With Covid taking all over the world, most of our work has shifted online, and most of our enjoyment has too. From official work to watching movies to meeting people, we do it all on the internet now. It is apparent that gambling has majorly moved online too. Not that there weren’t many online casinos or gambling sites before lockdown hit us, there were, of course. Still, now with an increased demand for online casinos and our gambling needs shifting online, a lot of illegitimate and unsafe websites have popped up. If not careful, punters can lose their money to these illicit casinos.
According to internet security statistics, more than 2500 cyber crimes occur each day worldwide, and cybercrimes related to gambling do constitute a huge part of the numbers. Players have ripped off their funds every now and then, and it’s very hard to trust just any online casino in a situation like this. While all online casinos might look similar to the users with dazzling appearances and layouts, innumerable popular games and attractive bonuses, and the punters might take an illegitimate casino for a legit one. There is, in fact, an easy way to find an authentic online casino for the punters to quench their thirst for gambling.
How Can One Find Safe Online Casinos?
The punters only need to keep a few things in mind when looking for safe and legitimate online casinos, and if a casino ticks off the following boxes, it’s good to go to make an investment.
Data Encryption
Digital encryption technology ensures that the punters’ information is encoded and no third party such as a hacker breaks into the network and steals their information. The encryption changes the information sent by the punters to the casino or vice versa into unbreakable codes for protection. Digital encryption is necessary to make safe and secure online payments, and mostly regulated casinos employ this technology to allow safe transactions.
The casinos either use 128-bit SSL encryption or 256-bit SSL encryption to secure the networks. If a site is encrypted, one might notice ‘HTTPS://’ at the beginning of the website’s address. The punters might also look for an SSL certificate on the website, which will further strengthen the casino’s claim of being safe for gambling.
License from a Valid Authority
It is also significant that the punters check if the online casino operates under a proper license and is regulated by a lawful state or local gaming authority. The gaming authorities give licenses to online casinos only after they’ve done extensive research on them and observed them for some time which may span months or years. Legitimate casinos are under at least one regulating authority.
Some of the chief things which the commissions look for when passing the judgement about the casino’s authenticity are:
- Criminal background.
- Functioning of the casino, which includes transactions, security, fairness, support to the punters, etc.
- Technical standards of the website, etc.
It is only after thorough examination that a commission provides a license to a casino and that evidence can be found at the bottom of a page at the casino. Some well-known gaming authorities are the Malta Gaming Authority, United Kingdom Gambling Commission, and ARJEL.
Owners of the Casino
The punters can run a check on the operators of the casino to make sure that they have clean records. Often new websites are opened by operators when their previous sites fail to stand their ground against the authorities. These sites barely follow any guidelines to provide a safe gambling experience to the punters.
Seasoned players frequently choose experienced operators over new ones to avoid any mishaps, but if a new operator’s website claims to have a proper license and security, one may give it a go.
Privacy Policies of the Casino
Privacy policies are the easiest way to know how much the casino really intends on providing security to the users. Often casinos sell or rent their customers’ information to third parties, which may use them however they want to. While there are many online casinos out there that strictly prohibit allowing any third party to access the users’ information, it is better to be sure before starting to play on the website. Privacy policies can be accessed from the bottom tabs of a casino website.
Partners and Gaming Providers at a Casino
Who a casino partners with speaks a lot about it. Secure and safe casinos usually partner with reliable and reputable companies to bring their users a hassle-less experience since both want to maintain their name. For example, suppose a casino has a plethora of games to choose from, which are developed by gaming providers like NetEnt, Yggdrasil, or IGT. In that case, it proves that the website is valid and the games are regularly checked and upgraded.
Transparency
An online casino always displays the probable information a client would like to know on the website. If the website is filled with broken links, it might not be an authentic casino. Checking out the terms and conditions of a casino always gives us an insight into its working and transparency. Some casinos indulge in malpractices and rip off clients of their money. They suddenly change the terms of the casino. To avoid this from happening, the users must thoroughly go through their terms and understand how they work to provide information to its punters.
Suspicious Bonus Offers
Many times, bonuses offered by unsafe casinos are a means to snatch money from the users. The punters must choose wisely before taking advantage of any bonus which appears rather over the top and impossible for regular casinos to offer. Read a few reviews like this Jackpot City casino review with explanation on jackpots and all requirements. Valid bonuses require reasonable wagering, and it is necessary for punters not to be swayed by their attractiveness.
Concluding Thoughts
There are plenty of legit, safe, and secured gambling sites out there; one must just know how to distinguish between the safe zones and the unsafe ones for a never-ending saga of prizes, bonuses, and happy gambling experiences. This might clear a lot of questions if a punter is looking for a safe haven to gamble at.
