Safe Online Casinos – What To Look For

Online gambling is a growth industry, and the number of online casinos and gambling sites is higher now than ever before. And that number is growing day by day. This is great as it gives the player a vast choice of both games and sites.

But with so many different online casinos, how do you know if the site you are about to play at can be trusted? The online gambling industry is highly regulated. However, there are still unscrupulous operators out there who will do their best to separate you from your hard-earned cash in ways that are less than fair. So here we’re going to go over what you need to look for to ensure an online casino is safe to play at.

Account registration requirements

Online casinos are required by law to implement KYC (Know Your Customer) measures. This is to ensure that they do not accept underage gamblers and to help identify potentially vulnerable customers. Reputable casinos will require official proof of identity that includes both a photograph and date of birth, such as a driver’s licence, when you want to open an account.

Any casino that lets you deposit money and start playing before these documents have been submitted and checked does not have a healthy respect for regulations. Another red flag is overly detailed registration requirements that require you to enter sensitive data online.

Live Customer Support

Trustworthy casinos have live customer service representatives available 24/7. It is their job to answer all player queries and deal with problems in a timely manner. They are also there to help identify and support potential problem gamblers. Any casino that does not provide live customer support is not taking its responsible gambling obligations seriously.

Reviews

The online gambling community is enormous, but it is still a community. It is easy to find professional casino reviews, the best bonuses and details of personal experiences from gamblers. Before playing at any new site, take a few minutes to google the name and see what other players have to say about it.

Certification

Last but not least is certification. To operate legally, an online casino must be certified by the regulatory board of the area it operates in. All trustworthy casinos are regulated by at least one authority, and quite often more. Before approving a licence, these bodies, which include the UK Gambling Commission, the Malta Gaming Authority, and eCOGRA, audit and analyse a site’s RNG software, game functionality, banking methods and terms, and RTP percentages. They also conduct regular checks after certification. If you have any doubts about a casino’s licencing, check on the website of the regulatory board issuing the certificate.

The vast majority of online casinos and other gambling sites are legitimate, but there are always a few dodgy ones popping up. The safest way to make sure you are only playing at a reputable site is to stick to the big-name ones. But if you do decide to try something new, don’t forget to run through this checklist before entering any of your personal details or depositing your hard-earned cash.