While there are plenty of signs to look for in a trustworthy online casino, there are of course those unfortunate few companies who want to swindle you out of your hard-earned cash, the most successful of which pose as respectable gambling sites. Casino scams steal your money, bank details and other sensitive information, resulting in enormous financial losses as well as serious breaches of personal data.
It’s a scary world at there, but if you arm yourself with the essential knowledge you’ll be able to spot these malicious scammers and avoid any trouble, protecting your bank account and mental wellbeing in the process.
Here are our top tips for avoiding online casino scams that you can implement to stay safe and get the most out of the experience.
Always Check for a Licence
The very first thing you should do when signing up for an online casino account is check that they have an official gambling licence, as this pretty much covers all the bases for indicating a casino’s credibility. To obtain a licence, an online casino most undergo rigorous checks to ensure the site is secure and best practices are in place such as adequate responsible gambling tools, clear bonus rules and fair pay-outs of winnings. Absence of a casino licence implies potential dodgy dealings, so be careful to check this before signing up. Licensing details can usually be found at the bottom of your chosen casino’s homepage.
Read Reviews
One of the best ways to separate the wheat from the chaff when it comes to online casinos is to read reviews from a wide range of sources. Review sites like Bojoko give you an insight into which casinos are credible and which should be avoided. It’s a good idea to compare reviews from a few different sites (gambling.com and Casino Guide are other respected review sites), to get a comprehensive view of which casinos are the most trustworthy from customers who have already tested the waters.
Are Bonuses Too Good to Be True?
Another indicator of a reliable casino site is the believability of its bonus offer(s). Every online casino wants to entice you in with a glittering welcome offer to beat the fierce competition and encourage you to register. It can be tempting to opt for the site that offers the most generous bonus at first glance, but this can quite often be a smokescreen for a scam. If a bonus seems too good to be true, it probably is. Indeed, be careful to check the terms of ANY welcome offer before handing over your bank details as there may be some predatory small print that will do you a disservice.
Slow Payment Methods
Another way to avoid gambling scams is to check the available payment methods on your chosen site. Payments that take a long time (a week or more) to process funds indicate that you may be dealing with a malicious online casino. A prolonged withdrawal period imply that the online casino does not have the funds to deliver your winnings. To avoid being scammed, check that your chosen casino offers a wide choice of payment methods, both for deposits and withdrawals, and check their transparency when it comes to payment options too.
Respected Games & Providers
An online casino is only as good as then providers it has on board. A credible casino will be transparent about its software providers, and you should take a look at the individual sites of its game providers to ensure they too are licensed and offer fair RTP ratings on their game portfolio. All titles will of course have a house edge, but its the randomness (the Random Number Generator that’s part of every online slots for instance), that signals just how fair a game is.
Customer Support
A final way to evaluate an online casino’s credibility is to check out its customer support services. A reputable casino will offer flexibility in customer service hours and variety in its contact options. If you have a question about, for example, payment methods, don’t hesitate to use it as a reason to asses customer support for efficiency and effectiveness, as well as how easy it is to get in touch.
We hope you find these tips handy in identifying potentially rogue online casinos, and that you can now enjoy your favourite slots, poker, Blackjack and other online casino games with the knowledge that you are safe and secure.
