With thousands of online casinos to choose from, the options are almost endless in terms of potential sites you can join. That said, not all online casinos operate as they should, which creates problems and possible threats for anyone who registers with them. Naturally, such sites should be avoided. But how do you actually determine which casinos are safe to join?
Let us give you the answers.
Licensing and Regulation
Most importantly, an online casino has to possess a gaming licence issued by an appropriate regulator. This changes based on where the site operates. For example, any casinos offering gaming services for players based in the UK need to hold a valid licence from the UK Gambling Commission. Without such a licence and subsequent regulatory oversight, there is nothing to confirm that the site operates legally.
Encryption and Data Protection
Modern online casinos tend to use advanced SSL encryption technology – essentially the same protection tools that banks employ for online transactions. In fact, this is often one of the assessments carried out by regulators before issuing gaming licenses. At the same time, this protection makes it very difficult, if not impossible, for someone to break into the network and steal your information!
Fair Gaming Practices
Another trademark of a secure digital casino site is one that displays evidence of fair gaming practices when making any bet casino moves. An online casino can meet these expectations in a couple of ways. Firstly, all legitimate online casinos use RNGs (random number generators) to make sure all game outcomes are random and fair. Secondly, it’s fairly typical of regulated sites to display certificates that their RNGs have been tested by authorised regulators such as eCOGRA – more evidence that they are operating as they should.
Lastly, for almost all online casino games that tick both of the previous boxes, you’ll be able to see a publicly displayed RTP (return to player) rating. This identifies the percentage of funds paid back to players for every 100 coins wagered.
Secure Banking Options
For all licensed casinos offering real money gaming, they must have secure banking options available for members. Ideally, they will have several trusted payment methods, including options providers like Visa, Mastercard, PayPal, bank transfers, and Skrill, among others. Since these payment providers each have their own security systems in place, it’s generally accepted that these are some of the safest payment methods out there.
Additionally, if you look at playing at sites that are particularly modern, you may even find options like cryptocurrency. If available, you can often connect existing crypto wallets to your new casino gaming account for quick and easy transactions, too.
Final Thoughts
These are some of the fundamental things to look for when browsing through the huge range of online casinos out there. However, you should always perform your own checks for each individual site to ensure that all is above board. This involves first-hand experiences with the site in question, as well as a look at existing reviews on established sites like TrustPilot.