Playing casino games is great, but safeguarding your online security is equally important. No one loves being scammed, yet you can easily get conned unless you take proper measures to play slots, blackjack, and poker safely. Below are ten tips to help keep you safe.
Start with the Basics
Update your antivirus, your computer’s operating system, and back up most data to the cloud. When you create online gambling accounts, set strong passwords, and enable two-factor authentication if available. These simple measures might not stop a top-level hacker from coming after you, but they protect you from hundreds of spammers, unwarranted adware, and viruses.
Use an antivirus solution on all your computers and mobile devices for comprehensive protection. Additionally, practice safe ways to use the web. For example, avoid giving out personal data to strangers or revealing your banking data online.
Read Reviews and Comments
If you are like many Internet users, you probably spend time reading reviews after services you want to purchase. It helps you get a better understanding of what to expect. It also allows you to rank a few websites and decide which one offers the best value for your money.
Against that backdrop, only use the best rated online casinos. That means you need to read multiple reviews to find the best five, ten, or twenty gambling sites. After that, narrow down your list by choosing platforms that award you bonuses or stand out in various ways.
Choose Licensed Casinos
One of the worst mistakes you can make when choosing gambling websites is to overlook licensing information. It can happen when you come across a stylishly looking casino offering hundreds of games and humongous bonuses.
Most of these casinos even allow you to use up your bonuses. But after you deposit real money and use it to win a lot more cash, the gambling site shows its true colors. It could shamelessly accuse you of breaking company laws or create excuses not to pay your money.
The UK Gambling Commission, Malta’s Gambling Authority, and Curacao are some of the most popular casino regulators. Gibraltar, Isle of Man, Costa Rica, and the State of New Jersey also provide gambling licenses these days. So, look out for online casinos with licenses from these jurisdictions.
Read Casinos’ Terms and Conditions Carefully
Some of the worst gambling platforms are licensed, provide hundreds of games, and offer lucrative bonuses. However, they steal from players deviously. They know most people don’t read terms and conditions, and so place ridiculous rules to deny you money when you win.
For example, a deceitful casino could have a rule blocking players from cashing out an amount bigger than ten times their deposit. So, if you deposit $10 and use it to win $1000, the gambling app will only give you $100.
An equally dishonest poker site could have rules that prevent you from withdrawing bonus wins. But they won’t tell you about it until you spend your entire bonus and even deposit real money to complete wagering requirements.
Use Safe Payment Methods
Some payment methods are better than others and not just because they process money fast. The best banking companies don’t give out your personal information to anyone, not even to online casinos. Instead, they collect your money and send it to the casino’s bank accounts discreetly.
Of course, they later reveal to the casinos how much you’ve deposited. But other than that, top-notch payment companies do all they can to keep your payment data safe. Luckily, there are plenty of genuinely secure banking platforms.
For casino payments, credit cards, wire transfers, Skrill, and PayPal are accepted. You could also use crypto or checks, although the last option is decreasing in popularity.
Avoid Strange Bonus Adverts
Like many online businesses, casinos are continually advertising. Some promise irresistible bonuses while others offer to process your wins daily. A few casinos might offer unending rewards to attract your attention.
But amidst all the adverts about online casinos, only a few of them will lead you to genuine companies. Most of the ads promote new platforms whose reputations can’t be guaranteed. Due to that, avoid spam ads about casino bonuses as much as possible.
Instead, find genuine review websites and use them to compare great bonuses. Review platforms know how to identify safe platforms. More importantly, they compare tons of casinos before ranking a few of the best picks.
Beware of Phishers
Phishers send you messages that look safe on the surface. These could be bonus offers or invites to join casinos allegedly offering cash rewards. But when you follow the links, they lead you to spam websites where you unknowingly download malware.
Worse, phishers could infiltrate your computer with ransomware hoping to track your banking data and later use it to blackmail you. An effective anti-malware program can help protect your laptop from such a menace, but the best solution is to prevent it from happening.
That means not only do you need an antivirus program that can detect and prevent malware, but you also need to avoid phishers. In other words, don’t click links sent by strangers for any reason.
Only Contact Casino Officials for Help
When you experience problems at an online casino, ask for assistance on the same platform. If you get no response, don’t result in strangers who promise to help you out in exchange for payments. Most of them are scammers out to swindle you of any money in your account.
The only time you can consider contacting third party companies is when a casino deliberately refuses to pay you. In that case, you can contact its license provider and request for assistance.
To Conclude
If you’ve been thinking of playing poker or blackjack online, find a great casino. And by great, evaluate it for safety, bonuses, payment methods, and customer support channels. After that, use the tips shared above to play safely.
Pay keen attention to unlicensed casinos and sites that use dubious terms to disqualify people from cashing out their profits. Better yet, read online reviews to find the safest platforms quickly.
Last Updated on by Himani Rawat