Best Casino Sites in Estonia – Online Casinos for Estonians

Since Estonia threw of the shackles of soviet rule it has steadily grown and has a very healthy economy. Food production, construction, machinery manufacture and the chemical industry have been major contributors. Although not considered a tourist hotspot Estonia has some beautiful coastline and some interesting architecture in the capital Tannin. Estonia is a bit of a gambling haven with many casinos in the capital and other major cities. After independence in the early nineties the gambling industry took off. Legislation in 1995 bought in regulation and the industry thrived. With changes in technology rapidly proceeding and admission to the EU new laws where needed and in 2012 these were introduced. It seems that gambling laws in Europe tend to go along the same route. Governments try to restrict licenses to either state run or locally based brands. Then the European commission gets involved and the laws change and the market opens up. Much the same happened in Estonia the Republic of Estonia Tax and Revenue Board are responsible for regulating the industry. As the Estonian market for online casinos is relatively small there haven’t been many takers so far. So unfortunately there’s not much competition for best Estonian online casino at the moment.

Online Casinos in Estonia – Legality and Regulations

Finding out which online casino is actually registered in Estonia proves to be very difficult. I’m sure the method will become more transparent but as things stand nothing is clear. What is clear is the governments wish to stop Estonians from gambling with offshore entities. Many well respected brands have their sites blocked in Estonia. Whether this is in line with European Union rules is up to the courts to decide it is however not very effective. Players will always find a way around and a lot of Estonians do. It may come as a surprise to many but there are several online casinos with Estonian language versions and customers service agents able to help in their native tongue.

Check Everything

There are many scams that are floating around the internet and it is just the same in the online casino world. A little research into a brand before committing any hard earned is always sensible. First job is to make sure you know who you are dealing with and that they are who they seem. It has happen many times in the past when an online casino appears with a similar sounding name or domain to a very famous brand. More often than not they will be less than honest and sometimes out and out crooks. Anybody trying to cash in on somebody else’s brand name and not establishing their own has to ring alarms. That’s not to say the big names don’t turn out to be crooks as well, think Full Tilt and say no more. The thing is crooks always get found out in this business it’s too fast paced and customer focused to be able to hide.

European Licenses Are The Safest

If you manage to find an online casino regulated in Estonia then you will have all the safety nets in place locally. That’s not to say that offshore based online casinos are not safe and regulated it’s just that some are more equal than others. The strongest regulatory body in the world is the UK Gambling Commission it draws on the most experience as the UK has the oldest regulated gambling industry in the world. The commission only deals with UK residents however if an online brand has a license with them and accepts players from elsewhere it will have another authority overseeing them as well. The upshot is double oversight all games will be audited for fairness and regular checks will be in place. The Maltese Gaming Authority is another excellent body with strict rules and firm oversight. Then there is Gibraltar and the Channel Islands while they both jump out as tax havens they do have very good governing bodies and are not just for show. Be wary of any online casino that has just a Caribbean license they are generally not worth anything for your piece of mind.

Security Banking And Communication

These days keeping yourself safe online is get harder and harder. Thankfully the security protocols on reputable online casino sites are as good as online banks. As long as the site you visit has the green padlock icon and the prefix https in the address bar the site is protected. The best online casinos use online security firms to independently test and certify their security. They will have the logo of the company somewhere in the footer the most common are Thwates and VeriSign. Europe is lucky enough to have many third party electronic payment methods available. All of the top sites will have a selection giving you the flexibility to manage your bankroll effectively. 24/7 customer service is a must when choosing where to play. Most of us like to play at any time of day and if a problem arises it needs to be dealt with as soon as possible. Before committing to opening an account get in touch with the team and assess their knowledge and effectiveness. A good customer service team can make all the difference to your playing experience.

A Little Research Goes A Long Way

Taking the time to do a check on where you want to play could save you a lot of pain later on. Player forums are a great resource and can keep you up to date on the scene. Keeping an eye on threads relating to the online casino you play with is a good thing. Even the best company has problems how they deal with them helps set them apart. In an industry as dynamic as this one badly handled issue can have far reaching consequences. If you open a new account with a casino start small. Get a feel for how things work its far better to have to deal with a dispute over a small amount than a sizable sum. Good luck and enjoy.