Playing at online casinos can be fun – and extremely safe if you know what you are doing. However, the reality is that there are some less-than-honourable casinos out there and if you don’t put together a plan and budget for playing, then things can start to get out of control all too quickly.
So, if you are thinking about signing up for a new online casino and playing for wins then here are our top tips for staying safe when you play.
Check the Licensing and Read Customer Reviews
First and foremost, it is essential that you only ever play at online casinos that have been licensed by a regulatory body such as the UK Gambling Commission. If you are a player from the UK, it is a legal requirement for the casino to be licensed by this governing body. The UKGC ensures that its licensees stick to the most stringent rules and regulations. They will ensure that your money is completely safe and that the casino operates fairly so you will ensure a safe experience. There are also other gambling bodies that do the same, some are more lenient than others though.
Once this has been established, you should check out the customer reviews and testimonials. You can rely on the fact that any real customer review is pretty accurate. However, remember that there will always be a few negative reviews… This can happen with even the best casino. You simply need to make sure that the majority of those reviewing the casino have had a positive experience.
Read Your T&Cs Carefully
When you do sign up with a casino, make sure you read through the terms and conditions carefully, especially when claiming the welcome bonus or any other type of casino bonus that they are advertising on their promotions page. You need to know exactly what it is you are signing up for so that, should you have any issues, you will have some kind of recourse.
When you claim your welcome bonus, the terms and conditions will be stated clearly underneath. Before even considering claiming the offer, read it through closely to prevent any nasty surprises.
You need to consider what the minimum requirements are for claiming the offer, any codes you need to enter and, most importantly, the requirements put into place for withdrawing any bonus money and winnings. There is no point claiming a bonus and not realising that you have to spend thousands of your own money to withdraw your winnings.
Check out Customer Support
Any good casino will offer an excellent customer service to make sure that you enjoy the best and safest online gambling experience. You should look for 24-hour customer support via live chat, phone, email and even social media channels.
If you do think that there has been a problem – that there has been an issue with your payments or the technology for example, then you should be able to find someone to help you straight away.
The Gaming Options and Providers
When you sign up with a good and safe online casino, then there should be a selection of top games from the most reputable providers. Ultimately, the best software providers such as NetEnt, Microgaming, Playtech and Evolution Gaming etc, will only ever work with casinos that they believe are fully reputable and trustworthy. We think this is great that some software developers have standards and want those standards to be shared with players.
If you check out a site and notice that the games and their providers are unfamiliar, then you will need to question why this is.
Look at the Payment Options
Another way to ensure that you are playing at a safe and secure online casino is by the choice of payment options – and the withdrawal times and fees.
Ideally, you should look for options such as Mastercard, Visa and eWallets such as Neteller and Skrill. The biggest sign that a casino is safe, however, is whether or not it has PayPal. Because PayPal offers refunds to anyone who believes that they have been scammed using this payment option, they will only ever work with the safest and most reputable sites.
You should also avoid those sites that have attached unreasonable fees to withdrawals and long processing times.
