A gaming control board (GCB), also called by various names including gambling control board, casino control board, gambling board, and gaming commission, is a

government agency A government or state agency, sometimes an appointed commission, is a permanent or semi-permanent organization in the machinery of government that is responsible for the oversight and administration of specific functions, such as an administrati ...

charged with regulating

casino A casino is a facility for certain types of gambling. Casinos are often built near or combined with hotels, resorts, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships, and other tourist attractions. Some casinos are also known for hosting live enterta ...

and other types of gaming in a defined geographical area, usually a state, and of enforcing

gaming law Gaming law is the set of rules and regulations that apply to the gaming or gambling industry. Gaming law is not a branch of law in the traditional sense but rather is a collection of several areas of law that include criminal law, regulatory law, ...

in general.

Rules and regulations

Gaming control boards are usually responsible for promulgating rules and regulations that dictate how gaming activities are to be conducted within a jurisdiction. The rules and regulations stem from the jurisdiction's

enabling act An enabling act is a piece of legislation by which a legislative body grants an entity which depends on it (for authorization or legitimacy) the power to take certain actions. For example, enabling acts often establish government agencies to c ...

. Generally, the enabling act is passed by the

legislature A legislature is an deliberative assembly, assembly with the authority to make laws for a Polity, political entity such as a Sovereign state, country or city. They are often contrasted with the Executive (government), executive and Judiciary, ...

and sets forth the broad

policy Policy is a deliberate system of guidelines to guide decisions and achieve rational outcomes. A policy is a statement of intent and is implemented as a procedure or protocol. Policies are generally adopted by a governance body within an orga ...

of the jurisdiction with regard to gaming; while the rules and regulations provide detailed requirements that must be satisfied by a gaming establishment, its owners, employees, and vendors. Typically, rules and regulations cover a broad range of activity, including

licensing A license (or licence) is an official permission or permit to do, use, or own something (as well as the document of that permission or permit). A license is granted by a party (licensor) to another party (licensee) as an element of an agreeme ...

, accounting systems, rules of

casino game Games available in most casinos are commonly called casino games. In a casino game, the players gamble cash or casino chips on various possible random outcomes or combinations of outcomes. Casino games are also available in online casinos, wh ...

s, fair play, better security and

audit An audit is an "independent examination of financial information of any entity, whether profit oriented or not, irrespective of its size or legal form when such an examination is conducted with a view to express an opinion thereon.” Auditing ...

ing.

Licensing

Gaming control boards also have complete authority to grant or deny licenses to gaming establishments, their ownership, employees, and vendors. Generally, in order to obtain a license, an applicant must demonstrate that they possess good character,

honesty Honesty or truthfulness is a facet of moral character that connotes positive and virtuous attributes such as integrity, truthfulness, straightforwardness, including straightforwardness of conduct, along with the absence of lying, cheating, thef ...

and

integrity Integrity is the practice of being honest and showing a consistent and uncompromising adherence to strong moral and ethical principles and values. In ethics, integrity is regarded as the honesty and truthfulness or accuracy of one's actions. In ...

. License application forms typically require detailed personal information. Based upon the type of license being sought, an applicant may also be required to disclose details regarding previous business relationships, employment history, criminal records, and financial stability. Generally, the gaming license application process and subsequent investigation is quite burdensome in comparison to the process of obtaining other government-issued licenses. The difficulty of the process is intended to dissuade participation by unsavory people and

organized crime Organized crime (or organised crime) is a category of transnational, national, or local groupings of highly centralized enterprises run by criminals to engage in illegal activity, most commonly for profit. While organized crime is generally tho ...

. Recently, in order to simplify the application process, various gaming control boards have collaborated on the design of "multi-jurisdictional" application forms. Persons or vendors who are involved in gaming in multiple jurisdictions may now complete one application form and submit copies to each jurisdiction.

Enforcement

In some cases, Gaming Control Boards are responsible for enforcing the rules and regulations that they create. In other cases, a separate body or a division of the Gaming Control Board carries out the enforcement function. Most Gaming Control Boards have full authority to hear and decide

civil Civil may refer to: *Civic virtue, or civility *Civil action, or lawsuit * Civil affairs *Civil and political rights *Civil disobedience *Civil engineering *Civil (journalism), a platform for independent journalism *Civilian, someone not a membe ...

cases brought before them by the enforcement body and thus are considered

quasi-judicial bodies A quasi-judicial body is non-judicial body which can interpret law. It is an entity such as an arbitration panel or tribunal board, that can be a public administrative agency but also a contract- or private law entity, which has been ...

