Most countries that permit online casinos also have licensing and regulatory structures for those sites. Companies that operate online casinos may pay fees of $50,000 to $100,000 or more a year for the right to conduct gambling activities on the Internet, and they are usually subject to independent audit requirements to ensure compliance with standards of fairness and even the randomness of their gaming software. Many jurisdictions also require online casinos to post a bond or carry insurance that will cover gamblers' winnings if the company itself is unable to meet its obligations.

If an online casino is licensed in its home country, you should be able to find that information in the “about us” section of the Web site. The personnel manning the telephone support system also should be able to tell you where the company is licensed, whether it is subjected to independent audits, and which company conducts those audits. Typically, online casinos will use the services of large, multinational firms, such as PricewaterhouseCoopers, to conduct independent audits, and the audit findings should be available to the general public.

Some online casino operators are publicly held companies; these companies will be listed on the NASDAQ stock exchange or other exchanges. Public companies, such as Boss Media, have additional reporting requirements under the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. You can find a wealth of financial and other information about these companies from the SEC's Web site (see Appendix B).

In addition to meeting the regulations established by governments, many online casinos are members of trade groups or associations that monitor and promote so-called “best practices” for their members. The Internet Gaming Commission is one of these associations, an independent body that keeps track of licensed and unlicensed online casinos and provides information about the games offered at online gambling sites. Another group that serves as both a watchdog and a consumer-information organization is the e-Commerce and Online Gaming Regulation Assurance, or eCOGRA, group. Web sites for these groups are included in Appendix B.