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 entertai ...

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, c ...

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 carr ...

. Generally, the enabling act is passed by the

legislature A legislature is an assembly with the authority to make law Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior,Robertson, ''Crimes against humanity'', 90. with its p ...

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 organ ...

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

vendor In a supply chain, a vendor, supplier, provider or a seller, is an enterprise that contributes goods or services. Generally, a supply chain vendor manufactures inventory/stock items and sells them to the next link in the chain. Today, these terms ...

s. 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 Accounting, also known as accountancy, is the measurement, processing, and communication of financial and non financial information about economic entities such as businesses and corporations. Accounting, which has been called the "languag ...

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, wher ...

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, theft ...

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. Inte ...

. 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 th ...

. 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 A contract is a legally enforceab ...

Gaming control boards

Inter-regional associations

Gaming Regulators European Forum 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 ...

(GREF) * International Association of Gaming Regulators (IAGR) * North American Gaming Regulators Association (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 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 popu ...

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 The Casino Regulatory Authority of Singapore (CRA) was a statutory board under the Ministry of Home Affairs of the Government of Singapore. It was formed on 2 April 2008 to regulate the management and operation of the casinos in Singapore. The ...

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 = Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark ...

: Spillemyndigheden *

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

: Autorité Nationale des Jeux *

Gibraltar ) , anthem = " God Save the King" , song = " Gibraltar Anthem" , image_map = Gibraltar location in Europe.svg , map_alt = Location of Gibraltar in Europe , map_caption = United Kingdom shown in pale green , mapsize = , image_map2 = Gib ...

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 com ...

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, Croatia a ...

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, b ...

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 *

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 - part of

Ministry of Culture Ministry of Culture may refer to: *Ministry of Tourism, Cultural Affairs, Youth and Sports (Albania) * Ministry of Culture (Algeria) *Ministry of Culture (Argentina) *Minister for the Arts (Australia) *Ministry of Culture (Azerbaijan) * Ministry of ...

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...

: Inspectorate General on Gaming *

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, an ...

Office for Gaming Supervision An office is a space where an Organization, organization's employees perform Business administration, administrative Work (human activity), work in order to support and realize objects and Goals, plans, action theory, goals of the organizati ...

- part of the Ministry of Finance *

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...

: 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 continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

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-largest ...

Alderney Gambling Control Commission Alderney Gambling Control Commission (AGCC) was established in May 2000. The Commission is independent and non political, and regulates eGambling on behalf of the States of Alderney. The Commission ensures that its regulatory and supervisory appr ...

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 Europe ...

Isle of Man Gambling Supervision Commission The Isle of Man Gambling Supervision Commission ( gv, Barrantee Oaseirys Karrooghys Vannin) (formerly the Gambling Control Commission) is the Gaming Control Board of the Isle of Man. It regulates most forms of gambling in its territory including l ...

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 tot ...

, 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 British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

Kahnawake Gaming Commission The Kahnawake Gaming Commission is a gaming regulatory body that licenses and regulates a large number of online casinos, online poker rooms and online sportsbook sites, as well as three land-based poker rooms that are situated within the Mohawk Ter ...

* Nova Scotia

Alcohol and Gaming Authority The Alcohol and Gaming Authority (AGA, previously known as the Nova Scotia Gaming Control Commission) is an agency of the government of the Canadian province of Nova Scotia that regulates gambling and alcoholic beverages in the province. Upon it ...

Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) is an Ontario Crown agency that reports to the Ministry of the Attorney General The Attorney General of Ontario is the chief legal adviser to His Majesty the King in Right of Ontario and, ...

* 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 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

, gambling is legal under

federal Federal or foederal (archaic) may refer to: Politics General *Federal monarchy, a federation of monarchies *Federation, or ''Federal state'' (federal system), a type of government characterized by both a central (federal) government and states or ...

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 The Arizona Department of Gaming (ADG) is a gaming control board in Arizona that provides oversight of the state's gaming industry. History The Arizona Department of Gaming was established by the Arizona State Legislature in 1995 to regulate t ...

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 cas ...

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 f ...

* Colorado Division of Gaming *

Connecticut Division of Special Revenue Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York (state), New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the ...

Delaware Lottery The Delaware Lottery is run by the government of Delaware. Its creation was authorized by the state legislature on May 31, 1974. Its "traditional" games include Play 3, Play 4, Multi-Win Lotto, Lucky For Life, Lotto America, Mega Millions, and Po ...

** Delaware Division of Gaming Enforcement * Illinois Gaming Board *

Indiana Gaming Commission Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th st ...

* Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission *

Kansas Racing and Gaming Commission Kansas () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its Capital city, capital is Topeka, Kansas, Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita, Kansas, Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebras ...

* Louisiana Gaming Control Board * Maine Gambling Control Board *

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 ancilla ...

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

Massachusetts Gaming Commission Massachusetts (Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut Massachusett_writing_systems.html" ;"title="nowiki/> məhswatʃəwiːsət.html" ;"title="Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət">Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət'' En ...

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 Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Mississ ...

Missouri Gaming Commission The Missouri Gaming Commission regulates riverboat casinos, charitable bingo, and fantasy sports contests in Missouri. It is headquartered in Jefferson City. The Missouri Gaming Commission was established in 1993 to regulate excursion gambling boa ...

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 pass ...

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 lic ...

New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement The New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE) is a governmental agency in the U.S. state of New Jersey that was established in 1977 under the Casino Control Act, N.J.S.A. to ensure the integrity of the casino gaming industry, including spor ...

* New Mexico Gaming Control Board *

New York State Gaming Commission The New York State Gaming Commission is the official governing body that oversees casino gaming, charitable gaming, horse racing, lottery, and video lottery terminals in New York State. Based in Schenectady, it was formed on February 1, 2013, up ...

Ohio Casino Control Commission The Ohio Casino Control Commission (OCCC) is a gaming control board in Ohio that provides oversight of the state's casinos. History In 1990, several Ohio cities filed petitions to the Ohio General Assembly to authorize casino gambling in the s ...

Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board is a governmental agency of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, founded in 2004 as the state licensing and the regulatory agency responsible for overseeing slot machines and casino gambling in the state. The ...

* South Dakota Commission on Gaming * Washington State Gambling Commission *

West Virginia Lottery Commission The West Virginia Lottery is run by the government of West Virginia. It was established in 1984 via a voter referendum. It is a charter member of the Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL). The Lottery offers games such as Lotto America, Powerb ...

=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 The National Indian Gaming Commission (NIGC; ) is a United States federal regulatory agency within the Department of the Interior. Congress established the agency pursuant to the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act in 1988. The commission is the only ...

(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 {{Use dmy dates, date=May 2018 The Gaming Tribunal of New South Wales was a tribunal with jurisdiction to make declarations that premises were being used for the purposes of illegal gaming. The consequences of such a declaration were that the pol ...

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 ) , 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 , establishe ...

/ Queensland Gaming Commission *

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 The Victorian Commission for Gambling Regulation (VCGR) was the gambling regulator in the Australian state of Victoria from 2004 until February 2012. The VCGR was part of the Victorian Department of Justice. The VCGR regulated the four gambling ...

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 South is one of the cardinal directions or Points of the compass, compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both east and west. Etymology The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Pro ...

References

{{Reflist * Government agencies by type