Gaming control boards

Inter-regional associations

* Gaming Regulators European Forum (GREF) *

International Association of Gaming Regulators International is an adjective (also used as a noun) meaning "between nations". International may also refer to: Music Albums * ''International'' (Kevin Michael album), 2011 * ''International'' (New Order album), 2002 * ''International'' (The T ...

(IAGR) *

North American Gaming Regulators Association North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography. Etymology The word ''no ...

(NAGRA)

Regional and tribal associations

Asia

Macau Macau or Macao (; ; ; ), officially the Macao Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (MSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China in the western Pearl River Delta by the South China Sea. With a pop ...

: Macau Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau *

Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...

: Casino Regulatory Authority of Singapore

Europe

Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of Denmark , establishe ...

: Spillemyndigheden *

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan ar ...

: Autorité Nationale des Jeux * Gibraltar:

Gibraltar Regulatory Authority The Gibraltar Regulatory Authority (GRA) was established by the Gibraltar Regulatory Act in October 2000. The GRA is the statutory body in Gibraltar responsible for regulating electronic communications. This includes telecommunications, radio co ...

Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croa ...

Gaming Board of Hungary Gaming may refer to: Games and sports The act of playing games, as in: * Legalized gambling, playing games of chance for money, often referred to in law as "gaming" * Playing a role-playing game, in which players assume fictional roles * Playing ...

Malta Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...

Malta Gaming Authority The Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) (formerly the Lotteries and Gaming Authority) (LGA) is the gaming control board of Malta. It regulates most forms of gambling in its territory, including both land-based ( casino, amusement and slot machines, ...

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

Nederlandse Kansspelautoriteit Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People E ...

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...

Norwegian Gaming and Foundation Authority Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to: *Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in northwestern Europe *Norwegians, both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway *Demographics of Norway *The Norwegian language, including the ...

- part of Ministry of Culture *

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, In recognized minority languages of Portugal: :* mwl, República Pertuesa is a country located on the Iberian Peninsula, in Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Macaronesian ...

Inspectorate General on Gaming An inspectorate or inspectorate-general (or general inspectorate) is a civil or military body charged with inspecting and reporting on some institution or institutions in its field of competence. Inspectorates cover a broad spectrum of organizations ...

Slovenia Slovenia ( ; sl, Slovenija ), officially the Republic of Slovenia (Slovene: , abbr.: ''RS''), is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the southeast, and ...

: Office for Gaming Supervision - part of the Ministry of Finance * Sweden: National Gaming Board *

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

Gambling Commission The Gambling Commission is an executive non-departmental public body of the Government of the United Kingdom responsible for regulating gambling and supervising gaming law in Great Britain. Its remit covers arcades, betting, bingo, casinos, ...

Alderney Alderney (; french: Aurigny ; Auregnais: ) is the northernmost of the inhabited Channel Islands. It is part of the Bailiwick of Guernsey, a British Crown dependency. It is long and wide. The island's area is , making it the third-larges ...

: Alderney Gambling Control Commission **

Isle of Man ) , anthem = " O Land of Our Birth" , image = Isle of Man by Sentinel-2.jpg , image_map = Europe-Isle_of_Man.svg , mapsize = , map_alt = Location of the Isle of Man in Europe , map_caption = Location of the Isle of Man (green) in Europ ...

: Isle of Man Gambling Supervision Commission

North America

=Canada

= In

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tota ...

, gambling is regulated exclusively by the provinces rather than federal law. But there is also the National Trade Association of Canada - The Canadian Gaming Association (CGA). This works to advance the development of Canada's gaming industry. The association’s mandate is to promote the economic value of games in Canada; Use research, innovation and best practices t. Regulatory agencies include: * Alberta Gaming, Liquor, and Cannabis Commission * British Columbia Gaming Policy and Enforcement Branch * Kahnawake Gaming Commission * Nova Scotia Alcohol and Gaming Authority * Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario * Quebec Régie des Alcools des Courses et des Jeux

=United States

= In the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., federal district, five ma ...

, gambling is legal under federal law, although there are significant restrictions pertaining to interstate and

online gambling Online gambling is any kind of gambling conducted on the internet. This includes virtual poker, casinos and sports betting. The first online gambling venue opened to the general public was ticketing for the Liechtenstein International Lottery i ...

