambling Commission (Jersey) law comes with a Player Protection Legislation that requires gambling operators to conduct their gambling activities responsibly. It requires them to safeguard the rights of the young and vulnerable people.

JGC’s player protection policies apply to all kinds of licensees which include bookmakers, race track licensees, remote gambling operators, and platform providers. The licensees have to follow all the regulations associated with player protection that depend on the nature of the service provided. For instance, online gambling service providers have to comply with the standards of Gaming Associates which is an internationally recognized testing facility.

Gaming Association (GA) provides Games Certification, RNG and RTP testing, platform testing, and Information Security Assessment. GA certification ensures that the gambling products and services offered are entirely secure, fair, and auditable. Thus JGC ensures that the players get to play on high-quality gambling software.

JGC ensures that every gambling service provider adheres to the principles of social responsibility. They should help players recover from gambling addiction and prevent vulnerable players from getting into trouble owing to their gambling activities.

JGC maintains strict regulations when it comes to privacy. To this end, JGC monitors the gambling platforms and services for the nature of security offered concerning players’ information, data, and money.

JGC Certification and License Cost

JGC certifies applicants based on their eligibility and legal records. As per the provisions of JGC, the applicant must fulfill all the terms and conditions. This includes the terms associated with the parent company, financial records, and source of income. The details of documents and legal instruments required are mentioned on the official website of JGC. Gambling operators who seek to receive a gambling license should refer to this site or visit the office of the Gambling Commission to submit a valid application along with all the requisite documents and proofs.

The cost of obtaining a gambling license in Jersey varies depending on the type of license provided. The application fee for obtaining a Platform Providers Permit is £6,000. The permit fee for type 1 Platform Providers is £15,000 and for type 2 Platform Provider is £10,000. The permit fee has to be paid annually. The application fee for Hosting Providers License is £500 and the permit fee is £1000.

The license fee for Remote Gambling operators whose gross gaming revenue is less than £1,000,000 is £15,000 per annum and whose gross gaming revenue is more than £1,000,000 is £35,000 per annum. Remote Gambling operators applying for a license should also pay an application fee of £6,000.

If the gambling operator or the licensee fails to pay the permit fee on time, JGC charges 10% extra as a penalty.

Advantages and Disadvantages

JGC controls all kinds of land-based gambling activities and remote gambling operators in Jersey. The main purpose of JGC is to protect the players from various kinds of malpractices associated with gambling. It also helps people to avoid addiction to gambling. JGC has full authority to take appropriate legal action against operators who do not comply with the gambling laws. Thus the Commission prevents the operators from indulging in money laundering and online fraud. JGC also permits and regulates charitable gambling that helps various originations in promoting economic diversity.

Even though JGC has several advantages, there are a few downsides. The gambling rules and regulations are quite extensive and this makes it difficult for the applicants to closely follow the terms and conditions. Also, there are not many agencies in Jersey that help service providers in obtaining a valid gambling silence. This has led many operators to conduct unlicensed gambling activities. Owing to the same reason the country doesn’t have a licensed land-based casino.

However, many pubs, hotels, bars, and public clubs offer gambling machines of various types. You can find a complete list of licensees on the official website of JGC. Nevertheless, it is evident from this list that compared to other licensing authorities JGC has issued very few licenses.

What Is the Relevance of a JGC License?

Gambling laws are prevalent in every country but not all countries are successful in the effective implementation of these laws. That is the reason why gambling markets are still prone to money laundering and fraudulent activities. Illegal gambling activities contribute to the majority of economic offenses. The fast-growing online gambling sector is yet another reason behind such financial crimes. Under such circumstances, a strict governing body like JGC is mandatory to protect players from getting cheated.

Online gambling activities pose multiple risks to players who do not realize the extent of the threat involved at each step. Starting from the registration of membership players are exposed to the risk of their personal information getting misused in multiple ways. In the virtual world, many gambling providers take advantage of novice players with the help of attractive bonus offers and freebies. This is where organizations like JGC play an important role in differentiating authentic gambling services from fake ones. JGC as a licensing authority certifies safe and secured gambling operators. Players can easily identify such sites with the help of the JGC logo that appears at the bottom of the site.

JGC licensing is mandatory for conducting any kind of gambling activity in Jersey. This includes platform providers, hosting services, remote gambling services, thrift clubs, gambling machine providers, machine suppliers, gambling software developers, lottos, and promotional lotteries. JGC requires the licensees to comply with internationally accredited testing authorities like eCOGRA and Gambling Associates. JGC also monitors and audits the gambling activities and products of its licensees regularly to ensure the quality of service and security provided. Thus, JGC plays a key role in protecting the players from the consequences of unregulated gambling.