Though promotions, like a No Deposit Bonus and Game of the Month Bonus, are great, one of your top priorities as an online casino player should be to make sure that the casino is safe! It’s no fun for anyone if it’s not safe and enjoyable!
This article is here to detail all the ways that you can try and ensure that you’re having fun in a safe online casino environment. We are going to cover everything from SSL encryption to valid licenses, so follow this checklist the next time you play on a UK online casino.
Remember you need to be 18+ to gamble within the UK and please feel free to visit BeGambleAware.org for more information on how to gamble safely.
Is there an Online Casino Safety Criteria That I Can Follow?
It’s imperative that you always have your own safety and security at the forefront of your mind when playing at an online casino. Spending time on an online casino that doesn’t protect you can be devastating to both your finances and personal information!
Below, we have curated a checklist to help you! This can be used any time that you visit an online casino, to help you make sure that you are only using safe sites.
- Do they own licences? – It’s important that any site you visit is licensed and regulated. This licence needs to be checked to see if it is still valid too.
- Do they have regular audits? – A casino that is licensed should be regularly audited by the license provider, both internally and externally, thus it is usually more reliable, in terms of safety, than one that is not.
- Does the casino have technical security? – Your data needs to be protected by the casino you use. The casino is ultimately responsible for any private information that you supply.
- Are the games fair? – The games listed on the casino site need to all be fair and not rigged. You need to check if the games use an RNG (random number generator) on their games. Fair play is essential.
- Does the casino use a form of encryption? – The casino must have taken steps to protect your private information. This is often done using some form of encryption.
- Do they use safe software providers? – The software provider needs to be tested and safe. If they use a provider you haven’t heard of, it’s definitely worth some further research.
- How do they collect payment? – It’s important to know how you withdraw and deposit funds. Is the method of payment recognisable and reliable? If it leaves you asking questions, it could be a problem.
- Who owns the casino? – The owners of the casino need to be reputable and known. If they are not, some red flags need to be raised in your mind.
- Do they offer customer support? – You need to be able to get in touch with the casino when you have an issue. If the casino hasn’t got customer support, it could be a problem.
Ultimately, these aren’t set-in-stone questions to determine whether or not an online casino is safe or not. However, it is a great starting checklist to help players question the validity of the online casino site they are using and enable them to start thinking about gambling safely.
We will go into more detail about some of these checks below.
Check the licenses
One of the first things that you should do, as an online casino player, to check the safety of an online casino site, is to check and see if they have a valid and in-date license. A valid license means that a reputable third-party organisation has done their own checks and regulations on the casino, so you can feel safer whilst enjoying their games!
Essentially, all online casinos in the UK need a license to function. This process is costly and rigorous for the casino. Furthermore, licensed casino operators are more likely to abide by the licensing requirements, if they don’t, they ultimately risk losing their license! Furthermore, a licensed casino also has to undergo regular audits, which is a massive advantage.
If you come across an unlicensed casino, please just stop, and leave the site. There is no point in risking your financial and personal safety, especially when there are so many brilliant, licensed casinos out there!
Check the technical security
It’s imperative that online casinos have in-built data protection and prevention. Fraud can be extremely detrimental to anyone! Therefore, it is the responsibility of the online casino company to look after any private information supplied to them.
Check if the games offered are fair
The primary reason that people love online casinos is for their games! Thus, it is important to check that the casino is offering fair games. Every game that is offered, except for live casino games and sports betting, should utilise a random number generator.
This is important as it ensures that the outcome of every game is completely fair and random.
Check if the casino is using secure encryption
Once again, it’s important to remind the player just how important it is to keep their personal and financial information safe. The casino should always be protecting the player and their information.
Encryption also makes sure that transactions are safe, and that they are encrypted before being sent to the casino’s servers.
Ultimately, if you are using an online casino site with no evidence of encryption, leave immediately and don’t provide any private information!
Check who owns the casino
Many online casinos are owned by even bigger gaming groups and conglomerates! A bunch of these bigger companies will oftentimes own an umbrella of casinos! You can sometimes find this information in the footer of every casino, or with a quick google.
Those casinos that are owned by larger groups are more likely to be safe environments. However, this isn’t always the case, and you should always perform your own checks before deciding to gamble with any casino.
To Conclude
We hope that you take this safety guide and its many tips with you forward into your online casino journey! Ultimately, though there are many incredible online casino sites out there that offer a safe and enjoyable experience, there are always going to be some sites to watch out for!
So, keep your wits about you, and question every online casino site. Keep your private information safe and enjoy credible online casinos!