=States

= Individual states have the right to regulate or prohibit the practice within their borders. Regulatory agencies include: * Arizona Department of Gaming *

California Gambling Control Commission California Gambling Control Commission (CGCC) is the official gambling commission of the state of California. The Commission was proposed in the mid 1990s under the bills AB 2803 and AB 362 to "create a state agency to license card clubs and casi ...

California Bureau of Gambling Control The California Bureau of Gambling Control is a regulatory agency that is part of the California Department of Justice. It regulates legal gambling activities in California to ensure that gambling is conducted honestly, competitively, and free fr ...

Colorado Division of Gaming Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the ...

* Connecticut Division of Special Revenue * Delaware Lottery **

Delaware Division of Gaming Enforcement The Delaware State Police (DSP) is a division of the Delaware Department of Public Safety and Homeland Security and is responsible for traffic regulation and law enforcement across the state of Delaware, especially in areas underserved by local ...

Illinois Gaming Board Illinois Gaming Board (IGB) is a gaming board in Illinois that controls the state's gaming industry. The Board controls a regulatory and tax collection for video gaming and riverboat casinos. The Board has a five members, selected by the Govern ...

* Indiana Gaming Commission *

Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission Iowa () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wiscon ...

* Kansas Racing and Gaming Commission * Louisiana Gaming Control Board *

Maine Gambling Control Board Maine () is a state in the New England and Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and northw ...

Maryland Lottery The Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency (MLGCA) is an independent agency of the Maryland government. The MLGCA operates the Maryland Lottery and serves as regulator for Maryland's casino and sports wagering programs and a number of ancill ...

(Controls both the lottery and the state's slot-machine program) * Massachusetts Gaming Commission *

Michigan Gaming Control Board The Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB) is a gaming control board in Michigan that provides oversight of the state's gaming industry, which was founded and authorized by statewide voting in November 1996. In 2019 the legislature passed a major ...

* Mississippi Gaming Commission * Missouri Gaming Commission *

Nevada Gaming Commission The Nevada Gaming Commission is a Nevada state governmental agency involved in the regulation of casinos throughout the state, along with the Nevada Gaming Control Board. In 1959, the Nevada Gaming Commission ("Commission") was created by the pas ...

Nevada Gaming Control Board The Nevada Gaming Control Board, also known as the State Gaming Control Board, is a Nevada state governmental agency involved in the regulation of gaming and law enforcement of Nevada gaming laws throughout the state, along with the Nevada Gaming ...

New Jersey Casino Control Commission The Casino Control Commission is a New Jersey state governmental agency that was founded in 1977 as the state's Gaming Control Board, responsible under the Casino Control Act for licensing casinos in Atlantic City. The commission also issues l ...

** New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement *

New Mexico Gaming Control Board New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created. New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz Albums and EPs * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, ...

* New York State Gaming Commission * Ohio Casino Control Commission * Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board *

South Dakota Commission on Gaming South Dakota Commission on Gaming (SDCG) is a gaming board in South Dakota that controls the state's gaming industry. The Board controls a regulatory and tax collection for video gaming and riverboat casinos. History Slot machines and gaming ...

Washington State Gambling Commission The Washington State Gambling Commission is an agency of the government of the State of Washington, founded in 1973 as the state's gaming control board, which is responsible for enforcing gambling laws and regulations. This organization is the sec ...

* West Virginia Lottery Commission

=Tribes

= In the United States, some Native American tribal nations have established their own gaming control boards for the purpose of regulating tribe-owned casinos located within reservations. Although the tribal nation also owns the casino, appointing an independent gaming control board to oversee regulatory activities provides tribal members with assurances that the casino is operated within expected standards and that tribal revenue is accurately collected and reported. Native American casinos are subject to the provisions of the

Indian Gaming Regulatory Act The Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (, ''et seq.'') is a 1988 United States federal law that establishes the jurisdictional framework that governs Indian gaming. There was no federal gaming structure before this act. The stated purposes of the ac ...

, which is enforced by the National Indian Gaming Commission (NIGC). The NIGC establishes minimum internal control standards and other requirements that each Native American gaming control board must follow. However, the NIGC does not have jurisdiction over state-regulated entities.

Oceania

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

, Australia: Gaming Tribunal of New South Wales *

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

, Australia: Queensland Office of Gaming Regulation/

Queensland Gaming Commission ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

Victoria (Australia) Victoria is a state in southeastern Australia. It is the second-smallest state with a land area of , the second most populated state (after New South Wales) with a population of over 6.5 million, and the most densely populated state in ...

: Victorian Commission for Gambling Regulation *

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...

: South Australia Independent Gambling Authority

References

{{Reflist * Government agencies by type