Technology has made it possible to enjoy various services and commodities online, and casinos are no exception. The online casino industry has made a steady rise throughout the years and more and more people have looked to online casinos as a way to spend their free time and maybe even may a quick buck.
Who wouldn’t want to play in an online casino, right? It’s way more accessible than brick and mortar casinos as online casinos are open 24/7 and you can literally access an online casino wherever you are. The 1-hour drive to the nearest local casino is now replaced with a few clicks that would take less than a minute, so anyone with money to spare can try and test their luck online.
However, with the rise of the online casino industry has also come the rise of unscrupulous people and institutions who wish to take advantage of people who don’t know better. Picking the wrong online casino is much like trying out an independent and unlicensed casino in the middle of a sketchy neighborhood. You might end up going home with nothing and losing more than what you’ve placed on the tables.
With this in mind, it’s important to take the proper precautions when playing in online casinos. Here are a few ways to make sure that you keep your money and your identity safe when trying your luck in an online casino.
Take a look at the casino’s security standards
Every legitimate online casino takes pride in its security standards which you can see as soon as you visit their website. Safe online casinos generally display their security certifications in their webpages and in their promotions as well. If you see a casino that doesn’t have that lock icon, it’s best to err on the side of safety and look for a different site.
Check reviews and opinions online
The good thing about online casinos is that a simple search on Google will yield a lot of results related to whatever online casino you may have searched. Some online casino websites also feature testimonials and reviews from their regular customers. But it’s still important to be careful, as there’s a possibility that online reviews and testimonials are fabricated.
To make sure that the reviews you read online are trustworthy, visit websites such as clovr.com that offer independent online casino reviews and provide objective insights as to the pros and cons of various online casinos, and even a blacklist of online casinos that should not be trusted.
Another way of checking the legitimacy of an online casino is by checking out who they sponsor. Although not all online casinos have the luxury to sponsor people, the best casinos usually sponsor renowned names in the gambling industry, which should ensure that these casinos are vouched for by respected people.
Read the terms and conditions
It’s almost common knowledge that terms and conditions are never read by regular people, ever. Understandably so, as terms and conditions can often be lengthy and filled with legal terms that not everyone can understand, so people just put their trust on other people who’ve availed of a service or signed up for something online and click on “Accept” without second thought.
This cannot happen when signing up for online casinos. Remember that you’re putting your money at stake when you sign up for an account, so it’s important to thoroughly read the terms and conditions to make sure that you know what you’re signing up for. You don’t want to find out that you can’t immediately withdraw the winnings you’ve set aside for your expenses and that you’d need a minimum of $500 in your account before you can withdraw just as when your bills are about to be due.
Carefully consider your preferred payment method
Online casinos offer a variety of options as to how you would want to deposit and withdraw your money. Credit card and debit card are two of the most common and perhaps most accessible options, together with online bank transfer. However, these methods may have drawbacks such as long transaction processing times, as well as making you have to share your personal bank details.
Luckily, reputed online casinos allow clients to use e-wallets such as PayPal, Skrill, and even cryptocurrency for deposits and withdrawals. With these payment methods, there’s no need to share extensive personal information and you’re also able to enjoy generally quicker transactions.
View bonuses and promotions
Most online casinos offer a variety of sign-up bonuses and regular promotions to keep their client base strong. However, it’s important to be wary of such bonuses and promotions as these may also be used by scammers to entice prospective gamblers. Some bonuses may seem too good to be true, so it’s important to take a good hard look at a site that offers what may be too favorable terms.
Don’t save banking details on a shared computer
This should go without saying, but it’s highly advised to play in online casinos from a device that you own, and to never lend your account to anyone. Anyone who can access your account can easily see your payment details with just a few clicks, so it’s important to keep your account secure unless you want to be surprised with an four-digit invoice for a laptop you didn’t buy.
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