Secure Casinos

Picking a Secure Casino

Are you safe when you place a bet on your favourite slots in an online casino? Is your money safe? Is your identity safe? You can ensure you are safe at all times by registering on a safe online casino.

Every day, thousands of people lose money and their identity through online dealings. You can tell there is something going wrong by observing the signs. If a casino cancels your winnings or confiscates winnings already in your casino account, something is not right. If you cannot reach customer support for weeks, then you need to find a new casino.

Other signs include slow payment, no pay, and hidden terms and conditions. Lucky for you, there are so many trusted online casino sites for you. All you have to do is take your time and pick the best.

In this guide, we have outlined factors that you need to consider when choosing a secure online casino for your gaming.

How Do We Choose Secure and Safe Casinos?

We have worked with casinos for a very long time, and we have seen it all. From casinos that offer the best services and safe platforms to casinos that will take your money, we have seen them.

Some of the telltale signs that a casino is out to take your money include:

  • Some casinos have slow payment systems that will take months to process payments. Other casinos will have runarounds when you request to withdraw your winnings such as player verification.
  • There are casinos that use illegal marketing means such as acquiring your details from other businesses and spamming you.
  • A casino may have poor software rigged against the player – no matter what you do, you will never win the game.
  • Some casinos change terms every after few weeks and making it hard for the player to withdraw their winnings. Some may even change the terms when you request to withdraw so that they do not pay you.
  • Worse yet, some casinos force you to take bonuses. The idea here is to make you roll over the bonus so that you can lose more money to the casino.

We have seen all the casinos, and we know which is shady and which offers the best deals. For us to recommend a casino, we open an account with them and play a few games. While at it, we test the following:

  • The registration process and the verification process
  • Payment methods and their safety
  • The stability of the gaming software – games should be random
  • The availability of customer support
  • Favourable terms and conditions
  • A watertight privacy policy
  • Ease of cashing out winnings

We register on casinos as real players and then access all the aspects of the casino to check the safety of the casino. We even deposit a little amount so that we can play real money games.

What Makes an Online Casino Safe and Reliable – How Should You Pick the Best?

Online casino sites are good at marketing. If you check their marketing language, they always tout themselves as safe and secure, but that is not the case with some of them. What should you consider when shopping for the best online casino?

Secure Banking Options

A good casino should offer a wide range of payment methods to suit your needs. Before you register, check that the safe online casino offers the payment method you intend to use. Some of the factors to consider when choosing a deposit method include:

  • Ease of use
  • Availability in your region
  • Processing time
  • Bonus-friendly
  • Transaction fees
  • Safety features

Some casinos offer the best deposit methods, but then fail you when you need to withdraw your money. For instance, if a casino only offers mobile deposit methods, how will you withdraw your winnings? Some of the safest money deposit and withdrawal methods include:

  • Credit or Debit cards such as Visa, MasterCard, Visa Electron, Maestro, American Express, and Diners
  • E-Wallet payment systems such as PayPal, Neteller, Skrillz, Paysafecard, and EcoPayz
  • Bank wire or Wire Transfer methods such as with Western Union, eCheck, and Instadebit
  • Mobile payment options such as Boku, Payforit, and Zimpler

If a casino doesn’t offer a method that you recognize, you should avoid depositing your money with them as that may only lead to loss of your money. Worse yet, unsafe banking methods might lead to identity theft, which makes you lose more money.

If a casino forces you to use a specific method, especially new methods, avoid the casino no matter how easy or safe the method feels.

On-Site Security (SSL)

SSL is short for secure socket layer. It protects all the information that a casino sends online.

How does SSL keep you secure?

When you are using the internet, you send information from your computer to servers that contain the information you need. For instance, if you need to search for “Safe Online Casino,” the search terms go from your computer to servers. Before your search gets to the server with the information, it goes through other servers. If that information is sent as plain text, someone might intercept it as it goes through the servers. This is why encryption is important.

For instance, if you enter your login details as:

Username: maxygy 
Password: thisisapassword

In the encrypted form, the details might look something like: 
Eg56alwy78092nsnad830nnaabatsdbwnsgt2820nyvsbxslas

How do you tell when a connection is encrypted?

A safe online casino has its URL starting with https://. The ‘s’ in this case means that you are about to logon to a secure online casino. You know you are not dealing with a secure online casino if you see the URL only has http://. Ensure you are dealing with a safe online casino before you enter any details, especially credit card details. If a connection is not secure, a hacker might have access to your credit card and e-Wallet details.

If you see a padlock on the URL, it means the system is even safer. If the padlock reads TSL encryption when you click on it, it means the safe online casino has upgraded its security. Other casinos may show security badges, but you can only trust a badge if the URL shows the casino is safe.

What does the 128-bit SSL mean? You will see this on most casinos. This means that the encryption key consists of 128 zeros and ones. It would take more than a century to crack a 128-bit encryption. If the 128-bit key becomes weak, then a 256-bit key comes in.

Player Authentication Process

Player authentication is a way for a safe online casino to confirm your identity. The casino wants to know that you are old enough to gamble based on the laws of your country. This keeps you secure, but it also helps the casino avoid players who might want to launder money through their system.

The Know Your Customer, KYC, process is simple, but it sees you share some sensitive information with the casino. If the casino system is not secure, you might end up losing your data to hackers. The casino needs to collect and safely store the information collected.

In the UK, for instance, the Gambling Commission requires that casinos verify the identity of new players before the player accesses games. The casino has to tell you the documents they need for verification before you start playing.

