How Do I Know Which Online Casino is Safe to Play for Real Money?
Without a doubt, online casinos have improved the way we play casino games today. The restrictions we experienced playing our favorite casino games in brick-and-mortar buildings are no longer there. However, knowing which online casinos are safe to play for real money has always been challenging.
While there are no risks associated with playing free casino games, when funds are exchanged and games are played for real money, players want to know that their money can be recovered. Cases of fraud and hackers hacking into players’ payment accounts are examples of the few reasons why many are still skeptical. Here are a few tips that may help you surmount the associated risks of playing online casinos.
Identifying Trustworthy Online Casinos
Unlike the early inception years, most online casinos available in Canada, the UK, India, and many more countries now care about their reputations. This has birthed a series of standard requirements that a trustworthy online casino must have. Therefore, there is a hundred percent chance that online casinos with these requirements are free of fraud and worthy of your trust. Some of these requirements are:
1. Casino License
Casinos require licensing because they cannot operate in any jurisdiction without it. Regulator bodies are responsible for issuing licenses, and they vary from country to country. Also, licensing is one way the government can keep track of the happenings and eliminate the perpetration of criminal activities in the gambling industry.
A licensed casino means that it has gone through all standard thresholds and has met all predetermined requirements for the class of casino it operates. The meticulousness of the agencies responsible for licensing would have forestalled most of the dangers players would possibly face in the future before such a license is issued.
Therefore, it is easy to trace a licensed casino and recover any lost money in any instance of fraud. Moreover, they are obligated to offer you all the necessary technical help should you encounter any problem.
1. Monitoring Agencies Seals
Often, you will find even licensed casinos carrying out reckless activities and not upholding standards that can benefit players. This doesn’t mean that licenses don’t go a great deal to prove that an online casino is trustworthy. However, a seal from some unbiased monitoring agencies further proves that you are dealing with the right online casino.
One of these monitoring agencies for online casinos, and perhaps the most trusted, is eCOGRA. The abbreviation stands for eCommerce Online Gaming Regulation and Assurance), and they are a non-profit and independent monitoring agency dedicated to online casino auditing and control. Although established in 2002, eCOGRA is now a world-renowned online casino regulator that industry experts and players have come to trust.
Casino owners must pass through standard test procedures to earn the seals. These tests are created to ensure casinos are fair to players through the games they offer, which must incorporate the RNG algorithm, provide a safe and secure environment for all players, excluding minors, and also ensure optimum customer support. Online casinos with this seal must also undergo periodic tests to ensure they are worthy of their seal.
2. Customer Support System
Online casino operators don’t want complaints to go straight into their review section. They always want to create that interface where customers can come with their issues first. This is a great way to build a well-nurtured customer relationship.
New customers will rely on the feedback of existing customers when deciding whether or not they want to stay with a casino. This is why customer reviews are important. It is important to provide customers with adequate support and inquire about what they may need using their contact and support systems.
As a new user of any online casino, it is important to test their customer support system before playing with real money on any online casino. The online casino is most likely safe if the customer support is responsive and gives useful feedback on all your inquiries.
3. Existing customer reviews
With the possibility of fraudulent online casino operators putting up fake customer reviews, the reliance on reviews as an honest way of establishing an online casino as a safe one has diminished. Regardless of how easily manipulated customer reviews can be, they are still one of the best ways to find a good casino website.
Manipulators can only try. Fake reviews are quick to identify if you take the time to read customer reviews. From any customer reviews you read, you must have exposure to many features of the online casino you are dealing with.
This information may include the lineup of the games offered by the casino, payment method, odds, etc., which are easily revealed in customer reviews. However, if all you see in the review session are short phrases or single-word reviews, or if they are intentionally long with a tone of marketing, the online casino is most likely not genuine.
1. Payment Method
Online casinos offer various payment options such as cryptocurrency, e-wallet, voucher payment, and card payment. However, you will find out that it is easier to defraud players playing real money games using cards than any other payment method.
However, suppose your payment method doesn’t come with a reasonable limit or withdrawing your earnings comes within a ridiculous timeframe. In that case, it is most likely that you are dealing with a fraudulent casino. Nothing beats an instant payment method with multiple options and a withdrawal that comes within a reasonable timeframe.
Conclusion
Many have argued that online casinos are out to make money. While that is not in dispute, their attitude towards their business operations and towards you will determine if their platform is safe for a real money game. Ensuring that the minimum requirements such as licensing and e-COGRA are in place and offering responsive support when you need a quick inquiry goes a long way towards helping you determine whether their business model convinces anyone to put in real money.