Editorial policy

1. Our editorial purpose

The International Register of Licensed Gambling (IRLG) provides clear, factual and independently researched information about the licensing and regulatory status of online gambling operators. Our primary purpose is verification.

IRLG helps consumers, affiliates, businesses, journalists and other interested parties establish who operates a gambling website, whether that operator holds a gambling licence, which authority issued it and the jurisdiction in which it applies. IRLG does not treat the existence of a licence as evidence that an operator is authorised to accept customers in every country.

2. Editorial independence

Information published by IRLG is based on evidence, not commercial relationships. An operator cannot purchase a favourable listing, an improved regulatory status, a higher position or the removal of legitimate regulatory information.

Where IRLG offers paid services, payment does not influence the licensing information recorded by IRLG. Commercial activity is kept separate from editorial and regulatory research.

3. Primary sources

Wherever reasonably possible, licensing information is verified using primary sources. Preferred sources include:

• Official gambling regulator registers
• Government licensing databases
• Official regulator announcements
• Licence certificates that can be independently authenticated
• Government company registers
• Published enforcement decisions
• Official operator legal and regulatory information

Operator websites may be used as a secondary source but are not, by themselves, conclusive evidence that a licence exists. Affiliate websites, review websites, forums, social media and search results are not treated as authoritative evidence of licensing; they may be used only to identify matters for further research.

4. Licence verification

Before IRLG describes an operator as licensed, researchers attempt to establish:

• The legal entity holding the licence
• The licensing authority
• The licence or account number, where publicly available
• The licence status
• The gambling activities covered by the licence
• The brands or domains connected with the licence
• The jurisdiction in which the licence provides authorisation
• The date on which the information was last checked

Where a regulator provides a searchable public register, that register normally takes precedence over statements made by the operator.

5. Operator, brand and domain

IRLG distinguishes between an operator, a gambling brand and a website domain. One licensed company may run many brands and domains, and a licence held by a related company does not automatically establish that every website in a corporate group operates under it.

Where possible IRLG documents the connection: domain → brand → operating company → licence → regulator → jurisdiction.

6. Jurisdiction matters

Licensing information is always presented in its geographical context. A licence issued in one jurisdiction is never described in a way that implies worldwide authorisation. IRLG distinguishes between holding a gambling licence, being licensed in a particular jurisdiction and being authorised to target customers in a particular country. These are not necessarily the same thing.

7. Offshore licences

IRLG may document licences issued by offshore and international licensing bodies. Inclusion does not constitute an endorsement of the regulatory regime concerned. Offshore licensing is not presented as equivalent to domestic authorisation in countries that operate their own licensing systems.

8. Where no licence is identified

IRLG only states that no licence has been identified when reasonable checks have failed to find a current licence. Where certainty is not possible, the wording reflects that limitation. IRLG uses the phrases “No current gambling licence identified by IRLG” or “IRLG has been unable to independently verify a current gambling licence for this operator”.

The absence of a licence identified by IRLG does not establish that an operator is breaking the law, and IRLG does not state or imply that it is.

9. Status terms

IRLG uses the following terms with their specific meanings only, and never interchangeably:

• Licence confirmed on regulator's register
• Licence claimed – not yet verified
• Details differ from regulator's register
• Licence not found on regulator's register
• Licence expired
• Licence suspended
• Licence revoked
• Licence surrendered
• Regulatory warning issued (attributed to the issuing authority)
• Enforcement action taken (attributed to the responsible authority)

Official warnings, suspensions, revocations, penalties and enforcement actions are always attributed directly to the regulator or public authority responsible.

10. Language we do not use

IRLG does not describe any operator as a “scam”, “fraudulent”, “illegal” or “criminal”, or use similar terms, unless an authoritative body has made that finding — and then only with the finding clearly attributed to that body. IRLG records licensing status; it does not make allegations.

11. Checks before publishing adverse information

Before any record indicating a missing, mismatched, expired or unverified licence is published, it is reviewed against the source evidence and the wording is checked against this policy. Records that cannot meet these standards are not published.

12. Evidence and record keeping

Important findings are supported by an evidence trail. Where practical IRLG retains:

• Source URL
• Regulatory authority
• Date accessed
• Licence number
• Relevant legal entity
• Associated domains
• Copies or archived evidence where appropriate
• Researcher notes
• Date of last verification

This allows a record to be reviewed if it is disputed.

13. Review and updates

Licences change: companies are acquired, brands move, licences expire and regulators take action. IRLG records show a “Last checked” date wherever practical. Disputed or higher-risk records are reviewed more often, and records are updated promptly when reliable evidence shows they are no longer accurate. Changes are recorded in the public update log.

14. Corrections and right of reply

Accuracy takes priority over defending previously published information. Material errors are corrected as soon as reasonably possible.

Operators and anyone else may submit corrections or evidence through the contact page. Urgent reports are acknowledged within 1 working day and other requests within 5 working days. Requests are assessed against the same evidential standards as the original record; supplying evidence does not guarantee a change. Commercial pressure, threats or refusal to buy IRLG services never determine the status shown in the register.

15. Conflicts of interest

Anyone researching or editing IRLG records must not work on records concerning a company, group or regulator with which they have a financial, employment or personal connection, and must declare any such connection.

16. Artificial intelligence

IRLG may use AI and automated tools to assist with research, monitoring and identifying possible licensing changes. AI-generated findings never automatically become verified facts; material information is checked against reliable sources before it is presented as verified. AI is a research tool, not a regulatory authority.

17. Comparing regulators

IRLG does not rank licences in a league table. Where differences between regulators are explained, they are based on identifiable characteristics such as licensing requirements, regulatory powers, complaint mechanisms, player-fund protection, enforcement procedures, public registers and responsible gambling requirements.

18. Personal data

IRLG records information about companies, not private individuals. Where names of directors or licence holders appear, they are taken only from official public registers and are limited to what is needed to identify the licensed entity. Requests about personal data can be made through the contact page.

19. Commercial relationships

Any payment from an operator, affiliate, supplier or other gambling business never alters licensing records or findings. IRLG never accepts payment for:

• Concealing a regulatory warning
• Changing an unverified operator to verified
• Removing legitimate licensing information
• Suppressing documented enforcement action
• Misrepresenting the jurisdictional scope of a licence

Any sponsored content or commercial service will be clearly labelled and kept separate from register information. IRLG does not currently operate a blacklist or issue verification seals; if either is introduced, it will be governed by documented published criteria.

20. Responsible gambling

IRLG is an information and verification service and does not encourage gambling. Licensing does not remove the financial risks of gambling. If gambling is causing you harm, contact a recognised support organisation or self-exclusion service in your country.

21. Writing standards

IRLG content is factual, independent, precise, evidence-led and neutral. Statements of fact are kept distinct from IRLG analysis, operator claims and third-party allegations. When something cannot be independently established, IRLG says so.

Every record aims to answer five questions: who operates the website, what licence they hold, who issued it, where it provides authorisation, and when this was last independently checked. Where one cannot be answered with confidence, the record shows that uncertainty rather than filling the gap with an assumption.