Each individual European Member State has the power to put in place a regulatory regime to oversee the operation of online casinos and any other online gambling sites that are based or promote their services within their boundaries.
Top Rated EU Casinos
Whilst the majority of them do so there are others that have not yet got around to putting an infrastructure in place. It is also worth knowing that if a casino online is licensed in one EU country they may need to apply to others if they intend to promote themselves and offer their services to customs based in other EU countries.
That does of course mean that all European based gamblers are going to find a huge number of casino sites are now available to them, and they do have the added peace of mind in knowing the casinos they do play at that are fully licensed operate to the best standards possible.
European Online Gambling Laws
As each country in the EU that does license casino sites will have their own Gambling Commissions to perform that task, there are often going to be some unique rules and regulations in place in certain countries regarding the operation of such sites.
As for which EU Member States have a system in place that allows them to issue gambling licenses and regulate their license holders, well below are just a small number of them:
- Germany
- Spain
- France
- Belgium
- Switzerland
- Hungary
- Russia
- Poland
- Italy
- Malta
- Netherlands
- Denmark
- Portugal
- Norway
If you have been thinking about playing at a casino site, then my advice would be to only sign up to those that are licensed in your own country, as the simple fact that they are overseen by your country specific Gambling Commission means you are highly unlikely to ever run into any problems at those sites that will not be quickly addressed and sorted out.
Deposit Options for European Online Gamblers
All deposits that you choose to make into any EU online casino site account will be processed in real time and will therefore show up in your account instantly, and there are certainly going to be plenty of available methods that you can choose as your own preferred deposit method.
As some of the service providers that for example operate web and e-wallets impose additional fees and charges on their customers I suggest you stick to making use of those that do not, for you will not want to see the value of your gambling bankroll by way of deposit and withdrawal fees and charges being reduced.
Here are just some of the huge and very diverse range of different payment methods you will find being offered to you on the banking interfaces at most casino sites that accept players living in Europe:
- PayPal
- Skrill
- Neteller
- Debit Cards
- Prepaid Vouchers
The Gambling Commission that oversee, license and regulated EU based casinos often impose rules on their license holders that are part of a responsible gambling policy, and one thing therefore that you will be able to do as a customer of any licensed casino is set yourself a deposit limit, and that is something I always do advise everybody that gambles online to put in place on their real money accounts.
Popular European Online Casino Games
Below I have compiled a small list containing the game categories that players based in Europe love playing, you may be surprised to see scratch cards on that list, however the online versions of those games offer multiple staking options but have much higher payouts than cards purchased in your local shops and stores.
- European Roulette
- Blackjack
- Slot Machines
- Scratch Cards
For those of you out there who have never played any type of casino game or game of chance online before, be aware that you are always going to be given the opportunity to play for free at any featured online casino, so you can play at no risk whatsoever to help you determine and make your own mind up as to whether playing for real money at a later date is something you will enjoy doing, or not.
Top Tips for Playing at European Casinos Online
The rewards and player promotional offers such as bonus deals are often what can make the difference between a long gaming session or not, and with that in mind my advice is to always be prepared to spend some time comparing what each casino is going to give you by way of extras either for signing up to their sites or on an ongoing basis.
As most EU online casino sites will have their own loyalty schemes, often simply referred to as a comp club, you should take a look at what those rewards scheme will be giving you based on the level of real money gaming action that you play through at each online casino, for some sites are way more generous than others with their player giveaways.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I access the French Roulette game variant online?
Every single variant of Roulette can be found online, including but certainly not limited to the French, European and American variants.
Do online casinos let you count cards when playing Blackjack?
There is no point counting cards when playing software driven games as those games use random number generators and not real cards to determine the outcome of each hand dealt out, however you will be able to count cards when playing live Blackjack games online.
Can I put a deposit limit in place on my account?
You are strongly advised to always set a deposit limit for your real money account at any casino site, as by doing so you will be able to limit just how much you could lose on one or more sessions.
Will an EU casino ban me for winning?
No EU casino site will ban you simply for winning, as each game has a built in house edge that means over the long term each game will ultimately return a profit for casinos.
Do I have to play for high stakes online?
As all casino games offer a range of different staking options, that means you can configure each individual game to play for a stake level affordable to you and will never be forced or required to have to gamble for high stakes, if you do no wish to do so.