A gaming control board (GCB), also called by various names including gambling control board, casino control board, gambling board, and gaming commission) is a government agency charged with regulating casino and other types of gaming in a defined geographical area, usually a state, and of enforcing gaming law in general. The official name of this regulatory body varies among jurisdictions.
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Rules and regulations
Gaming control boards are usually responsible for promulgating rules and regulations that dictate how gaming activities are to be conducted within a jurisdiction. The rules and regulations stem from the jurisdiction's enabling act. Generally, the enabling act is passed by the legislature and sets forth the broad policy of the jurisdiction with regard to gaming; while the rules and regulations provide detailed requirements that must be satisfied by a gaming establishment, its owners, employees, and vendors. Typically, rules and regulations cover a broad range of activity, including licensing, accounting systems, rules of casino games, and auditing.
Licensing
Gaming control boards also have full authority to grant or deny licenses to gaming establishments, their ownership, employees, and vendors. Generally, in order to obtain a license, an applicant must demonstrate that they possess good character, honesty and integrity. License application forms typically require detailed personal information. Based upon the type of license being sought, an applicant may also be required to disclose details regarding previous business relationships, employment history, criminal records, and financial stability.
Generally, the gaming license application process and subsequent investigation is quite burdensome in comparison to the process of obtaining other government-issued licenses. The difficulty of the process is intended to dissuade participation by unsavory people and organized crime.
Recently, in order to simplify the application process, various gaming control boards have collaborated on the design of "multi-jurisdictional" application forms. Persons or vendors who are involved in gaming in multiple jurisdictions may now complete one application form and submit copies to each jurisdiction.
Enforcement
In some cases, Gaming Control Boards are responsible for enforcing the rules and regulations that they create. In other cases, a separate body or a division of the Gaming Control Board carries out the enforcement function. Most Gaming Control Boards have full authority to hear and decide civil cases brought before them by the enforcement body and thus are considered quasi-judicial bodies.
United States
In the United States, gambling is legal under federal law, although there are significant restrictions pertaining to interstate and online gambling.
Individual states have the right to regulate or prohibit the practice within their borders. Regulatory agencies include:
Native American
In the United States, some Native American tribal nations have established their own gaming control boards for the purpose of regulating tribe-owned casinos located within reservations. Although the tribal nation also owns the casino, appointing an independent gaming control board to oversee regulatory activities provides tribal members with assurances that the casino is operated within expected standards and that tribal revenue is accurately collected and reported. Native American casinos are subject to the provisions of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, which is enforced by the National Indian Gaming Commission (NIGC). The NIGC establishes minimum internal control standards and other requirements that each Native American gaming control board must follow. However, the NIGC does not have jurisdiction over state-regulated entities.
Canada
In Canada, gambling is essentially regulated exclusively by the provinces rather than federal law. Regulatory agencies include: