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Here are the factors that make an online casino reliable, plus red flags that indicate that an online casino is untrustworthy or illegitimate and should be avoided.
Are Online Casinos Safe?
Reputable, legitimate, and licensed online casinos are safe to use. They have reliable customer service teams, fast payouts, and protect both your money and personal information.
However, there are fake casinos out there and you need to be on your guard. Scammers can gain access to your account after you disclose your details on fake websites and there’s also the danger of identity theft or inadvertently downloading spyware from rogue casinos.
This is why you need to determine whether an online casino is legitimate or not.
Are Online Casinos Rigged?
As well as ensuring that the online casino you choose will protect your personal and banking information, you also want to know that the operator’s games are fair.
Random number generation is used to determine the outcome of online casino games. This makes it impossible to rig games. What’s more, third-party auditors run statistical tests on gaming software to ensure that outcomes really are random and that the games are fair.
When choosing an online casino, look out for certification by eCOGRA or TST Labs, who process software checks. This certification ensures that the game you are playing isn’t rigged.
Safe casino software providers include NetEnt, Microgaming and Big Time Gaming. For more trustworthy online casino games, check out our website where every provider is completely safe and above board.
How to Choose Trusted Online Casinos
Before choosing to play with an online casino, do your research and check that the casino is legitimate. Follow these steps to verify that an online casino is trustworthy:
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Check casino licences
Trustworthy online casinos will have been licenced by an accredited gaming authority. For example, in Britain, every online casino must have a permit from the Gambling Commission.
This information is usually at the bottom of the homepage or on the ‘About Us’ page. Look for the licence number, in particular, and a link that will take you to the official Gambling Commission website. This proves that the online casino is legitimate.
A Gambling Commission licence means that the online casino is regulated and that you can file a legal appeal against the website if they don’t meet certain requirements. Casino licences can be revoked if the casino fails to fulfill certain criteria.
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Check terms and conditions
Make sure you understand all the terms and conditions of any online casino you play at. Check the privacy policy in particular. Legitimate online casinos won’t share your personal information with any third parties, and all UK online casinos must also be both PCI and GDPR compliant.
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Safe payment practices
Use strong passwords and don’t share your password with anyone. Also ensure that the online casino offers safe deposit and withdrawal methods, such as credit and debit cards like VISA, MasterCard or American Express, or PayPal. Trustworthy casinos will offer you a choice of depositing options. You should also check how long it takes for requests for withdrawals to be processed.
When entering card details, make sure there’s a padlock symbol in the browser window. This means they are using SSL encryption.
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Test out the customer service
Safe and trustworthy online casinos will have a reliable customer support team. Check the reviews to see how fast and dependable customer support is. You shouldn’t be expected to wait more than a few days for a reply. The best online casinos offer 24/7 help, often in the form of a chatbot.
Before playing with an online casino, you could send the support team a question and see how long they take to get back to you.
For UK players, we recommend only using UK-based sites as these will give you access to local customer support and you also have the option of starting a payment dispute. Deposits and withdrawals are also usually faster if you play with an online casino based in the UK.
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Wi-Fi and apps
Finally, only play online gambling games when you have access to a secure Wi-Fi network, not a public network. And only download casino apps from the The App Store or Google Play.