Playing games in an online casino can be a fun way to spend your free time but it can also be a great way to earn some extra money. Seeing as how you are giving out your personal and financial information in order to play most of these games, you surely want to know how safe that data actually is. Well, with that in mind, we created a guide with the most important things to look into if you want to ensure your money is safe when you join an online casino. Keep on reading.
Research the history of a casino
Once you find a casino you think is worth joining, you need to look into its history to better understand who you are dealing with. Sure, there could be an about section on their website that will tell you how long they’ve been operating and in which locations, but you can’t always believe everything a company says about itself. Therefore, your best bet is reading online reviews. Find relevant forums and see whether people have complained about that particular casino in the past. You can see if players were not paid, how the casino handled various complaints, and so on. If you encounter plenty of complaints, this should be a red flag and you should move on and look for another casino to trust your money with. On the other hand, if a casino is new, it can be difficult to find out anything about them as not as many people have experience with them so other approaches are necessary as well.
Look for a license
Genuine casinos will always have a license from a respected regulator in the field, such as the UK Gambling Commission or the Malta Gaming Authority. If a casino has a license, they will proudly display it on their website. These details are usually located at the bottom of the site so look there to see if they have a permit. You can also find their license number there, which means that you can check if it’s legitimate. In case you can’t find anything related to licenses, it could be a scam and your safety cannot be assured.
Dig around a bit on their website
You can also navigate their website and see if everything works properly. If it doesn’t seem cared for or has many broken links, it usually means that it’s not being maintained regularly. Once again, this could mean that the casino is not safe and that you should probably look elsewhere.
Pay attention to security measures
The website should also have many security measures in place. For starters, you need to look for a padlock sign in the address bar of your browser. This little symbol proves that SSL encryption is used to protect your information. Look into your local laws to see whether any other protections must be implemented as well. Moreover, your login details should have all the standard requirements, such as an email address and a password of your choosing. In addition, you should also see if they offer multi-factor authentication.
Check their banking options
Banking options that a casino provides can also tell you a lot about how they operate. You need to ensure you will be able to easily deposit funds into your account as well as withdraw your winnings without any issues. This is why the payment methods are so important. For example, credit and debit cards, such as Visa and MasterCard, are widely accepted but you can also find those that allow bank transfers. Another alternative is eWallets. In case you don’t use the most popular ones like Skrill and Neteller, you can find all the options at CasinoTopsOnline. However, if they ask you to put money directly into someone’s account, consider that a huge red flag.
Contact customer support
A good way to check if a casino is genuine is to contact their customer support. Every online casino should have an email address, a phone number, social media accounts, and even a chatbot that you can contact. Use any of these and ask them a simple question. If they get back to you quickly and with helpful information, they might be trustworthy. If they ignore your question or give you unhelpful feedback, simply look for another casino.
Test the games that are offered
If there are free games offered on the casino’s website, use this opportunity to see how they actually work. This way, you will see if the gameplay is any good and you will not have to spend money. On the other hand, sometimes you can invest a small amount of money to see if the casino will handle that deposit fairly. What is more, you should also read terms and conditions if you’re expecting a bonus after putting funds into the account. If you don’t receive a bonus, the casino might be a scam.
There are many ways to check if a casino is genuine and if the money you are trusting them with is safe. Rely on online reviews and do some investigating of your own to stay on the safe side before you decide to join a casino.