If you are new to the online gambling scene, you might be worried about losing your money to a fraudulent casino or having them steal your information. This is a legitimate concern, but not one that should stop you from enjoying the benefits of online casinos. The vast majority of casinos are legitimate, and it’s pretty easy to tell when a casino can be trusted or not when you know what to look for. There are also clear red flags that should tell you not to play at a casino. Let’s take a look at some of the signs that a casino should be avoided at all costs.
It Isn’t Licensed or It’s Licensed by a Shady Organisation
The very first thing you have to do when looking at an online casino is their licensure. This is the easiest way to tell if a casino is fraudulent or not. There are a handful of organisations around the world that are responsible for checking that casinos are safe and operating within the confines of the law. You should know what these organisations are and look for licensing information on the casino’s website. The world’s top regulatory bodies are:
- UK Gambling Commission
- Malta Gaming Authority
- Alderney Gambling Control Commission
- Kahnawake Gaming Commission
- Gibraltar Regulatory Authority
- Curacao e-Gaming
If you can't find licensing information on the casino's website or the casino claims to be licensed by an organisation that isn't on this list, it is a definite red flag. You should be able to find who the casino was licensed by in the site's footer or on their ‘About Us’ page. If you can't see it anywhere, then it would be wise to walk away.
You Can’t Find Information on the Casino’s History
Another thing you should do when looking at casinos is try to find meaningful information about their history. You should also be able to find this information on their About Us section. You should be able to tell how long the business has been around for, what their philosophy is, and a few words about the parent company. All this information should be verifiable as well.Fraudulent casinos will try to share as little information as possible with visitors, since they don't want their future victims to be able to track them down. So, if the information you find on their site is vague or incongruent, go elsewhere.
They Have Ridiculous Requirements on Bonuses
Another thing you should pay very special attention to when picking an online casino is the structure of their bonus schemes. Most casinos will usually offer some sort of bonus, in the form of either a match deposit bonus, free spins, or both. But what people often fail to do is check what the requirements are on these bonuses, which is a big mistake.Casinos will often offer outlandish bonuses that will be nearly impossible to redeem. They will do it by putting unrealistic wagering requirements on bonuses. Some casinos out there will require that you spend 80 times the amount of your initial deposit plus your bonus to get your cash, which is ludicrous. This is why you need to be very careful when picking a casino and look up the specifics on a review site first.You should never sign up for a bonus if it requires you to spend more than 40x the initial amount plus deposit; we would suggest that you go for something closer to the 20x mark. Also, check if the free spins you get can be used on a wide number of machines and not a few mega-jackpot ones with terrible odds.If you’re looking for the casinos with the best bonuses, you can
browse them here. Online Casinos has assembled a list of the best casinos that offer no deposit bonuses to facilitate your search. They also explain the different types of bonuses online casinos offer and how to tell if you’re getting a good deal or not.
Their Customer Service is Bad or Non-existent
The quality of an online casino’s customer service will also tell you a lot about whether it can be trusted. You should be able to easily reach them through phone or email. Most casinos will also have a live chat option.If you give the casino a call and it takes you forever to get in touch with a human, then this is a major issue. The same goes if you can't reach them through their chat. If you do manage to get someone, they have to be able to answer questions fast and confidently in proper English. If they don't meet these criteria, go somewhere else.
Their Site or Software is Unprofessional or Buggy
Legitimate online casinos make a lot of money and have the means to have their software tested and website proofread. If you notice any typos when checking a casino’s website, then this is a bad sign. If their software is choppy or has bugs on top of it, this should be enough to let you know that the site is sketchy.
People Have Reported Issues About Them
It's also wise to gauge the public sentiment for a particular casino before you play there. This could tell you instantly that a casino is fraudulent, but also if it is worth your time. You may find out that certain players have had issues with making withdrawals, for instance, or they lost money because the casino's servers are unreliable. Asking for second opinions will help solidify your opinion about a casino you are thinking of playing at.
Unsafe Payment Options
You should also be wary of any online casino that doesn't offer
safe payment and withdrawal options. Good online casinos will offer tonnes of different payment options such as eBanking, credit cards, wire transfers, or even crypto in some cases. If a casino only offers one or two payment options, then it’s an almost certain sign that you’re dealing with a scam operation.These are all things you should consider before you spend your hard-earned money at an online casino. Make sure that they have taken the steps necessary to be compliant, and examine their site, software, and service in detail before you sign up.-