How to check a bookmaker licence before you deposit

Why the licence matters to you

When a licensed bookmaker refuses to pay, there is a route: a written complaint, then an alternative dispute resolution (ADR) body or the regulator, and courts in your home country. When a bookmaker has no licence that covers your country, that route mostly disappears. Our guide bookmaker won't pay out shows how much depends on it.

The licence also tells you which player-protection rules apply: identity checks, deposit limits, self-exclusion registers, segregation of customer funds. Those can feel like hurdles, but they are also what gives you leverage later.

The 5-minute check

1. Scroll to the footer (or the imprint / "about us" page). Note the company name, the registered address, the regulator and the licence number.
2. Open the regulator's website yourself, by typing the address, not by clicking the seal on the bookmaker's page.
3. Search the regulator's register for the company name or licence number.
4. Compare three things: the company name, the licence number and the exact domain you are on. All three must match. A real licence for a different domain doesn't cover the site in front of you.
5. Check the licence covers your country. A valid licence in Malta doesn't automatically mean the bookmaker is licensed in Slovakia.

Austria: Land permits, no national register

Sports betting in Austria is regulated by the nine federal states (Länder), not by the federal gambling act. Each Land issues its own permits, and there is no single public register of online sports-betting licences. That makes the footer more important:

• A bookmaker with an Austrian permit names the Land government that granted it. For example, Tipico and tipp3 state a permit from Lower Austria, and Admiral states supervision by the Upper Austria government. Bet3000 also reports an Austrian Land permit.
• Many well-known bookmakers serving Austria, such as bet365, bwin, Interwetten, bet-at-home and William Hill, show a licence from Malta or Gibraltar instead and serve Austria under EU rules on cross-border services. That is common, but it is not an Austrian permit, and complaints go to the Maltese or Gibraltar side.
• If you want certainty about an Austrian permit, write to the Land office named in the footer and ask whether the company holds a valid permit for online betting.

Austria-specific background is in betting tax in Austria.

Slovakia: the ÚRHH whitelist and blacklist

Slovakia is simpler. Under Act No. 30/2019 on gambling, only operators licensed by the gambling regulator ÚRHH (Úrad pre reguláciu hazardných hier) may offer online betting to Slovak residents. ÚRHH publishes two lists:

• The list of legal websites ("legálne webové sídla"): licensed operators and the exact domains they may use. As of the list valid from 1 January 2026, licensed online sports betting brands include Tipsport, Fortuna, Niké, DOXXbet, SYNOT TIP, Tipos and Chance.
• The list of prohibited offers ("zoznam zakázaných ponúk"), the blacklist. Domains on it are subject to internet and payment blocking orders. Several large international brands are on it.

If a site is not on the legal list, it is not licensed in Slovakia, whatever licence it shows from elsewhere. The law sanctions the operator rather than the player, but you lose Slovak consumer protection, and payments to blacklisted sites can be blocked. More in betting tax in Slovakia.

Spain, Malta, the UK and Curaçao

• Spain: the Dirección General de Ordenación del Juego (DGOJ) publishes a search of licensed operators. Check that the operator is listed and that the exact domain you are using appears in its entry. Licensed sites display the regulator's "Juego Seguro" seal.
• Malta (MGA): the Malta Gaming Authority's licensee register lists licensees with their licence numbers and the domains they operate. MGA licensees must refer unresolved complaints to an approved ADR body.
• United Kingdom (UKGC): the Gambling Commission's public register lets you search licensed gambling businesses and see their domains and any regulatory action. A UK licence covers British customers; it says nothing about Austria or Slovakia.
• Curaçao: Curaçao has been reforming its licensing system, replacing the old model of master licences and sub-licences with licences issued directly by its regulator. Even under the new rules, a Curaçao licence doesn't authorise a bookmaker to serve Austria or Slovakia, and enforcing a claim from Europe is hard. Many crypto betting sites rely on it; see crypto bookmakers.

Spotting a fake or cloned site

Some scam sites copy the logo and design of a real bookmaker, or paste a regulator's seal into the footer. Warning signs:

• The licence seal is an image that doesn't link anywhere, or links to a page that isn't on the regulator's real domain.
• No company name, registered address or imprint, or a company that doesn't match the register entry.
• A domain slightly different from the real brand (extra letters, hyphens, an unusual ending).
• Only crypto or voucher deposits, no bank or card payments.
• Requests to pay a "fee", "tax" or "verification deposit" before a withdrawal is released. Real bookmakers deduct fees from the payout; they don't ask you to send more money.
• Contact only through a messenger app, or a "manager" who approached you on social media.

Those patterns also appear in sure-betting scams; see arbitrage betting scams.

How ArbVantage shows licence status

ArbVantage never hides a bookmaker because of its licence. Instead, every bookmaker carries a neutral flag for your country, so you can decide with the facts in front of you:

• No flag: licensed in your country according to the regulator's list or the operator's published permit.
• "Austria licence unconfirmed": the bookmaker serves Austria with a licence from another EU country (often Malta), and we have not confirmed an Austrian Land permit.
• "Not licensed in Slovakia": not on the ÚRHH list of legal websites. That includes sites on the blacklist.
• "Blocks Austria": the site turns away visitors from Austria.

Some bookmakers that are not available to residents, such as exchanges and sharp books, are used only as price references and are never suggested when you add accounts. Which books suit your country is covered in how many bookmaker accounts you need.

Frequently asked questions

How do I know if a bookmaker is legal in Slovakia?

Check the ÚRHH list of legal websites. Only operators and domains on that list are licensed for Slovak residents. ÚRHH also publishes a blacklist of prohibited offers, whose domains can be blocked.

Is there a register of licensed bookmakers in Austria?

There is no single national register, because sports betting is licensed by the nine federal states. A bookmaker with an Austrian permit names the Land government in its footer, and you can ask that Land office to confirm it.

Is a Malta licence valid in Austria or Slovakia?

Many Malta-licensed bookmakers serve Austria under EU rules on cross-border services, but that is not an Austrian permit. In Slovakia a Malta licence is not enough: only ÚRHH-licensed operators may offer online betting.

How can I tell if a licence seal is fake?

Don't click the seal. Open the regulator's website yourself, search its register, and check that the company name, licence number and the exact domain you are on all match.

Sources

• ÚRHH: list of legal websites (licensed online operators) (in Slovak)
• ÚRHH: list of prohibited offers (blacklist) (in Slovak)
• Land Salzburg: sports betting businesses (example of Land regulation) (in German)
• DGOJ: licensed operators (in Spanish)
• Malta Gaming Authority: licensee register
• UK Gambling Commission: public registers

As of October 2026, checked against the linked sources. Not legal, tax or betting advice.

Betting involves risk, even with sure bets: prices move, bets get voided and accounts get limited. Only use money you can do without. Our responsible gambling page lists free help.

Not betting advice. 18+. Betting involves risk. See our disclaimer.