Security Guide
The importance of secure casinos
No one is expecting an online casino to be your best friend, it’s an entertainment provider, a business service that provides its clients with games that may win them cash, not something that can guarantee you prizes or give you endless free spins or chips.
However, what we do expect is that the casino is fair. That means that primarily, when the slots are spun, the cards are drawn or the ball thrown in, the result is as random as it would be in a land based casino.
Secondly, we also expect the reputation of the online casino to be clean which means that they haven’t ripped off clients in the past or on an Interpol watchlist, when winners are made, they should be paid.
Thirdly, in the current climate of internet crime we expect them to be taking all the necessary precautions to protect our card details and personal information to safeguard our accounts and our identity from online fraud.
Are online casinos a shady business?
There are casino scammers on the web, in the same way that any internet business is prone to cyber criminals and hackers. With online casinos, the people setting up these businesses may also be out to make quick cash and rob clients. These guys give other online casinos a bad name and cost a fortune to the industry.
Several countries are snubbing their noses at online gaming because of this (and also because they have issues collecting the taxes as online casinos are usually registered abroad).
As a helpful and independent website geared towards giving you a wealth of information before you put down your details, we do everything we can to help players recognize rogue casinos.
Which casinos can I entrust with my money and personal information?
Like all online websites, there is always a slight risk that the too-good-to-be-true casino is actually trying to take your money and run. You can however, dramatically reduce your chances of being scammed by asking yourself the following questions:
- Does it have a seal of approval from independent auditors?
Legitimate online gaming sites have games and software tested by agencies such as iTech Labs. Once approved you can be pretty confident that the casino is fair.
- Can you speak to customer services?
Ask questions about bonuses, promotional restrictions, slots games and take notice of the response. Obviously, it’s great when the customer service is friendly, but are they knowledgeable? If every response is geared towards upselling you, proceed with caution, customer service should be just that – service to the customer.
Casino licenses and regulation
Licenses
Check to see if they have a reputable license from a respected country, like the MGA or the UKGC. Gibraltar and Cyprus also have good levels of credibility, be sure to check that they actually have this license – not that they are just in the process of getting it (usually takes a while).
They must provide you with proof that they have this license and normally are only too happy to.
Encryption technology
To prevent identity theft, most organizations really have to be on their toes. They have to have a controlled environment where they have really deep dived into their security to make sure hackers have little or no access. This means using secure URLs, like https, and a security socket layer (SSL/TLS). Their privacy policy must be clear and if there is anything you don’t understand be sure to go over it with their customer service department, for example giving data access to third parties.
How to recognize a rogue casino
There are no sure -fire answers but we have plenty of experienced voices to guide you. We have, unfortunately for us, and fortunately for you, experienced many online fraudsters and we know what to look out for.
Keep your eyes open for huge welcome bonuses and dig into the details.
Rogue casinos try to get quick sign ups just to get your card details. They promote a huge welcome bonus, but with wagering requirements that are literally impossible to meet.
Customer service
Will never be available or just be really awful. If you see customer service is inconsistent avoidant or just wrong about their answers to simple questions – walk away. Lying to their players is a huge red flag.
Multiple negative Player testimonials
Look online for player testimonies regarding your casino of choice and money withdrawal problems, then steer clear if there is more than a few. Usually these are connected to stalling withdrawals for months and months due to missing paperwork.
More security tips
Upgrade your computer to a decent level of anti -virus protection. With all the malware out there, regardless of whether you play casino games on line this is a smart move. MacAfee and Eset are rigorous cyber security software’s, although we suggest you read around for best prices and reviews on several different options.
This still will not protect you fully, when you are using a public Wi-Fi- best advice would be to use your own private surfing if you are playing from your mobile or wait till you get in a safe environment, hackers are known to piggyback onto public Wi-Fi to get access to your private information.
Conclusion
There are numerous ways that players can get deceived online and the stakes can be pretty high: identity theft; bank fraud; exposure and when it comes to online casinos you should have your eyes peeled for the warning signs of rogue casinos.
If want to play safe, opt for an online casino from our recommended list. They have already passed our inspection, been audited and vetted independently and are waiting to give you your welcome bonus.