How to Choose a Safe Online Casino

When choosing an online casino in which to play for real cash, you want to be sure your money is safe and games are fair. It’s likely you’ve heard or read about the unfortunate experiences of players robbed by various rogue operators looking to scam unsuspecting gamers. To make sure you don’t become one of them, have a look at a few important elements before you start investing cash.

Licenses

Check which regulatory body has issued the license online casino operates with. All men might be created equal, but licensing jurisdictions come as less or more reputable. Some impose strict guidelines, while others will look the other way as long as they get paid the agreed annual sum. The UK Gambling Commission is known for its tough vetting process, and seeing an Isle of Man or Alderney license is also a good proof of safety and security. Costa Rica or Belize licenses, on the other hand, have the reputation of easy-to-come-by and not particularly reliable.

Normally you should find licensing information at the bottom of casino’s site and within Terms & Conditions. Keep in mind, though, some scammers will put up false credentials so it might be a good idea to double-check it, even if at first it looks legitimate enough.

Third Party Certificates

Displaying a seal of approval by reputable third party organization is definitely a plus. If casino’s web page displays an eCogra seal or one of another known software testing company, you can be sure the games you’re about to play are fair and use a truly random RNG and you get the proper payouts while playing slots online for real money. SSL certificates will indicate that proper encryption technology is used to protect your personal information and online payments.

Online Casino Watchdog Sites

A number of trustworthy websites have been created to check and report on (un)fair online gaming practices and expose crooks. Before you register and deposit in a new site, you might want to check reviews on CasinoMeister,  The Pogg or The Casino DB. They will give you information about the accredited online casinos and those that should be avoided, share players’ feed-back and some will even help settle disputes between the two parties.

There are a few other things to evaluate before making your choice, such as payment speed, as testified by players and not necessarily stated by the casino itself. Don’t get fooled by what seems to be easy free money. The offer is not generous if you never get to collect. Testing the accessibility and quality of the customer support could also be a good indicator of the kind of treatment you’re likely to receive in the future. Online casino market is highly lucrative and therefore bound to attract rascals looking to score fast profits. So if you don’t want to be scammed out of your hard-earned cash, do your homework in advance. That way you’ll avoid regretting your decision later on, when it might be too late to do anything about it.