Some casinos have adopted the Pay N’Play method. Here, the player provides their bank details, and then the casino will source your details from the bank. The trusted online casino then creates an account for you instantly based on the data from the bank. This is an easy verification process.

Whichever process the casino chooses; ensure they have SSL or TSL encryption so that your data is not sent in plain text over servers.

License and Regulation

If you walk into a land-based casino anywhere in the world, you are almost sure you are getting a fair deal. These land-based casinos need a license to operate. In the UK, for instance, the Gambling Commission licenses and regulates all casinos.

Online casinos should also have a license to operate. The licensing authority ensures that the casino offers fair games to the players. When you are playing in a casino that is licensed, you are sure that a third party is monitoring the safe online casino so that you never lose your money.

The top trusted online casino regulatory bodies include:

  • UK Gambling Commission in the UK
  • Gibraltar Regulatory Authority in Gibraltar
  • Isle of Man Gaming Commission
  • Malta Gaming Authority
  • Alderney Gambling Control Commission

If a casino claims that any of the above bodies has licensed it, you can always check with the body using the license number of the casino.

Terms & Conditions

Do you ever read the terms and conditions in an online casino? Most people never read the terms, and others only skim through the terms. This should end today if you need to play in a safe online casino.

The terms and conditions show how a casino operates. They show how you deposit and allowed methods, how you win, and how you withdraw your winnings. Rogue casinos make it hard for you to withdraw your winnings, and this is where you need to pay more attention.

Other rogue casinos keep changing the terms and conditions, especially if you win huge amounts of money. Check that the terms and conditions and the privacy policy the casino puts forward favors you.

Ownership

Do you know who owns the casino you play on? Is the casino a shell company of a group of terrorists?

Knowing who owns the casino is a great step in ensuring your online security. A safe online casino should be owned by either a registered company or a person. If you can see the founder and follow their life on social media, then you are assured that the casino is safe.

How is knowing the owner safe?

If the owner has their identity known, whether they are a company or an individual, they risk going to jail if they violate your rights. This is where playing on popular casinos keeps you safe. Instead of a new casino whose owner is not known, you can choose a popular casino that offers you the best features and secure games.

Casino Software Provider

For an online casino to run its game, they need software providers. The industry has a number of industry leaders that work with these casinos to ensure they run their games smoothly. The software a casino uses determines the security of the gaming platform.

A safe online casino will only use software from reputable providers such as:

  • NetEnt
  • Playtech
  • IGT
  • Microgaming

The above software providers, among others, offer secure games, and their games are fair. If a casino offers games from the above software providers, you can expect clear graphics, advanced animations, clear audio, and an easy-to-use interface. These software providers also offer reliable games.

If a casino uses games from developers you have never heard of, play the free games first. This allows you to test the casino and the games before you deposit real money.

There are casinos that offer proprietary games developed in-house. These casinos are great as they give you access to a game that is not available in other casinos. You also have to consider the compatibility of the casino software with the device you will use to play.

One thing you need to take care of when shopping for the best games is fairness. Games should be random and fair. If a casino rigs the system to ensure you never win, you will be wasting your money whatever you do.

Customer Support

Have you ever tried to reach the customer support of an online casino for weeks in vain? This happens with rogue casinos, especially when you request a withdrawal.

Casinos should strive to offer the best customer support to customers. In a secure online casino, you will enjoy a host of support options, including the ticket system, social media support, live chat, call, and email among others. A trusted online casino will also not give you ambiguous answers to your questions and will instead answer your questions fully.

Some casinos, however, are unavailable when you need them. Such casinos take weeks to respond to your query, and when they do, they give you an unsatisfactory answer. Then you have to wait for months to get a clarification on the answer.

If you are in a casino that doesn’t offer you support when you need it, you might lose your money. Such casinos make it challenging for you to withdraw your winnings.

FAQ

Are online casinos safe to play at?

Not all online casinos are safe to play at, but most will keep your details safe. Check the license status of the online casino and ensure they offer SSL or TSL encryption to keep your data secure when you send it over the internet. Again, ensure the banking options are safe.

Is it safe to play at online casinos on mobile?

Yes. Mobile casinos are as safe as casinos on PC. Some casinos use the same web version of their games on the mobile site while others create optimized websites for mobile gaming. However, this doesn’t give you a ticket to throw caution through the window. Just like in PC gaming, ensure the mobile gaming app or web version is secure by checking the payment options, the customer support, the licensing and other features as explained above.

Where do I find a safe casino?

A trusted online casino is easy to find. You can browse through the list of the secure online casino options on our site and pick one that offers you games. You can also assess the safety of the casinos on your area by checking them one by one. You can create free accounts on a few casinos to test their systems – this is what we do when we review the casinos. This way, you can check the player verification process and see the banking options.

Which online casinos aren’t safe to play at?

You can tell a casino is not safe to play at if you observe a few signs. If the casino makes it hard for you to withdraw your winnings, you need leave them and consider another casino. A casino that doesn’t encrypt information sent over the internet is also not safe for you to play at. Another sign that shows a casino is not safe is a privacy policy that doesn’t protect your personal data. If the terms and conditions also do not favor you, leave the site.

How are online casinos regulated?

There is no global body that licenses and regulates online casinos. Some countries are strict on online gambling, but others have lax laws that see rogue operators active. To get a license, casinos need to show the suitability of the owners, fairness of the games, and accounting procedures. They also need to show that they can handle complaints and stop underage gambling. Regulatory authorities such as UK Gambling Commission ensure casinos operate in fairness and are secure.

Even if a casino is regulated, you still need to do your due diligence and choose the best from the rest.